Mike Bond’s new book, Killing Maine is out. If you like hard hitting thrillers, this one is for you. I’m giving away a free copy. Tweet, or Comment or Like on Facebook or my website in order to be entered. (Sorry, contiguous U.S. addresses only.) Multiple comments/likes count as extra chances to win.
Enjoy!
Wonderful Shannon Baker, author of 3 books and several short stories, 
is back again to celebrate Earth Day with us — this time with her friend Laura Kamala. Laura has lived in the spectacular Canyonlands of southeast Utah for thirty-eight years. During this time she was variously incarnated as a filmmaker, writer, artist, business entrepreneur, and Director of Utah Programs for Grand Canyon Trust.
Diana: This is a new twist for me, Shannon. Usually, it’s me doing the interviewing. I’m so glad to meet Laura, but why is she here today?
Shannon: Although Tattered Legacy is fiction, the inspiration came from my dear friend, Laura Kamala, who is a conservationist living in Castle Valley near Moab. For this Earth Day, I thought it would be fun to talk to Laura 
about what inspires her to work so hard for Canyonlands National Park.
Diana: Well, that’s a really great reason — and your research shows in this amazing book. I know my readers — environmentally conscious or just plain, die hard mystery fans, will love it. Before we go on, here’s a blurb:
Set against the iconic red rocks of Moab, UT, Tattered Legacy’s heroine, Nora Abbott, risks her career as she gets involved in a documentary aimed at persuading Congress to expand the boundaries of Canyonlands National Park. But someone is desperate to keep the secrets of the land hidden. When her best friend, the director of the film, is found dead, Nora is convinced it wasn’t an accident. As, she draws deeper into danger, she uncovers an unlikely intersection of ancient Hopi legends, a secret polygamist sect, and one of the world’s richest men.
Diana: Do plots get any better than that? So without further ado, I’ll turn over this interview to Shannon Baker.
Shannon: Thank you Diana for inviting me back to celebrate Earth Day and letting me interview Laura and bring attention to her film. Laura, briefly tell us why the borders of Canyonlands National Park need to be expanded.
Professor Creek at sunset, Photo courtesy Laura Kamala (c)
Laura: During my long tenure as a conservationist I worked very closely with local, state and federal agencies and elected officials on concerning environmental issues in southern Utah, gaining a deep understanding of the politics here. That is why I believe the only way to protect the very sensitive and extraordinary landscape surrounding Canyonlands National Park is through the executive order of the President using the Antiquities Act to designate Greater Canyonlands National Monument. It has been heartbreaking for me to see how, in recent years, oil and gas development has ravaged lands on the borders of Canyonlands National Park.
Shannon: Why is it important to create a national awareness of the risks to Canyonlands National Park?
Filmmaker Laura Kamala with cinematographer Doug Crawford and Brooke Williams, Photo courtesy Debra Anderson
Laura: Utah’s current political agenda includes no more wilderness designations, no more national monuments, taking away the President’s power to designate new monuments under the Antiquities Act, and demanding that the federal government turn over all its lands held in trust for the public, to the state. Left to Utah politicians, public lands here would all be sold off to the highest bidder for the development chopping block
Shannon: Why make a feature film about the issue and not just do a local campaign?
Laura: Lands surrounding the national park are owned by the American public, which means everyone no matter where you live; they are under the care of the Bureau of Land Management. The federal agency operates under a multiple use mandate and they invite the public’s input about how these lands should be “used,” not just as a public commons or wildlife sanctuary, but for sale to the highest corporate bidder to extract whatever resources that may be exploited. Most people outside Utah don’t even know they have a right to say how Utah public lands should be managed.
Shannon: Tattered Legacy brings together several disparate elements, including Hopi and Mormon belief in life from other planets, as well as Canyonlands expansion. Did you find the connection between Hopi and southern Utah area strange?
Laura: I loved the part of your story linking the Hopi people to Moab because there is a significant connection. I had a neighbor in Castle Valley, Hershel Nokes, who passed away in 1998. Every year, Hershel would bring me Hopi blue corn piki bread from an elder of the tribe who came to perform a ceremony nearby. One of the sacred places where Hopi elders perform annual ceremonies to keep the balance of the natural world intact is close to Castle Valley. They do this on behalf of all forms of life.
