The Plot Thickens

Dave Rhoades Book Reviews

Try Darkness

Monday, July 21st, 2008

Jim is a great friend of mine and I’m so pleased to be featuring another of his masterful works!

Tredessa’s review will be ready shortly also, she grabbed it before I could…

Try Darkness 

(Center Street - July 30, 2008) 

by 

James Scott Bell

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JAMES SCOTT BELL is a former trial lawyer who now writes full time. He has also been the fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine and adjunct professor of writing at Pepperdine University.

The national bestselling author of several novels of suspense, he grew up and still lives in Los Angeles. His first Buchanan thriller, TRY DYING, was released to high critical praise, while his book on writing, Plot and Structure is one of the most popular writing books available today.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ty Buchanan is living on the peaceful grounds of St. Monica’s, far away from the glamorous life he led as a rising trial lawyer for a big L.A. firm. Recovering from the death of his fiancée and a false accusation of murder, Buchanan has found his previous ambitions unrewarding. Now he prefers offering legal services to the poor and the underrepresented from his “office” at local coffee bar The Freudian Sip. With his new friends, the philosophizing Father Bob and basketball-playing Sister Mary Veritas, Buchanan has found a new family of sorts.
One of his first clients is a mysterious woman who arrives with her six-year-old daughter. They are being illegally evicted from a downtown transient hotel, an interest that Ty soon discovers is represented by his old law firm and his former best friend, Al Bradshaw. Buchanan won’t back down. He’s going to fight for the woman’s rights.
But then she ends up dead, and the case moves from the courtroom to the streets. Determined to find the killer and protect the little girl, who has no last name and no other family, Buchanan finds he must depend on skills he never needed in the employ of a civil law firm.
The trail leads Buchanan through the sordid underbelly of the city and to the mansions and yachts of the rich and famous. No one is anxious to talk.
But somebody wants Buchanan to shut up. For good.
Now he must use every legal and physical edge he knows to keep himself and the girl alive.
Once again evoking the neo-noir setting of contemporary Los Angeles, Bell delivers another thriller where darkness falls and the suspense never rests.

If you would like to read chapters 1 & 2, go HERE

“Bell has created in Buchanan an appealing and series-worthy protagonist, and the tale equally balances action and drama, motion and emotion. Readers who pride themselves on figuring out the answers before an author reveals them are in for a surprise, too: Bell is very good at keeping secrets. Fans of thrillers with lawyers as their central characters—Lescroart and Margolin, especially—will welcome this new addition to their must-read lists.”
—Booklist

 

“Engaging whodunit series kickoff . . . Readers will enjoy Bell’s talent for description and character development.”
—Publishers Weekly

 

“James Scott Bell has written himself into a niche that traditionally has been reserved for the likes of Raymond Chandler.”
—Los Angeles Times

 

“A master of suspense.”
—Library Journal

 

“One of the best writers out there, bar none.”
—In the Library Review

To Purchase: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1599956853



The Edge of Recall-Dessa’s Review

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

The Edge of Recall
by Kristen Heitzmann
Tessa Young is a landscape architect who specializes in building labyrinths.  Her therapist thinks that she’s obsessed with them.  When Smith Chandler, a college buddy and old flame who betrayed her, suddenly calls and makes her an offer too good to refuse to restore an ancient labyrinth, Tessa is forced to deal with her past and the monsters that haunt her dreams. 
 With intrigue and romance, Heitzmann expertly takes you on a journey through a dark past and how it effects present day relationships.  She keeps you guessing as to whether the story is simply a suspense or a supernatural thriller. 
The depth of her characters and their development are excellent, reminding you of real people instead of the all-too-common cookie-cutter types that are found so often in literature today.  
This book is definitely worth the read.


Warriors-Katherine’s Review

Thursday, July 17th, 2008
The Warriors by Mark Andrew Olsen is a continuation of Olsen’s book The Watchers.  It isn’t necessary to read the first book in order to enjoy this one, but it may be helpful to more fully explain some of the characters and scenarios.
 
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book  It is set in a present to near-future time frame and works with spiritual warfare.  The book opens with one of the main characters Dylan Hatfield parachuting into Afghanistan on a higher than top-secret mission.  Unfortunately, his mission unleashes demonic forces that have been waiting for the right moment to strike.  Halfway around the world Abby Sherman wakes from sleep to a vision of Dylan’s peril. Abby sends out an email to her fellow Watchers that sets the United States Government on her trail.
 
