Tag Archives: Georgianna S.

The Interrogator’s Notebook by Martin Ott-A Review and Interview with the Author

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The Interrogator’s Notebook by Martin Ott-A Review and Interview with the Author

The Interrogator's Notebook

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca/ Amazon.uk

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 12, 2013

Norman Kross is a career interrogator who has worked covertly in some of the most dangerous places in the world. He returns to his LA home, contemplating retirement and coming to terms with his past. He may be a master at unlocking others’ secrets, but he is blind to the truth of his relationship with his wife, sons, father, and friends. Floundering as a teacher, Norman agrees to take on one last assignment, to interrogate a character actor who may be responsible for the death of a director’s daughter. The secrets he uncovers are far more terrifying than any battlefield, any windowless room, any passage in the notebook he feverishly writes in to make sense of what men are capable of behind their masks.

•••••••••••••

The interrogator’s Notebook is a murder mystery novel. The story begins with some cryptic notes from a notebook on being an interrogator written by Norman Kross. Norman is an interrogator who has worked for many agencies throughout his illustrious career. However, he had a major issue with a mission in Madrid that robbed him of his confidence at interrogation and he now teaches classes on interrogation.

Norman has spent a great deal of time away from his family and has hidden some personal issues with his estranged father his wife and sons. Due to his stress and guilt his marriage seems to be in jeopardy and his sons are distant and need their father’s guidance.

Added to these issues, Norman is asked to reenter the world of interrogation by his boss who wants to help a Hollywood director find out the truth behind the death of his only daughter. She died after a party and the official verdict was that she overdosed and slipped from a poolside chair into the pool and drowned. However, her father feels that George Stark, her sometimes boyfriend killed her.

Intrigued by her journal, Norman can’t resist attempting to get the truth from Stark. The tale is an interesting tale of a demented actor/serial killer that is so clever he never gets caught. This was right up Norman’s alley. This story is very twisted downright chilling, many issues of a dysfunctional family and danger of trying to catch a seriously psychotic killer.

Since Stark has been cleared by the police and doesn’t have to submit to being questioned about this Norman uses Stark’s ego against him to get him to consent to being interrogated. Stark agrees to Norman’s interrogations if he consents to follow some really weird rules. This makes the questioning really creepy. Ok no more spoilers!

While I like the story premise, I found the journal entries to be confusing and depressing. Norman’s constant self-recriminations and guilt were frustrating to me. The author uses many descriptive passages that while they are eloquent are also a bit rambling for my particular taste. There were several missing words or duplicated words and that with the descriptions slowed the momentum of the story at several points. From about the 4th chapter on the story becomes clearer and the pace picks up. I found this to be a decent read, but not an easy one.

Copy supplied by the author.

Review by Georgianna S.

Interview white:black

TRC: Hi Martin and welcome to The Reading Cafe.  Congratulations on the release of The Interrogator’s Notebook.

Your bio states your were a Russian linguist and interrogator. How has this particular part of your past affected your life? Your writing?

Follow Martin: Website / Twitter/ Goodreads/

Martin OttMartin: I decided I wanted to become a writer during my time in the military as I read hundreds of books and began writing in my own notebook. The profiling of people to discover the truth about them isn’t much different than what you do to the characters in your own stories.

TRC: The Interrogator’s Notebook is your February 2013 release. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

Martin: This is the story of an interrogator who loses control and gets the tables turned on him in every way possible. The Interrogator’s Notebook is as much about the inner conflict of the protagonist Norman Kross as it is about the antagonist he faces in the interrogation of a lifetime.

The Interrogator's NotebookTRC: What or who was the inspiration for the book?

Martin: For years, I kept thinking about the theme of the novel: what would happen if someone who is a master manipulator and interrogator is blind to the truth of himself and his personal life. It was this conflict that made me want to write the book, and kept me interested enough to keep editing it until I felt like I reached my intent.

TRC: Are there any of your own characteristics or background history wrapped up in the psyche of Norman Kross?

Martin: I pull from elements from my own childhood and hometown: real and imagined. I feel like the concept of being powerless as a teenager is something that informed the main character, and fueled his transformation into someone who wielded power.

