Sandra Brown: Best Kept Secrets

Sandra Brown is the quenn of contemporary mystery/romance books. In Best Kept Secrets, Brown explores what a daughter will do for a mother that she has never known.

Raised by her grandmother it has been ingrained into Assistant DA Alex Gaither that  her mother's murder was never caught and the wrong man was convicted of her murder. Alex is determined to win her dying grandmother's love by heading back to the small Texas town to unearth the true murder. However, some of Alex's most likely suspects are within the most powerful family, who will stop at nothing to protect their business, money, family and the promise of a brand new horse racing track. Alex needs to watch her back, as she has no friends in this town, and some people would like nothing better than for her to go the way of her mother.

I normally like Brown's books, they are usually a nice contemporary mystery novel, usually with some romance thrown in, however, this book is not a favorite of mine. The book started off interesting and got right into the premise and I thought this is going to be interesting how this plays out; however, there were some many elements that did not add up and that I did not enjoy within this book that I would not recommend it.

I think that the story or premise had promise: Girl who is ophaned by a murdered mother and raised by a grandmother who essentially pushed Alex into going into law school to figure out who actually murdered her mother. I think that this had promise and I think exicuted a different way it would have been great.

I did not like Alex as a character; Whiny, selfish, irrational, grasping at straws, she was everything that the other characters within the book, only looking out for herself. Plus she is supposed to be this up and coming star prosecutor but she was not concerned about looking for tangible facts, it was more about interrogating the main male characters and hoping that they would slip up, but then also hanging out with them socially because she was attracted to them. Throughout the whole book it was pointed out more than one time that she did not have a shred of evidence, only her own beliefs based upon conversations that she had had. Alex as a character was just a disaster for me.

I did not like that Alex who is 17 years younger than the men in the story, many of whom considered being her daddy wanted to have a sexual relationship with her. I just kept getting "this is just wrong" feeling any time this occurred. This aspect was not a good focus for the book. I wish that maybe there was someone outside of the group of suspects that was helpful to her and that would have been her romantic interest, not some guy that could have been her "daddy". I don't know about others who have read the book, but i definitely had thoughts that one of the main male characters could have been her father and to have that attraction between them, just felt wrong. I really wish Brown would have taken this in a different direction.

I have liked Brown's books in the past, this was just way off basis as to what she normally has, that I was thrown off. I found the characters and story both lacking. Will this stop me from reading Brown's books? No, it was more of a disappointment than anything else.

Cheers!!!

Check These Books

Out Instead:

    

Blogoversary Author Interview & Girveaway: S. L. Pierce

Hi Everyone,
Today I am very happy to introduce everyone to another Indie Thriller Author whose, storyline kept me very entertained.

Please Welcome S. L. PIERCE to Blood Rose Books Today

Can you pin point an experience or book that helped you discover that you wanted to be a writer?

Crazy as it sounds, it was Stephanie Meyer.  When I heard about her I thought 'She's never written anything and look what she did.  I can do that.  I've been reading all my life.  I know what makes a book good.'  As it turns out, it is easy to write a book.  What's extremely hard is writing a good book.  It took me two years to write Secrets and I learned a lot in the process.

      You have an engineering background do you think it helps dictate the overall way you structure your books?

            It definitely has an influence on my book structure.  I am a just the facts kind of a writer, which in books means just the plot. That's one reason my first drafts are so bad.  But I work hard to include good character development and an interesting plot.  The result is a fast paced story without a lot of details about scenery and clothing.  I understand it's not for everyone but I think there are readers who appreciate this type of book.

Most of your books appear to fall within the thriller genre. With authors like James Patterson and Jeffrey Archer, do you think that it is a harder genre to break into?

            No, I don't think it's that much harder to break into.  I think all the genre's are hard for indie's.  But the good news is ebooks aren't something you just buy once every few years like pans or a couch.  If you are a reader, you buy them all the time, over your entire life.  So there is a market for all our books.  Plus, the big writers usually put out only one book a year.  Someone has to fill that void.

What do you think would be the hardest or most challenging genre to write a novel in and why? 
Fantasy, definitely.  I just don't have the imagination for it.  Maybe it's that engineering. background.

As an indie author, what has been the most challenging aspect in getting your book out there for people to read?

