DIVINE FURY: Guest Post and Liz's Review

On Writing Sex ScenesI’m a mystery thriller writer but I make it a point to include sex scenes in my books.  They aren’t the hard core x-rated stuff, but pretty clearly r-rated.  When I give the books to my 13-year-old daughter to read, I give her the paperback version and staple together the steamy parts.  That may be 8 pages of a 285-page book.I include these scenes for three reasons.  First, I noticed that the people I emulate – folks like Lee Child and Michael Connelly – are including them.  I didn’t want to leave out any crucial elements of the genre.  Second, I enjoy those parts of the mysteries that I read.  And, finally, they’re both fun and challenging to write.The response to these scenes in my books has been mixed.  Most people, of course, don’t say anything because the books aren’t mainly about this or even the romance.  However, some people have been troubled by sex scenes that seem to have little to do with the plot.  It’s clear from the remarks of some others, though, that they’ve enjoyed these parts.  I can’t argue that the sex doesn’t have much to do with the mystery plots.  However, they have a lot to do with the main character and what is going on in his life.  I mean he’s a guy in his late 30s without a steady girlfriend.  I can tell you he’s thinking about sex A LOT.  I consider myself a beginner when it comes to sex scenes.  For that reason, most of them have been pretty standard fare at least in terms of the whole range of possible sex scenes.  A man and woman who really like each other and have been building up to this in their relationship.  There are some differences in venue and positioning but nothing ground breaking.  In my first book, it was a couple thrown together intensely by circumstance.  In the second, it was a couple who had worked together for a long time.  (She was the boss so a slight reversal in the conventional power relationship.)   I think good friends who are mutually attracted to each other and laughing as they’re having sex for the first or 20th time is about as good as it gets.   So, I’ve stuck with that formula pretty much so far. As I’m writing this, I’m thinking about what it would be like to write a really sexy novel, like two days in someone’s life that is just an amazing confluence of erotic events.  It makes me tired just thinking about it.  And, to be honest, it makes me pretty tired reading books that are of that type.  As in life, I need my fiction to give me a little down time between the exciting parts.  So, I doubt that that particular novel is coming any time soon.  And, my hat is off to those who can pull that  off well.  It’s not easy. 



DIVINE FURYByRobert B. Lowe
BLURB:  
Candidate Andrew Harper was a college basketball star, a crusading prosecutor and a beloved Congressman.  He is also openly gay.  When the San Francisco politician gets the inside track to become California’s next governor, it sends shockwaves through the political and religious establishment.
Reporter Enzo Lee is cajoled into leaving his comfortable niche covering fluffy features for the San Francisco News to cover the historic campaign.  A series of campaign events are mysteriously and dangerously disrupted.  A key endorsement is scuttled at the last minute.  An earlier murder takes on new significance when it is linked to a Watergate-style break-in involving computer spying.
But, finding the culprits behind political sabotage and high-tech hacking take a back seat when it’s discovered that a troubled war veteran armed with guns and explosives has begun a violent journey from small-town Montana to the City by the Bay.
When Lee becomes a target himself he must dodge attempts on his own life while trying to expose the conspiracy and, with the help of police allies, foil an assassination plot.  Divine Fury is the newly released second book in the Enzo Lee series from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert B. Lowe.  The series was kicked off by the best-selling Project Moses, the bioterroism thriller that made the Amazon Top 20 Mysteries list and was a finalist in the Best Indie Books of 2012 competition. 
Divine Fury is a page-turning thriller with suspense, action, romance and enough twists to keep the reader guessing.  It also focuses on a timely theme as the issues of same-sex marriage and gay rights become a major cultural battleground in America.    