There are several characters and groups of people woven throughout the book that are obviously from the first book, but their presence is well explained without detracting from the current story line.  Olsen created a group of African women called The Watchers who receive visions of the spiritual warfare going on around us.  Olsen also creates a character called the Sentinel of Jerusalem.  This is an exceptionally old woman who is also the “leader” of the Watchers. 
 
Olsen does a good job of describing what could very well be going on around us hidden from our human sight.  Several times a character will see with “spiritual” eyes angels and demons fighting on what humans would see as a quiet, peaceful street.
 
I really enjoyed Abby’s mother. She was well written as a women who is “stronger on the broken parts”.  She may be fragile and broken, but she has the huxtpa (sp) to stand up to government bullies.
 
Without giving too much away, the method Olsen uses to protect the U.S. from nuclear attack was brilliant. 
 
On the other hand, the character of Dylan was too one-dimensional for me.  He is the stereo-typical macho military guy.  There is little spiritual in his actions or interactions.  This is actually a bone of contention between Dylan and Abby.  However, I think Dylan’s spiritual side should have been addressed.  Supposedly he had been “converted” in the first book and had grown in the Lord, but there was just not much of that in this book.
 
I wasn’t thrilled with the ending either.  However, Olsen may be setting up for another sequel. 
 
I enjoyed the premise of the book and most of the characters enough to read a sequel.
 
 
Katherine


SKID-Carolyn’s Review

Thursday, July 17th, 2008
What a plane ride!!  A clown, a jilted girlfriend and her ex,  an eccentric female captain, a very tactless copilot. All coming together on an international flight of a lifetime with a very dramatic ending. 
 

Carolyn


Promises, Promises

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008

Promises, Promises

Barbour - July, 2008 

by 

Amber Miller

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hi, I’m Amber, but my friends call me Tiff, short for Tiffany, my first name. Writing had always been a hobby, a way for me to express my innermost thoughts and feelings in a way I sometimes find difficult with the spoken word — although my friends will tell you ’shy’ is not in my vocabulary. Thanks to the gentle nudging of a fellow author — Tracie Peterson — in 2002, I took the next step in my writing career and joined the American Christian Fiction Writers. I owe all so many there a hearty hug of appreciation for their constant encouragement and unselfish assistance. I feel a lot more confident thanks to their support and love. For those of you who are also fiction writers looking for a wonderful support group, check them out!

I got involved with web design in 1997, when I was asked to take over running the official web site for the television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. That eventually led to a series of negotiations where I was offered the job of running world-renowned actress Jane Seymour’s official fan site. That has branched into doing web sites for a variety of clients, including: authors J.M. Hochstetler, Trish Perry, Kathy Pride, Louise M. Gouge, Susan Page Davis, and Jill Elizabeth Nelson, actor William Shockley (the voice of AT&T and Sony) and many others. With the help of a handful of other web site “technos,” Eagle Designs was born! Feel free to visit and see our other clients.

Books are a definite passion. Why else would I be writing and publishing them? I firmly believe that a good book can take you away from all of your problems, into a world you’ve never seen. My favorite food is Italian; I sing all the time, and I once worked with my church choir to do a professional recording for a music CD of our performances.

I am in my 30’s, married the love of my life in July 2007, and live in beautiful Colorado, but I love to travel and visit new places. Ultimately, my dream is to own horses and live in a one-level rancher nestled in the mountains. For now, I will remain where I am and do what I love—design web sites and write.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Raelene Strattford knows God has promised never to leave or forsake her. But after the catastrophic deaths of her parents, she doesn t believe it. What kind of God would take a girl’s family and leave her alone in a wild land where women have no voice? Gustaf Hanssen has admired Raelene from afar for a while, but his poor attempt at courting her in the past has made him unwelcome in her life. When Gustaf promises Raelene’s dying father that he will take care of her, he finds himself bound to her happiness, her success, and her well-being in ways he never imagined. To keep his word must Gustaf really oversee all of Raelene’s affairs, find her a husband, and maintain her farm, while she does nothing but scorn him? Can God reach through Raelene’s pain and self-centeredness and give her the love that awaits, if only she will accept His will?