Time.  Finding the time is a real challenge.  I have four kids 7 and under and I am doing all the publicity myself.  Tweeting, facebook, blogging, keeping up a website, requesting reviews, and doing interviews, for all of my books.  Plus trying to write new stuff.  It is very hard, but worth it, especially when I get some good feedback.

Do you have a writing routine and/or area that helps you develop your stories and get inspiration for your next book?

I have a loft area that I write in and unlike a lot of writers I know, I need absolute silence to write.  I wish I could play music but it interferes with the characters dialogue in my head!  So that's how I develop and write the stories.  The inspiration, that is tougher.  Secrets began because I wanted a female lead who was strong throughout the story and who didn't get captured by the bad guy in the climactic ending.  The idea for The Devil's Game started when I saw a couple in a coffee shop and it looked like the man was really attracted to the woman but the woman just wanted to be friends.  So I started thinking, what if there were this couple, but instead of him stalking her, someone else was stalking them?  And Maren Kaye and I worked from there.

You have stated that you like to “Trim the Fat” in your books, in the form of the description that you give. What areas of description are you talking about and do you think that lack of description could hinder your stories at times?

            As I touched on earlier, I leave out a lot of descriptive stuff like the kind of car someone drives, the scenery, the clothes people are wearing.  The reason I do this is because those are the things I find myself skimming when I read.  I don't believe it hinders the story at all because I work hard to make sure the plot is strong and the characters are multidimensional.  I also think it gives the story a very fast pace.  There must be other readers out there who are like me and will appreciate the lack of descriptive details. The only problem comes in the length of the book.  They tend to be a little shorter than standard mystery/thrillers.

Within you novel Secrets, your protagonist is a former assassin, for you is this the “ideal” job for a character within the Thriller genre?

            For me, yes because the former part let's Gwen have all the skills and attitude I want without the actual spy vs spy kind of stuff I am not really into.  I think it lets her have a view of the world that bad people deserved to be punished, even deserve to die.  I feel cheated a lot of times when the main character has a chance to kill a really bad guy, but doesn't.  Maybe not a popular sentiment but it is just a book!

You newest novel The Devil’s Game just came out. Can you share a little bit about the book and the co author Maren Kaye?

            The Devil's Game is a psychological thriller about a stalker stalking a stalker.  But  who is the stalker and who is the stalkee?  We are incredibly excited and proud of this book and I think, once people try a little, they will see why.  Maren and I met in a mother's group when I lived in North Carolina and we bonded over politics and women's rights.  She is everything I am not in a writer!  I am more mechanical and she is the fun.  She compares us to a twinkie; I am the yellow spongy shell holding it all together and she is the creamy filling; the part everyone can't wait to get to.

What is one book on your shelf that you cannot wait to read (can either be a new or old favorite).

That's a hard one.  If you had asked me a few weeks ago it was Dance of Dragons (5^th in the Game of Thrones) and the Silent Girl by Tess Gerritson.  But since I just read both I'm not sure what's next.  I'm definitely on pins and needles waiting for the new Jack Reacher book.  Oh, I know one – the I am number four-the lost files and then The Power of Six.  I know they are supposed to be teen books but they are fast and fun!

I would like to say Thank You to Sheryl for agreeing to participate in my Blogoversary. To get more information about S. L. Pierce books you can check out my review of Secrets and check out Sheryl's website Peirce Books. Sheryl has very nicely supplied one Ebook copy of Secrets and one Ebook copy of her new novel The Devil's Game.

***GIVEAWAY RULES***

1.  Please leave a comment and/or question as well as a way to contact you (you do not need to be a follower to participate, but it is always nice for you to join)
2. For an extra entry(+1) Post about my Blogoversay with it's Button on your website (please leave a link)

3. This Giveaway is Open Internationally

4. The Giveaway ENDS on October 7, 2011

5. The winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hrs to respond, otherwise a new winner will be chosen

6. EBooks are provided by S. L. Pierce

Ilona Andrews: On the Edge

In the first book in a new series by Ilona Andrews, the reader enters the world of the edge, where the magic world and normal world meet and those who are able to live in both.

