The following book reviews
are written by GWN staff and contributing writers. Guest reviewers interested
in writing a book review need only email:
Netera@aol.com with the title of
the book and a short bio statement. The proposal will be considered and an
invitation to submit extended. Only material fit for a G-rated audience is
acceptable. Payment is a free ad.
Politically Correct Cigar Smoking
For Social Terrorists
by Jack Riepe
Croften & Stone Publishers, Inc.
P.O. Box 510 Wilmington, New York 12997
ISBN 0-9672987-0-9
Book Reviewed by: John McNeela, GWN contributing writer
Cigar Anyone?
Jack Riepe wrote a funny, intelligent, and most important, enjoyable book
in "Politically Correct Cigar Smoking for Social Terrorists." I puffed
pleasurably on this stogey of literature off and on for two months. Reading
the book is like having a set of massages or, for those that smoke, a box
of cigars. Both are enjoyable but you wouldn't want to smoke a while box
of cigars in one sitting. An hour here, an hour there reading this book is
the way to do it.
Riepe, an avid cigar cognoscente, starts the book off by ridiculing young
upstart cigar smokers. With a caustic and farcial sense of humor that is
quite Woody Allenesque, he proceeds to use "the cigar in society" as a vehicle
for making fun of life, sex, government, male chauvinism and really any entity
that doesn't respect a person's right to light up.
According to Riepe's grandfather, there are bad cigars, good cigars, and
great cigars. Bad cigars taste like "%!!@#", good cigars taste like heaven
and a great cigar tastes like a good cigar except you didn't have to pay
for it. Young Riepe lights up his first cigar and asks his grandfather, "Is
this a great cigar?" Riepe begins to cough uncontrollably. Then his grandfather
responds, "You always were an idiot but at least you know how a bad cigar
tastes.
Riepe's favorite satirical targets are the neophytes of smoking that think
that cigars are trendy. Here one has to suspend one's disbelief as Riepe
explains that cigars, far from being trendy were placed along with other
treasured items with the death of an Egyptian Pharoah. Cigars weren't introduced
to the Old World until tobacco was rediscovered in the fifteenth century.
Cigar smoking Riepe is no male chauvinist, but he's no feminist either. He
takes great pleasure in telling the reader how often he has sex and how cigars
played a key role in his romances. For 90% of us, cigars and romance don't
mix. Most probably they don't, except, that is, in Jack Riepe's perfect world
of cigars, whiskey and women. Perhaps that is why Riepe's philosophy is to
enjoy life and he can easily make fun of so many different kinds of people
mainly because he takes so many good jabs at himself.
According to Riepe, the average cigar roller is 104-years-old and makes 15
cents a day. Seeing that cigars are in such uncompromising demand, he suggests
that Congress be trained as premium cigar rollers and thus do something
productive for a change. Riepe has an amazing facility with the English language.
He's a master of the 5-to-10 sentence joke paragraph in which he parodies
everything from life, family and government to his first sexual experience
which as one would expect, somehow involved a cigar. Everything that stands
in the way of Riepe enjoying life, liberty and the pursuit of whiskey and
a fine stogey gets Jack Riepe's satirical axe.
His humor and live and let live attitude make "Politically Correct Cigar
Smoking For Social Terrorists" a very enjoyable reading experience. One can
laugh, relax, and learn at the same time and that's a great combination.
You certainly don't need to light one up to enjoy this book.
Starkissed
Genre: Futuristic Romance
Time frame: The year 2308
By Lanette Curington
Format: ebook
Published by Dancing Willow Publications
ISBN #1-58797-006-6
Leith McClure should have known she was in for trouble when she entered a
smoky tavern on Arreis where battling brutes and exotic Numerian dancers
are served up with Hykaisian ale. And if that isn't bad enough, she has to
meet Steve Hancock, her dad's right-hand man, which she can't stand.
The McClure shipping obligation leads to a business deal with Commander J'Qhir,
the warrior of Zi, a cold-blooded humanoid with reptilian features. Leith
realizes early on that because Zi is not a member of the Galactic Alliance
that trading with the Zi rep is illegal, but that doesn't seem to stop the
transaction. J'Qhir insists that his people are dependent on the cargo and
the deal is finalized when he hands over the Zi jewels.
Unaware of Hancock's double dealing ways, Leith presents J'Qhir with a tour
of the newest addition to the McClure fleet. No sooner do they check out
the luxuries of her cabin, when the ship lifts off, blasting the two into
an intimate gravitational position. Hancock's plot is unveiled with Leith
the chosen party to blame. Her continued disinterest in Hancock's sexual
advancements got him pretty mad. Afterall, they could have had their future
wealth handed to them after Leith's father died. Too late leads to a one-way
ticket to Paradise and like Adam and Eve, all J'Qhir and Leith would have
was each other.
Abandoned on Paradise, an off-limits-to-everyone-planet in the Arresian Neutral
Zone, a wounded J'Qhir instinctively feels responsible for Leith's well being.
At the same time he's frustrated with his physical impairments having battled
Hancock in the McClure ship.
Together they treat each other's wounds with the aid of a med kit and modern-day
bandages, use the laserlight, analyzer and K-counter. Their endless searches
for food and water draw them to distant streams, over-sized worms and
nutmeats.
Through their united effort to stay alive they begin to care for one another.
This occurs after fleeing a horde of stinging flying creatures bigger than
grandma's purse. An unavoidable poisonous sting lands Leith into a comatose
state and J'Qhir now has to deal with emotional pain, as well as physical.