Filmmaker Laura Kamala with Terry Tempest Williams, Photo courtesy Debra Anderson
Shannon: What did you hope to inspire, besides Tattered Legacy, of course, with your film?
Laura: Visual media is so powerful for storytelling and getting inside people’s feeling bodies to effect change. I conceived my film project hoping to introduce the threatened landscapes of southern Utah to people who might never actually visit them, in a way they could virtually experience the euphoria engendering nature of this place and be moved to care enough to act on behalf of the Canyonlands region.
For more information on the Canyonland Expansion or Laura Kamala’s film please go to her Facebook page, or visit the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. More information can be found on Shannon Baker at her website.
For a chance to win a copy of Tattered Legacy, tell us how you’re celebrating Earth Day or ask a question below. (U.S. residents only).
Diana: Editors E. Charles Nelson and David J. Elliott have compiled a book about a man I’d never heard of: Mark Catesby. One of the earliest naturalists, as well as an author and illustrator, Catesby studied the fauna and flora of North America over a seven-year period. He influenced Audubon, Darwin, and the explorers Lewis and Clark. The book, The Curious Mister Catesby, is a treasure and I’m lucky today to have E. Charles Nelson do a guest post telling us more about this intriguing man.
E. Charles Nelson: The natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama islands is undeniably a rare book, and a very remarkable one, too. Its author and illustrator, Mark Catesby produced the book himself beginning soon after he returned to England from South Carolina and the Bahamas sometime in 1726: “The whole was done within my house, and by my own hands …”. He learned how to etch on copper, and then etched the 220 copperplates, signing most of them with his distinctive “MC” monogram. After the plates had been printed by Godfrey Smith, Catesby hand-coloured them, or supervised the colouring. It is easy to see that to create the 170-odd copies of The natural history … that comprised the original printing required an immense personal investment of time and energy.
Mark Catesby had the first copies of the first part, containing the first 20 plates and accompanying letterpress, ready in mid-May 1729. Several contemporary British newspapers reported that Catesby, introduced to Court by Lord Carteret (one of the Lords Proprietors of the Carolina Colony), personally presented a copy to Her Majesty Queen Caroline. That Catesby and his book about the natural history of North America merited this personal introduction to the Queen Regent was exceptional, as was the praise the book received: “… a Work superior to any Thing of the Kind” being one comment. Dr Cromwell Mortimer, the Secretary of the august Royal Society of London, went so far as to claim that Catesby’s Natural history … was “the most magnificent Work I know of, since the Art of Printing has been discover’d.” The superb copy which Mortimer owned, bound in full russia with his armorial design stamped in gold on the covers, is today in the Smithsonian Institution’s library.
Carolina Parakeet and Bald Cypress. Digital realization of original etchings by Lucie Hey and Nigel Frith, DRPG England; courtesy of the Royal Society©.
Mark Catesby continued to draw and design, etch and colour, and write for 18 more years until his book was completed in two volumes, each with 100 plates, and with an appendix of another 20 plates. It was no pocket-book: the pages of bound copies measure around 52cm × 35cm (more than 20ins tall, by 12ins across).
Born in 1683, Mark Catesby grew up in the east of England. His father was at one time mayor of Sudbury, a market town situated about 50 miles (as the crow flies) north-east of London. Mark inherited houses and land in Sudbury, as well as
Cashew. Digital realization of original etchings by Lucie Hey and Nigel Frith, DRPG England; courtesy of the Royal Society ©.
houses in London, after his far died in November 1703. Thus he was truly a “gentleman of small fortune” and this legacy surely enabled him totravel to Virginia in 1712 in the company of his older sister, Mrs Elizabeth Cocke. That first visit sparked Catesby’s enthusiasm for exploring the natural history of North America, and by the time he returned to
Magnolia Digital realization of original etchings by Lucie Hey and Nigel Frith, DRPG England; courtesy of the Royal Society ©.
