REVIEW: "Anti-Theist: And This is Why" by Christopher Mallard - (Virtual Book Tour Cafe)

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"Anti-Theist: And This Is Why is an introductory look into atheism/anti-theism and uses quotes, scriptures and a dash of humor to help the nonbeliever and believer alike understand what it is to be a person who is against religion. I give the reader a clear understanding of the differences between a theist, deist, atheist, agnostic, and an anti-theist then I discuss numerous topics including the treatment of women in religion, the sheer ridiculousness of the ancient text these belief systems are based on and the charlatans who use it as a weapon to prey on the weak and helpless. 

I realize the term 'Anti-Theist' and the idea of forbidding someone from practicing and teaching a religion sounds so very horrible but you've got to ask yourself the question why. Why would all of us atheist nutbags, and our numbers are growing, want to take God out of your courthouses, off your money, ban it from public practice or display and, heaven forbid, ban you from teaching it to your children? Why would someone want to do that? Read the book and find out. 

If you're a religious person you could see this as a 'Know thy enemy' moment. Study up on us devil worshiping, baby eating anti-theists and see why we think you're the crazy ones. Mmmm baby.
Thank you and enjoy. 

Caution: Grown up concepts and there is a bit of adult language."

AMAZON  * GOODREADS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Christopher Mallard
The majority of my adult life was spent working in the oilfields of west Texas. In my spare time I taught myself how to work on computers and eventually turned it into a small business which I work from home. What does any of this have to do with religion? Nothing. Where are my degrees in theology, biology, astronomy and philosophy? I don’t have any. I am your common average Joe and that’s exactly the type of reader I’m trying to reach. Does it take a degree in theology to open the bible and see the stories told within as being immoral and violent? Can the common man not see how the religions of the world have done and are still doing immeasurable harm to society?

FACEBOOK 
REVIEW
*I received a copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review, which follows.*

Flip through the channels of every-day television, and you are bound to come across a few things: a televangelist, news reports about what someone has done in the name of their "god", reports about the division between church and state, etc.  Religion divides humanity like nothing else on this planet...sadly.   Atheists and anti-theists are at the throats of those who claim a faith in God, and vice versa.  But why?  Do both sides of the argument really understand each other?  Do they want to?

LONG STORY SHORT
This nonfiction book is an interesting historical, sociological, theological, and comedic-al (yes, I just made up a word) look into the belief structure, implications, and impact of religion and its followers.  Mallard brings readers on a rather funny journey of examining this thing called religion that raises incredibly valid and valuable points, shines a glaring spotlight on atrocities committed (and apparently sanctioned???) in the name of the Abrahamic god, and is something that every Christian/Muslim/Jew should read.  It is challenging, forthright, and honest in its critiques of religion, holding followers - and God, for that matter - to task for those things that happen that are contradictory to the image of a benevolent God.  Among other things, Mallard explores women's issues, social events as influenced by religion, social issues, etc.  Interspersed throughout the work are quotes from the religious texts with which Mallard is wrassling, as well as valuable insights from such individuals as US founding fathers, authors, scientists, etc.  There are some major issues with it, however, that do not stem from the argument itself but rather with style, fact checking, and editing.  

Overall, I give this book a 3 on a 5-point ascending scale.

LONG STORY
In the interest of being completely forthright, let me say this upfront - my job title right now is "Qualified Lay Minister".  In my context right now, this means that I'm serving as a pastor at a church in Minnesota.  There, now that this is out of the way, let's get to this book. 

When the email reached my inbox asking me to review this book, it came at a time that I was already swamped with other reviews.  I asked the person in charge if I could have it, and that I would post a review at a later date.  This person graciously agreed, and I just finally read it.  I could not wait to write this review. 

You see, it is a book written by not only an atheist, but an "anti-theist".  In honesty, I'd never heard the term before, but Mallard explains that as an anti-theist, he is someone who doesn't believe in a god and is vehemently opposed to anyone else believing in god/religion either.  Oh boy, I was chomping at the bit to read this!  Why?  Why, as a pastor, would I want to read this book?  Because so many atheists I know (and those I'd probably plunk into the anti-theist category) are so careful around me when I try to engage them in conversations about religion that I never get to the meat of why they do not think God is real.  There is this nervousness around offending a pastor (*gasp!*ohemgee) that has quelched many conversations that I've tried to have.  Not conversations where I was trying to convert anyone, mind you, but conversations trying to understand.  

The blurb of this book assured me that Mallard wasn't going to pull any punches - he'd be completely upfront about what he thinks/believes and why....and I couldn't wait.  

This is a nonfiction book.  In it, Mallard explores such things as miracles, prophets, women's issues, slavery, sex and God, evolution....and much, much more.  He defines many terms that he uses so that little room is left for misunderstanding how he is using politically and socially charged words (which is helpful), and he writes in a way that is approachable by practically anyone (unless, of course, you can't read....but then you wouldn't be reading this post either....unless someone is reading to you).  He pokes fun at religion, and downright shreds the Bible & Quran while showing how the followers of religion have used their god to justify terrible deeds committed against other human beings.  

One of the things I really appreciated about this book is that it is incredibly clear that Mallard has spent time on this.  He isn't just tossing together a hastily drawn document based on snap judgments that are not thought through.  It is exquisitely clear that he has done his research, compiled everything in his head based on what he has read, heard, and experienced, and has come to the conclusion that he thinks is the most true given the evidence presented to him: religion is itself an atrocity against humanity.  

To support this, Mallard looks at how religion has been used against women, slaves, people of other nationalities, neighbors, family members, etc.  He critiques how those who report to be part of a religion treat those around them in their every-day lives. Did that guy really just screw over that other person like that?  But he says he's a Christian...  He also dares to rip into sacred texts and expose contradictions and things that just don't make sense or reconcile well with a god of peace/love.

I'm glad he did. 