If that isn't enough, after breaking a fever she has a run in with a beast
not happy about having guests in "his" cave. But for once the odds are in
her favor. She kills that big, bad beast and J'Qhir immediately prepares
a hearty dinner and a new blanket. Before you know it, the inevitable happens,
they do more than explore the possibilities of love even though it is "forbidden"
on Zi to be with a human female. But like who's going to know?
Six weeks later their luck changes. Drew, a McClure employee figures out
where they are and rescues them. Torn from their unique relationship, they
are now hit with the reality of possibly never seeing each other. Hopes are
again dashed as they launch and are under attack by none other than Steve
Hancock. But Leith isn't taking this sitting down. She sends out a recorded
message through LinkNet while torpedoes are blasting toward orbital destinations
and their shield is crumbling under the attack.
Another run of good luck. Hancock's ship is struck and suddenly J'Qhir and
Leith are celebrities on Artilia where they're transported, interrogated
and chased by galactic photogs, another attack by Hancock, who really didn't
die. Why is it always so hard to kill villains?
Lanette Curington presents us with wonderfully descriptive visual imagery
and invites us on a whirlwind adventure, which proves love can conquer all,
no matter what homeworld you're from. I was immediately drawn into the
character's lives, followed them through their endless struggle and gave
a damn if they lived or died. I liked the fact that Lanette inserted bits
and pieces of J'Qhir's life and culture so you could understand where he
was coming from. I liked the fact that her parents never gave up hope of
finding her and that it took some effort on their part to bring the two lovers
together again.
I disagree with other reviewers who have indicated the use of Zi language
throughout the book only served to slow down the reader. I say, "So what?"
We're not speed readers. We're reading because we want to get a grasp on
the character's lives, relationships, culture, differences and challenges.
I got all that from "Starkissed." My only complaint was not being able to
learn more about their soon-to-be-born child and how the Zi inhabitants treated
Leith when she joined their society.
--Denise Fleischer
Highlander's
Touch
Genre: Historical Romance
By Karen Marie Moning
Format: Paperback
Published by Dell Books
ISBN #0-440-23652-5
Combine an eternal mission of a warrior in the Highlands of Scotland, in
1308, and a contemporary young woman's quest to be the sole supporter of
her family and you have Karen Marie Moning's "The Highlander's Touch," (Dell
Books, Nov. 2000).
Circenn Brodie, laird and thane of Castle Brodie is bound by an oath to protect
the sacred relics of the fairies. The four hallows being the spear, cauldron,
sword and stone are lost in an attempt to possess them. Their recovery and
that of a potion-filled flask, are Circenn's sworn obligation. Against his
better judgement, the Laird curses the flask bidding it to return when touched
by the thief.
Fast-forward the future-present day. In a tomblike museum 23-year-old Lisa
Stone trudges through her night job cleaning historical artifacts. Her
fascination with a new acquisition leads to closer examination and lands
her without warning in Circenn's chambers. Rising from his bath, he is
immediately torn between his attraction for the mysterious woman and the
difficult task of killing the bearer of the flask.
Subplots center on the Templars' persecution brought on by Edward II and
how the knights sought exile in Scotland and fought for it's cause. Also
woven into the plot is Lisa's continuous attempts to return to her dying
mother and Adam Black's infernal pestering of the Laird to live up to his
commitment.
"The Highlander's Touch" delivers a very different image of fairys and their
realm, an introduction to Robert the Bruce's own quest and the emotional
struggle between obligation and love. The end is a bit too fast paced for
me and gives you a happily ever ending, but, all in all, it was a book I
looked forward to reading and I won't forget the characters two novels
later.
Fiction Forest rating 3 ½ stars
Denise Fleischer,
www.fictionforest.com
Visit the publisher's website at:
www.bantamdell.com
Passion's
Blood
by Cherif Fortin & Lynn Sanders,
published by Genesis Press, Inc., © 1998,
Hardback, excellent quality, $22.95, 80 pages.
ISBN: 1-885478-65-8.
Review by Denise Fleischer
A highly descriptive, erotic medieval fairy tale comes to life with enhanced
photography. Lynn Sanders and Cherif Fortin join forces to create a dynamic
adventure woven by soul-mated lovers and a brother's betrayal.
Set in the lands along the Saber River, in the kingdoms ruled by King Morien
of Wareham and Lord Gareth of Gallitain, the story opens as Highland warriors
attack Gareth's fortress. His defenders are cut down and he is left to the
cruelty of the avenging Highland chieftain.
Within the courtyards of King Morien's castle, villagers enjoy the Summer
Feast. They eat and drank heartily as the king and his sons Prince Emric
and Bran speak with Emric's future bride, Lady Leanna. All manner of celebration
quickly comes to a halt when Heldann warriors crash the celebration and inform
them that the lands of Gallitain lie in ruins, this act of war directed by
King Lorccan and his warriors. The messenger, Angvard, war-leader of the
Clan McQuillan then informs King Morien that he is to "withdraw holdings
west of the foothills of Agarra. These lands would then be administered by
Lorcaan and he can rule the remainder of Wareham." He was to pay tribute
to Lorcaan and pretty much accept what follows. In turn Morien reacts as
any righteous man. He declares that as long as he is alive he would not sacrifice
his kingdom to Lorcaan." And so we have a war.
Morien immediately establishes a battle plan with his heirs in command. Bran
is ordered to leave a "detachment of soldiers at his Castle Karvoie and the
remainder at Brimhall." Emric was to take "Brimhall's men and ride with all
haste to Gallitain to engage and detain the avenging force until reinforcements
reached the land."