EXCERPT:
Lee saw the bright flash from the other side of the street an instant before he felt more than heard the boom of the explosion that tore through the bank of newspaper boxes and sent out a shock wave that shattered windows halfway up the office building behind. He saw a plume of smoke from across Market and heard the sound of glass breaking and falling, accompanied by the screams.
The first ones were screams of shock, surprise and fear by people around him. Two seconds later, he could hear people hurt and maimed howling in agony and those around them shouting for help.
Everyone was staring at the bomb site as the smoke continued to rise and the sound of glass hitting the pavement seemed to go on forever. Lee was staring in that direction as well when he saw Walberg. His face was streaked with black paint but Lee still recognized him. Walberg was climbing over the barrier. When he reached the other side, he reached into his coat, pulled out a gun and started walking toward the yellow Cadillac.
Lee pushed through the people in front of him and jumped the barrier. He started after Walberg. He saw Connors standing up in the Caddy next to Harper with one hand on his chest, holding him where he was seated. Like everyone else, she was staring in the direction of the bomb site.
“Bobbie!” yelled Lee, trying to get her attention. “Bobbie!” There was too much commotion . Too much noise. He couldn’t get her to look his way. Desperate, he reached into his pocket, found his cell phone and threw it at the Cadillac. Then, he sprinted after Walberg.



REVIEW SOUND BYTES
“Gripping…with an adrenaline-filled climax combined with compelling characters.” – Kirkus Reviews “A fascinating and fast-paced mystery/thriller.  It is a thought provoking and extremely captivating story." – Kindle Book Review


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AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Robert B. Lowe is a Pulitzer-prize winning author whose fiction is based in San Francisco, his adopted home.
His past experiences – a 12-year career in investigative journalism and a Harvard Law School degree – enable him to write gripping mystery thrillers in both the legal and journalistic fields. Lowe draws his inspiration from John Grisham, Dick Francis and Lee Child and adds his own San Francisco twist. Readers will enjoy his references to the city’s landmarks such as Chinatown, North Beach and Pacific Heights  and the Bay area’s foodie culture.
Divine Fury is Lowe’s second novel.  His first was the best-selling Project Moses which reached the Amazon Top 20 Mysteries list and was a finalist in the Best Indie Books of 2012 competition hosted by the Kindle Book Review. 
Divine Fury continues the adventures of Enzo Lee, a jaded journalist rehabilitating his career as a feature writer in San Francisco who stumbles into scandals and criminal conspiracies that require his investigative expertise to unravel.
When Lowe isn’t writing he enjoys a day at the golf course and spending time with his wife and daughters.



LINKS:

Facebook:  http://on.fb.me/W1rVMC Website:  www.robertblowe.comTwitter: @authorRobBLoweAmazon Divine Fury  B&N Divine Fury

Liz's Review:

Divine Fury, by Robert B. Lowe is the second in a series of political thrillers with reporter Enzo Lee at the center.  This one includes a gay candidate for California governor, a huge fundamentalist Christian sect, a depressed Army vet, a sexy lady city editor, a black lesbian cop and several side characters that are included for impact.

First of all I will state that I took this book review on because I was looking for something new (i.e.: new genre for me) to read. I don't normally pick up this sort of thing. But I am glad that I did. The few times I've read John Grisham or that Patterson guy were similar, fast-moving experiences.

Mr. Lowe writes in short chapters, moving from character to character and scene to scene quickly in a way that keeps you compelled to see who's up next.  It was very interesting to see how each set of characters were introduced and how they would come to interact. This kind of a story truly is like a web, woven from the outside in, with all the various players and story lines ultimately intersecting with a climax that was, while a bit on the expected side, well written nonetheless.

If you like fast-paced political thrillers, especially with a food loving male journalist with a good sense of humor and great taste in wine, I'd highly recommend this. It's the perfect book for a vacation read, something to hold your interest, entertain and appreciate. I'm a fan of character driven stories so I was somewhat frustrated by certain scenes and elements but the more I read the more I kept thinking:
"Hmmmmm.....I would love to collaborate with a writer like this. Between us we could really come up with something fun and exciting."

A "Four Lagers" Read.