The Broken is the world where magic no longer exist, and is the regular world that most people know. They work and go to Walmart and never think that there is such thing as magic. The Wierd is where magic thrives and the area is controlled aristocrats who have the most powerful magical powers. And then there is the Edge, the are in between the two worlds, where the people who live on the edge can live in either area and are thought to be the lowest on the class scale on both sides. Rose lives on the edge and has had to protect her family ever sense she proved that she has very strong magic within her. Rose is used to protecting herself and family from blue bloods and fellow neighbors trying to make her into a brood mare, but something very dark has entered into the edge, something with very dark power that is looking for those who also have powerful magic. Old feuds and beliefs are going to be needed to set aside or the edge people are not going to survive, but Rose and her family are primary target and she is going to have to tap very deep into her power, if anyone is going to survive

I am HUGE Ilona Andrews fan. I absolutely love her Kate Daniels series, it is one of my favorites and I recommend it to everyone who enjoys the paranormal genre, so my expectations for this book may have been higher than normal for any other author.  Just based off this first book I prefer her Kate Daniels series as there is more action and it has the darker edge that I like. Even comparing it to other books within the paranormal genre this book did not have enough action for me and definitely went more with the paranormal romance side of things.Yes there are some dark moments and the bad guy within the book is creepy, but there was also something missing for me in the storyline and plot.

I think that Andrews has created an interesting world and dynamic between the Broken and the Weird, and I'm hoping in the next book that she explores it more. Though based upon some events in the first book I do wonder if she will head back in that direction. I also found it interesting that only the individuals who are born on the edge, with the exception of some blue bloods, are able to travel very easily through the border. These people serve a great purpose but seem to be the poorest in each domain. I really like this idea and I believe that it was well described and created by Andrews.  

I did like Rose as a character, for her love and protection of her family. She would put anything, including herself before she would let anything bad happen to her family. She also puts on a strong front so that her family will survive but you can tell that what she really wants is someone to share the burden with. I think that Andrews did a good job of making Rose a good mixture of hard and soft and had a believability in her character. Also Rose powers are very interesting and I'm excited to see how they will develop in the future. Her brothers too were also interesting characters, I think that Andrews did a good job of showing the interaction between the brother, their own powers and really boys will be boys, lol.

Although it is not my favorite debut of a new series, I am still intrigued as to what happens next to Rose and her family. I think that everyone who likes the paranormal genre should  read (needs to read) Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels series, but if you like your paranormal genre with a more romance aspect to it, then I think you will like Andrew's Edge series.

Enjoy!!!

If You Like This,

Check These Out Too:

     

Blogoversary Author Interview & Giveaway: Amanda Downum

Hi Everyone,

Today we have a great author as part of the Blogoversary event, who helped me start a new love with the fantasy genre and introduce me to a whole new side of Necromancy.

Please Welcome AMANDA DOWNUM to Blood Rose Books Today!

What is it about the Fantasy genre that appealed to you as a writer?

My mother read me a lot of fantasy when I was a kid--Tolkien, Lewis, Le Guin, L'engle. After that, there was pretty much no chance I would write anything else. 

What do you think would be the hardest or most challenging genre to write a novel in and why?

Mimetic fiction would be very difficult for me. I'm just not wired for it.

Do you a specific routine to get into writing mode or does it just come naturally to you?

My routine is to sit down with my laptop and wait until the Internet starts to bore me. Then I have no choice but to write. 

Your world building is fantastic within The Drowning City, it was very descriptive and appeared to pull elements from all over the world and history, did your travel help you create this world?

Certain memories and images I have of Micronesia were helpful when I was describing Symir, definitely. Travel tends to influence a lot of my writing, though it seems to come out more strongly in my short stories than the novels so far. 

Your descriptions of not only the world but what the environment of what was happening to and around the main characters involved all five senses, do you think this stems from your poetry background or somewhere else?

I don't have any background in poetry to speak of, besides obsessively rereading The Waste Land. Mostly I think that sensory descriptions are a great way to ground readers in a setting. I usually find fiction that doesn't use them flat and less engaging. 

Did you use any historical references when developing the revolutionary, assassin, spy and political aspects within the series?

Not any specific historical references, but I spent a lot of time reading Wikipedia. I also watched a lot of spy movies and read thrillers. 

What of Necromancy appealed to you that you wanted to have your books and main character based around it?

I first encountered the word necromancer in The Hobbit when I was a kid, and I've been intrigued ever since. I was also tired of necromancy being the default

Evil Magic in fantasy novels--it has such useful applications, especially in forensics. 