England in 1719, he was already lauded as “a very ingenious gentleman” and had been labelled “that curious Botanist … of Virginia”. Plants raised from the seeds Catesby had sent to nurserymen were blooming in London gardens by 1715.
Although somewhat elusive, Mark Catesby’s links after 1728 with several parishes situated on the eastern side of London indicate that that was where he set up home with his partner Elizabeth Rowland. Between April 1731 and December 1737 the couple had four children, but, unconventionally, they did not get married until October 1747. Mark died “at his House behind St Luke’s Church” on Old Street, London, on 23 December 1749.
Bobolink and rice. Digital realization of original etchings by Lucie Hey and Nigel Frith, DRPG England; courtesy of the Royal Society ©.
Mark Catesby’s sumptuous Natural history … was never intended as a “popular” book. The handiwork of one curious and ingenious man, it was grand in execution and ground-breaking in conception.
© E. Charles Nelson
I wanted to let you all know about a real treasure of a book I recently came across. It’s called Ten Fingers Touching. What makes it unique is that it’s a fable for everyone. Ellen Roth spins a tale that has excitement for adults and kids alike. The illustrations by John Blumen are breathtakingly beautiful.
I love that Roth is reviving a tradition of story-telling that we’ve only recently lost. From the most ancient times when tribal people gathered around their fires, to the Brothers Grimm, and throughout the 1800’s, we grownups were expected to enjoy these kinds of stories as much as the little ones did.
Here’s the trailer.
This became even more apparent with my next pick, Victorian Fairy Tales. I started reading this merely because I do love a good fairy tale. But these were extraordinary.
If you liked the Princess Bride, the kind of story with a plot that twists and turns unexpectedly — and always with a droll sense of humor — you will LOVE this book. After I got through a few stories, I had to research the writers.
Well!
Imagine my surprise when they were written by the likes of Oscar Wilde, W.M. Thackeray, and Rudyard Kipling. These aren’t just tales, they are literature. Michael Newton, the editor, does a fabulous job of explaining the role of fairy tales in society, their evolution, and puts together a wonderful volume filled with original illustrations. Who knew Thackeray was originally an artist? His story, The Rose and the Ring, was one of my favorites.
Isn’t this a gorgeous cover? I hope to interview Ross, Blumen, and Newton in the upcoming months. Stay tuned.
There’s no reason for us to always be so serious and to discount little gems like these. Besides, don’t even we adults need a little fairy magic in our lives? Both books are now on sale. So, enjoy, dear ones, and above all, keep reading!
I know I’ve dragged this out quite some time. Two weeks doesn’t sound like much, unless you’re waiting with bated breath for me to post something — anything — about who won the delectable prize of reading a Darynda Jones Eighth Grave After Dark ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) well before anyone else.
So, without more ado, and before I sound like that cute guy who promised to call, and possibly never did — the winner is (drum roll please) …
NYMERIAS!
Congratulations to her. Please contact me within ten days to collect your prize. And to everyone else who entered, please forgive me. I know this is a really yummy prize, but there will be many more chances to win cool stuff here at DianaBelchase.com and also at KissAndThrill.com.
But at least as a consolation prize, here is the great new cover for Eighth Grave After Dark! You can use the link at the top of the post to preorder right now. And don’t forget these last two wonderful books in Darynda’s Grim Reaper Series.
I wish I had a book to give each and every one of you. You’re my fans and I love you that much. But among the several thousands who read, commented and followed on two sites, that just cannot be. But, take heart, I know Darynda will be back, so you’ll all have another chance then, and her book will be out this May.
Have fun, and keep reading!
Happy New Year!
For those of you who have gotten lovely eReaders, many with matching gift cards or even traditional gift certificates to your favorite book stores, here are a few recommendations.
There are enough categories here to please everyone, I hope. Enjoy!
Cozy Mystery:
Lethal Black Dress by Ellen Byerrum 
When does a little black dress become a lethal black dress?