TRC: Have you ever been skydiving? What was your inspiration behind the skydiving scene in The Interrogator’s Notebook?

Martin: Love it! A misdirection question, just like in an interrogation. I did not have a skydiving scene in The Interrogator’s Notebook, but I am now wondering what an interrogation would be like falling from a plane…I may use that idea!

TRC: Do you have plans to turn the Interrogator’s Notebook into a series?

Martin: I am open to it if enough people convince me that they need to read another story featuring these characters.

TRC: If you gave your leading character Norman an opportunity to speak for himself, what would he have to say?

Martin: I think he’d be true to his dialogue in The Interrogator’s Notebook. He would HATE being interviewed, for one. There’s nothing a master interrogator would dislike more than opening up about himself to strangers.

TRC: Many authors bound ideas and information with other authors or family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Martin: I have a few close friends who are writers and artists, some of whom are collaborators. It’s a small and trusted circle of people with whom I am constantly sharing and refining ideas.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception about yourself?

Martin: That I am important enough for people to have misconceptions about me. All joking aside, people sometimes want to put up their defenses because I’m an ex-interrogator. I am not ALWAYS profiling people.

TRC: What five things would you like to accomplish in the next ten years?

Martin:
– Making it to 10 years (with my health)
– Seeing my daughter and son attend college
– Writing a novel that I think is great
– Writing a book of poetry I think is great
– Continuing to collaborate with talented people on creative projects

TRC: If you could select one reality show in which you were one of the contestants, which show would you choose and why?

Martin: I’d love to be the villain on ANY reality show. Would be a lot of fun, I think. I actually was in a poetry competition online in a social media type of environment with monthly assignments and I got my wish. I was kicked off halfway through (deservedly so).

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Martin: On too many things. A young adult novel and a screenplay right now. And poetry, always poetry.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Martin: A few inches of height. Would help in my old man basketball league.

TRC: 😉

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food – Pizza from Pizzeria Mozza

Favorite Dessert – Warm Apple Pie and Vanilla Ice Cream

Favorite TV Show – Current: Breaking Bad

Last Movie You Saw – It’s a Disaster!

Favorite Car – My first Car, a 1973 Orange Chevrolet Vega

Do you have any pets? –– No, but I do name the snails on my front steps with my kids.

TRC:  just ewwwwwwwwww 😉

TRC: Thank you Martin for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish you all the best. Good luck with all of your future storyline releases.

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Blue Horizon by J.L. Hammer-a review

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BLUE HORIZON by J.L. Hammer-a review

Blue Horizon

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 29, 2013

Part of a secret government project, Elena Davidson’s life is in serious jeopardy when she is kidnapped by terrorists. Safeguarding ‘Blue Horizon’ isn’t just a mission to Elena. She knows that if its purpose is revealed and if it falls into the wrong hands, it could be dangerous for the entire world.

Beckham Connors has a simple mission: the retrieval of Elena Davidson, no matter what the cost. He has orders to rescue Elena from her captors and to send her home to America, or if necessary—kill her. Whatever happens, she cannot be left alive on Iranian soil.

Forced into a whirlwind adventure, she can depend on no one. Elena must decide if she can trust the ruggedly handsome Beckham—or if he poses a greater danger than the terrorists.

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REVIEW: WOW! I’m amazed at this fantastic story. It’s a smaller book than usual (less than 200 pages) but is absolutely packed from the beginning with intense action, emotion and great characters. Written by J.L. Hammer this is a powerhouse of unexpected delight.

Here’s a little background on the main characters: Elena Davidson is a 27 year old engineer on a government project and is kidnapped by Iranian terrorists and subjected to torture and brutalization. Cole Davidson is a captain in the AF and is Elena’s big brother…when she is kidnapped he is frantic to do anything to save his little sister. Beckham Connors is a mercenary working with covert ops to retrieve Elena and her boss from the Iranians. Charity Lane is secretary to pentagon official McAllister (a double dealing jerk and traitor – but she doesn’t know that).