Frankly, I wish that more people who believe in God would read this book.  I really, really do.  What Mallard has to say here is hard, but it is not untrue.  Well, most of it.  Of course, what I have read, heard, and experienced tells me that God is real, loving, and just as sick over how people act towards one another in his name as I am every time I watch the news (sorry, Westborough, but you're doing it wrong).  So I disagree with Mallard about that.  What I cannot disagree with him about is how religion has been used as a tool of oppression throughout history.  I cannot disagree with him that the Bible (I'm not familiar with the Quran at all) has gruesome, bloody stories in it that don't make sense, or that the Bible contradicts itself in places (in one Gospel, Jesus heals 1 leper.  In another he heals 10 in apparently the same instance based on timing, geography, who was with him, etc.  WHAT?!).  I cannot disagree with him about how certain stories seem remarkably similar to stories found within the cultures surrounding the Israelites at the time certain texts were written (Enuma Elish, anyone?....seriously - Google the creation story found in the Enuma Elish (a Babylonian document).).  I cannot disagree with him that God and his followers need to be held to task about what has happened in God's name.  

I am not one who supports blind faith.  Mallard isn't either - but he doesn't support faith in God at all.  In fact, he says many times that it should be eradicated, likening such to a disease.  I definitely do not agree with this, but can understand where Mallard is coming from.  I do agree with Mallard, however, that blind faith is often detrimental to not only the one holding it, but also those around that person.  Frankly, I have more respect for an atheist who clearly understands why he or she is an atheist in a way that can be explained logically than for someone who blindly recites words that have little meaning to them other than they learned those words in Sunday School.  I wish more people who adhere to an Abrahamic religion understood their faith as well as Mallard understands his anti-theism.  He knows exactly why he is an anti-theist, and he is passionate about being so.  I may disagree with him completely, but I respect his passion and knowledge about the topic.  And quite frankly, he is right - religion has been use to bully entire peoples into submission and wielded as a power tool since before Christ was born.  I think there is a reason that Jesus railed against the "religious authorities" of his time more so than almost anyone else.  Jesus despises fake, pompous religion as much as Mallard does.  

 Ask questions.  Lots and lots of questions.  Challenge church leaders when their "god" looks an awful lot like them in prejudices and attitudes.  Ask.  Ask.  Ask.  I believe there is a Biblical model for this, but that's a topic for a different post.  

Anyways, Mallard is hard, challenging, and calls people in religions to task for the reality of how religion has been misused.  More people need to hear this and be challenged to be different.

And for the record - the divorce between science and religion irritates the living daylights out of me as well, Mr. Mallard.  That religion has been, and continues to be in places, used to halt scientific advancement is an atrocity.  But I do not think that science negates God.  I'd argue that point, but that would be for a different blog post.  I could write an entire book responding to this one, and just may if enough people ask me to do so.

The Bugly (bad/ugly)
You may have noticed that I've been raving about the book, but I only gave it a 3 of 5.  There are three major reasons for this:

1.  Tone: Mallard raises really good questions and such, but does so in a tone that is so confrontational that I fear those who need to read it the most won't give it the time of day.  I'm afraid he'll end up "preaching to the choir" - most of those who aren't so damn offended by the first 10 pages that they actually continue reading are likely to be anti-theists/atheists as well.  I'll be honest, after I read the first 10-20 pages, I was so infuriated and offended at being called a "nutbag" (among many other things) that I told my husband "I'm not finishing that fu***** book.  He is so damn angry that I can't take it."  Hubby asked if the anger was totally unjustified.  After a huge sigh, my response had to be "No, but he doesn't have to be so flibberting insulting about it."  Now, let's remember that those who are in a faith don't tend to care much if they offend an atheist, so I suppose in a way the confrontational tone is eye-for-an-eye, so to speak.  I just worry that it will prevent people from reading this and taking Mallard seriously.

2.  Fact-checking: While it is clear that Mallard is well-read, and well-researched, there is still a disturbing lack of facts throughout the book.  Example: he says that Jesus goes on and on about slaves in Ephesians.  The problem is that the authorship of Ephesians, including the portion that Mallard references, is usually attributed to Paul (that said, it is one of the contested books that may or may not have been written by Paul).  Jesus didn't say anything about slavery in Ephesians...Paul, or someone writing in Paul's name, did.  Example: Mallard says that no religious texts talk about angels having wings.  The Bible does. At least twice that I can think of off the top of my head (Isaiah 6, Exodus 25).  /grumblegrumble  For someone so interested in truth, I'd think all facts would have been double-checked here, especially since Mallard shows such a good knowledge of the Bible elsewhere.  Also, this entire book needs citations, if for no other reason than Mallard's readers should be able to look at the same source documents that inform's Mallard's work.  If this is going to be taken seriously as credible, it needs a references list.  Perhaps my desire to see this here is an indication of the fact that I'm a bit of a perpetual scholar, but I wanted to look at his sources....and none were listed. 

3.  Editing & Organization:  These might seem like two problems, but they are related.  First, I truly hope that the fact I have a PDF of this book means I got a copy that wasn't fully edited.  There are typos, missing words, run-on sentences, etc peppering this book.  Now, I'm obviously not a grammatical expert (they're found in my work too), but this is a blog.  In a book, these errors need to be weeded out no matter the type of book.  Second, this book is repetitive. repetitive. repetitive.  The same ideas are rehashed in one chapter, and then again in another chapter, then again in another chapter.  It needs to be reorganized in a way that is well-edited and not quite so full of grammatical issues. I'm not saying it should be any less humorous - I love the humor present - but it should be well-crafted.  

REVIEW: "A Foolish Plucking" by Dee Wilbur

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Yeah, Gary is a womanizer and a boozer, but is he a murderer, too? The police sure think so. True, they don’t have a body, but they do have the big fight between Gary and Alice, his wife, at the country club. And they do have Alice’s blood on the wall behind the bed. And in the shower drain. And in the back of Alice’s Escalade. Unfortunately for Gary, the jury sides with the police and gives him life without parole.

Melissa, Gary’s mistress, brings him another surprise; she is pregnant. She and their daughter move to Richmond, hoping to leave the Scarlet A behind them in Dayton, trading one small Texas town for another. Melissa enlists Jon Miller as attorney to get Gary a new hearing.