When it becomes unexpectedly weaponized at the most security-conscious event in Washington, D.C.—the fabled White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Fashion reporter Lacey Smithsonian is delighted to finally take her place at the legendary D.C. insider bash, but she senses something is amiss with shoddy TV reporter Courtney Wallace’s vintage Madame X gown with its stunning emerald lining. Spies, lies and an enemy close to home bring Lacey face to face with danger and jealousy, the green-eyed monster. But this time, will the style sleuth discover that green is also the color of death?
Paranormal Romance:
Under His Nose by Candice Gilmer (a new NY Times Bestsellilng Author!) 
All it takes is faith, trust, and fairy dust. A swift kick never hurts, either.
Fairy Godmother Christy must use every skill at her command–just not her magic–to thwart Cupid’s meddling and get Roark and his perfect match Stephanie together without changing their free will or ruining her perfect record. Or she’ll never get her own Happily Ever After.
This is the first in the Guys and Godmothers series and a real delight.
Historical Romantic Suspense:
Why Lords Lose Their Hearts by Manda Collins 
The youngest of the Duke of Pemberton’s five sons, Lord Archer Lisle is used to waiting his turn. For years, he could only stand by, seething, as Perdita suffered at the hands of her husband, but now she’s under threat from another source—one who will stop at nothing to make her pay for the late duke’s death. But the good-natured Archer can be dangerous when crossed—and he’ll do anything to keep the woman he’s adored for so long safe in his arms…
Just the book to chase the winter chills away!
Romantic Suspense:
Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Lena Diaz
Detective Emily O’Malley just stumbled upon a killer’s lair—and the remains of a woman he 
kept locked away for years. But this killer isn’t done yet. More women are missing, and all clues point to Devlin Buchanan—the man who seems to know just a little too much. Emily’s instincts are rarely wrong, and now they’re telling her this sexy, mysterious man is hiding something big …
As a trained assassin for EXIT Inc—a top-secret mercenary group posing as an international tour company—Devlin “Devil” Buchanan isn’t afraid to take justice into his own hands. But when the hot new detective on his trail gets too close to the organization and a contract is placed on her life, Devlin does the only thing he can: he turns rogue agent and kidnaps her to save her life.
Thriller:
Judgement by Carey Baldwin 
When a coed falls prey to a sadistic murderer, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Caitlin “Caity” Cassidy and FBI profiler, Special Agent Atticus Spenser, are called in to testify–one for the defense, one for the prosecution. With warring approaches to justice, these two rivals have been butting heads for years–both inside the courtroom and out. And at first, this case appears to be no different.
But when a brutal attack leaves the accused man dead and Caity in critical condition, petty differences take a backseat to saving lives. As the lone survivor, Caity knows too much, and the killer–a madman calling himself the Man in the Maze–is coming back for round two. Now Caity and Spense must join forces to uncover the killer’s identity before Caity’s time–and luck–runs out.
A Suspense Magazine “Best Books of 2014”
Young Adult:
Fade to Black & White
by Kris Abel-Helwig
Clever, introverted Joan struggled to come to terms with her mother’s death by plunging herself into a dark, colorless, emotionless world. At home, she played lacrosse with her older brother; the best therapy for two kids who had lost the solar power on which their lives had run. Away from home, she haunted the hallways of high school like an invisible ghost. Until one summer day when a golden boy moved in next door, which caused her humorous, awkward, often embarrassing inner conversations to tumble out to complicate and light her path back to living once more, out loud and in color.
Non Fiction Science:
Sex, Love and DNA by Peter Schattner 
Can the discoveries of 21st-century molecular biology answer age-old questions about the human experience? Can studying proteins and DNA help us understand how we make our choices in sex and love? How we communicate? Why some people are able to become top athletes, while others have the intellectual gifts to become outstanding scientists or artists? Where our emotions come from? Or why we age and die? In the past such questions have generally been reserved for philosophers or psychologists, and some will argue that this is as it should be. Yet we are biological animals, and by studying biology, and especially the biology of cells and proteins and DNA, we can learn a lot about what it means to be human.