If you would like to read the first chapter, go HERE

At this time,
Promises, Promises
can only be purchased through the
Heartsong Book Club
.

 

 

To Purchase: www.heartsongpresents.com/book/detail/9781597899390



Super Chicks

Monday, July 14th, 2008

Sisterchick Go Brit 

Multnomah Publishers (May 20, 2008) 

by 

Robin Jones Gunn

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin grew up in Orange County, California and has lived in all kinds of interesting places, including Reno and Hawaii.

Robin’s first novel was published in 1988, and she has continued to write between two to five books a year. Her 63 published books include 47 novels, all of which are still in print. Sales of her popular Christy Miller Series, Glenbrooke Series and Sisterchicks Series, including Sisterchicks in Gondolas and the new Katie Weldon Series including Peculiar Treasures all of which are approaching four million copies sold, with translations in nine languages.

Robin’s passion for storytelling and travel are evident in all her books, especially the Sisterchicks novels, and she has received thousands of letters from readers around the world who have come to know Christ through her writing. She sees this as her dream come true. Her novels are traveling to foreign lands and her characters are doing what she always longed to do; telling people about God’s love.

She and her husband currently live near Portland, Oregon and have been married for 30 years. They spent their first 22 years of marriage working together in youth ministry, and enjoying life with their son and daughter who are now both grown.

As a frequent speaker at local and international events, one of Robin’s favorite topics is how God is the Relentless Lover and we are His first love. She delights in telling stories of how God uses fiction to change lives.

Robin is the recipient of the Christy Award, the Mt. Hermon Pacesetter Award, the Sherwood E. Wirt Award and is a Gold Medallion Finalist. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Media Associates International and the Board of Directors for Jerry Jenkins’ Christian Writers’ Guild.

ABOUT THE BOOK
SISTERCHICK® n: a friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you’re being a brat.

Two midlife mamas hop over to jolly ole England and encounter so much more than the usual tourist stops. Liz does have a bit of a childhood crush on Big Ben, and she has hoped to “meet” him ever since her fifteenth birthday. Kellie dreams of starting an interior design business and figures Liz needs to be a part of that equation–a calculation that hasn’t added up for Liz yet.

Nothing on the excursion goes the way these two friends had envisioned. They start with a village pancake race and end up being held for questioning on The Underground. Kellie and Liz take a wild tour through the land of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien and then find themselves swept up, up, and away in a hot air balloon over the Cotswalds. London beckons with the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, shopping at Portabella Road in Knotting Hill, and of course, reservations at the Ritz for a posh high tea.

A few detours along the way and the possibility of being lost in a London fog of wonderment aren’t enough to stop these two Sisterchicks! Each step of their regal journey is lined with evidence of God’s gracious compassion, and both come to realize that God knows their every wish. He is the One who planted every dream in their hearts.

And, oh, what a surprise awaits them when they return home!

To read the first chapter, go HERE

“Robin has done it again! You and your Sisterchicks will love taking this new adventure together!”
- Karen Kingsbury, New York Times best-selling author of Between Sundays and Ever After

 

“My only complaint about Robin’s latest is that now I want to hop a plane to England! But combine a cup of Earl Grey tea and this charming story and you’re halfway there. Another delightful tale about women helping women to live their lives to the fullest.”
- Melody Carlson, author of These Boots Weren’t Made for Walking and A Mile in My Flip-Flops

 

“Sisterchicks in Gondolas is a true delight. The characters shine, and evocative language will make any reader want to visit Venice. Biblical truths are portrayed simply, yet will touch hearts and lives with their realistic application.”
- Romantic Times magazine

To Purchase: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590527550



Love As A Way of Life

Monday, July 14th, 2008

 

 Love As A Way Of Life

by:

Dr. Gary Chapman

The author of the perennial bestseller The Five Love Languages examines how a lifestyle of love can lead to deeper satisfaction in relationships and life goals. Eye-opening self tests, practical ideas for building daily habits of love, and inspiring examples guide readers in putting love to work in their daily interactions.

 

Gary Chapman is the author of twenty-five books, including the New York Times bestseller The Five Love Languages, with more than 4 million copies in print. His daily radio program, A Love Language Minute, is broadcast on more than 100 stations nationwide. Chapman, a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Wheaton College , Wake-Forest University , and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, serves on the pastoral staff at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem , North Carolina

 

 To Purchase: 

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Way-Life-Transforming-Aspect/dp/0385518587/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215792028&sr=1-1

 If you are interested in a free giveaway, email me at: dave@daverhoades.com and place Gary Chapman Book in the subject line.
I only have one book to give away.