Sandy had married Jon without meeting his family. She doesn’t realize that while Jon solves Gary’s problem, she and Jon will struggle with a family crisis involving their sister-in-law.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Dee Wilbur
Beatrice Dee Pipes and Charles Wilbur Yates, Jr. write under the pen name Dee Wilbur, a combination of their middle names. This is their second work of fiction. A Texas native, Dee Pipes grew up in a small Texas town. Her degree from Rice University is a B.A. in English. She currently runs a company that helps other companies with marketing, project management, and other tasks. She has been married to her husband Bryan for thirty years. Also a native Texan, Charles Yates, Jr., was also reared in a small Texas town. He graduated from Rice University in Houston with a B.A. and Ph.D. in Biology. He received the M.D. degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He has been married to his wife Sally for forty-five years. They have four adult sons and six grandchildren. He now tends his garden in Richmond, Texas.

AUTHOR PAGE  *  WEBSITE  

REVIEW
I received a copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review, which follows.

Prosecuting a murder should be a relatively straight-forward operation: figure out how and when the person was killed, the murder weapon, who was present, etc.  As anyone who watches crime dramas regularly can attest, however, prosecuting a murder is rarely "relatively straight-forward."  But what do you do when the one thing you need to examine for sure is missing....the body?

LONG STORY SHORT
A fairly quick read, this little book with a plot worthy of Matlock is another installation into the crime series by Dee Wilbur.  Riveting plot, quirky characters, drama drama drama...  A man fights with his wife, passes out drunk on their front porch, and wakes to find himself in the middle of a murder investigation seeking to pin him for the death of his wife.  There's just two major problems - he knows he didn't do it and the body is missing.  Can the legal system really put him in jail for a murder it can only prove on the basis of circumstantial evidence?  Well, read the book and you'll see!  There isn't much for character development when it comes to the main characters, but this is the 3rd book in a series - you can read the first two books for that.  What you will find is an attorney entangled in an interesting legal battle where his womanizer, boozer client may not have actually "dunit" while he and his wife are simultaneously entangled in a difficult familial situation where one woman's extreme mental illness may spell disaster for her husband and children in more ways than one.  There are some editing issues, as well as extremely long dialogue scenes that made my head spin a bit (a stylistic choice that isn't my favorite, but there ya go), but all in all this is a really good book.  Warning: the ending will make you want more!

On an ascending scale of 1 to 5, I rate this book a 3.  

LONG STORY
The Good
I love good mystery books, particularly when they leave me lifting my lower mandible up off the floor like this one did.  :P  Seriously, my jaw dropped at something near the end.  Not the major "whodunit" (I kind of figured that was going to be the conclusion), but something else....something that also made me go "Darn you, Dee Wilbur!"  Let's just say there's a smidgeon of a cliff hanger.  

What do we have here?  Well, a guy gets into a major blow-up argument with his wife in front of the social elite in their Texan town during a Valentine's Day get-together at a local country club.  After passing out on the floor of the club, the guy gets a cabbie home and proceeds to pass out on the porch of his house (couldn't do that in MN in Feb - he'd wake up with frosty appendages).  When he wakes up, he finds himself embroiled in a battle with local police and prosecutors as they attempt to put him behind bars for the murder of his wife.  There is one thing the prosecution lacks - a body.  Does this stop them? Nope.  Oh, and to make things infinitely more complicated, the man's mistress announces that she's carrying his child.  Oh boy. 

Can Jon get to the bottom of what is going on with this murder case?  Maybe, but what about when you throw in the fact that he and Sandy are dealing with some family drama of their own?  You see, Jon's brother has a wife who is having difficulty that is negatively impacting her relationship with her husband, their children, and her husband's campaign to keep his judge seat.  Just small things like that.  

Nothing about this book is small, except maybe it's physical size.  Big issues, big problems, big solutions, etc.  I'd make a Texas joke but I'm from Alaska, where everything is bigger.  :P

As in the previous books, the writing is very efficient and straightforward.  Few superfluous words exist.  This is part of why a huge and complicated story fits into a relatively small book.  

Character development progresses fairly well.  I enjoyed picking up Jon and Sandy's story again, particularly as we get to see them grow together a bit since their marriage in the previous book.  It was also good to see how some of the other character progressed (particularly Diego....let's just say he gets himself into a bit of a hilarious pickle).  The new characters are developed just right considering their short stints in the overall story line.  I do wish there was a bit more about the legal secretaries' lives considering how much time was spent on them in the previous book, but there is plenty of time for that.  

The plot itself is fantastic.  I won't lie - I figured out the whodunit fairly early on (I've spent much time with my nose buried in mystery books, there isn't a lot that will surprise me when it comes to whodunit....this is part of the reason I refuse to write such a book), but I thoroughly enjoyed how the story unfolded.  While the ending itself didn't surprise me a whole lot (there are some foreshadowing bits tossed in here and there early on that clued me in to what was going to happen), the journey to get there was full of lots of surprises that kept me riveted.  :)

All in all this is a very "real" book - I could actually see each and every thing here happening (maybe certain characters are a little strong-handed in getting other characters to do something), including all of the things with the legal system.  It is intriguing, riveting, and develops characters well - all in all a pretty good book.

Oh...and just a random note - this book is fairly stand-alone, but less so than the previous two in the series.  It would help to have read the previous two books - at least Justice Perverted.  

The Bugly (bad/ugly)
I'm a tough grader.  I've made noises about teaching writing classes, and my husband's response has been, "those poor students".  When pressed, he'll state that I'm really hard on writing.  He's right!  Keep that in mind as you read this section. 

