Pride, betrayal, forgiveness . . . and the eternal sea."The Prodigal" tells the mystical tale of four people on Ocracoke Island whose destiny is tied to an abandoned schooner. Best Book of the Year 2013!
Laura Navarre is a wonderful story teller who takes romance novels to a new level. Those who enjoy sensuous heat with a measure of Phillippa Gregory's Tudor series intrigue, but who also take pleasure in the fantasy elements of magic and Arthurian legends a la Marion Zimmer Bradley will find the Magick Trilogy an enjoyable and engrossing read. These are not Y/A novels.
When Charmaine Digby is cut loose as “excess baggage” from her ex-husband. She finds herself living with her Gram, slinging cheeseburgers at her great-aunt Alice’s diner, and living across the street from a guy who used to pull her pigtails when they were in grade school together. She is out of work, out of money, and out of shape.This wonderfully humorous cozy mystery will have you cracking up at the trouble that “Char” manages to get into when she finally lands a “real job” as a deputy coroner to the Chimacam County Prosecutor’s office—if she can make it past Day One of her 30-day-trial period.
Be warned, Poe: Nevermore is not a cozy mystery. Ms. Martens succeeds at painting dark, suspenseful, sometimes horrific pictures. It is the type of psychological horror that locking the doors and windows and reading with the lights on will not keep out. Marten’s Poe: Nevermore deliciously feeds these kind of cravings along with satisfying those with classical literary interests.
In this character-driven novel that delves deeply into the psyches of six flawed individuals seeking life’s meaning in post-Soviet Moscow, the most enigmatic character is Russia itself. "A Simple Soul" transcends genres and time as its characters move across the vast lands of Russia and its ever-changing socio-economic landscape. Prepare to be transported.
The Darklight series take readers beyond the confines of the known universe and into mind-boggling technologies that venture into multi-dimensional applications of universal cataclysmic potential .If you enjoy E.E. Smith’s space operas that influenced the first generation of computer war games, and (some say) the authors of Earthlight, Star Wars, Babylon 5, and Superman, then venture forth into the Darklight series to expand your universe.
The adventure begins when Christine and Jeffrey Smith, searching for an old boat to transform into a small passenger vessel, examine a sixty-five foot 1929 work-boat, precariously moored on Lopez Island—the neglected wooden vessel that hovers near death is the David B. They race against time, money, and natural elements to save the David B—the vessel that they bet all of their resources on in hopes of making their dream of owning and operating a small expedition cruise boat in the Pacific Northwest come true.
Rendered with a lush and lyrical touch, this Y/A historical fantasy depicts the romantic yearnings of two innocent lovers, both dedicated to and trapped by the belief that they embody tragic figures from myth and legend.This well-written and crisply paced novel mixes the two myths: one Greek, the other of the canon of Arthurian literature.
Vale’s writing captures germane issues that women face in today’s world: being torn about decisions made between life for oneself and the caring for a beloved elder who has dementia, the strife of feeling the need to be in at least three places at one time, the far reaching effects of the Middle East Conflict, along with the emotional bonds of family and friends, and the myriad of tugs that women must face as they navigate modern life’s complexities. If you want to get to know characters who embrace contemporary challenges with integrity and passion, then look no further than Kate Vale’s novels for a book about love and loss, friendship and family ties, and finding happiness.
Donnell Ann Bell deftly intertwines a fast-paced thriller with an emotionally-charged love story. Deadly Recall will entice devotees of both genres, with added appeal for those who appreciate the southwestern setting of New Mexico.
The colorful characters and intriguing plot twists make Her Boyfriend’s Bones a gratifying and diverting page-turner. Ms. Matthews is adept at placing the reader into the hardships of the current Greek economic debt crisis as well as interjecting bits of history and mythology into her compelling story-line. Enter the CIA and Interpol, false identification papers, the Norwegian Intelligence, terrorist guns, suspicious locals, and old grudges, secret letters, and “evil eyes” everywhere.
This grand adventure takes you on the high seas and to exotic ports-of-call during the Elizabethan era when a boy acknowledges that he must change his stars and expand his horizons if he is to live the life that he wants to live--one that is quite different than the one into which he was born.
In "A Serpent's Tooth," Walt must deal with a splinter group or renegade polygamy Latter Day Saints who have built quite the arsenal of weapons and an old vendetta that crosse the time-lines cartels. [Reviewer's note: Not since reading Jim Harrison's works have I encountered writings that are so satisfying to read.]
Babenko has created a fascinating story, peopled with unbelievable characters in whom we believe nonetheless. He introduces emotions where we would not expect to find them, and keeps us rapidly turning the pages to learn the fate of his protagonist, a genius in cybernetics named Bogdan Bogdanov, who creates a gift for the world named Semmant.
Deadly Addiction captures the devastating effects of poverty and substance abuse on a First Nations community while portraying the love affair of one tribal member determined to help his people. As brutally violent as it is flirtatious, this novel offers readers a realistic glimpse of contemporary life on a First Nations reserve. The story is populated by wonderfully realized characters.
Readers’ hearts will be racing as the story twists and turns and the suspense rapidly intensifies in this creepy “OMG-this could really happen” page-turner. Prepare to devour this fast-paced thriller in one sitting with the lights on and the doors locked.
The story exemplifies the psychological power that ancient rites have held and do hold over us, and the effects of these rites as they ripple through our consciousness or, more dangerously, our collective subconsciousness as they cross the barriers of time.
If you are a devotee of "The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley and you enjoy sensuous romantic heat that threads through a great story, you will relish immersing yourself in the world Laura Navarre created that intersects sixteenth century English historical fiction with some surprisingly fresh interpretations of Arthurian legends, and then blends a new element into the mix: angelic lore.
The memoir’s brave narrative, an inviting of mix diary excerpts and personal reflection along with some of her own very moving poetry, offers a clear view into the workings of the Asperger mind. One of the syndrome's hallmark symptoms is a lack of the ability to understand the subtleties of non-verbal communication. Social cues such as body language and facial expressions are opaque to its victims, whose resultant awkward and seemingly inappropriate behavior can leave them feeling isolated and misunderstood.
Cozy mystery fans will find Robyn Kelly an engaging amateur sleuth fighting crime, and sometimes fighting for her life, in a deadly arena —the hospital where she works. Readers will never look at hospitals in the same way again. Dirty Laundry by Liz Osborne was awarded the First Place Blue Ribbon for Cozy Mysteries in the Chanticleer Book Reviews Writing Competition 2012.