In the Drowning City, Isyllt is the main character; however, you have several chapters from the point of view of Xinai, why did you choose to change the point of view away from the main character?

I find a lot of single-POV books claustrophobic, and I don't think I could do a novel justice with only one POV character. There were plot points and insights and emotional resonance that Zhirin and Xinai could provide that Isyllt never could by herself. They were the ones deeply invested in what was happening; Isyllt was only doing a job. 

Are you able to share any information on upcoming works or events?

The third book, Kingdoms of Dust, will be out in March of 2012. It picks up shortly after The Bone Palace, but brings back several characters from The Drowning City. My next project will be something different, but I don't know what yet. 

What is one book on your shelf that you cannot wait to read (can either be a new book or an old favorite)?

I tore through A Dance With Dragons thanks to a plane trip. Now I'm back to reading a dozen books at once, which means it takes months to finish any of them. 

If you would like to find out more about Amanda's books you can check out my review of The Drowning City. Also you can visit her website Still So Strange. Amanda has also very Kindly donated 5 paperback copies of her debut novel The Drowning City as a giveaway so please see the rules below about how to enter. I would also like to thank Amanda once again for taking the time to participate in my Blogoversary.

***GIVEAWAY RULES***

1.  Please leave a comment and/or question as well as a way to contact you (you do not need to be a follower to participate, but it is always nice for you to join)
2. For an extra entry(+1) Post about my Blogoversay with it's Button on your website (please leave a link)

3. This Giveaway is Open Internationally

4. The Giveaway ENDS on October 7, 2011

5. The winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hrs to respond, otherwise a new winner will be chosen

6. The books have been provided by Publisher

Blogoversary Author Interview: Layton Green

Hi Everyone,

I am very happy to be starting off my Blogoversary with an awesome indie author, whose first two books had me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what will happen next. 

Please Welcome LAYTON GREEN to Blood Rose Books today!

You chose to write within the Thriller genre, do you think that this genre is one of the harder ones to break into because of author such as James Patterson and Jeffery Archer who have a very set fan base?

Well, my series is more of a cross-genre series dealing with two protagonists that investigate bizarre and pathological cults around the globe, and it encompasses the thriller, mystery/suspense, and religious/paranormal (in a subtle way) genres. I think that makes it harder to break into each genre individually, but perhaps also easier to carve out and establish a niche due to the uniqueness of the concept. 

What do you think makes your Dominic Grey Series unique within the thriller genre?

I think the cult angle makes them unique. Also, the first book, The Summoner, is more of a mystery with thriller elements, and the second, The Egyptian, is more of a thriller with mystery elements. I plan to continue keeping the books fresh and novel as the series moves forward, but they will all contain mystery/thriller/suspense elements. 

What do you think would be the hardest or most challenging genre to write a novel in and why?

I think science fiction would be extremely challenging. I think the best science fiction novels are incredibly inventive, and require a handle on literature, science, philosophy, and other disciplines, as well as a prescient ability to predict technological advances. I am not normally a science fiction fan, but some of the greats (H.G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Dan Simmons) have given us some of our best literature. 

As an indie author, it appears that you have had great success getting your novels out there. What is your secret?

I wish I had one. I work very hard on trying to write great novels and reaching out to fans, and I can only hope that will continue to pay off in the future. Oh, and I welcome Lady Luck with open arms. 

You are very well traveled (I will say that I am very jealous of the amount of traveling you have been able to accomplish), will Dominic Grey be visiting all the places you have had the privilege to visit? And do you think that by visiting so many places that you have been better able to draw on and from cultures all over the world?

Without a doubt, my travels have shaped my worldview and my novels. I have many plans for Dominic Grey’s future travel itinerary . . . . 

You know quite a bit of the Juju religion, what has been your experience with Juju and what inspired you about it to write your first novel as it as the feature aspect?

I always thought it would be interesting to research the history of Voodoo, and that led me to Juju, the study of which fascinated me. It seemed to fit well with the Zimbabwe setting, so I went with it for the first Dominic Grey novel. 

Did you start out with creating Dominic Grey first, or the idea of a story and Grey developed out of what was needed in the story.