 

 

 



Wind River

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

Wind River 

(Bethany House July 1, 2008) 

by 

Tom Morrisey

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tom Morrisey is a mountaineer, aviator, shipwreck diver, and explorer, who holds a Full Cave certification from the National Speleological Society - Cave Diving Section.

He has launched, edited or contributed to numerous national publications and is an award-winning adventure-travel writer. A popular speaker, he is also active in both evangelism and the arts. Morrisey earned an MFA in creative writing from Bowling Green State University, and his fiction has been featured in numerous anthologies and magazines.

His first novel, Yucatan Deep (Zondervan, 2002) was a finalist for the Christy award, and he is the author of four other novels: In High Places (Bethany House Publishers, 2007), Dark Fathom (Zondervan, 2005), Deep Blue, (Zondervan 2004), and Turn Four (Zondervan 2004). In addition Tom has also written two nonfiction books: 20 American Peaks & Crags (Contemporary Books, 1978) and Wild by Nature (Baker Books, 2001). He and his family live in Orlando, Florida.

ABOUT THE BOOK

You Can’t Outrun the Sins of Your Past
Desperate to forget what happened to him in Iraq, Tyler Perkins flees to the emptiness of Wyoming. He’s here to escape and also to fulfill a long-ago promise by accompanying his 86-year-old friend Soren Andeman on a fly-fishing trip–once more for old time’s sake. But their trek to an idyllic trout lake soon becomes something more deeply harrowing–a journey that uncovers long-held lies, deadly crimes, and the buried secrets of the past. Ty barely has time to contemplate the question of what constitutes justice when nature unleashes her own revenge. Trapped in a race back to safety, he must face his own guilt-ridden past or risk being consumed.

Powerfully imagined by the acclaimed author of In High Places, Wind River is an engaging wilderness adventure that explores the power of confession, the beauty of forgiveness, and the freedom of truth unveiled.

If you would like to read the first chapter, go HERE
 

To purchase: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764203479



The Edge of Recall

Sunday, July 6th, 2008

The Edge Of Recall 

(Bethany House July 1, 2008) 

by 

Kristen Heitzmann

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Of her three main interests, art, music and writing, she chose to study English at the University of Colorado and thrived on Creative Writing and Literature classes. She married her husband Jim, and turned her energy to building a family. They have four children whom they have home schooled for all or most of their education. Kristen is a music minister with the ecumenical covenant community People of Praise.

Once she realized the stories in her head were truly a calling from the Lord, she made writing not just a passion, but a ministry. She has written seven historical fiction novels as part of the The Rocky Mountain Legacy series, the Diamond of the Rockies series, and the Christy Award winner Secrets. Most recently, she has written several contemporary fiction novels, including Echoes, Freefall and Unforgotten.

Kristen and her husband, Jim, and their family live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she serves as worship leader in their church.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Tessa Young, an up-and-coming landscape architect who specializes in the design and creation of labyrinths, has immersed herself in the mythological, spiritual, and healing aspects of the elaborate structures. She also is searching for God and hoping to make sense of the nightmares that have plagued her since childhood.

When Smith Chandler, an estranged colleague–with whom she’d half fallen in love a dozen times before catching herself every time–calls to propose a project he claims is the opportunity of a lifetime, she reluctantly agrees to check it out. Smith is reconstructing a pre-Revolutionary War abbey for wealthy clients. Among its remarkable features is an overgrown labyrinth.

Unable to resist, Tessa accepts his offer to work with him. Soon she is immersed in the project of a lifetime. But one evening, after weeks of work in the labyrinth, Tessa and Smith are attacked. While protecting Tessa, Smith is stabbed, and the nightmare begins…again.

If You would like to read the first chapter, go HERE
To purchase: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764228315



My Soul To Keep-Carolyn…

Sunday, July 6th, 2008
Do you believe in the supernatural, demons or angels?   If not, you will after reading My Soul to Keep. Dylan Foster is very persistent and not put off by exploding light bulbs or rattle snake sounds. Add a little romance to a Christian supernatural thriller, what more could ask for?
 

Carolyn