Fictional Memoir:
I Am Sophie Tucker by Susan and Lloyd Ecker 
Part fairy tale, part crime novel, part rags to riches Hollywood myth, I Am Sophie Tucker tells the outrageous story of one of showbiz’s biggest personalities. From 1906 through the beginning of television, Sophie Tucker and her bawdy, brash, and risqué songs paved the way for performers such as West, Monroe, Midler, Cher, Madonna, and Gaga.
Tucker tried to get her story published for nine years, without success. Undaunted, Sophie hired half a dozen ghostwriters, but she still had no takers for her no holds barred autobiography. Eventually, Doubleday published a sanitized version in 1945.“After immersing ourselves in Sophie’s papers and surviving friends,” says co-author Lloyd Ecker, “this initial volume is what should have been the actual autobiography of Tucker.”
Historical Fiction:
Born of Persuasion by Jessica Dotta
Incredibly well written with poetic use of language — serious readers with literary bents will love this book!
The year is 1838, and seventeen-year-old Julia Elliston’s position has never been more 
fragile. Orphaned and unmarried in a time when women are legal property of their fathers, husbands, and guardians, she finds herself at the mercy of an anonymous guardian who plans to establish her as a servant in far-off Scotland.
With two months to devise a better plan, Julia’s first choice to marry her childhood sweetheart is denied. But when a titled dowager offers to introduce Julia into society, a realm of possibilities opens. However, treachery and deception are as much a part of Victorian society as titles and decorum, and Julia quickly discovers her present is deeply entangled with her mother’s mysterious past. Before she knows what’s happening, Julia finds herself a pawn in a deadly game between two of the country’s most powerful men. With no laws to protect her, she must unravel the secrets on her own. But sometimes truth is elusive and knowledge is deadly.
Romantic Suspense:
Broken Places by Krista Hall 
When one of her students becomes the latest victim of a D.C. gang-slaying, sociology professor Trevy Barlow is determined to protect the other girls in her literacy class for at-risk teens—even if it means compromising her own safety.
FBI gang task force agent Cruz Larsen isn’t about to let Trevy endanger herself or sidetrack his investigation with her do-gooder meddling. But when a key witness refuses to talk to anyone except her, Cruz has to find a way to earn her trust so that she’ll play by his rules.
Paranormal Romance Anthology:
Twelve Shades of Midnight by Liliana Hart, Darynda Jones and Rachel Grant plus 9 others!
12 authors…12 unforgettable, never-before-released stories The stroke of midnight ushers in many things. From hijinks and mischief to danger and evil, romance is the magic that binds these paranormal novellas together. Join 12 bestselling and award winning authors as they explore the different shades of midnight in exclusive, never-before-released stories.
Liliana Hart – THE WITCH NEXT DOOR 
Darynda Jones – A LOVELY DROP
Shea Berkley – DARK SECRETS: STONE COLD DEAD
Dakota Cassidy – WITCHED AT BIRTH
Claire Cavanaugh – MIDNIGHT RENEGADE
Rachel Grant – MIDNIGHT SUN
Trish McCallan— SPIRIT WOODS
Angi Morgan – BODYGUARDS IN HEELS: HIT AND RUN HALLIE
Robin Perini – DARK GUARDIANS: NIGHT OF THE JAGUAR
Robyn Peterman – SWITCHING HOUR
Ann Voss Peterson – THE SCHOOL
Jenn Stark – GETTING WILDE
Which shade of midnight are you?
Non Fiction Social Justice:
Faces: Imprisoned Women and Their Struggle with the Criminal Justice System by Betty May
A riveting portrayal of women living behind bars and what put them there.
In 2008 a group of women serving life sentences for capital crimes decided to reach out to 
at-risk youth and warn them of the consequences of bad choices. With the mantra: If we can help just one kid, all this work will be worth it, they produced and performed a play: FACES. The play became a phenomenon and reached hundreds of people—in the prison and at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This is their story.
It is also the author’s story. How she went from knowing nothing about the Criminal Justice System to becoming an advocate for these women and an activist for change. The women’s mantra became her own and the basis for this book.