Our two lovers are separated by this dark threat and can only hope that they
will have a life together. No sooner does Emric depart does Bran set forth
his personal agenda. He abducts the beautiful red-headed Leanna and murders
his father in an effort to seize his throne.
Meanwhile, Emric having just begun his journey to Gallitain and settling
down for much-needed rest, finds that he and his defending knights are being
stormed by an army of 2,000 madmen. The brutality ends when Emric slains
the Heldanner chief, but betrayal is only a heartbeat away when Emric arrives
in Gallitain. He learns from Gareth that his brother Bran was responsible
for the attack on his fortress. He appears to have been conspiring with the
enemy. Not only that, but he has his beloved Leanna.
In the cold, lightless depths of Karvoie, Leanna struggles to maintain her
dignity and strength. Her refusal to give her love freely to Bran, and calling
out her lover's name, is the possibly the only thing that saves her from
rape.
Angered by Leanne's refusal and ready to claim his father's throne, Bran
and his six "henchman" head back to Brimhall. Deadly crossbow arrows strike
in a surprise attack and once more the lovers are united. Their embrace is
short lived for now it is time for brother to battle brother in the name
of honor. Swords are drawn, skills are tested, one man dies. Bran. But Emric
must now struggle to survive the wound his brother's poison-laced sword made
when it slid into his flesh.
Leanna tends to her lover's wound and his relentless fever. She swears that
he will not die. But morning has other plans. She whispers of better times
they had shared, forgetting her own needs. Overcome by exhaustion, she dreams
that her mother comes to her from the eternal kingdom. She reminds her that
she has the power to help her lover for she inherited the Ningal, the old
ways. She need only bring it forward. Her mother's image fades and she wakes
to the reality of Emric's cool body. In defiance of his death, she wills
him to live. Her hand upon his chest she empowers him with her love.
"He had fallen in battle a prince….he awoke in Leanna's arms a king,"
writes the author.
PASSION'S BLOOD has the look and feel of a work of art. You are immediately
impressed with the quality of the enhanced photography. The story line is
consistent in achieving your interest in the characters and their goals.
The conflict is fast paced and flows well.
It was a bit difficult keeping track of titles and landownership, also the
pace in which they moved from one kingdom to the next, but that's common
with most fantasy fiction. The erotic passages (whether flashbacks or stolen
moments) spoke honestly and vividly of this special love, but there were
times when dialogue was just "a bit to sweet. I also longed for Leanna to
become more aware of her mystical gift and her inner strength. After all,
she was soon to be crowned queen of Wareham.
The book is a keeper and I look forward to future projects of these two very
talented individuals.
A Hitch In Time
by Christine Holden
October, 2000
JOVE Time Passages
ISBN: 0-515-12928-3
New Orleans native Drew Montague is determined to become a lawyer and raise
his daughter, Teal. Threatening to freeze his inheritance, his father demands
he put his life on hold and learn the family business now. Not your average
9-5 operation, Bienvenu is a 19th century plantation in St. Francisville,
Louisiana in Christine Holden's latest Time Passages novel, A Hitch In
Time (Jove Books, October, 2000). While contemplating how he's being
forced to leave school to work on the plantation, Drew walks up North Rampart
Street to Dumaine, past the old Creole cottages where the quadroon mistresses
of wealthy planters once lived. Admiring the restoration of the homes, he
finds himself standing in front of an iron hitching post, adorned with a
metal horse's head and a pocket watch hanging from a golden chain. Curiosity
lures him to further examine the "RM" monogrammed watch. The strange loud
ticking and the urge to recite a childhood rhyme, lands Drew in front of
the elegant St. Louis Hotel, in New Orleans.
One look at the horse-drawn carriages, cobblestone streets and glowing gas
lanterns is a clear indication that he had mysteriously been transported
to another time. Confirming his beliefs, is a young woman, named Marianne,
who approaches him even though it's against the rules of society. According
to Marianne, it's May 1853. The date triggers Drew's memory. That was the
year 11,000 people died from Yellow Fever. Wasn't it also the time his
great-great-grandfather, Rafe Montague, lived? Apparently so when Rafe challenges
him in a duel simply because he paid attention to his bride-to-be.
In an act of good will, Marianne brings Drew to the servant quarters at her
home on Rue Dumaine. Feeling responsible for the entire situation, she sees
to his recovery while carefully veiling that he is in her home. Though he
appreciates her kindness, Drew knows he must return to Bienvenu, for it is
his only connection to his life beyond this madness. He assumes the role
of Rafe's cousin in order to have a roof over his head and attempts to help
Bienvenu recover from financial debts. As Marianne prepares for her wedding,
both Drew and Marianne must deal with their love for one in other and determine
an acceptable course of escape from both their predicaments.
The mother and daughter writing team of Leslie-Christine Megahey and Shirley
Holden-Ferdinand is to be applauded for use of description, dialogue and
their research in many historical aspects of the story. I'm not sure if it
was intentional, but you don't learn who placed the watch on the hitching
post. Could it have been Alaina, the descendant of the entranctress Laurinda
Toussaint in a timeless matchmaking effort? Perhaps it's not important that
we know. Merely being a silent passenger on Drew's voyage is worthy of our
attention.