Ok, that’s most of the character setup, there are more secondary ones but these guys are the storyline principals. I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone because it’s really a great read. It’s a twisting and interesting tale of terror, rescue, love (two love stories), recovery and much more!

This is a real page turner….very hard to put down. The story is well crafted, action packed, and I can’t wait for more from this talented writer. How the author puts so much great and flowing story into such a small space is one of many mysteries

Reviewed by Georgianna S.

Copy supplied by author

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The Order of the Black Swan series by Victoria Danann-a review

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The Order of The Black Swan Series by Victoria Danann-a review

The Order of The Black Swan 2

The Order of The Black Swan Series by Victoria Danann

The trilogy is available in a box set : Amazon / Barnes and Noble / KOBO

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My Familiar Stranger by Victoria Danann -The Order of The Black Swan Series #1

My Familiar Stranger

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / KOBO /iTunes / Smashwords

The trilogy is available in a box set : Amazon / Barnes and Noble / KOBO/Smashwords


To begin, I’m not a great lover of scientific jargon and find details about inter-dimensional travel to be boring. When first opening this book I thought “Oh my, this is going to be such a chore”. How could I have ever been so wrong? LOL While there is a little introduction to the aspects of this phenomenon, it was small and a really good set-up for the coming magnificent story!

Ok, that said let’s get on with the story. The worlds explored are on Earth, but are very different from our own. Someone once said that each little stone on a beach, if moved could change the world. So, if Hitler hadn’t been stopped, what kind of world would we have today…perish the thought. But if polio vaccine hadn’t been invented or discovered what would our world be like if even one hero had gotten polio and not been there to be a hero? That’s the type of changes…some smaller, some larger. Many things are familiar – but very different.

In this world there is secret organization that protects humans and others from many dangers: vampire, demon, and perverts…all manner of evil doers. The agents, or fighters for this organization are actually knights…yes, knights. Only the very best of the best and not many of even those are awarded this honor. This organization was having a meeting of their best team (B Team) of the Order of Black Swans.

While on another world, Elora Laiken and her whole royal family were being attacked and the attackers were winning. To save her young life her friend and tutor, Thelonius Monq or for short”Monq”, sent her to another dimension via his untested vortex invention.

While the invention does “save” her life she emerges in mid-air in the meeting of the Black Swan B Team and quite literally drops out of thin air. Only while she is alive, she is not without injury. She is in fact a blob of skinned, broken and bloody flesh. Not even recognizable as necessarily “human”. Some of the knights being startled and cautious voted to “kill it”, but Sir Storm (oh year, I do love a good storm) took the initiative to carry the “blob” to medical help.
You know I don’t do spoilers… let me just say that any time spent reading this book, even this whole series will not be a waste of time.

Victoria Danann has crafted an incredible world or worlds. The characters are each magnificent in their own unique way (though I wouldn’t mind at all being mated to any of these alpha males). Her secondary characters are equally well done. Conversations are realistic, humorous, provocative and just plain fun. The plot is wonderful, twisty, funny and heart rending. All the things an epic should be. You are literally in this world with them, experiencing their pains, triumphs and frustrations. And the sex is well written, and enthralling.

I think the term “a must read” is probably overused, so how do I tell you that you really haven’t lived until you’ve read this series? Yeah, it’s that good!

Reviewed by Georgianna S.

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The Witch’s Dream by Victoria Danann -The Order of The Black Swan Series #2

The Witch's Dream

Amazon

The trilogy is available in a box set : Amazon / Barnes and Noble / KOBO/Smashwords


This is book 2 of the Order of the Black Swan. I usually hesitate a bit at sequels, they very often seem to try too hard to be like the first…relax, not so with this book. It actually begins where book 1 (My Familiar Stranger) leaves off.