The reason that I gave this book a 3 instead of a 4 is because several of the problems I point out in the first two books (A Jealous God, Justice Perverted) are present here as well, and are glaring enough that sometimes I found myself too distracted from the amazing plot:

• Again, there are not enough indicators of "he said BOO" and "she said EEEK".  There are more than in past books in the series, so I didn't get as lost all of the time....but enough that it was distracting, especially because punctuation was not completely consistent and so I couldn't always rely on paragraph indentation to figure out who was talking.  
• The characters all sound like each other.  Very efficient, no wasted words.  I wouldn't have an issue with this (my husband is one who has a very efficient speech pattern), except that EVERYONE talks that way.  This is part of what made it a little difficult to figure out who was talking...everyone's speech pattern was exactly the same.  
• Too much dialog, not enough other stuff.  Same as the last book.  This is purely a stylistic preference - I am not a huge fan of a HUGE majority of a fiction book being dialog.  I liked the first few chapters of this book in particular a lot because dialog was well balanced with the rest of the text, but after the scene was set, it was mostly dialog.  Very efficient, clipped dialog.  Part of the reason this bugs me is because this style doesn't leave a lot of space for exploring what is happening inside of characters' heads....which is half of the reason why I read - I like knowing what characters are thinking (I am someone with a background in psychology, after all).
• Some of the forensic stuff just didn't mesh really well in my head - wouldn't the original forensic people have realized some of what the later forensic person realized?  Wouldn't the same tests have been run?  

REVIEW: "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" by Lisa Sparrow (Write Now Lit)

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"From the agony of multiple miscarriages to the pain of never feeling love from anyone, Lisa Y. Sparrow reveals the most intimate of details of her life in the hopes that someone is freed from their own prison of mental illness."

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Lisa Sparrow
Newcomer Lisa Sparrow has endured more pain and loss in her life than anyone should be expected to. With her first book, His Eye is on the Sparrow, she reveals the challenges she has faced in stunning detail. Lisa is a divorced mother of two wonderful children, Lauren and Leon, and currently lives in Columbus, Ohio. She currently works as clerical support for a local lighting company. She’s learned the hard way that if you stay where you are in life, you’ll never reach your full potential. Her journey to self love and acceptance has been a hard fought battle and one she is led by God to share with her readers. With her first autobiography, His Eye is on the Sparrow, Lisa hopes to shed some light on the subject of mental illness in this country and the process of healing. Although this is Lisa’s first project, it certainly will not be her last. She is currently working on a follow up to "His Eye is on the Sparrow", scheduled to be released in 2015.

REVIEW
I received a copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review, which follows:

Mental illness is the dirty little secret swept under the rug and ignored by the vast majority of the world.  As someone who has family members with mental illness, who has done extensive research into the stigma of mental illness (specifically regarding how it affects children), who advocates for children with mental illness and their families, and as one called to stand in the intersection between individuals with mental illness and the Church, this is an issue that is near and dear to my heart.  We like to pretend it doesn't exist, that "those people" are somewhere "over there".  Bull sh**.  Conservative estimates say that 1 in 4 people have a diagnosable condition.  What is it like to live with depression, extreme self-esteem issues, and a family and society that wants to ostracize you for your mental difficulties you cannot control?

GUEST POST: "Into the Light" by Jennifer Burrow (Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours)

Psychological conditions, stalkers, and love....oh my!!

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After Laney is shot at point blank range, Josh works tirelessly to repair her life threatening internal injuries from the gunshot wounds.  What’s worse is he is forced to inform Laney’s parents about the tragic accident.  Having only just begun a relationship with the woman he knows in his heart he will spend the rest of his life with, he now has to reveal to her parents that a stalker has been tormenting their daughter.  While his only mission is to save Laney’s life, her parents have other plans for their daughter, none of which include Josh.  They are determined to find a new doctor for Laney, and if her parents have their way, she will be taken thousands of miles away from him.

Just when Josh thinks his entire world has been turned completely upside down, he finds his sister Jillian has stopped taking her psychiatric medications and has become a person unfamiliar to him.  Dealing with her psychotic world becomes even more of a shock, leaving Josh in a horrible dilemma.  He is torn between trying to save Laney’s life, keeping her parents from moving her away from him, and providing his sister the attention and help she desperately needs before she has a complete psychotic breakdown.

Will Josh be able to save the love of his life and prevent her parents from taking her away?  Will he be able to help Jillian through her mental illness before it takes over her life?  Will Laney’s relationship with her parents ever be salvaged?  Will Josh and Laney have their happily ever after, or will the hurdles they have to jump through prove to be more than they can handle?

AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Jennifer Burrows

Jennifer is a Registered Nurse, and she holds a Master’s degree in Nursing Administration.  She has 15 years of experience working in the Emergency Room and the Intensive Care Unit of a major trauma center.  While she is equally adept at all facets of patient care, Emergency room nursing is her passion, and is the inspiration for this story and A Shot in the Dark.  Currently, she resides in Southern California with her husband and their three amazing boys.  A Shot in the Dark was her debut novel with Into the Light following as the sequel.

WEBSITE  *  FACEBOOK  *  TWITTER

GUEST POST- by Jennifer Burrows

How Do You Keep Your Writing Different?

This is a really great topic. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut with the same writing style. I have few ways in which I mix it up. Many books I’ve read lately are in the first person. It’s usually one character all the way through. Then the author will come out with a sequel of the same story but from the other character’s perspective. It drives me nuts. I’ve already read the story once. I don’t need to read it again. In my latest books, I give perspectives from the main characters. The chapters will rotate back and for between the two or three characters. The flow remains constant and there isn’t a lot of review. I think my readers build a better connection to the characters and when the story is done, they feel satisfied.

I also tend to read books in between writing. I’ll pick out things from other authors I like and want to incorporate into my own writing. Lately, I’ve been working on my showing vs. telling. A great author for this is K.Bromberg. She provides so much detail; you can’t help but get a clear picture.

Travel. I recently traveled to Italy. I learned some interesting facts which I incorporated into a new book entitled Surrender (release date TBD). The book is based in Italy but some of the characters are American. It is a huge change for A Shot in the Dark and Into the Light. It was fun traveling to a new country and then being able to write about it. Plus, it’s a tax write off once the book is published. Yay!

Join a writing group. These people are amazing. You get together every so often and brainstorm ideas, talk about writing, share experiences. There is so much to learn and incorporate into your own style.

Perhaps the most important thing is have fun. Don’t force the story to come to you. Think about it. Mull it around in your mind for a few days. That’s is when my best writing comes.  