Having strayed from the norm of presenting a woman as the time traveler scores
a few points for the authors. Drew being a father determined to "be there"
for his daughter earns your respect for the young man. Knowing that he wished
to continue the path he choice in life is a plus. I can't say I believed
that Rafe would have gone unpunished by the law for his attack on Drew or
that Marianne could have escaped what would have been a miserable, loveless
marriage and abandoned her mother and sister by running off to Paris. Most
women simply accepted their fate, their frustrations and regret dying with
them. All in all, I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to future novels
of these two talented writers. Other titles by Christine Holden include:
Bedazzled, Patterns Of Love, and A Time For Us.
Log on to their website at
http://www.tlt.com/authors/christineholden.htm.
3 ½ stars
--Denise Fleischer, www.fictionforest.com
http://members.aol.com/gwnlitmag/
The Ballad of Jack
O'Dair
by Linda O. Johnston
Love Spell Books/Dorchester Publishing
October, 2000
Folk singer Jessie Jerome can't get on with her life until she learns the
end of "The Ballad of Jack O'Dair." What better a place to find the ending,
then where it all happened in Skagway, Alaska.
A hundred years have passed since the Klondike Gold Rush, but when Jessie
stands in the Skagway South Saloon, she imagines what it was like for the
men who passed through here on their way to their golden destiny. Determined
to get to the bottom of the mystery, Jessie seeks out Lizard Songthroat,
a balladeer. She tells him that her mother, folk singer Patsy Jerome, had
introduced her to a stanza here and there of the ballad but never a word
past the avalanche at Chilkoot Pass. Anything he could offer would be greatly
appreciated. Pushing aside her manager Curtis Fitzgerald's current goal to
ruin her professional reputation, she drives with Lizard to the one place
where he feels comfortable singing the song: Jack's cabin.
With guitar case in hand, she walks into the legendary hero's cabin and sees
a combination of Lizard's and Jack's possessions. She listens to Lizard's
version of the ballad and then finds that he's abandoned her. The next morning
Jessie awakens to find red-headed Jack O'Dair with a lantern in his hand
and his wolf-dog Taku beside him. Thinking he was hired by Lizard to play
the role of the U.S. Marshal of Drea, Jessie learns that it isn't a joke,
she's been transported back to 1898. She explains to Jack that she's a balladeer
from California and wants to learn songs about the gold rush. Helping out
at Calvina's Boardinghouse and singing nights in Helen's Last Chance Saloon
earns her a place to stay and a few gold coins in her pocket.
As the ballad unfolds stanza by stanza, Jack's reputation for saving lives
grows with Jessie's help. At the same time, a supply-stealing thief continues
to hit various warehouses that cater to the stampeders. Playing Dr. Watson
to Jack's Sherlock Holmes, Jessie introduces modern crime solving techniques
to assist Jack in finding the guilty party: everything from footprints to
witness interrogation techniques. The criminal can be anyone? Gilda the Gold
Skagway Sadie. A fellow outfitter. The bartender or a frustrated stampeder.
Are Jack's days numbered because of the avalanche? Will Jessie ever learn
the end to the ballad and find her way back to the future? You'll have to
read the book to find out.
Linda O'Johnston brings a legend of a hero to life by opening the doors to
the past. You'll want to wrap yourself up with a cozy blanket and sip steaming
hot tea every time Jessie and Jack walk through town. If anything, you'll
come to appreciate the character's struggle to survive an unyielding environment.
You'll experience Jack's heavy burden of guilt be lessened by Jessie's love
and you'll finally learn the words to the song that brought them together.
The ballad actually appears at the end of the book.
Other Love Spell books by Linda O. Johnston are: "Stranger on the Mountain,"
"A Glimpse of Forever," "The Glass Slipper" and "Point in Time."
--Denise Fleischer, http://members.aol.com/gwnlitmag
1/31/2001
Damning Evidence
iUniverse.com, softcover
ISBN #0-595-09480-5
by R. Barri Flowers
Damning Evidence is a first-rate legal thriller.
Kate del Graten is a 41-year-old Assistant District Attorney in Portland,
Oregon. She has become a workaholic since the death of her attorney husband
less than a year earlier--leaving her alone to raise two teenage children,
Greg, 19, and Denise, 14.
On the job, Kate is vying with fellow Assistant District Attorney, Jerrod
Wresler, for the position of Chief of the Homicide Division. Off the job,
she has begun an affair with her late husband's law partner, Simon Leonard.
These worlds collide when Kate finds herself in the middle of two homicide
cases. She is trying the case against a homicide detective charged with brutally
murdering his ex-wife. Meanwhile, when her son is charged with murdering
a young couple, Kate asks Simon to defend him against prosecutor Jerrod
Wresler.
Kate then begins her own investigation to prove her son's innocence. It leads
all the way to the D.A.'s office and her chief adversary--Jerrod Wresler.
The twists and turns and unexpected results of the two cases come to a head
in a heart pounding, dramatic conclusion.
Meredith's Wish: A Lovespell
Romance
by Karen Lee
Dorchester Publishing Co.
October, 2000
Horton Consulting executive Meredith Montgomery wants the corner VP office
and is willing to accept the CEO's challenge to earn it. The competition
has her brainstorming for ideas on how to get the client to sign on the dotted
line and how to beat her rival, Francis Griffin, at his own devious game.
In sync with her executive assistant, Darcie Collins, she devises a strategy
for acquiring The Dutchy of Hertzenstein's account in order to attain her
promotion. A minor glitch surfaces through background research: the Dutchy
only does business with married women. Problem is Meredith is an independent,
career minded, top-in--her-field single woman. Being married isn't listed
on her PDA's to-do list. Though, she wants to be the one to walk down the
isle toward her true love. She turns on her new cell phone, cries a single
tear and makes a wish.