One of the women said of FACES, the play: “If I had seen this play when I was a teenager, I probably wouldn’t be here now.” The women and the author want FACES, the book, to reach young adult readers and help them in the same way.
Profits from the sale of this book will be shared with the prison and with Social Justice organizations.
Romantic Suspense:
Blind Fury by Gwen Hernandez
When always-play-it-safe Jenna Ryan starts questioning how her brother died in 
Afghanistan, someone decides she must be stopped. Permanently. Her brother’s best friend—a sexy thrill-seeker she can’t stop thinking about—won’t reveal what he knows about the fatal shoot-out, putting Jenna at odds with the only man she trusts to keep her alive.
Former special forces operator Mick Fury would give his life to keep his best friend’s irresistible sister safe. He took an oath to stay silent about their last mission, but Mick’s will is tested by the white-hot attraction to Jenna he’s tried to ignore for years. Now he must risk everything—even falling in love—to protect her from the truth that could destroy them both.
Travel Fiction:
Evil Eye by Veronica Di Grigoli
Istanbul beckons Celeste Hamilton like a siren. Entranced by the misty city of mosques, 
bazaars, and palaces, her dream adventure in this city, split by the sparkling blue sea, soon turns into a nightmare. A web of deceit pulls Celeste from bright, sunlit streets into shady back alleys along the ancient Bosphorus. Without understanding, she’s stumbled onto a villainous secret. Her landlady lets slip puzzling comments that don’t make sense. The sinister charms and dark magic spells she places in Celeste’s room are horrifying.
Then, the morose caretaker of the orphanage where Celeste volunteers starts staring at Celeste’s beloved boys like a vulture sizing up its next meal. When Celeste’s favourite boy goes missing, Celeste discovers that she herself is the target of a dark plot.
Can Celeste save the child – and herself – before someone destroys her?
Paranormal Thriller:
The Betrayed by Heather Graham
Sleepy Hollow isn’t so sleepy anymore… One night, New York FBI agent Aiden Mahoney receives a visitor in a dream—an old friend named Richard Highsmith. The very next day he’s sent to Sleepy Hollow because Richard’s gone missing there. 
Maureen—Mo—Deauville now lives in the historic town and works with her dog, Rollo, to search for missing people. She’s actually the one to find Richard…or more precisely his head, stuck on a statue of the legendary Headless Horseman.
Mo and Aiden, a new member of the Krewe of Hunters, the FBI’s unit of paranormal investigators, explore both past and present events to figure out who betrayed Richard, who killed him and now wants to kill them, too. As they work together, they discover that they share an unusual trait—the ability to communicate with the dead. They also share an attraction that’s as intense as it is unexpected…if they live long enough to enjoy it!
Artist Advice Non Fiction:
Daily Painting by Carol Marine
(I found this book — while directed at young artists — to also be advice that can be applied to anyone in the creative arts. Do it everyday and stop being so hard on yourself to unleash your creativity was a message that really struck home for me.)
A unique system for jump-starting artistic creativity, encouraging experimentation and growth, and increasing sales for artists of all levels, from novices to professionals. 
Do you want to bring the joy back into your art? Have you landed in a frustrating rut? Are you having trouble selling paintings in galleries, getting bogged down by projects you can’t seem to finish or abandon, or finding excuses to avoid working in the studio? Author Carol Marine knows exactly how you feel—she herself suffered from painter’s block, until she discovered “daily painting.” The idea is simple: do art (usually small) often (how often is up to you), and if you’d like, post and sell it online. Soon you’ll find that your block dissolves and you’re painting work you love—and more of it than you ever thought possible!
Romantic Suspense/Thriller series:
Dead Heat by Allison Brennan
(Can I tell you how much I love 
Allison Brennan’s Lucy Kincaid series? This may be last, but it certainly isn’t least!)
Assigned to San Antonio’s Violent Crimes unit, Lucy Kincaid joins a team of seasoned veterans and newer agents for a task force called Operation Heatwave. It’s supposed to be a simple sweep of known offenders with outstanding warrants. But when Lucy and her team try to bust two local brothers for jumping bail, she walks into a hotbed of pure evil. Their names are George and Jaime Sanchez. They are charged with murder, drug trafficking, and worse. And one of them is still out there.