EXCERPT

Dr. Josh Stone stood helpless as Laney, seemingly in slow motion, fell to the floor. The thud as her body hit the tiles shot goose bumps through his flesh. For a brief moment he was paralyzed. His girlfriend, also a trauma nurse-had been shot by the patient they had been taking care of. The sight of the man sitting up and grabbing Officer Miller’s gun from his holster replayed in Josh’s brain. The man pointed it at Laney and shot her several times before anyone was able to subdue him. Now, Josh stood helplessly as she lay motionless on the floor. How could this happen in his trauma room? How could he let this happen to Laney? His knees seemed to buckle as he sank to Laney’s side, stethoscope dangling from his neck.

Laney’s curly blonde hair covered much of her face, but it was clear she was unconscious. Josh gently shook her hoping for the slightest response. There was none. She had been shot in the chest.

Someone shrieked. One of the ER nurses, Dinah’s eyes were wide, both hands covered her mouth. She pointed to the floor. A puddle of blood oozed from under Laney. The metallic aroma wrinkled his nose.

Josh fought the anger raging inside him. He wanted to make the son-of-a-bitch who shot Laney pay for hurting her.

For now, let the cops handle it. Josh took a deep breath and struggled to regain his composure, but failed miserably.

“My God! Laney! How could this happen?” His face was hot. He swiped at it with his blood soaked hands and realized he was crying.

“Dr. Stone. Dr. Stone!”

Josh looked up. Dinah’s lips were moving, but her words weren’t computing. A couple of techs and nurses eased Laney from his arms. Not only did he feel the emptiness, it plagued his heart and his soul.

Josh helped lift Laney onto a gurney. Dinah placed her hand on his shoulder. “You need to help her. She needs you now more than ever.”

Dinah put her cold hands on Josh’s flushed face. “Dr. Stone, I know you’re in shock, but you need to focus. You’re the only one who can save her.”

Josh turned his head, causing the frigid hands to fall from his face. He rubbed his swollen eyes and surveyed the room. The devastation was beyond words. Officer Miller had the man who shot Laney subdued in handcuffs. He lay on the table with his disheveled hair covering his face. Someone must have given him a sedative because he wasn’t moving. Equipment had been knocked over, and supplies thrown everywhere. Josh’s heart rate sped up as he cast his eyes down at the pool of blood surrounding his feet.

“Where is she?”

“They’ve taken her to the O.R to get her prepped. You need to get down there right now. Dr. Nessler is coming in to finish up with this guy.”

Josh darted out of the room with an urgency he never felt before. Each step he took, his pace quickened until he was in a full sprint to the O.R.

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REVIEW: "Hold Me Tight" by Faith Sullivan

BLURB
He loves me. He loves me not.

Ivy's heart shatters upon hearing Eric's crushing ultimatum. Despite how much she cares for him, she won't give in to his demands. She has no choice but to leave, even if it's the hardest thing she's ever had to do. 

She loves me. She loves me not.

When Ivy walks out, Eric can't help feeling betrayed. Unwilling to put her at risk, he values her safety above all else. By refusing to compromise, he's blindsided when she moves in with a man who's already stolen so much from him.

I love you. You love me not.

Lauren sees Eric and Ivy's split as an opportunity to end their relationship once and for all. When Ivy places herself at the mercy of Eric's rival, Lauren plots to destroy the fragile tie binding them together, even if she endangers Ivy's life in the process.

GOODREADS  *  AMAZON  *  BARNES & NOBLE  *  GOODREADS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - FAITH SULLIVAN
"I really hate talking about myself. My goal is to have the shortest author bio imaginable. I would much rather have a conversation with my readers. Are you able to escape within my pages? Does my writing make you feel something? Are there characters that you can't get out of your head? Let me know!" 

EMAIL  *  TWITTER  *  BLOG 



REVIEW
I received an advanced copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review, which follows.

Many mothers make hard decisions to tend and care for their little ones.  Women make hard decisions as they work on tending and caring for their significant others.  People in general make hard decisions in order to protect those they hold dear....especially if the one they hold dearest is them, themselves, and they.  But what if protecting the life of a tiny tot could mean the end of everything?  What if looming secrets are revealed that will spell disaster for all?  What if...

LONG STORY SHORT
Riveting characters.  Intense action.  Heart-pounding drama.  Surprising plot twists up to the very end.  Sullivan has crafted a thrilling finale to the trilogy following Eric and Ivy, and it kept me on pins and needles the whole time...and maybe just a bit glued to my Kindle screen (I could not put this book down)!  Discovering what love really means is hard, especially if the life of an unborn child hangs in the balance, as well as the conflicting dreams and aspirations of several individuals.  Sullivan's lovely writing style shines in this work, as it is super accessible, relateable, and down-right fun to read. Characters are just as endearing and maddening as ever, and events elicited real tears from this reader's eyes.  Just a down-right good read. 

That being said, it is a down-right good read for 18+ people (again, too much steam!).

On an ascending scale of 1 to 5, I give this book a 4!

LONG STORY
The Good
Oh. Em. Gee.

Just.  Oh. Em. Gee.

Pregnancy is a difficult enough process when the man involved isn't being a hothead, the psycho woman who is obsessed with him isn't doing her d***dest to get him, friends aren't keeping lies, men with money and power aren't wielding their power over life and death, mortgages aren't due, and deadlines aren't looming.  Geez.  

Here we rejoin Eric and Ivy right after he has told her to do the impossible - give up her baby.  Of course, we as readers can be majorly angry at him...but he has his reasons: he has already lost one woman who was trying to make it through an impossible pregnancy.  Lost not just her, but the baby as well.  He can't stand to lose another.  Ivy can't stand to give up her baby.  She leaves and lands right in Lauren's clutches, who deposits her with Tim - Eric's one time best friend, and potential father of Eric's dead fiancee's baby.  

And Tim is a Chris Hemsworth worthy hottie.  As if Ivy's life weren't complicated enough.  

Will Eric see the err of his ways and win Ivy back?  What lengths are Lauren willing to go to in order to secure the future she desires?  What are the secrets that Ivy senses are still creeping along behind the scene, just waiting to jump out at the wrong time to stress her out badly enough to make her lose the baby she loves more than life?