One tall, tanned, well-dressed djinn appears and confidently informs her
that he could be whoever she wanted him to be. All she asked was who was
he. With Darcie reassigned, actually stolen from her, the mysterious djinn
states that she's his next assignment and she thinks her job is difficult,
try working for the All Powerful Chairman of the Board, djinn board, that
is. Currently, the Chairman and the Reorganization Board are downsizing and
that means if he fails to come through with her three wishes he gets more
than his walking papers, he gets physically terminated.
The modern-day genie, who lives in her cell phone, is given with the name
Jim, to state his real name would bind him to her forever and he isn't ready
for a commitment. Meredith gets right down to business and wishes for her
true love and make that by Saturday. It will violate ancient laws established
by the elders. Djinn apparently can't bring back the dead or make people
fall in love, but, hey, there is no room for failure in this mission.
While Jim gets to work trying to fix her up with the ideal man, Meredith
digs deep into Dutchy research while trying not to go ballistic with Griffin's
dirty antics. Jim arranges a date with a former lover (now married and a
daddy-to-be), she meets her cat as man and has a fantasy-come-true date with
a self-made millionaire. But when reality hits, she realizes no man matches
up with her djinn. She's in love.
Author Karen Lee's debut novel presents a fun, fast-track look at corporate
America with a darn-right gorgeous twist. She takes loneliness and turns
it into desire and then love. She presents a woman determined to use her
business know how to get the job she deserves and the man she loves. Only
wish all cell phones had a handsome djinn on the other end.
Denise Fleischer, GWN Online
2/3/2001
Mary Lynn Baxter's "Tempting Janey"
offers a second chance to be loved
Bestselling author Mary Lynn Baxter instinctively
knew that books would occupy an important part of her life. Always an avid
reader, she became a school librarian, then a bookstore owner, before writing
her first novel.
Today, this prolific author has written more than 40 novels, with some 13
million books in print around the world - and is widely regarded as a true
master of the romance genre.
Mary Lynn would be the first to say that it's her background that gives her
a unique feel for romance writing. She was born and bred in Texas, home of
the cowboy -- hero of the Western romance, which is one of the most popular
of the category's subgenres.
She excels at describing the steamy South - whether it's the passion engendered
by the wide-open spaces of the Lone Star state, the moss-draped mysteries
of Louisiana, or the genteel world of modern Mississippi - in her red-hot
novels of romance and intrigue. This talented author is well-known for her
creative skills, and has been praised by Publishers Weekly for her "crisp
dialogue and fast-paced narrative."
Putting to paper the compelling story lines and larger-than-life characters
living in her vivid imagination gives Mary Lynn the ultimate satisfaction.
"Nothing compares with the satisfaction of creating new characters and devising
a new plot," comments the author.
Mary Lynn's first book, "All Our Tomorrows," was published by Silhouette
Books in 1982. "Saddle Up," a Silhouette Desire novel released in April 1996,
was the author's first book to be listed on the USA Today bestseller list.
Since the beginning of her writing career, Mary Lynn has found rich inspiration
in the lush scenery around her. A resident of east Texas, Mary Lynn regularly
finds herself traveling throughout the South to meet fans and research future
novels.
"Everything is so lush, so green - so steamy!," she stated. "The Deep South
engenders romance. You can't help but picture what's going on behind the
closed doors of the South's most prestigious families - it's wonderful fodder
for a writer's imagination!"
When Mary Lynn surfaces from her writing, she's a voracious reader. But this
petite dynamo is always happy to tumble out of her world into her local fitness
center for a bracing workout. She's also dedicated to her volunteer
work…and still manages to fit in plenty of quality time with her family
at their home in Lufkin, Texas
TEMPTING JANEY
by Mary Lynn Baxter
MIRA Books
May 2001
ISBN #1-55166-809-2
$5.99 U.S./$6.99 CAN
A woman finds herself caught in an irresistible dilemma as she endeavors
to rebuild her life amid the shadows of her past in TEMPTING JANEY, the new
novel from USA Today bestselling author Mary Lynn Baxter.
Janey Mayfield is in a quandary. After having lived in Colorado for three
years to flee the scandal of her divorce, Janey returns to her hometown in
South Carolina, with her precocious teenage daughter and a ton of emotional
baggage, to manage the daily operations of her elderly aunt's failing candy
shop, Sweet Dreams. Bit by bit, the past she has tried so desperately to
hide begins to unravel around her.
While Janey struggles to create a new life for herself and for her daughter,
Robin, she quickly realizes that living in South Carolina is a constant reminder
of the turmoil through which she suffered during the breakup of her marriage.
Janey's ex-husband, Keith, will stop at nothing - not even using their child
as a pawn - to win his former wife back. In the midst of her own troubles
with peer pressure, school and dating, Robin finds herself caught between
the affections of her divorced parents, and struggling to deal with the
unresolved issues from their messy breakup.
Just as Janey beginsss to feel that her world is about to close in, former
marine Dillon Reed steps into her candy shop, bringing all of her conflicts
full circle. Dillon's wife had an affair with Janey's ex-husband, and for
three years the two have blamed each other for their respective spouses'
infidelities. Since then, Dillon's wife has passed away, and he has gone
on to become the local high school's principal. With Robin enrolled at the
high school, Janet finds it difficult to avoid Dillon.
While Janey tells herself she doesn't want the attraction she feels for Dillon,
she begins to wonder just how long she can evade his longing looks…and
the temptation to surrender to the undeniable promise of passion.