The first chapter gives you the idea of where the next big problem is coming from and who the target is! In this case our very wonderful friend Sir Kay (the berserker of the group) and his lovely bride-to-be Katrina. In the meantime we are delighted with the Irish hand fasting (wedding) of Ram and Elora.
Again Victoria Danann has used her remarkable talent to craft wonderful scenes of family life, even among the elven royalty. The marvelous conversations and romantic antics of Ram and Elora are absolutely so enthralling you forget the other shoe is about to drop on their friends…hence surprise when it does.
While in Edinburgh, B-Team has the hand fasting and also is assigned to a new group to help with a task while they are there. This is where our beautiful and talented witch Litha Brandywine comes in and at the first sight of Sir Storm falls head over heels in love with him (heck, I did that in the first book-LOL-tall, dark handsome, muscular, honorable, and well endowed – what’s not to love? LOL).

Litha works for the Order as a tracker. However, Sir Storm believes he’s still in love with Elora and is not exactly receptive to Litha (men, the great looks don’t always go the brain first). Fortunately, she a very determined little witch!

That’s all the spoilers I’m giving out! This is a wonderfully twisty and exciting book. The storyline is completely different while maintaining the same relationships and wonderful people, just a few additions to accommodate the twists.

It’s incredibly exciting, and for me, impossible to put down. I devoured it like it was made of chocolate and caramel. I’m writing this with slightly shaky hands cause I just can’t wait to get to book 3.

Reviewed by Georgianna S.

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The Summoner’s Tale by Victoria Danann-The Order of The Black Swan Series #3

A Summoner's Tale

Amazon

The trilogy is available in a box set : Amazon / Barnes and Noble / KOBO/Smashwords


The Summoners Tale – The Vampires confessor is the third in the Black Swan Series. And they say the best things come in 3’s, I believe that is absolutely correct!

OMG, OMG! This series is on my favorites list! We begin book 3 where book 2 left off. I love the continuity of this series. The great friends from the first two are ever present and we get views of their continuing stories and how their lives are going. The B Team (Bad Company – bad as in badass) is the elite of the Black Swan organization. And the wonderful alpha male knights and the one female knight are the reason. Each now with very special mates that has interesting talents of their own.

Victoria has built great relationships between the team members and their spouses, with many interactions that save each other’s lives.
Primary story in this book is our friend Istvan Baka, ex-vampire. He is trying to move forward with the vampire cure project. He finds himself distracted and in love with Heather who shows only contempt for him. Ram’s little sister will play a huge part in finding out why, and the answers are thought provoking and thrilling!

Okay…no spoiling the great telling of the magnificent story. But the twists and dangers are many to all the characters that are known and loved. Victoria has written each book with individual tales of threats and heroics, but tied them together to move the story arch farther and farther along. A few new characters are coming in, while some secondary characters are stepping up and coming to more focus in the overall story.

I love the world(s) she has designed. The basic issues that all the different races are facing and trying to overcome. While they now have to prepare for other worlds beginning to have inter-dimensional travel more perfected than the one poor Elora was pushed into. Interesting scientific concepts side by side with issues of age old prejudices; a great mixture of science and humanity – much like reality.

If you haven’t tried this series, I urge you invest a little time to it! You will not be disappointed, but enthrallment is a definite possibility! Personally, I’m looking forward to the 4th book coming in May of 2013!

Reviewed by Georgianna S.

Copies supplied by the author

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Vows to Kill by Mark Capell-a review

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Vows to Kill by Mark Capell – A Review

Vows to Kill

 Available at :  Amazon

ABOUT THE BOOK: Released October 30, 2012

Detective Inspector Lee Eyre receives an email: ‘I WILL KILL YOU ON YOUR WEDDING DAY.’

Is it a sick practical joke? Or an earnest threat? Who sent him the anonymous e-mail?

Lee is about to marry Lucy. They only met six months ago. But in the gusts of this whirlwind romance, Lee has avoided telling Lucy about his past. That past is the stuff of nightmares – gangsters with grudges, an obsessive ex-wife, and a mysterious stranger who can provide the link to a murder investigation that went tragically wrong.

Despite strange recurring dreams, Lee’s approach has been to bury his head in the sand, pretending the past didn’t happen. But that’s not an option now.

Lee must investigate a crime that hasn’t yet happened – his own murder – to prevent it from happening. But that investigation is complicated by twists and turns. It will cause Lee to question why he’s a police officer and whether he can marry his perfect woman.

Will Lee and Lucy have a future? Or will it be obliterated by Lee’s past?