Well, that’s just a fraction of this year’s list! Hope you all find something lovely to read in 2015. Happy New Year!
What do you get when you cross a motorcycle-riding,
leather-wearing, fairy godmother, intent on finding her male charge the woman of his dreams, with Cupid, the Greek gods, and pure mayhem? Answer: Candice Gilmer’s fantastic new book: Just His Taste.
Here’s the back of book blurb:
Avalynn Fay is not a typical Fairy Godmother. She wears leather body suits, rides motorcycles, Continue reading
Golden Heart Finalist Kathleen Bittner Roth is an expert storyteller. Her intricate and spellbinding historical/romantic suspense takes the reader from 
England to India and back again. Spun against a lush background of Indian palaces, exotic jewels, a cheetah, and an uprising, her characters and writing sizzle as much as the romance. This satisfying and well-written book, laden with incredible detail, transports readers to places and times impossible to otherwise experience.
Here’s the blurb for A Duke’s Wicked Kiss:
While on a secret mission for the Crown, a proper duke falls for an improper daughter of an Indian royal and British noble.
Miss Suri Thurston knows the pain of abandonment. Intent on confronting the grandmother who tossed her to the lions, Continue reading
Sometimes a book or an author comes along that is really special. Carey Baldwin is just such an author, and her new book Confession is just such a book. No wonder it reached number two on the Barnes and Noble best selling mysteries list and on the overall Nook top twenty!
Each line of Confession is beautifully crafted. Whether the heroine is confronting the hero, or being threatened by a patient in her office, you feel every heartbeat, every nervous tremor that the heroine tries to conceal. You feel her loneliness, her desire to do the right thing, her indecision, and her bravery.
Can you tell that I loved this book? And isn’t that cover terrific?
Carey is as interesting as her characters. She’s a mild-mannered physician (still practicing full time) who happens to write edgy romantic thrillers. What’s a nice girl like Carey doing writing scare-you-silly thrillers? She says: “When you’re a former clinical psychologist, writing about psychopaths comes naturally, and when you’re a hopeless romantic…, well, you do the math!”
I asked her if she had anything secret and interesting to confess. Here are some of Carey’s Confessions:
All I can say is WOW.
Anyway, here is the blurb from Confession. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
They say the Santa Fe Saint comes to save your soul—by taking your life.
Newly minted psychiatrist Faith Clancy gets the shock of her life when her first patient confesses to the grisly Saint murders. By law she’s compelled to notify the authorities, but is her patient really The Saint? Or will she contribute to more death by turning the wrong man over to the police?
Faith is going to need all her wits and the help of a powerful adversary, Luke Jericho, if she’s to unravel the truth. But she doesn’t realize she’s about to become an unwitting pawn in a serial killer’s diabolical game: For once he’s finished with Faith, she’ll become his next victim.
If you’ve ever wondered what a man means when he texts you a photo of his refrigerator, He Texted is the book for you. Witty and full of straight-forward advice, authors Lisa Winning and Carrie Henderson McDermott, guide women in 21st century techno-dating. Not only do the two authors give you their usually right-on-target opinions, they utilize their own advisory panel of guys to chime in and give women the inside track into what men mean.
Texting isn’t all the book is limited to. Facebook is discussed — not only in the way to use and not to use, but also the why it’s not good to know too much about a potential mate up front and how it can take the sizzle out of the relationship before the steak even hits the grill. I found their analysis truly fascinating.
I wish there had been less preamble about the who was advising, how the book came to be, and why there needed to be such a book, right up front. Ironically, the first example of a text isn’t seen until page 61 on my review copy. I think this is akin to an author dumping too much backstory upfront in a novel. Much of this could have waited until further on in the book and been subtly woven in.
Overall, I think the book is definitely worthwhile for any female trying to decipher male behavior. Manuals have been written on every aspect of dating, finally there is one that talks about electronic communication and makes it clearer and easier for women to succeed.
DIANA BELCHASE 