Janey's romantic and domestic predicaments are only emphasized by the other
troubles in her life. When rumors surface that a candy shop is about to open
at the mall, Janey begins to fear that the tiny store she's fighting to save
might not survive in the shadow of a bigger store. Meanwhile, a rash of break-ins
that are believed to have been organized by an emerging high school gang
plague the town, and cause Janey to wonder if her store might be next.
TEMPTING JANEY by Mary Lynn Baxter is available wherever paperbacks are sold,
or through www.mirabooks.com. An audio version will also be available from
dh audio.
When the Trees Held Their
Breath
by Anthony James Donnelly
Antix Press Incorporated
Man is known for technologically advancing his world and not giving a damn
what the consequences may be. In his debut illustrated children's novel,
"When the Trees Held Their Breath," Anthony James Donnelly presents the future
landscape of a dying world and the drastic measures nature takes in seeing
to its survival.
The story begins with the planet battered by acid rain, pollution contaminating
our land and water and debris littering our cities. Man's ignorance causes
Mother Earth to rebel. Nature would no longer be silent. Unwilling to end
their time upon this earth, the trees forced their roots deeper in search
of water. All matter of creatures cried out to Mother Earth sharing her
torment.
And man walks through his life as if nothing is wrong. He does not see the
permanent destruction his advancements are causing. How days are lost in
darkness, lakes are turning into toxic waste pools.
The trees wonder how they can end the suffering? Will anything survive? It
is decided throughout nature's realm that the animals will nest in the earth,
that birds would refuse to sing and that the trees would hold their breath.
Surely, someone would take notice.
As in most books written in the past and today, only when man is near that
"no-turning back stage" does he take notice? In Donnelly's book, it was only
when the temperature of the planet rose did the people look to the trees
and pray for forgiveness.
"When the Trees Held their Breath" is a book that needed to be written. The
illustrations by Larry Whitler are haunting. He presents the dark cloak we
cast upon our world and in the end the beauty of hope. Put aside the animal
character tales and read this book to your children. Having already educated
them on the subject of recycling, conservation, long-term planning for the
future, this book will serve as a bold reminder of what we are capable of.
We must teach these future developers, scientists, and parents of the world,
for we are the voice of nature.
For ordering info, log on to
http:www.antixpress.com/
or go directly to
Amazon.com.
Denise Fleischer, GWN Online, editor
http://members.aol.com/gwnlitmag/
Email: Netera@aol.com
The Star King
by Susan Grant
Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
Dec. 2000
After being shot down by friendly fire in Saudi Arabia, Lt. Jasmine Bowell's
fighter jet is destroyed. While in an unconscious state, she is transported
across the universe on the war-ravaged world known as Balkanor.
Here she is drawn to an injured man she believes is a Saudi pilot. Having
lured him out of his own near-death state, she tries to keep the upper hand
in what could be a death match. In pain, distraught from guilt having not
prevented his brother's death, Romlijhian B'kah, the heir to a 11,000-year-old
family of merchants nobles has to deal with this female apparition he calls
the Balkanor Angel. No sooner does she try to disarm him do they find themselves
under attack from revolutionary cult leader Sharron's starfighters. Romlijhian,
"Rom" attempts to shield her from enemy fire raining down on them under the
cloak of night. Compelled to empower him by an inner force, she demands that
he "crush the darkness!" Their souls join in desperation and longing only
to be separated by Sharron's followers and her medical resuscitation. Determined
to condemn Sharron's dark threat, Rom attempts to assassinate him.
Nineteen years later Jas is disenchanted with love because of a failed marriage,
has put her fighter days behind her and has made her children and art the
center of her life. Yet this mysterious dream keeps on surfacing of the wounded
soldier with amber eyes. Her friend's fortune teller insists that he's her
soul mate. Jas' heartbreak is put on hold after hearing the President's address
to a stunned nation. Earth's galactic neighbors have made contact and are
ready to establish communications. A challenge surfaces in Jas' mind and
she sets her coordinates for contact with the Vash Nadah.
Even though paragraph 9 of the Treatise of Trade forbids other organizations
(other than the Vash Nadah) to conduct transactions for profit, Rom is going
to attempt it. He orders his crew to escort the "Quillie" right along with
Commander Lahdo's ship, to the landing site and media conference.
The televised historical event has every Earth citizen's attention, including
Jas'. To her surprise, she glimpses "a futuristic buccaneer, the man in her
mysterious dream not given the same privileges as the other Vash. She decides
that he's her ticket to adventure and hopes to hitch a ride beyond her world
into one she could only imagine. Using a borrowed first lieutenant uniform,
she heads towards Edwards Air Force Base's Flight Operations area, slips
into the "flight crew only" building hoping to get clearance to enter the
Quillie. After dealing with a young security officer, she's led to the ship's
Captain. Having identified herself, she presents Rom with a business proposal.
He immediately recognizes her as the woman in his reoccurring dream, is drawn
to her and agrees to fulfill her every fantasy.
Having been exiled because of radiation exposure on Balkanor, all Rom has
is his obsessive desire to be reunited with this exotic female. Now that
she's within reach, he plans his seductive strategies, taught to him during
his days at the Dar Palace. While he wants to tempt her with star-berry liquor,
she is more interested in his business and the universe. Since their private
moment failed to provide him with intimacy, Rom considers a private game
of Bajha, a sensory building duel, would bring them closer.