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REVIEW: Vows to Kill is a mystery/crime/romance novel taking place in and around London, England. Written in point of view style, different characters have point of view changes in chapters with the main story being the majority, until they all come together into the main story. This reminds me of Dean Koontz’s style of intertwining the lives of characters into a thrilling tale.

The story starts out with a bank robbery in progress. An off duty police officer about to retire and go on the vacation trip of a lifetime had come into the bank to arrange a small loan, during the robbery he feels bad for not doing more, then he gets killed trying to save an elderly woman.

The next chapter begins the main part of the story with Lucy and Lee skydiving, where he proposed via a banner held by the instructors while they were falling back to earth (very romantic idea).

There are also chapters on the mysterious Molly and her troubled relationship with her beloved Sam…interesting person.

We learn through the intricate weaving of the story that Lee is a police officer who has had a very bad experience six years or more prior and was married briefly then divorced from a woman named Kat. He has not mentioned any of this to his new love, including his brief marriage….he is guilt ridden and afraid of ending his seemingly perfect new relationship if he tells Lucy about his past. We’re pretty much in the dark about why he feels this way, as things come to light slowly.

As the story progresses and the wedding is getting planned, Lee receives a mysterious death threat which starts him investigating into his past on his own, with help of a detective friend.

I don’t want to do spoilers…so let’s just say the story winds and twists around through the events of Lee’s past and present with many surprising events. The characters are well written with many differences and quirks, and the ending is very twisted and surprising!
A most unusual tale with a most unusual ending!

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Georgianna S.

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Mark CapellABOUT THE AUTHOR: Website

Follow: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Newsletter

For my sins, I used to be a television director. During that time, I met all sorts of weird and wonderful people, including a gangster who offered to kill anybody who upset me. But instead of taking up his offer, I decided to join the exciting digital revolution and take my storytelling skills to the world of fiction.

My first novel, a crime thriller called Run, Run, Run, reached number one on the Amazon UK crime and thriller chart.

My aim as a writer is to tell exciting stories that haven’t been told before, and to introduce readers to intriguing characters they haven’t met in other books. In that way I want to be an explorer.

My writing style is terse and kinetic.

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The Blue Ribbon Jalapeno Society Jubilee by Carolyn Brown-a review

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The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeño Society Jubilee by Carolyn Brown-a review

Blue Ribbon Jalapeno Society

AMAZON Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 1, 2013

Bestelling author Carolyn Brown makes her first foray into women’s fiction with this poignant and hilarious novel about four friends in Cadillac, Texas—where the best jalapenos in the world are grown.

Everything is calm in Cadillac, Texas until Aunt Agnes declares war on Violet Prescott, the president of the Blue-Ribbon Jalapeno Society, just in time for the annual jubilee. But after the festivities—and the hostilities—are over, it’s four friends who are left standing, proving once again that friendship is forever

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If you love small town stories with wonderful characters and witty dialog, this book by Carolyn Brown will thrill you! It’s sort of a “Steel Magnolia” type with more than a bit of “Texas Attitude” thrown in.

It does start out a little slow as she builds the vision of the town and people, but just a short way in becomes a funny, emotional and very interesting story of the drama involving the women and some of the men of the small Texas town of Cadillac. It’s actually hard to put down once it gets really rolling.
Centered around the Blue-Ribbon Jalapeño Society and the “power” wielded by current president and one of the founders of the “Society” Violet Prescott, and the contentious relationship of Marty and Cathy Andrews, twin sisters and daughters of the other founder of the Society Claudia Andrews (now deceased). It’s small town drama with comic and emotional impact.

Claudia was the person who found the “secret” of growing the hottest jalapeño peppers in Grayson County and claiming the first of a tradition of blue ribbons from the state fair – the reason for the founding of the Blue-Ribbon Jalapeño Society. Claudia’s daughters now run Miss Clawdy’s Café in their family’s old home in the heart of town.