I could barely put this book down during the entire time I was reading.  Okay, so maybe I should rephase - I could barely put my phone down during the entire time I was reading this book on my Kindle app.  Seriously, Sullivan's writing style is accessible, easy to read, majorly addicting, thorough, etc.  We still (of course) have the point of view switching between major players in the plot (namely Eric, Ivy, and Lauren) and Sullivan writes this so well that it just works.  Even without the name of the person at the top of a chapter, it is clear who is speaking.  It feels like Sullivan crawled inside of each character's head and method acted the chapters!  Gives me the shudders just to think about what it was like to be in Lauren's head.  */shudder*  See!

Anyways, it has been awhile since I've been so emotionally invested in a book.  It helps that I've read the first two books (Take Me Now and Meant for Me).  I'll be honest, I wasn't sure how Sullivan was going to pull off a plot that would match or beat these two books.  I should never have ever worried my reading little brain.  The exceptional plot that Sullivan worked through this book is more than worthy of its predecessors, and gave me a thudding heart more than a few times.  What is going to happen now?!  I have to read the next chapter.....

It was impossible to tear myself away from the drama, not just because of the war happening between individuals around Eric and Ivy's baby, but also because of the war happening within Ivy's body as she struggled to hold onto a baby who wanted to join the world too soon.  You see - I had an at-risk pregnancy with my 2-year-old son.  I know what it is like to see your body disagreeing with your every prayer that Baby stay right where it is until it is time.  It sucks (to say the least).  It is emotional.  It is gut-wrenching.  I just wanted to wrap Ivy up in a warm cozy blanket, and then go b****-slap all the jerks who were making her stress out.  All of them.  *huff*

But let's get back to the book: Sullivan jumped right back into the action.  After all, she didn't need to spend a lot of time setting the scene because hopefully readers had already read the first two books (if they haven't, they need to - they are super good books, and this one doesn't make a lot of sense without them).  What she did do was spend a bit more time on the back story of other individuals playing into the story either directly or indirectly, and this informed some of the "Oh em gee!" plot twists that happened near the end.  Let me just say this - I did not see that one...or that one coming!  Well, kind of.  I did figure out the biggest secret before it was revealed, but literally only a few paragraphs before it was revealed.  You did great, Faith - usually I'm ahead of the reveals by a few pages!

This book was an absolutely terrific finale to an absolutely wonderful series.  I loved seeing how the main characters grew and developed - and their growth trajectories made sense!  Eric and Ivy grew not only as a couple, but also as individuals.  Ivy grew some determination and more ability to positively stand up to those around her, while Eric learned how to not be an island.  Will learned about caring for others.  Other characters grew in other ways, but you're not going to squirrel all of it out of me....go read the books for yourself (unless, of course, you aren't 18 yet....then wait until you are old enough :P)!

(Side note: the fact that Faith dedicated this book to my son and I did not change my review of this book, just in case you noticed and were thinking my glowing review was a bit of schmooing.)


The Bugly (bad/ugly)
le sigh

So, unlike the second book in this series, I have a bugly.  The progression of time along with the plot does not flow as well as it could in a few places.  What do I mean by this?  Well, at one point they are at Thanksgiving, and a few things were coming to a head.  Then suddenly it was Christmas....and those things that had been coming to a head suddenly weren't happening as quickly as it would seem like they should. Something that seemed like it should have been a within-the-next-few-days thing suddenly turned into a wait-a-minute-it-is-going-to-take-weeks thing.  Also, Lauren's insistence on the screenplay was apparently forgotten as the Price family's focus was moved to something else...but that "something else" was part of the motivation for the screenplay to go as it was supposed to go, so how Lauren's insistence on the screenplay going how it as "supposed to go" changed made my brain go "huh?"

That said, I'm super picky.  If you've read my other reviews then you already know this.  Don't let my confusion over a couple of plot points stop you from reading this super good book.  It isn't a highly intellectual, deeply philosophical kind of good book - it is a Lifetime movie kind of good book.  I thoroughly enjoyed it (and its predecessors!)!!  Now go read it...but only if you are old enough.  :P

REVIEW: "Summoned" by Rainy Kaye (Reading Addiction Blog Tours)

BLURB
Twenty-three year old Dimitri has to do what he is told—literally. Controlled by a paranormal bond, he is forced to use his wits to fulfill unlimited deadly wishes made by multimillionaire Karl Walker.

Dimitri has no idea how his family line became trapped in the genie bond. He just knows resisting has never ended well. When he meets Syd—assertive, sexy, intelligent Syd—he becomes determined to make her his own. Except Karl has ensured Dimitri can’t tell anyone about the bond, and Syd isn’t the type to tolerate secrets.

Then Karl starts sending him away on back-to-back wishes. Unable to balance love and lies, Dimitri sets out to uncover Karl’s ultimate plan and put it to an end. But doing so forces him to confront the one wish he never saw coming—the wish that will destroy him.

A dark twist on genie folklore, SUMMONED follows a reluctant criminal as he unravels the mystery of the paranormal bond controlling him.

SUMMONED is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA.

AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Rainy Kaye

Rainy Kaye is an aspiring overlord. In the mean time, she blogs at RainyoftheDark and writes paranormal novels from her lair somewhere in Phoenix, Arizona.

She is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA.

REVIEW
My son recently was rather obsessed with a toddler show called "Abby's Flying Fairy School".  Unfortunately, there are only a few episodes on YouTube.  One of these episodes includes a genie....which brings up an interesting question?  Is genie-hood a form of slavery?  What if the genie does not want to complete the wishes for moral reasons?  What if she or he has no choice.....

LONG STORY SHORT
Dimitri is a man with a secret.  This secret means that people are abducted or die, things are blown up or stolen, and all at the whim of someone else. Blackmail?  No....something far more sinister.