Rom informs Jas about tourist shuttles, vacation hot spots and the Romjha
Hotel, the exclusive place to stay when visiting the Depot. An overheating
gravity generator ends their conversation about her divorce and jettisons
them into emergency procedure. Here Jas gets her first taste of space travel
reality. Zarra, a young crewman, is caught in an area soon to be exposed
to deep space when the outer hatch doors are opened. A struggle to save Zarra
is successful, but Rom is injured. Jas nurses him back to health and when
he wakes he learns she's navigating the ship.
Jas' skills lead to an apprentice pilot position and a few additional benefits.
Forget a pension package. Rom promises to take her to Skull's Doom, a lawless
outpost. He tells her about traveling precautions, how not to be cheated
when exchanging salt for money, the entire time he instinctively senses something
is going to happen to her. Perhaps he didn't make the wisest choice attending
to business not far away and leaving her alone at the hotel.
While at the Depot, Jas learns that Rom's ancestors have been worshiped through
the ages. She senses how dangerous it is without Rom, even with his bodyguard
trailing behind her. Having explored the art museum, Jas meets Beela and
Janay while she's sketching. Jas bonds with the artist and takes her up on
her invitation to journey to her colony. She accepts a strange medallion
and moves back to her room. Later, the oldest trick in the book hooks her.
What appears to be a robbery attempt turns out to be her own abduction and
she comes face to face with Rom's greatest enemy.
"Star King" is a fast-paced, non-stop, character driven book fueled by society's
endless obligation to responsibly deal with cult followings. The ending might
just surprise you. Interesting factors center on religion founded on the
belief of the Great Mother. Eight wealthy merchant families run the government
from a 5,000-year-old orbital structure known as the Wheel. That Motherhood
is revered and the family is holy. What I couldn't see was Jas, an experienced,
intelligent woman, thinking she could travel alone. A slavery ring could
easily abduct her because of her unique features. All in all, this book is
a keeper and deserves a four star rating. Don't forget to check out Susan
Grant's "Once A Pirate," after you finish reading "The Star King."
---Denise Fleischer, GWN Online, editor
http://members.aol.com/gwnlitmag/
email: Netera@aol.com
Touched
by Linda Armstrong-Miller
IUniverse.com
In her debut novel, Linda Armstrong-Miller takes on child abuse, rape, murder
and the saving of tormented souls. She weaves her tale around the emptiness,
hatred and discontent of a young man. Matthew Allen Green applied for an
intern program he didn't want to participate in. He feels his time and knowledge
is wasted on Ruthie Mae Morris, a transfer patient, who has one foot through
death's door. His heart isn't into being the best doctor he can be because
he lost faith in humanity.
At five fifteen, in a place where life is given or taken, Ruthie, who prefers
to be called "Grandma," plays the role of messenger hoping to kindle the
light darkened in Matthew's soul. Time stops for Matthew as he's transported
into another dimensional plane of existence. Grandma's mission is to teach
Matthew how to care for others, but before he can go ahead with his life
he must confront the demon in the closet. From the ceiling in Grandma's hospital
room he sees the horror of his past, which forces him out of denial. It also
reveals that his stepfather not only molested him but his sister as well.
If this wasn't difficult enough, he is then transported 25 years in the past
to witness the murder of a young African-American woman named Bonnie. Unable
to alter the events about to unfold in the town of "The Walking Wounded,"
Matthew observes Bonnie's last hours. He learns that she is loved by those
in her community and watches how she becomes the next victim of two men consumed
by racial hatred. Having followed her from the local grocery store to her
home, they rape her even though she is pregnant and literally pull her baby
out of her womb. For them it is simply an act of ridding the world of black
people. For Matthew it is a deplorable, inhuman crime that will kick their
souls into Hell.
By some miracle, Matthew is able to comfort Bonnie and unite her with her
baby before they both died. Experiencing their suffering touches him profoundly.
In a heartbeat, he is transported back to the Fast Fare Pump where Bonnie
met her friend, Grace, earlier in the day. Grace, herself a domestic violence
survivor, becomes suspicious of two young men that enter the store. Matthew
had nicknamed these lost souls Blondie and Goatee. Two things give these
animals away: one is wearing Bonnie's favorite necklace and both are wearing
her husband's clothes. That evidence alone makes her hit the silent alarm.
Minutes later she is joined by Big Red, the chief of police, who quickly
learns that what he thought was a shoplifting call is something more deadly.
The necklace made him see the truth long before his men arrived at the scene
of the crime. Grace and Big Red wait for the two men to prove their guilt
by trying to flee the store. The tension builds as the suspects try to pay
for their purchases. They can't get past Big Red because he's blocking their
way out. On top of that, Big Red asks Grace to call Bonnie. From that moment
on, the suspects knew something had tipped off the officer. When Bonnie didn't
answer her phone, Big Red asks Grace to call the station and have an officer
check out Bonnie's home.
The crime is revealed and the suspects are arrested. The town helps Bonnie's
husband, Phillip, and their loved ones deal with this horrific nightmare.
It seems the only way to see justice served was for Phillip to be the judge
and executioner. In the end, two men are dead and everyone who loved Bonnie
will spend the rest of their lives mourning her.
And, yes, Matthew Allen Green learns to love again and he and his sister
are welcomed in the town of the Walking Wounded.
"Touched" dares to show the dark-side of man whether we want to see it or
not. The plot unfolds without holding back the agony and heartbreak Bonnie
and Matthew experienced. As readers, we're right beside Bonnie as she begs
the animals to not hurt her baby, we feel Phillip's anguish as he sees her
and his child bathing in blood and we shake our heads in approval when Phillip
extinguishes the killers' lives. Law and society would condemn Phillip's
actions, but then what if they were set free to kill again…and again?