A group of friends: Marty, Cathy, Trixie, Darla Jean and Aunt Agnes are the main group of “friends” that become the focus of the story. My favorite if Aunt Agnes…who I would aspire to be like! These wonderful women are each very different people and great friends to have. Their imaginative and often funny ways of doing things is really a hoot to read. They see each other through the hard spots in life like cheating husbands, small town power struggles, abusive relationships, loveless marriages and much more. This is a group of people you can visualize clearly and would be such fun to visit with and know.
I don’t like to do spoilers, so I’ll just say you have to read this wonderful story to understand the great emotional yet often comic impact. It’s a great read and I look forward to more from this new author!

Copy supply by publisher.

Reviewed by Georgianna S.

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The Alpha’s Choice (The Wolvers #2) by Jacqueline Rhoades-a review

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The Alpha’s Choice (The Wolvers #2) by Jacqueline Rhoades-a review

The Alpha's Choice

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / KOBO

ABOUT THE BOOK: Released January 29, 2013

Katarina Bennett stopped believing in fairytales a long time ago. Prince Charming doesn’t exist. Careful planning is what makes dreams come true and that’s what she’s spent her adult life doing. Now those plans have fallen apart. She’s lost everything; her fiancé, her job and her home.

Determined to make a new start, Kat takes a job as a governess and teacher for five orphaned children and finds herself in an old Gothic mansion in the middle of nowhere with people who aren’t what they seem.

Charles Goodman is the Alpha of his wolver pack, the modern descendants of an ancient line of man/beasts who’ve hidden among the human race for centuries. Charles has his hands full with taking his pack in a new direction and dealing with dissention in the ranks and doubts about his own abilities to lead, but when he meets his feisty new employee, he begins to believe in a future he didn’t think possible.

Together, Charles and Kat, Alpha and Mate, set out to prove all things are possible and fairytales do come true

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The Alpha’s Choice is the 2nd book in the Wolver series by Jacqueline Rhoades. This is a wonderfully written but definitely not a clone of the first Alpha’s Mate. I found it a different and compelling read from the very first page.

Katarina Bennett is a teacher recently betrayed by her fiancé who after she helped him through medical school, ran off and married someone else leaving her bitter and in need of a change in scenery. Leaving her job at a school for upper class/wealthy children, she took a job offered by the mysterious Mr. Begley to teach 5 orphaned children in a very rural mountain community.

Upon arriving a few days early, this being approved by her new as yet unknown employer and Mr. Begley, she found the house of nightmares. A very gothic looking huge stone mansion that she found forbidding and like most gothic novels where the heroine enters at her peril…until she got into the kitchen and found a thoroughly modern wonder. The house was being remodeled and very well.

Thinking she had the place to herself for a couple of days, she made herself at home and while relaxing in the pool realized there was quite a lot of “wild life” around, like a pack of wolves she saw across a field near the forest. While skinny dipping, she met one of the wolves in person as he came to watch her swim and seemed to enjoy her company.

Ok, enough spoilers for me…let me just summarize by saying Ms. Rhoades has definitely written another in this wonderful series. It’s compelling, very hard to put down action. Ms. Rhoades always seems to bring in some very compelling and thought provoking subjects: feral children, abusive relationships, learning to trust yourself being just a few in this saga.

The characters are what I’ve come to expect and have not been disappointed. Wonderfully warm loving supportive but wise females, handsome alpha males of daring and romantic scenes, bad characters I’d just love to slap or worse, loveable friends and much more. The steamy lovemaking and frisky romps are a fresh and well done part as well!

This is wonderful tale of finding oneself, true love, faith and confidence, loving redemption, danger and ingenuity. A great time and really hope you have time to read it…because you won’t be able to put it down! Enjoy it, I certainly did!

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Georgianna S.

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Snowy Night with a Highlander by Julie London-a review

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Snowy Night with a Highlander by Julie London-a review

 

Snowy Night with a Highlander is the November 27, 2012 release from Julie London.

This is an excellent story of young heartbreak, life-changing tragedy, love and renewal of life. A great read for a snowy cold night!

I don’t like to do spoilers… so let me just recap some of the highlights that make this worth the reading.