Many of us have seen Aladdin, or some other similar story where a genie can be summoned to perform three wishes for the lucky master.  How many of those stories are told from the genie's point of view?  Summoned is a wonderfully written story told from the story of an unfortunate genie who is bound to a vicious master who has way more than three wishes.  Oh, and he can summon his genie at any time.  Dimitri, the genie, has one rule when it comes to relationships - wham bam thank you ma'am.  Until Sydney comes along and rattles his world.  Dim then finds himself longing for a "normal" life, one where he doesn't just disappear at the whim of someone else, one where he doesn't have to kill, abduct people, steal, lie, and otherwise obey the increasingly excruciating hum in his brain when a wish has been made and is unfulfilled.  One where he and Sydney might live a long, happy life together.

This is a superb book written in a raw, sarcastic style that made me laugh.  Think Sawyer from the television show "LOST" and you have an idea of the rough-around-the-edges-with-a-secret-snarky kind of person that Dimitri has turned into.  A whirlwind of a plot throws together ancient stories of jinn, modern technology, moral questions, and quite possibly the most dysfunctional biological family in history in an easily accessible story written in a snarky, sarcastic style that is just plain endearing.  This book was just plain fun to read.

On an ascending scale of 1 to 5, I give this book a 4.

LONG STORY...
The Good
Genie stories abound in ancient literature, in many forms.  Generally one being is bound to another to somehow carry out the other's wishes.  Aladdin primed much of us to expect the genie to have to grant three wishes of his or her master.  Aladdin touches a little bit on how unsettling this may be for the genie, but Summoned takes it a step further.

Summoned is the story of a modern genie who has inherited his unfortunate spot in life through bloodlines.  His father was a genie, his grandfather was a genie, etc.  They were all bound to successive members of the Walker family.  Now, the Walker family just may be the most dysfunctional family in literary history, but I can't go into "why" too much without spoiling the plot.  Suffice to say there's lot of people out for their own interests despite whatever might get in their way.

Well, Dimitri is this genie.  Dimitri can be summoned to the wish chamber at any time....he just *poof* disappears.  This makes normal relationships complicated.  This makes anything complicated.  Oh, and he cannot tell anyone what he is, he cannot harm his master, and he cannot harm himself.  Well, he's just plain trapped, huh?

Too bad masters in this kind of situation tend to not be very nice.  Dimitri's master is up to something, and Dimitri doesn't know what.  All he knows is that he's been sent on a slew of back-to-back wishes that seem to have some sort of connection....but what is it?

And then there's Sydney - the woman who has rocked Dimitri's world to the point where he is bound and determined to have a normal life...too bad he can't tell her what he is, or why he disappears for days or weeks at a time and comes back all beat up.

Intrigued yet? Good, you should be.  : )  This is a superb book written in a style that flows very well.  Settings are described from the eyes of someone who has either been in the Four Corners area or has studied pictures of such in detail.  Movements of individuals make sense (i.e. there are no "wait, how'd he get across the room?"  moments).  There is an intricate web of deceit, murder, and mythology that just plain works.  

The characters?  Oh - I liked them a lot.  : )  Have you ever seen the television show "LOST"?  Well, Dimitri is kind of like Sawyer: major chip on his shoulder, SNARKY and sarcastic, endearing in his own bad-boy kind of way.  Sydney reminds me of her namesake from "Alias": strong, determined, kick-ass, not willing to back down from a fight, and very caring.  These two are written in such a way that you cannot help but cheer for them....except near the end when......oh darn - I just about spoiled something!

Here's what I also appreciated about this book - it takes on an angle of the genie story that most stories I've read that include genies just gloss over entirely: genies are little more than magic slaves.  In stories they are bound to their masters and must perform whatever wish that master requests (except, somehow, more wishes....always wondered why that was never anyone's first wish in any of the things that I've read).  But what if that master is requesting something that the genie finds morally repulsive?  As I've mentioned, the movie "Aladdin" talks about this a little bit, but not to the extent that it is covered here.  And what are the repercussions if the genie doesn't obey?  I loved how Kaye worked with this - very real, very shocking, very sad.

You should read this book.  This...I...wish.


The Bugly (bad/ugly)
I don't have a lot to gripe about when it comes to writing style, or many of the other things I generally pick stories apart for.  Rather, my complaints here revolve around the characters a bit, namely that Dimitri reads as a 40-year-old guy, not someone who is supposed to be in his 20s.  He reads far too old for his chronological age.  Maybe this is just me - but somehow this bugged me a bit. Then again, perhaps he sounds older because the stuff he's been through has aged him beyond his years - certainly I've run across this before.  Still, somehow his apparently chronological age vs.  his mental age/attitude bugged me a bit.

Another thing - there are sections of this book that are definitely NSFW.  Now, this inherently isn't much a problem except for two major things that happened here: there are far too many of these scenes.  I get it - the people involved can't keep their hands off one another.  There were so many of these scenes, however, that I kept finding myself trying to skip pages in some of the later ones.  That being said, when I did read them it felt like they fell apart a little bit by the end.  The last few NSFW scenes were far less involved than the early ones.  I get that the author didn't have to spend as much time on this as in the beginning because this kind of scene was already set, but I really like consistency.  :P

Oh, and there are typos.  Not a huge amount, but definitely enough that I found myself wanting to have a red pen in my hand.  Generally they were just the kind of typos that one becomes guilty of after viewing the same text for hours on end...I've done the same thing.  These are just the kind of typos that should be edited out.

REVIEW: "Justice Perverted" by Dee Wilbur

BLURB
Sandy dozed intermittently with her head on Jon's shoulder as they headed west on IH10. She thought about the changes that had just occurred in her life: her father's death, quitting her teaching job in New Orleans and packing all her belongings into the moving truck she was riding in. Her mind then raced to the changes that were to come: her marriage to Jon, moving to the town of Richmond, Texas, and the effect that the community would have on her—and she would have on the community. She could not have foreseen the arrest of Jon's partner for murder, the teenage marijuana ring or the complete perversion of justice about to take place.

AMAZON  * GOODREADS  





ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Dee Wilbur
Beatrice Dee Pipes and Charles Wilbur Yates, Jr. write under the pen name Dee Wilbur, a combination of their middle names. This is their second work of fiction. A Texas native, Dee Pipes grew up in a small Texas town. Her degree from Rice University is a B.A. in English. She currently runs a company that helps other companies with marketing, project management, and other tasks. She has been married to her husband Bryan for thirty years. Also a native Texan, Charles Yates, Jr., was also reared in a small Texas town. He graduated from Rice University in Houston with a B.A. and Ph.D. in Biology. He received the M.D. degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He has been married to his wife Sally for forty-five years. They have four adult sons and six grandchildren. He now tends his garden in Richmond, Texas.

AUTHOR PAGE  *  WEBSITE  

REVIEW
I received a copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review, which follows:

Small towns beget small town politics.  There are places in Alaska where you can hear the following phrase: "There's justice, then there's Alaska justice."  Several things happened in the rural Alaskan town where I grew up where locals handled justice before matters were brought to the authorities.  Why am I going into this?  Well, Alaska and Texas kind of have a pissing contest friendly rivalry.  Which is bigger/better?  Depends on the day.  :P  This book would make it appear that the two places do have one thing in common - small towns and their workings.  

LONG STORY SHORT
Dee Wilbur is (are?) at it again, crafting a superb story while revealing the soft underbelly of living in a small town - small town politics.  

A small town lawyer has finally married the woman of his dreams and has brought her home to Richmond, Texas.  Shorty thereafter, there are some mighty "interesting" happenings in this fine town of his, and he finds himself embroiled in a situation where things are not as they seem, lies are told, drugs run rampant, and true friends may be in questionable status with the law.  A man winds up dead.  Then another man.  Meanwhile Jon, the aforementioned lawyer, tries his hand at criminal defense despite that not being his general area of law, and his wife - Sandy - tries to fit into a town where everyone knows everyone and has for centuries.  What could possibly go wrong?

Justice Perverted is a wonderful sequel to A Jealous God.  It has a riveting plot, a court case full of gut wrenching ups and downs, likable characters, and the ability to stand alone on its own two feet without its prequel.  

Let's just say that I stayed a little glued to this book 

On an ascending scale of 1 to 5, I give this book a 3.

LONG STORY

The Good
In college I only ever found one or two people who came from a town smaller than the one where I was reared.  According to the 2000 census, my little town boasted just over 400 people (I'm sure it has grown a little since then, but I'm also sure that number is a little low since I know some of the town folks who greeted the census takers with a gun and stern reminders of 'NO TRESSPASSING' signs in front of their house).  

I know small towns and their politics.  I also know what it is like to move into a small town where everyone knows everyone and you are the odd one out, at least for awhile (my spouse and I just moved to such a town).  

Justice Perverted is something that made me laugh at how very real-to-life it is.  This, unfortunately, is a story I could actually see playing out in any small town across...the planet.  

Jon Miller is a lawyer in the relatively small town of Richmond, Texas.  Much to the chagrin of the available ladies in town, this heart-stopping stud has just returned from a trip with a new bride in tow.  Sandy is a vivacious young lady who has had Jon's heart for quite awhile and is definitely up to the task of fitting into a place where everyone knows everyone already....or is she?  When someone winds up actually dead at a reenactment of an old shoot out, the colors of this little town show through as the gossip gears grind, someone is jailed, and justice may be swayed by a little bit of the "good ol' boys club".  Or is it?  And what is with all of these pesky teenagers suddenly getting into trouble?

Well, don't look at me for the answer to those questions - go read this book!

Oh, don't be nervous that it is team-written by two individuals.  As in the first book in this series, you can't tell that two different brains are at work here.  In that regard it is seamless - I cannot tell who wrote what chapter/page/word  :P

What I can tell is that the masterminds behind Dee Wilbur put a lot of time and effort into this supremely riveting plot.  Seriously, I stayed glued to the book for the couple of days it took me to read (and it wouldn't have even taken me that long to read if my toddler took longer naps).  Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen next, something would happen that surprised me.  My brows furrowed more than once as I tried to predict what was even going to happen on the very next page.  This is not to say that it is so full of surprises that it is just plain annoying.  It is to say that it is full of enough surprises to keep it interesting.  

Anyways, let's take a look at characters.  I'm not going to list them all out here, but let's just say it is easy to love the ones you are supposed to love and to not like the ones that you are supposed to not like.  Then there are all those pesky people in the middle who do bad and good things so much that you aren't sure how to feel about them....but hey, that's life.  The point here is that the characters are real.  I could have lunch with Sandy and/or Jon.  And (*gasp* I just started a sentence with and!) I am so glad that Dee Wilbur choose to continue their story with Jon...I really liked him in the first book and I really like him here. 

This reminds me - this is a book in a series.  HOWEVER, it can stand delightfully on its own two feet without one absolutely having to read the first book.  Now, I highly recommend reading the first book because it is fantabulous, but this book can survive by itself.  In a series that revolves around court cases, that is bonus.  

The Bugly (bad/ugly)
You may have noticed that though I'm raving about the content of the book, I've only given it a 3 out of 5.  There are 2 major reasons for this - dialog and editing.  

Dialog - as in the first book, there are not enough of the "he said this" and "she said that" indicators to help readers figure out who the heck is talking.  I went back many times to the start of a scene or conversation to try and figure out who said what (that's kind of important), and it drove me crazy!  I couldn't rely on punctuation to help me figure out what was going on, because....

Editing - this book needs to go through a professional editor if it  hasn't already (and if it has, it needs to go through a different one).  Punctuation and indenting, especially within a dialog, are not consistent.  My main gripe is that quotation marks are in mostly the right places, but enough of the wrong places to completely confuse who the heck is saying what and when people are talking.  

The reason I knocked two points off my score for this book for these gripes (typically I'd only take off 1 for these) is that they were so freaking distracting that I had to do far too much freaking work as a reader.  I should not have to work that hard to keep track of conversations, and punctuation needs to be consistent throughout an entire work.  Since I found these kinds of errors on many pages instead of just a few, I took off 2 points.  

Also, in my humble opinion, too much of the book itself is dialog.  This is merely me quibbling about a stylistic choice that I'd never make, but I felt that learning 95% of the content from the 95% dialog that made up the books text was just a bit too much.  

That all being said, the story itself is superb and this is a good book!  I will be happy to read more...