The
first Wednesday of every month is officially IWSG day. IWSG was formed by Ninja
Captain Alex Cavanaugh. Members post about their doubts and fears, discuss
struggles and triumphs, and offer words of encouragement to others who are struggling.
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
The awesome co-hosts for the May 3 posting of the IWSG are Joylene Nowell Butler, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Meka James, Diane Burton, Victoria Marie Lees, and M Louise Barbour!
May 3 question - When you are working on a story, what inspires you?
Since my muse is regularly flitting off on vacay, I don't have an answer.
April/May Reviews in no
particular order.
*
Disclaimer. If I run into an occasional typo, I ignore them and don't factor
them into my review.
BEST SERVED COLD: A Tony
Razzolito PI Story by Joe Congel
This is the fourth in the
Razzman Series and every bit as good as the first three. Once again Razz and
his partner are working with the police pro bono to solve a high-profile murder
of a Charlotte Wildcats ball player. Adding to the drama, the M.O. is the same
as another unsolved high-profile murder and a third with even less of a
connection.
The mystery between the
murders deepens as the story progresses.
The author has done a
wonderful job of developing relatable, likeable characters. The Razzman is a
gumshoe with a bit of an ego and a heart of gold, in love with one woman and
loyal to his friends. My favorite secondary character is Vinnie with his
Brooklyn accent, questionable dealings and love of pizza. He is also another
character who is loyal to his friends.
The world building is spot
on, making it easy to lose yourself on the streets of Charlotte, North
Carolina.
The story line held my
interest from beginning to end.
A well-rounded enjoyable
read, that I can highly recommend. Mr. Congel, when can we expect number five?
Available at Amazon
IN THE TREE’S SHADOW By D.
L. Finn
In this collection of
paranormal shorts, the author shows her versatility as she weaves through a
variety of subjects with ease. Her stories include humans, creatures and
aliens; encompass Christmas gifts and monsters and many what ifs, including
tales of civil war. A scary subject given today’s environment.
Out of the many offerings, I
had several favorites: The Bike. The
Dolphin. This Journey. The Bench. AND End of the Road had a surprise ending
that made me chuckle.
One of my favorite
descriptive sentences was in It’s Only a Dream: ‘Dark blood flowed out
in all directions on the beige carpet like a malicious flower.’
If you are ready to be
entertained and awed, as I was, I suggest you put the coffee on, your feet up,
kick back and enjoy
Available at Amazon
CRAZY
LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE by Jacquie Biggar
An
alpha male and a sassy female.
Sophia
left the ranch behind, for a degree and the big city, to prove to her brothers
and the man she loved she could stand on her own two feet. Now she’s back and
determined to save the ranch, which the family is in jeopardy of losing.
Told
with her usual warmth and style, Ms. Biggar once again explores human
relationships and gives us a heartwarming tale in the process. Another winning
Biggar romance.
This
is the second in the Gambling Hearts series but can be read as a stand alone.
Available at Amazon
REDEMPTION
by Gwen Plano
A
psychological thriller
A
psychological thriller, this story centers around a sister and brother trying
to discover who murdered their father and why. As layers are peeled away, they
make shocking discoveries about him and learn heartbreaking secrets about their
mother. But above all they learn about redemption.
With
no unnecessary verbiage to slow it down, the author keeps the story moving at a
brisk pace. Her characters are well-developed. And her world building is spot
on.
REDEMPTION
is told in third-person, present-tense.
Available at Amazon
SEVEN
SISTERS, #1 in Series, by M. L. Bullock
This
is the first book in the Seven Sisters Series.
Carrie
Jo has a unique talent, or curse. She revisits history in her dreams. And now
that she is working in a Southern antebellum mansion, the nightmarish dreams of
a missing heiress are coming hard and fast.
I
found the book to have an interesting premise and the way that the protagonist
falls back in time in the dreams is well handled. My only complaint is that it
ends on a cliff-hanger with no closure. If you want the answer, you have to buy
the next book. This is just a personal nit of mine. I know a lot of authors set
up their series this way. I just prefer closure with something intriguing
enough to pique my interest for the next story, but that aside it’s a good read
with over five thousand ratings.
Available at Amazon
REVELATION OF LOVE (Influenced Book 3) by Patricia
Lynne
Life needs the dark to balance the light. Angels
and devils sit on our shoulders and influence our decisions.
When Kemuel sacrifices his angelic powers to go to
earth and check on the influencers, he soon realizes that maybe not all demons
are bad and that just maybe the angels are out of touch.
A fun, whimsical read. Recommended.
Available at Amazon
OMEGA QUEEN, Box Set 1-3 (Omega Queen Series) by W.
J. May
Three best friends, a princess, a fae and a
vampire, leave safety and home to fulfill a prophecy and save their world. The
first three books are: Discipline, Bravery and Courage. This has been a
well-received YA fantasy series. My only complaint, and complaint is too strong
a word, I would have liked just a little more showing and less telling, but
nonetheless an enjoyable read. Recommended.
Available at Amazon
TRADS:
DARK HORSE by Tami Hoag
When it comes to thrillers Tami Hoag is a master.
Some of the scenes are a little more graphic than I’d like but she certainly
holds my attention and makes for a read that’s hard to put down.
A former police officer who is working as a groom
and fighting her own demons, finds herself in the middle of a murder that takes
places in the luxurious Palm Beach horse world. The story builds to an exciting
climax as the reader and heroine try to discover the killer.
Available at Amazon
ALIBI MAN by Tami Hoag
Protagonist Elena Estes story picks up where Dark
Horse left off. Once again there’s a murder to solve and in the process, as
usual, she manages to alienate friends and foes alike. As she did in Dark
Horse, Hoag stomps down on the excitement pedal and doesn’t let up until the
story’s end. Another edge-of-the seat read that kept me reading into the wee
hours of the morning.
Available at Amazon
NIGHT PASSAGE by Robert B. Parker
This is the first in a series of twenty some-odd
books centered around Chief of Police Jesse Stone, who cares too much and
sometimes drinks too much. He’s got two addictions, alcohol and his ex-wife.
Jesse has been fired from his position on the LA
police force for drinking. He applies for a position as Chief of Police in
Paradise, MA. He shows up drunk for the interview and still gets the position
and begins to wonder why. Instead of the easy gig—at least compared to LA—that
he’d anticipated, he’s suddenly embroiled in mystery and murder and the
murderer is coming next for him.
This is the first book I’ve read by Mr. Parker. As
soon as I finished it, I ordered the second in the series. He’s developed an
excellent character that we can root for, a flawed human with heart, courage
and a backbone of steel.
Available at Amazon
TROUBLE IN PARADISE by Robert B. Parker
This is the second in the Jesse Stone Series and
another winner. On to book three.
Available at Amazon
DEATH IN PARADISE by Robert B. Parker
Every bit as good as the first two.
Available at Amazon
What have you been reading (or writing)? See anything that appeals?
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