Lady Fiona Haines of Scotland has been living in London in an attempt to find a suitable marriage partner. Her debutante event, in Scotland, was spoiled years ago by a friend of her brothers that she admired when he likened her to a “woodchuck”. Embarrassed and broken hearted, she moved to London with her brother James (himself a noted rogue and womanizer). While she found many friends at court in London, there were still no real suitors for her hand as yet.

Her brother gets in trouble with the Prince of Wales (sleeping with the Princess of Wales was what the Prince accused him of) and even though he is visiting friends in Scotland the Prince sends men to find him. Fiona finds she must go to Scotland to find her brother and warn him to hide deep in the highlands of Scotland until the matter is settled.

To reach her brother, she must contact Laird Duncan Buchanan, the same friend of her brothers who broke her heart all those years ago. She is reluctant to do this, but must save her brother who has no idea he is being pursued.

Duncan agrees to let Fiona and her maid ride with a cargo wagon to Blackwood, his ancestral home where her brother is staying. She doesn’t actually see Duncan as he stays hidden behind a drapery watching. She and her maid must go with the wagon driver and another man covered with dark clothing and an eye-patch.
Just outside of Edinburgh her maid decides she doesn’t want to go and secretly runs away, back to Edinburgh, leaving Fiona to travel with just the tall dark stranger (the wagon driver must go find the maid and see she gets safely back to Edinburgh).
During the cold and hard trip to Blackwood Fiona grows to trust the dark stranger who is named Duncan…she believes him to be Mr. Duncan a tenant of Buchanan’s. Through mishaps with the wagon and her being saved from a wolf she becomes very attracted to Mr. Duncan. She begins to dream of a life of being his wife and having his children, only to find out (as they near Blackwood) that he is not Mr. Duncan, but Duncan Buchanan of Blackwood himself. Will she forgive him; can she forgive him, should she forgive him? Hmmmmm…

You need to read the circumstances and how this all comes about as well as the ending for yourself, it’s a very good story of life and personal growth and love all wrapped up for Christmas!

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

ORDER LINKS: Barnes and Noble / Amazon / KOBO 

Reviewed by Georgianna S.

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Just Remember to Breathe by Charles Sheehan-Miles: a review

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Just Remember to Breathe by Charles Sheehan-Miles: a review

Just Remember to Breathe by Charles Sheehan-Miles

Just Remember to Breathe (November 2012 release) is an intricate love story between Alexandra Thompson and Dylan Paris. Issues resulting from dysfunction, among both the wealthy and the poor set these two star-crossed lovers on a journey to find themselves and their way to love and commitment.

The story is written under first person, but from both Alex’s and Dylan’s perspectives. However, point of view headings let you know who is telling that particular part of the story. It’s interesting to see both perspectives and how they relate and differ…

The lives of the two main characters are entwined around each other as if fate won’t let them be apart for long. We’re enticed by glimpses of memories of their first meeting (Junior’s in High School on a trip abroad)and how they fell deeply in love, only to have distance (she’s on the West Coast and he’s in Georgia), social difficulties, and fear of relationships put a strain on their budding love.

I don’t want to spoil the story so I’ll just say that it begins with Alexandra Thompson, daughter of an American Ambassador and controlling mother, now a pre-law student at Columbia. She’s still suffering from a broken heart when she finds that Dylan Paris is now going to be her partner in her work-study program.

Dylan is the son of a poor, alcoholic and abusive father and a reformed alcoholic mother. Hurting and scared after his and Alex’s first “break-up”, he joined the Army and was sent to Afghanistan. When he returned home after much trauma and severe injury, he enrolled in Columbia and finds himself to be Alex’s partner in a work-study program.

Unable to change their work-study programs, they are stuck working together and the rest of the story begins!

It’s a really good love story that deals with issues resulting from their differences and the ramifications of bad decisions and assumptions. The way issues are handled is fascinating and their growing love often compelling. Love stories are amazing in scope and this one covers a whole range of obstacles: fear, date rape, death of friends, PTSD, war injuries, parental pressure – and in only about 190 pages!

I found this story and style to be interesting and packed with action and emotion. A great book to curl up with!

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Copy supplied by author.

Reviewed by Georgianna S.

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