I decided I want to combine a number of elements in a series (cult investigations, travel, Jujitsu, etc.), and it all just sort of came together. But I think I had the two characters (Grey and Viktor) in my head before I had the idea for The Summoner.

What is the appeal of religious cults to you? Which cult in the world (new or old) are you most intrigued by?

Tough question. Anything theological or supernatural has always interested me, from the history of religions to mythology (often intertwined with religion) to vampire flicks and ghost stories. If a book or movie has a religious or paranormal element, I am probably interested. Part of me loves to ponder the origin and nature of the universe, and part of me just loves a great story. I can’t say that one cult interests me above all others. 

Do you have any information on upcoming works or events that you are able to share?

The second novel in the Dominic Grey series was just released (August 2011), and the third will be released next year. There might be another surprise or two in the interim . . . as for events, please visit the website (www.laytongreen.com) or the Facebook page for information. I love visitors! 

What is one book on your shelf that you cannot wait to read (can either be a new or old favorite)?

I could reread The Magus by John Fowles ad nauseam, and I am looking very forward to reading Rock Paper Tiger, The Informationist and also The Magician King. 

I want to Thank Layton for agreeing to be part of my blogoversary and I really reccommend both of his Dominic Grey books, you can check out my reviews of The Summoner and The Egyption they are some great reads and you will not be disappointed.  Also check out Layton's website for more information, Thank You once again Layton.

Layton Green: The Egyptian

Available today, the sequel to Layton Green's Dominic Grey Series The Summoner, you will want to read the first book in the series The Summoner before you read this books as it explains how Grey became part of the private investigator business and the relationships that Grey has developed. 

In the Egyptian Green ventures into a cult that has been around since the rise of man who is on the search for eternal life and will stop at nothing to find it.

Dominic does not know what to make of his life after Africa. He was rebuffed by Nya, who he thought was the one person who understood him but now he finds himself in Manhattan, alone. However, Viktor has a job for Grey, a purpose that he hopes will help to take his mind off the past events that he is unable to forget. The job seems simple enough, though he is not getting too much information from his employed; find a test tube that has been stolen from his laboratories as it is the key to his research. Grey delves into the world to science cults and the need to search for eternal life. But what Grey does not know that this type of research cult has appeared in some form since the dawn of Man and that people throughout the centuries are willing to do anything to live forever, even if it means leaving bodies in their wake.

This book had me hooked from the opening chapter, with the reintroduction of Grey and with the mysterious happening within an Egyptian graveyard. I did not realize how much I missed reading about Grey till the book was in my hands, I needed to know more and know what was going to happen next. Green has a great ability to mold a great thriller novel with a touch of supernatural aspect, and make it feel that the supernatural aspect could be true. With lots of mystery, suspense and thrills, The Egyptian will not disappoint readers.

The one thing that really stands out about Green is his ability to create several well rounded and realistic characters within his books. He has his main characters but his secondary characters are also well developed. You feel like you not only get to know all the characters both the good guys and the bad guys, that you get more than one side of the story, which makes the twists and turns all that more interesting

I think that the partnership of Grey and Viktor is a great thing, they both have strengths and weaknesses that compliment each other. Though I do hope in future novel we get to see more of Viktor's fighting style just based off the sword like knife that he likes to carry. I liked that Green developed Grey's character further by showing the reader further aspects of his past and his struggle to come to terms with what happen in Africa and Nya and really what is his purpose in life and where is he going. I also enjoyed that we got to see Grey use more of his jujitsu training and it seems accurate from my sources about the abilities that Green portrays within the book. I just really like Grey as a character overall, everything I want as a main male character, tough, serious, able to fight with a touch of a sensitive side.

In the first one it was a little slow when the explaining of the Juju religious aspect. This book I did get a little lost in the biological aspect in the book. I understood most of it, but it has been a few years since I took a biology class, so at times it was a little overwhelming. However, I understand Green's need to explain the medical side of things, as it adds more context and importance to the product and just proves the research that he did. It did not take from my overall enjoyment of the book, just created that a little bit of a slow part.

If you are looking for a great read I recommend Green's Dominic Grey Series. It is well written, with well developed plot and character, with lost of action mystery and suspense that will keep you coming back for more. Green is a author to watch out for and to mark on your calender when his next book is going to come out. 

All I can say is I want more Dominic Grey.

Enjoy!!!

If You Like This,

Check These Out Too: