Sean Keefer's Blog, page 2

The Pawn by Steven James - A Review

I’ve always fancied myself as having good radar for the fiction available today.  Particularly in the genres I enjoy, but it seems I need to take the radar unit in for a check up.

A while back a copy of The Pawn by Steven James landed on my desk and, for whatever reason, it just sat there.  I think I may have even dusted it off at one point.  So after the New Year I decided to see what I'd been neglecting.

Turns out I’d been neglecting a lot.

The Pawn is a great book. It's a crisp, tight novel that not only does a wonderful job telling a great story, but it also serves as our introduction to Patrick Bowers. 

Bowers, actually Dr. Patrick Bowers, is a profiler for the FBI, but not the traditional "get in their head" profiler.  Bowers is an environmental profiler.  He looks at patterns, environmental factors, locations, settings and the like to determine where as opposed to whom.  For him the motive for the crime isn't really the driving cause, but more so where and how crimes have occurred.  He goes where the worst of the worst commit their crimes. 

Trouble is, not everyone, actually few, see his genius.

Aside from using a new and fringe approach to profiling, Bowers is also a flawed hero.  His wife, the love of his life, recently succumbed to cancer.  After her death Bowers found himself the caregiver of his deceased wife's teenage daughter.  It seems that FBI profilers and teenagers have somewhat of a disconnect when it comes to interpersonal relationships.  The story between Bowers and his step-daughter, Tessa, is worth the price of admission alone.

All of this serves to make Bowers a very interesting and engaging protagonist. 

With that as the backdrop, on to the story.

Bowers has traveled to Asheville, North Carolina to assist with a string of deaths attributed to a serial killer. 

As I was reading along, moving through a very well crafted plot and well-paced plot, I found myself approaching what seemed to be a conclusion.  Confusing to me as more than half of the book remained, but I discovered this was intentional.

James starts the book out as a straightforward mystery with a good guy chasing a bad guy, but as the plot evolves and develops James expands his reach and incorporates additional elements creating page-turning suspense as the book moves along, important resolutions lead to more conflict and more suspense.

James' dialogue is crisp, the characters are engaging and his sense of setting is spot on. 

James' style of writing also makes for a quick read.  In the end The Pawn blends historical events into a current day mystery that will keep you on your toes until the end.

If you're looking for a book for vacation or for a trip, this is definitely a book worth considering.  Fair warning though, if you are a fan of police procedurals, mysteries or the thriller/suspense genres, you'll likely find yourself collecting the entire series of Patrick Bowers books.  I’ve started his follow up, The Rook and will report back when I’ve finished.


Feel free to leave your own comments below.

The Last Bastion of the Living - A Futuristic Zombie Novel - A Review

People love to write about zombies.

Why?

People love to read about zombies. 

Basically, people love zombies.

The problem is most zombie fiction is very similar to a zombie – rambling about with no clear direction, cause or goal. 

This creates another problem.  With so much really bad zombie fiction lurking about, the really good zombie fiction tends to get lost in the horde.

Enter The Last Bastion of the Living: A Futuristic Zombie Novel by Rhiannon Frater.  (For the rest of this post I’m going to call the book The Last Bastion.)

I stumbled across this book on a “Best of 2012” lists.  Most of the zombie fiction I read falls into the category referenced above, so when I saw a book from the genre on a best of list, I found myself looking forward to reading it.

Glad I did.

The basic premise of The Last Bastion is not far removed from that of many similar works.  Humanity as we know it is on the brink of extinction and zombies are to blame.

The Last Bastion starts us here and quickly catches us up on the current state of affairs.  The last 2 million or so people on the planet have taken refuge in a secure corner of the globe intent on rising up to defeat the undead.

However the grand survival plan has failed.  The remaining humans are running out of time.  So a secret, last-ditch effort is made to give humanity a chance to survive.

From her Frater takes us on a rather remarkable journey. 

She creates an engaging story line with compelling characters.  Her dialogue is fresh, crisp and focused.  In weaving her plot Frater makes use of the most visually descriptive writing I can recall.  Not only does she drop the reader into each scene, she practically reaches into your head and presses the play button.  You can hear the characters in your head, you can see the action, you can sense the zombies as they move towards you.   It is almost like watching a movie as you read the book.

Frater doesn’t stop here.  Her plot structure naturally creates multiple levels of conflict.  The tension is compelling and draws the reader ever deeper into the tale. Frater accomplishes this as effortlessly as most people will walk down the street.

The reader will find themselves heading down one path and then suddenly realizing, quite by surprise, the literary tidbits you’ve been collecting have not only enhanced the plot but have set you up for a surprise twist that makes complete sense and also unlocks a better, deeper understanding of the story.

Now, for all of you out there who say “I can’t read zombie fiction because it is too singular.” (I’m certain someone has to say that…) The Last Bastion is not just a zombie book.  It has a wonderful and unique romantic component.  It is also a coming of age tale and at its core it’s a page turning work of mystery and suspense.  Action, oh yes, there is action.  Lots of action.

That being said, while it isn’t just a zombie book, it is never the less a zombie book and Frater doesn’t let this go unnoticed. She handles the zombies in a very unique and interesting way.

For me it’s extremely rare to find a new writer with such a keen and unique voice.  During the past few days, since I’ve finished The Last Bastion, I have been describing it as a fresh voice in a genre that has been sorely.

I look forward to reading more of Frater’s work – fortunately she has a number of other full length titles. 

I encourage people who’ve not read much zombie fiction to read The Last Bastion; however, I make this recommendation with fair warning.  Fair warning that Frater sets the bar quite high for this genre.  Works of this level are the exception rather than the rule.

Fans of zombie fiction will enjoy The Last Bastion.  I would also recommend it to fans of the romance, mystery, suspense and thriller genres.

While you’re here, if you would like to read an excerpt from my book do that here.  You can also buy your own copy – they are available through the website with free shipping.  A portion of all proceeds will be donated to canine charities. 

A Little Something for the New Year

So you have to love the folks over at Novel Publicity.  They always have something going on.  They also have an incredible knack for finding great new books and authors.  To usher in 2013 they have a wonderful opportunity to not only learn about a new author and books, but to also interact with (other) bloggers, have a chance to win some great prizes and to lrean a bit more about the great folks at Novel Publicity.  So take moment and read all about their latest in the guest post below.  That and have an incredible 2013 

Did you get a new eReader for Christmas, and are now looking for something awesome to read? Or, maybe you didn’t get anything good and want to spoil yourself a little with the chance to win that coveted eReader, some major gift cards, or other awesome prizes. Maybe you just need to relax after hurry-scurrying around all season. Well...

Wouldn't it be nice to take a long hot bath or snuggle under your favorite blanket with a great read? Sounds like the perfect day, right? Hey, we can offer you something even better than that. In fact, we can offer you something seven times better! For starters, we can offer you up to seven review copies of Bella Andre's New York Times and USA Today best-selling contemporary romance series The Sullivans. We'll introduce you to—not just one, but—each and every member of the Sullivan family on their quests to find happiness. Even though most of them aren't even really looking for love, it has a way of finding them anyway. These sexy, emotional and funny novels will nurse all your literary and metaphorical desires. You'll laugh and cry right along with the characters, and get hooked into these great stories right from the very first page. They even take place in lovely California, giving you the opportunity to travel by proxy and escape the windy winter doldrums. What's that you say? The books sound awesome, but you're not sure why you have to join the tour to enjoy their awesomeness? There are so many reasons to sign-up. Since there are seven books (so far) in The Sullivans series and seven that will be taking part in this extraordinarily large tour, let's stay right on theme and discuss seven reasons why you need to join the fun, pronto.

CLICK ME > What are you waiting for? Go sign-up now!

  The perks Not only will you get to read a great novel—or two, or three, or seven—but you'll also get... 1. The opportunity to network with other bloggers and avid readers. 2. The option to host a guest post, excerpt or interview with best-selling author Bella Andre. This will bring new readers to your blog AND give you content for your blog—what's better, a post you didn't even have to write yourself. If your New Year looks as hectic as mine, having a guest post is almost as good as reading an awesome book... because it means I'll have TIME to READ that great book. 3. The chance to interact directly with the author through a number of social media activities, discussions, and awesome giveaways .   But wait, there's more! 4. Literally, there are more books. If you love The Sullivans, you can find half a dozen more books just waiting for your eager hands and mind. AND REVIEW COPIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR ALL SEVEN! WOWZA! 5. Kick start your New Year's resolution to read more! Plus you get hours of entertainment absolutely free—you may even win something (which makes the deal even sweeter). 6. The Sullivans will make you fall in love. You'll love the writing, the humor, the characters, and the stories. You might even find hope for true love within these pages. 7. If you've ever wished for your own happy ending—heck, even if you've already found it—there's something in each of these novels you'll be able to identify with. We all know life isn't perfect, and the Sullivans know that too. They're so real, reading the book is almost like watching a movie or watching somebody's real life unfold right in front of your eyes.   Did I forget to mention the prizes? The prizes are ridonkulous. We've got romantic swag baskets, hundreds of dollars gift cards, an iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, AND a Sony eReader to name a few. Well I guess there's just one more reason to join us on the biggest tour Novel Publicity has ever put together. More books, more bloggers, more buzz and, of course, more prizes!

CLICK ME > What are you waiting for? Go sign-up now!

  Oh, did you want specific details? Learn what all the buzz is about when you receive review copies of the first 7 books in this on-going series. Read one, or read them all. Or, you could host an excerpt, interview, or guest post instead–and we’ll even put that together for you. Tour Dates: January 7 to 20, 2013 Genre: Contemporary Romance Page Count: approx 300 pages each CAUTION: Explicit language, very steamy love scenes…and lots of emotion! The Prizes: * iPad Mini * Kindle Fire * Nook Color * Kobo eReader * $100 Amazon gift cards (7 prizes) * $50 Amazon gift cards (2 prizes) * $25 Amazon gift cards (8 prizes) * $20 iTunes gift cards (10 prizes) * Custom prize baskets for EACH of the 7 books–including items such as wine gift set, silver bracelets, romantic photo books and photo frames, eReader and smart phone skins, and MUCH, MUCH more! …and we’ve got special prizes just for participating bloggers   Read summaries and excerpts on the sign-up page.  

CLICK ME > What are you waiting for? Go sign-up now!

 

Bluff by Lenore Skomal - A Review

Soon after I started reading Bluff by Lenore Skomal someone noticed the book and asked the question, “What kind of bluff – cliff or deception?”

Having read all of 10 pages I looked at my inquisitor and answered with a framed air of authority.

“Cliff,” I said as turned my attention back to the book.

Now I find myself convoluted. It seems that the book is really about both kinds of a bluff.

Bluff is about the cliff variety of the moniker, but in ever the most delicately pervasive fashion it is also deception and its far-reaching impact.  It would be a really good read about only one kind of bluff but, it is, in my humble opinion, the combination of the two that creates a literary vortex the reader will find hard to escape.

I landed in this vortex and felt compelled to read the book again for a confirmation of my initial thoughts. 

A second reading of Bluff opens doors missed the first time around.  Behind those doors you’ll find a landscape that is more than reward enough a second time through.

Skomal does a masterful job leaving a trail of literary breadcrumbs throughout the book.  If you read closely you’ll find them.  Don’t worry, they won’t give away the plot or act as any spoilers, but they provide an even deeper insight as to the characters, their background, the setting and the story as a whole.

Bluff is a story of realization for virtually every character you’ll encounter.  Interestingly the characters learn not only about themselves but also those around them.  They do this through what I will call unexpected cross interaction.  It is as if everyone in Bluff was blissfully ignorant of how his or her lives interacted and impacted those around them.  Then the tale begins and it is as if everyone starts to realize they are part of something larger.

Upon our entry into the tale all of the characters have been content in their status quo but, once the action begins, they are shocked into action and the tentacles begin to grow.

The tale opens with Jude Black being admitted to the ER after falling from a bluff (the obvious first kind).  She is alive, but only in the slightest of fashions.  She is also pregnant. 

From here, with Jude and her unborn child as the starting point, we expand to learn not only about a variety of other characters and how their lives are intertwined in the most intricate of ways, but also how the deceptive sort of bluff becomes the norm for virtually everyone in our tale.

As the lives of the characters unfold, largely around the background of Jude’s continued hospitalization, the nuances become pristine, the mystery emerges and the suspense builds to a finality that will astound you.

That having been said, I struggled with one point of the book that prior to last week I would have likely have not mentioned; however, after the tragic events of last week in Connecticut, I feel compelled to address this point.

I enjoyed this book enough to read it twice, but given the tragedy in Newton, I want to make sure that anyone who reads it knows up front that there are issues involving children and firearms.  I believe that Skomal handles this sensitive topic in a very appropriate fashion and I also believe the manner in which it is addressed in Bluff can serve as a springboard to the gun control debate that is on the forefront in our Nation.

I believe that fans of literary fiction, mysteries and thrillers would enjoy Bluff.

Novel Publicity Blog Tour Notes Wanna win a $50 gift card or an autographed copy of Bluff? Leave a comment on my blog. One random commenter during this tour will win a $50 gift card. For the full list of participating blogs, visit the official Bluff tour page. Enter the Rafflecopter contest! I've posted the contest form below, or you can enter on the tour page linked above. About the author: Lenore Skomal wants you to eat her books. Her passionate desire is to touch your heart, inspire you, and luxuriate in the world of the written word. She is an award-winning author with the single goal of resonating with others. Winner of multiple awards for blogging, literature, biography and humor, her catalogue spans many genres. With 30 years of writing experience, 18 books published, a daily blog and weekly newspaper column, the consistent themes in her work are the big issues of the human experience and adding depth and voice to the intricacies involved in living a multi-dimensional existence. She has won many Society of Professional Journalist awards, the Whidbey Island Writer's Conference honorable mention for best fiction, Writer's Digest 73rd Annual Fiction Contest, New York Public Library's Best Books for Teens 2003, and most recently, the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Award for humor for “Burnt Toast.,” her first anthology of her award winning humor columns. From journalism, to literary fiction, to humor and biography, her writing is consistent, if not in genre, then in message. Connect with Lenore on her website, Facebook, GoodReads, or Twitter.

Get Bluff on Amazon.

EMBED CODE can be found at http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/shar...

Flesh by Khanh Ha - A Review

All too often people forget the makings of a great story is not how grandiose the plot may be or the size of the stage upon which the novel is set, rather it's the characters and, in reality, how important their story is to them.

             I recall a book about a man trying to get home.  That was the essence of the entire story; well except for the fact he was walking home.  Since I read this book I've told many a fellow reader about this literary gem and, purposefully, given them this sparse description.  I've done this largely to gauge their reaction.  Almost universally the reaction was lukewarm at best.  Then I would elicit a promise to have them read the book.  Again, almost universally, when I saw them soon after they too had nothing but praise for the book, Cold Mountain by Charles Fraizer. 

            Flesh by Khanh Ha is this type of book.  At its core, it is a book about a son trying to honor his family by obtaining a proper burial for his father and brother. And for this boy, this becomes his driving raison d'être.

            After I finished Flesh, I was left with one word echoing in my head that, for me, describes the book. For me the one word that encapsulates Flesh in its entirety is poignant. 

            The characters, the setting, the pacing of the plot, the book as a whole, all done in such a poignant fashion that the tale as a whole simply resounds with a voice that is unique and memorable in rare fashion.

            Set in turn of the 19th to 20th century Hanoi, Flesh opens with the execution of a notorious gang of criminals.  Their leader, almost a Robin Hood in provincial view, is executed last and his teenage son witnesses his death.  From this point forward the son is focused on honoring his father by obtaining a proper burial location for his remains. 

            In Flesh Ha transports the reader seamlessly to colonial Vietnam.  Through the book the reader will find themselves on the cusp of feeling a humid breeze upon their skin, hearing the noises of a South East Asian city, smelling the scent of a meal cooking in a kitchen, feeling the tension that frequently lurks just around the corner, the chill in the spine that comes from the first view of an opium den, and even the engulfing bliss that comes from the first ever draw of the sweet smoke for an opium pipe.

            I read a lot and recently have decided that the success of a book will turn on the genuineness of the characters.  Rarely do you encounter characters as true and authentic as you will find in Flesh.  Even though they are steeped in, for a westerner, unfamiliar traditions and trappings of a foreign culture, the characters as developed by Ha make the reader feel more like they have stepped in to the tale and are witnessing it as it unfolds rather than reading about it from a time and location removed from the story.

            Perhaps what I enjoyed the most was while the characters drove the tale, they did so via plot that was as pleasantly tangled and tense as you will find.  And despite this, from the first moment, the plot was believable and, most importantly, timeless.

            Readers of character drive tales, literary and historical fiction need to prioritize getting this book.  As well anyone that has wanted to read a solid work of this nature but has not yet would be well served by starting here.

Novel Publicity Blog Tour Notes   Wanna win a $50 gift card or an autographed copy of Flesh? Leave a comment on my blog. One random commenter during this tour will win a $50 gift card. For the full list of participating blogs, visit the official Flesh tour page. Enter the Rafflecopter contest! I've posted the contest form below, or you can enter on the tour page linked above. About the author: Khanh Ha was born in Hue, the former capital of Vietnam. During his teen years he began writing short stories which won him several awards in the Vietnamese adolescent magazines. He graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. He is at work on a new novel. Connect with Khanh on his website, blog, Facebook, GoodReads, or Twitter.

Get Flesh on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

  EMBED CODE can be found at http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/shar...

And after a Brief Intermission - We're Back

It’s been a crazy, exciting, depressing, exhilarating and trying year.   So far anyway, but normalcy seems to have returned and with it a hope to return to regular posting once again.  To start off my return to the blogosphere, I thought I’d post a few thoughts on writing in general.

For me, the problem with being a full time writer and a part time anything else is that if the part time anything else is paying the bills the full time writing may end up being conceptual rather than actual.

            I’ve been dealing with this for a good time now - pretty much the last year has been a struggle to find, much less put on the writer’s hat.

            I actually went back and read a few of my prior post and low and behold, there are some pretty good ideas there.   

            The main take away, and this will likely earn me the title of captain obvious, is that sure there are only 24 hours in the day, but it’s not, or at least shouldn’t be a problem to find one or two to do some writing.

            Yes, The Walking Dead is back on – the premier was pretty cool if I must say – and sure it’s college football season again – GO COCKS! However, no matter how you cut it there are plenty of hours in the week to get pen to paper or at least fingers to keyboard. 

            So my motivation to finish out 2012 is going to be, “Write now, edit later.”  We will see how this goes as I work to finish the follow up to The Trust.

            I’ll be back regularly with more thoughts on reading, writing and all things in between, oh and yes, photography (The photos you see are mine.  I'll post a new one with each post.)

            So while you’re here why not read a chapter from my book or even buy a copy of your own.   A portion of all proceeds from the sale of The Trust will be donated to canine related charities.

The Trust - A Review

So in 2011 I published my first novel, a thriller set primarily in Charleston, South Carolina.  It's called The Trust.  

In addition to writing novels, from time to time I review them.  I don't have any set formula as to what books I review - if one interests me, I'll review it.

In July of this year I learned a thriller entitled The Trust, set primarily in Charleston, South Carolina, was to be published.  

I was quite intrigued.  So I ordered a copy and after reading it I decided to review it because outside of reviewing my own book (awkward), when else would the opportunity to review a book titled The Trust come about?

The Trust is the third novel from Norb Vonnegut.  (If you're asking the question, "I wonder if he's related to Kurt Vonnegut?" the answer's yes.)

Vonnegut's novel is set against the background of the financial world.  Think big financial companies, banks, hedge funds, asset portfolios, brokers, fund managers and, yes, trust.

When I learned that Vonnegut's book was a financial thriller my concern was that the plot may take us through the recent Wall Street woes; however, Vonnegut has steered clear of this and lifts us from New York to the rather more relaxed climes of Charleston, South Carolina – the book's primary setting.

In Charleston a (very) wealthy local resident, Palmer Kincaid, has died.  Mr. Kincaid lived a long and full life.  Among his many accomplishments was the establishment of The Palmetto Foundation, a philanthropic trust that promotes and fosters charitable causes around the world.  Upon his death the management of the foundation was vested in a board of directors consisting of his daughter and his widow.  Kincaid's also extends board membership, via his Last Will and Testament, our main character, Grove O'Rourke, Kincaid’s long time friend and confident.

Being on the board of a charitable foundation.  In charming Charleston, South Carolina.  How difficult could this possibly be?

At Vonnegut's direction, more than a little and this makes for an interesting tale.

Being a long time (and current) resident of Charleston, I fancy myself as being slightly familiar with Charleston and one of the characteristics of the city can be summed up in the saying, "Still waters run deep."  The surface of the city frequently presents a genteel facade that belies what can sometimes be a sordid and dark undercurrent.  In The Trust, Vonnegut homes in on this aspect of the city.             

Following Kincaid's death O'Rourke finds himself in Charleston and almost as quickly as the trip from New York, matters for O'Rourke become complicated - adult toy stores, mysterious Catholic priests, secret charities, offshore bank accounts, lawyers, FBI agents and a host of other problems create a web that becomes more and more intertwined with the turn of each page.

Vonnegut's style is to bounce the action between settings and acclimating to this can take a bit of effort.  He also alternates between narration in first person (when O'Rourke is in the scene) to third person (for all other characters).  This too takes a bit of effort to catch the story’s rhythm.

Vonnegut creates memorable characters in The Trust.  Grove O'Rourke is a wonderful everyman.  Perhaps his most endearing quality is that he is an average guy.  While that may not sound the resounding endorsement of O'Rourke as a character, it is as he is simply believable in what he says and does.  This allows the reader to form an attachment to him and vests you in his feelings, beliefs, thoughts and actions.  You’ll end up rooting for him as he takes you through the tale.

The plot is engaging.  The story rarely slows and welcomes the reader in.  Vonnegut gives us several unexpected twists and turns though they do develop rather abruptly.  Vonnegut also provides the reader closure thereby avoiding the likelihood of having the reader left wanting for closure.

I read a lot but have never read a financial thriller and had Vonnegut's book not shared the same title as mine, the odds are low that I would’ve ever opened The Trust.   However after reading it, I'm intrigued about his first two books. 

Fans of thrillers, mystery, suspense and southern fiction would enjoy The Trust (Vonnegut's as well as mine).

Angry Woman Suite - A Review

When I was a child growing up in rural South Carolina the nearest (and only) mall was an hour away.  Oh the joy when we loaded up and rolled in to do some shopping.  One of my most favorite stores was store called Spencer’s Gifts (yes the place with the INCREDIBLY cool black light posters something a true child of the 80’s will fondly recall).

I digress.

Black light posters aside my favorite part of Spencer’s was the magician this store had out front.  While I now realize his feats of wonder were little more than slight of hand, the tricks, filtered through my adolescent eyes were nothing short of sorcery.

Angry Woman Suite by Lee Fullbright left me feeling the same.

I’ve read the book from cover to cover twice (yes, it is that good, great the first, better the second) and I am still in awe at what I have found.

Let me walk you through it.

I was surprised when the book started out with a cast of characters literally set out in the opening pages.  Odd as this was initially, I found it incredibly helpful as there were several times the first time through I had to refer back to keep the players straight in my head. 

Fullbright controls the flow of information to the reader in the most unique of fashions.  The different characters are grouped with a central character in each group serving as the narrator.  The groups, while part of the overall story, generally experience their reality in different time periods of the story. There are characters that are unique to the individual time periods, but also characters that appear in all of the time periods.

Here is where it gets interesting.  It was fascinating having one group reference an event and then when with another group actually experiencing the event.

This novel literary technique allows for an endless number of foreshadowing and flashback events.  Fullbright takes full advantage of this to first introduce an event then allude to it in a way that it is clearly of substance to the characters but as the reference is out of time context, the reader knows nothing other than some event has occurred, but not the details of the event. 

By doing this so effectively, Fullbright literally throws the reader into the timeline allowing them to experience the emotive response and reaction of the characters without knowing the event that caused the response.  At first I was frustrated by this, but much to my surprise this technique allows the reader to become familiar in a fashion that vests the reader in the potential outcomes of the different forces at play on the characters in the book.

Aside from this technique, Fullbright creates a number of memorable characters all of who refuse to be stereotyped.  Fullbright’s natural gift for dialogue permeates the story.

Angry Woman Suite lets the reader learn the secrets of an affluent Pennsylvania family telling the tale through three different family members spanning several different generations.  Deceit, betrayal, insanity, vices, manipulation, heartbreak, love lost and even murder permeate the pages of this fine work.  (How can you not have great fiction with these themes?)

There are times when a modicum of focus is required, but then again, this is literary fiction and with a little investment one will find themselves with the penultimate scene staring them in the face moments away from a moment of “Wow” with the manner in which Fullbright orchestrated the end.

In the end readers of mysteries, generation spanning tales, period fiction and literary fiction will enjoy Angry Woman Suite.   For me the true reward was learning that unlike the slight of hand the magician at Spencer’s gave me, what Fullbright has put between the covers of Angry Woman Suite, even if I was to learn how it was done, still would border on literary magic.

Novel Publicity Blog Tour Notes   Wanna win a $50 gift card or an autographed copy of The Angry Woman Suite? Well, there are two ways to enter... Leave a comment on my blog. One random commenter during this tour will win a $50 gift card. For the full list of participating blogs, visit the official Angry Woman Suite tour page. Enter the Rafflecopter contest! I've posted the contest form below, or you can enter on the tour page linked above. About the author: Lee Fullbright is a fourth-generation Californian, raised and educated in San Diego. She is a medical practice consultant and lives on San Diego’s beautiful peninsula with her twelve-year-old Australian cattle dog, Baby Rae. The Angry Woman Suite, a Kirkus Critics’ Pick and Discovery Award winner, is her debut novel. Connect with Lee on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or GoodReads.

Get The Angry Woman Suite on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

  EMBED CODE can be found at http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/shar...

Forgive Me, Alex - Lane Diamond - A Testimonial

My name's Dan Helton, but my friends just call me Dan.  Well, they used to. 

I live, or lived, a pretty normal life in Crystal Lake, Illinois.  

Oh, I guess I should tell you I was murdered.

Crystal Lake's not much of a place, but at least it's got more than Algonquin, I mean it's bigger if nothing else.  I'm not too far from Chicago and sometimes some of the guys from work, we all get together, or used to get together, and go to Cubs games.

            When I got a car I never had a problem getting people to go they just wanted to get out of Crystal Lake.  Now, well, Cub games are a thing of the past.  Before it happened, I spent most nights at the Market.  I was just bagging and stocking but all I really had to pay for was the car.  It wasn’t that exciting, but I liked my life. 

            I heard about that girl name Diana from Algonquin who went missing and just a few days before another kid named Alex had gone missing too.  He turned up dead, murdered.  That was weird.  I mean Algonquin is in the sticks and nothing ever happens there so a murder and a kidnapping in just a few days.  Wow.

            So I have to admit I was a little shocked how things went the other night.  I’d just gotten off work and was walking to my car and BAM everything went black.

            I woke up in a tiny shed.  There was a girl tied up in the room and a man.  He wasn’t very nice.  He was actually really, really bad.  If I'd just been terrified when I woke up in that shed that would have been one thing, but the man in the shed wasn't a nice guy so I passed terrified real quick.

            We won't talk about all the things he did to me.

            After it was done and I was dead, well, don't ask me how, but I actually know what happened with everyone and everything else after that.

            I'll tell you a little bit about it.  I'll even tell you how you can find out all about it for yourself.

            See, I was just another victim of a serial killer.  But I wasn't the only victim.  Far from it. 

            I died in 1978, but a lot of what you'll learn about happened almost 30 years later in 1995.  Tony Hooper was in the middle of it in 1978 and again in 1995.  That kid that went missing and was killed, Alex, well, Tony is his brother.  Turns out Tony is a really great and amazing guy, but all the things that happened in 1978, with his brother, and girlfriend, yeah, his girlfriend was Diana, that girl taken by the serial killer.  Anyway, Tony was really messed up from all of it.  For a while the police even thought he was the killer.

            Oh, and the guy that killed me, Mitchell Norton, he went to jail, but even after killing all of those people, he got out in 1995.  Can you believe that?  And get this, he came back to Algonquin when he got out of jail.  That caused some problems, big problems.  Sorta like digging up bad memories.   But I won't tell you about it, I'll let you find out for yourself.  That's what you'll read about.

            This guy, Lane Diamond, he's from Algonquin and he must have known Tony and the killer and maybe some of the other people, because he knows it like he was there, but anyway he wrote a book about it.  It's called Forgive Me, Alex for the kid Alex who was killed. 

            Anyway, he makes the story come alive, it's like you’re in 1978 one minute and 1995 the next.  One minute you're inside the killer's head and one minute you're inside of Tony Hooper's head.  I'll let you in on a little secret.  Both of those guys are more than a little messed up, but Diamond really knows them because when you read about them, you'll feel like you know them too. 

            It probably sounds like I'm dropping spoilers about what Diamond's written and the story and all, but that's another thing about his book, you know a lot of what happened just from starting to read it, what with the murders and the killer being a serial killer and all, but even knowing that, as weird as it sounds and as much as you start out knowing there's loads and loads you don't know and that almost makes the pages turn by themselves.

            Of course I wish I hadn't been killed, but one thing that’s for certain, I'll live on in Diamond's book and the another thing that's cool is that I'll be shocked if a lot of people don't read Diamond's book and learn about me - it's that good.  Though if they make a movie, I'm really curious who'll play me.

            I read a lot before I was murdered so I'm certain if you like mysteries, thrillers and suspense you'll love Forgive Me, Alex.

Novel Publicity Blog Tour Notes: Wanna win a $50 gift card or an autographed copy of Forgive Me, Alex? Well, there are two ways to enter... Leave a comment on my blog. One random commenter during this tour will win a $50 gift card. For the full list of participating blogs, visit the official Forgive Me, Alex tour page. Enter the Rafflecopter contest! I've posted the contest form below, or you can enter on the tour page linked above. About the author: I write fiction, long and short. My writings cross over many genres and focus on diverse subjects, ranging from the mysteries of the human mind, with its fragile psychological and emotional states, to the everyday joy and anguish of life on Earth. Ultimately, characters move me – as both a reader and an author. It's all about the people. When not writing, I'm Publisher and Executive Editor at Evolved Publishing. Connect with me on my website, Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, or via Evolved Publishing.