Purchase your copy of "Touched" by sending a check for $12.95 (+$3.75 ph)
to Linda Armstrong-Miller, 2011 Clarkston Dr., Augusta, GA 30909.
--Denise Fleischer, GWN Online, editor
http://members.aol.com/gwnlitmag/
Email: Netera@aol.com
InFidelity
by M.J. Rose
Pocket Books
January, 2001
$13.95 USA/ $20.95 CAN
Psychotherapist Jordan Sloan's life is a perfect case study of survival.
Two heartbreaking incidents happened early on. When Jordan was 19-years-old
she witnessed her father being shot to death in their family jewelry store
by a man she knew. If life wasn't hard enough with the constant memory of
Dan Mallory, ricocheting bullets, falling roses, shattering glass and the
metallic smell of blood, years later Jordan learns of her husband's infidelity.
She literally walks in on him in his studio dark room when things are developing.
Give you a clue, it isn't monochrome photos.
In an attempt to preserve the fragments of her personal life, Jordan concentrates
on making her 17-year-old Zen following daughter, Lilly, and her practice,
the focus of her new life. A supportive cast of characters either makes her
life miserable or helps her to hang on. Though you seldom see Lilly's boyfriend,
Cooper Davis, he's responsible for her fascination with Zen Buddhism and
a very simplistic life. This makes it difficult for Jordan to give her daughter
anything without a "I don't need it, Mom. Think of all the other people in
the world who need it more than me," attitude. Then there's Grandma, Jordan's
New Age/Eastern Philosophy following mother who influences Lilly and believes
she's found peace and a new life after her husband's tragic death. Then there's
Adrienne Blessing, Jordan's new patient, who's always bragging about all
the men she's slept with. Jordan's sure there's a story there. The one person
responsible for keeping Jordan sane and giving her a much-needed helping
of happiness is her best friend, Chloe Blanchard. And then there's Jordan's
brother, Simon. Simon is more than a "little concerned" now that Dan Mallory
recently received his walking papers from prison. Logic dictated that he
might pay Jordan a visit, after all she testified against him in court, which
landed him behind bars.
So Jordan's life is a virtual roller coaster. She has to be there for Lilly
when she falls deeply in love at a tender age and at the same time be supportive
of her love for photography. She has to constantly take all precautions in
case Mallory shows up on her doorstep one day with a gun and a promise of
revenge. Then there's Robert, her husband, whose idea of separation is not
so easy for Jordan. Having your almost-ex out of your apartment, but right
upstairs keeps the family together, but it doesn't resolve a severed marriage
and her own unfulfilled desires.
With each day's passing, Jordan has to decide if she wants to take that big
step and finally get a divorce. She has to work towards resolution in the
lives of her patients, as well as her own, and she must contemplate what
move she'll make when Dan Mallory finally comes forward.
"In Fidelity" is a work of art. M.J. Rose captures the essence of her character's
lives: hardships, fears, hopes and desires. The book is an honest,
up-close-and-personal look at how difficult life can be and the "ties that
bind us." It's a fast-moving, keep-the-children-out-of-the-room reflection
of life that you won't be able to put down. Get your copy today.
--Denise Fleischer, GWN Online, editor
http://members.aol.com/gwnlitmag/
Netera@aol.com
The Legend of Barjo
Restaurant:
The Life of Josephine McAllister Stone
by J. Emily Foster
Soleil Press
95 Gould Rd., Lisbon Falls, ME 04252
barjo@turningmemories.com
www.turningmemories.com
2001
$24.95
I don't know why it's taken "the powers that be" in publishing so long to
start featuring biographies of everyday people and not just those who are
in the limelight, but I'm glad it's coming to pass. "The Legend of Barjo
Restaurant" is in depth, engaging in its detailed history, and ultimately
satisfying in its portrayal of Josephine McAllister Stone's life.
In a straight forward, simple style, the reader is drawn into life in the
early 1900's where it all began. Author J. Emily Foster brings the past to
vivid present by recreating each decade-from hitching post and trolly car
track to the town's changing character, which was sadly, not for the best.
Featured are little known historical facts and rare delights, such as one
of the town's "local characters," Mellie Dunham, who made snow shoes for
Commodore Robert E. Perry's expedition to the North Pole and Dunham's friendship
with Henry Ford which came about through his talent for playing the fiddle.
Over the years, Jo Stone became a driving force in the food industry business
through hard work during times of great adversity. It was interesting to
see how through helping others, her own efforts in her business were built
up. Never afraid to hand out a free meal to those who were down and out,
these contacts most often turned into blessings later. The same folks brought
in real business, or were able to help Jo in turn at some later date. By
giving jobs to students, or those who were in trouble or need, these people
in turn helped when they could in a variety of ways, and often, their families
and children became regulars of Jo's establishment. It was nice to see a
tapestry of life woven like this before our eyes. It was far different than
the glimpse we were given of another historical figure: J.P. Morgan who one
day dropped his grandson off in Jo's town to be foster-parented by a local
family. He had virtually no contact with either of them for the rest of his
life, other than one small meeting with his mother before he went to serve
in the military. He was, however, loved by his foster family and grew up
to be a caring, kind person who still lives in that same town to this day.
He was probably better off being raised by the couple who, by the way, never
received a dime for their concern. I was hoping Foster would give a little
bit more than that small segment regarding John Morgan's life, but I suppose
that's just more incentive to research and read another biography!
--C.P. Bergman, GWN Online columnist
4/20/2001
.
Page Updated 11/26/01
