Exotic Thriller

The Catch by Taylor Stevens

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

Coming into a series in the middle is always a dicey proposition. I’d never read anything by Taylor Stevens and this is the fourth book in the Vanessa Michael Monroe series. But I could not resist the exotic setting of Djibouti, Kenya, and Somalia. Not to mention hijacking and pirates.

The book did not disappoint. Michael is a complex character, nuanced and tough. She is a blend of spy-for-hire and language lyricist. The pace was excellent. And the details of life in East Africa made me feel like I was walking the dirt streets, watching for khat addicts and pickpockets.

But in a thriller, as important as character, pacing, and setting are, the book lives or dies on plot. This book lived, and lived well. Stevens tells a good yarn. There were enough twists, double crosses, and betrayals I found myself picking up the book even when I didn’t have time to read. Well done.

I’ll definitely be reading more of these books.

Author Bio for Taylor Stevens.

TAYLOR STEVENS is the award-winning New York Times bestselling author of The Informationist, The Innocent, The Doll, The Catch, and the novella The Vessel. The series featuring Vanessa Michael Munroe has received critical acclaim and the books are published in twenty languages. The Informationist has been optioned for film by James Cameron's production company, Lightstorm Entertainment. Born in New York State, and into the Children of God, raised in communes across the globe and denied an education beyond sixth grade, Stevens was in her twenties when she broke free to follow hope and a vague idea of what possibilities lay beyond. She now lives in Texas, and is at work on the next Munroe novel.

A Masterful Journey through the Human Heart

(I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

To me, a perfect book is something written in breath-taking language with a plot that drives the reader onward. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is one of those books.

The unusual title comes from a medical textbook’s definition of life. And that what this novel is, an examination of life across the years in the war-torn Chechnya amid people scarred both on and beneath the flesh.

These characters broke my heart with their sacrifices and betrayals, plumbing the heights and depths of the soul’s struggle to survive and still remain honorable.

At the beginning of the novel I wondered if the author could maintain the novel’s countless plot threads and interconnections. But he wove together them in a web as delicate, yet every bit as strong as a spider’s web. Even the minor mentions of a frozen wolf carcass at the beginning figure in the end.   

I would heartily recommend this novel for its literary merit and as an epic journey through Chechen history and the human spirit. I am eager for the next Anthony Marra novel. Five Stars!

How To Write a Book Review

A 1874 Sholes and Glidden typewriter (the first to use a QWERTY keyboard), photo by Kosmopolitat, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

“Writing a book review or telling a friend about a book is the best way to say thanks to an author.” Everyone has heard that before. But most people I know are uncomfortable writing one. In fact, it’s hard for me, and I’m a writer. So I thought I’d write up some suggestions to help readers who’d like to write a book review, but don’t know how.

1. It’s not a book report. You don’t have to write a page long treatise on the book. In fact, shorter is better. No one reads reviews that are over 250 words. Unless you’re a reviewer for the New York Times, and only people with degrees in English (like me) read those.

2. It doesn’t have to be stodgy. In great reviews, the reviewers often mention their personal reactions to a book. (Even NYT reviewers do this.) It gives the review a chatty feeling, as if your friend is saying, “Hey, read this!” One of my favorite reviews of Screwing Up Time starts like this, “I started reading this at the gym, which was a big mistake because I was howling with laughter on the stationery bike (very bad gym manners!).”

3. It’s not rocket science. Talk about what you liked. Was it the plot (what happens in the book), the characters (the people and their personalities), or the setting?

4. Don’t feel self-conscious. No one is grading your book reviews. Authors are grateful for reviewers—you make their day. (Unless you do something like “I hated this book because it wasn’t romance/sci-fi/erotica/etc.” Um, if you only like one genre, then probably you should only buy that genre.)

5. It's not hard. Amazon will talk you through setting it up. If you prefer, you can write it out in MS Word and copy/paste your review into the review box.

6. Don’t say I’ll write it tomorrow. As Nike says, “Just do it.”

Indie-pendence Day

July 2 - July 5 is a celebration of indie writing. It's a chance to share with others the great books that have been written by indie writers. To discover more books, visit the INDIEpendece site at the Indelibles blog. Or click on links at the end of this blog post.

Today I'm celebrating, Forbidden Territory by Melissa Pearl and Brenda Howson.

Book Blurb:

Mica and Lexy have been best friends and next door neighbours since they were eight years old. They share everything and have no secrets from each other until... Tom arrives on Mica's doorstep - a gorgeous exchange student from England. And Lexy is smitten. 

Suddenly both girls are keeping secrets. Mica is hiding news about Tom's English girlfriend and Lexy hasn't got the heart to tell her best friend that her brother Eli, the guy Mica is mad on, thinks of her as only a friend.  

After a massive fight, the girls decide the best way to mend their friendship is to spend some quality time together. And what better way than to go camping away from their parents and why not invite along the guys they are crushing on. 

So the four teenagers embark on a geo-caching expedition into New Zealand's native bush expecting a long weekend filled with flirtatious fun; instead secrets are exposed as they stumble across a hidden marijuana crop and its gun-wielding watchmen. Forced apart they spend the next forty-eight hours racing blindly in opposite directions as they fight to find each other before the hunters do. 

Links:  Amazon, Goodreads, Smashwords

Here's my review of Forbidden Territory.

I first discovered Melissa Pearl through her wonderful series, The Time Spirit Trilogy. So it was with eager anticipation that I read her newest novel, Forbidden Territory, co-written by Brenda Howson.

Forbidden Territory starts out as a geocaching trip, a GPS-based treasure hunt. But for the four teens that go, it quickly turns into something far more dangerous, and they’ll have to conquer their fears and weaknesses to survive.

The characters are complex with real strengths and flaws, and the authors do a super job of using the plot to develop the characters’ strengths and overcome their flaws. So when the plot forces life and death decisions on the characters, it actually grounds and develops their simmering attractions. Instead of what could have been forgettable summer flings, the teens grow into a love based on selflessness and sacrifice.

One more thing. I loved the New Zealand setting—the forests, the cultural milieu, and especially the Kiwi slang. It’s part of what makes the book so fun, experiencing another way of life without leaving your home.

If you’re looking for some teen action/adventure with a side of romance in an exotic locale, this is your book!