Get Forgive Me, Alex on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

  EMBED CODE can be found at http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/shar...

Speculation by Edmund Jorgensen - A Review

Edmund Jorgensen hits a home run with Speculation.

Jorgensen' characters are well rounded, interesting and believable. His writing is well paced.  He’s taken philosophy and made it an interesting read.  And he makes you want to turn the page.

But what makes Speculation perhaps most unique is that at its root the plot boils down to a simple choice.  Door number 1 or Door number 2.  To make things even more interesting we know, to the penny, the exact amount (and it’s a huge amount) behind Door number 1.  Door number 2 on the other hand is a lone envelope.  And herein lies the rub - no one knows what is in the envelope.  (Being no stranger to unknown contents in novels, Jorgensen had me early on.)

Condensed further the plot is simply this - A or B.

Expanded slightly, philosophy instructor Andrew Wrangles, receives a phone call from the Law Offices of X, Y and Z (literally).  After a quick bit of checking Wrangles learns that he’s been named in the will of his good friend, Stanley Riordan.  Wrangles and Riordan, friends since college shared an appreciation of philosophy – the what if’s in life.  Now that Riordan is dead Wrangles is left with a final decision between 10 million dollars or an envelope.

But would Riordan make it that simply?  Of course not.  If he did it wouldn’t be a mystery.  So to make things interesting Riordan also left behind a few clues.

From this philosophical crossroads Wrangles sets out to answer one simple question. 

A or B?

One clue leads to another clue and then another.  Along the way Wrangles learns about his friend, their lives together, their other acquaintances, and, perhaps most importantly, about himself. 

Jorgensen does a wonderful job keeping the reader engaged while Wrangles continues his search.  In doing so Jorgensen uses a number of literary devices that are surprisingly refreshing and serve well in moving the plot along. 

Now let's talk philosophy.  

When you have a book, the main character of which is a philosophy instructor, there will likely be (and in Speculation there is) a good deal of philosophical discussion.  For most of us who have not studied philosophy this may raise the eyebrow of hesitance.  I’ve tried to read philosophy and have a difficult time with it.  Not all of us are equipped for higher abstract thought.  However, Jorgensen does a masterful job of blending existential concepts into the plot and doing so in a fashion where the reader doesn't stop after a couple of sentences wondering what they’ve just read rather they find themselves asking the same questions.

Thanks to the questions Jorgensen poses, Speculation keeps you guessing.  The twists and turns will keep your nose to the page.  However perhaps the most interesting part of the book is the constant reminder that the true question is simply A or B. 

However simple as it may be, Jorgensen takes a this choice and helps us understand how it really isn't all that simple.  

10 million dollars or an envelope? 

At first blush it may seem straight forward but take a moment to think about it.  If it’s a balance between 10 million dollars and an envelope, shouldn't the envelope be worth at least that?  Or perhaps more?  Or less?  Is it worth 10 million dollars to know the contents as opposed to having the money and not knowing?  Is it even difficult at all?  After all, it is 10 million dollars…..

The questions are endless.  In fact, I still find myself wondering what I would do if faced with the same question.

Perhaps the thing I enjoyed most about the book was how it engaged me.  Speculation gives a scenario - A or B - and invites you to make the decision.  Jorgensen provides a few gentle nudges to kick start the process, but I asked, and, candidly, am still asking and answering the question as to what I would do if given the same choice.

Fans of mysteries and literary fiction will enjoy Speculation and I’m already wondering (speculating perhaps?) as to what Jorgensen will bring use next.  I’ll be waiting.

Novel Publicity Blog Tour Notes: Wanna win a $50 gift card or an autographed copy of Speculation? Well, there are two ways to enter... Leave a comment on my blog. One random commenter during this tour will win a $50 gift card. For the full list of participating blogs, visit the official Speculation tour page. Enter the Rafflecopter contest! I've posted the contest form below, or you can enter on the tour page linked above. About the author: Edmund Jorgensen was born in Chicago. He studied classical languages and has maintained a love for all things Greek and Roman. He fell in love with his wife in Mexico; they now reside, happily but considerably more chilly, in Watertown, Massachusetts. Edmund is currently hard at work on his second book, a set of interconnected short stories. Connect with Edmund on his website, Facebook, Twitter or GoodReads. Get Speculation on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.   EMBED CODE can be found at http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YzE3YzI0YTkzYTJkODQ0ODQxZDUwNTUwMTQ3OTkxOjE2/