DANGEROUS CURRENTS by Katherine Knight

Fiction, Romantic Suspense (326 pages) heat level 4

5*****

Blurb: But her plans for a new—and quiet—life are quickly derailed when she makes a grisly discovery in the woods, and her screams bring the one person from her past she’d hoped to avoid. Dean Slater, the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart in high school, now lives in the beachfront community that was supposed to be her haven…and he’s just as hot as he was six years ago. With his rough background, Dean always knew he wasn’t good enough for the kind, intelligent beauty who claimed his heart, but somehow he’d believed their love was strong enough to survive anything—until the tragic night she turned her back on him when he needed her trust the most. Despite their painful history, Dean can’t resist the instinct to protect her, especially when it becomes apparent there’s a killer in their town. Their former chemistry soon reignites, but Malorie has long accepted that her dark family secret has destined her to a life alone. And when she uncovers evidence that makes her the killer’s target, a deadly confrontation threatens to destroy any possibility of a second chance.

Thoughts: I rarely read a book in one sitting anymore, especially one this long. It’s just too hard on my eyes. Then I pick up a book like this. Okay, I did take a break for meals and to sleep, but still… I just kept reading when I could. There is a lot going on in this book. Secrets from the past that haunt both the hero and heroine. Malorie has returned to the beachfront home owned by her father after six years in London. But the house is not the haven she was looking for. Instead, on her first day back, she finds a dead body in the woods and her screams bring the one person she had hoped never to see again. Dean, Malorie’s old boyfriend, comes running but he is not happy to see who screamed and why. The chemistry between the two of them is still there, but so many secrets keep them apart. And then there’s the killer. When Malorie discovers who it is, she knows she will be next.

There is a lot of conflict in this book. And hot love that will set you to fanning yourself. Beautifully done.

Recommendation: Recommended. 

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

July  8

Birthdays: Jean de La Fontaine (1621), R. Carlyle Buley (1893), J.F. Powers (1917), Elizabeth Kübler-Ross (1926), Shirley Ann Grau (1929), James Cross Giblin (1933), Raffi (1948), Anna Quindlen (1952), Alison McGhee (1960), Erin Morgenstern (1978), Alex van Tonder (1983),

R. Carlyle Buley won the 1951 Pulitzer Prize in History for “The Old Northwest: Pioneer Period 1815-1840”

Shirley Ann Grau won the 1965 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for “The Keepers of the House”

Quote: “I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.”
― Anna Quindlen

 “Write the book you want to read and the one your friends want to read. Because then even if it’s not published, it’s still rewarding for you.” – Alex van Tonder

Tip: When writing a back cover blurb, don’t go over about 200 words. Introduce main characters, their problem, and hint at danger or a question to entice reader.

Jumpstart: Write a scene completely in dialogue. Can you get across everything that needs to be shown without devolving into lecture?

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July 9

Birthdays: Ann Radcliffe (1764), Matthew Lewis (1775), Samuel Morison (1887), Barbara Cartland (1901), Arthur Walworth (1903), Mervyn Peake (1911), Oliver Sacks (1933), June Jordan (1936), Nancy Farmer (1941), Glen Cook (1944), Dean Koontz (1945), Thomas Ligotti (1953), Jamie Ford (1968),

Ann Radcliffe was considered the pioneer of the Gothic novel.

Samuel Morison (a Navy Rear Admiral) won two Pulitzer Prizes for his biographies of Christopher Columbus and John Paul Jones.

Barbara Cartland held the 1977 Guinness Book record for the most novels written in a year (23). Overall, she had published 723 novels.

Arthur Walworth won a Pulitzer Prize in Biography for “Woodrow Wilson” in 1959.

Quote: “Never leave a friend behind. Friends are all we have to get us through this life–and they are the only things from this world that we could hope to see in the next.”
― Dean Koontz, Fear Nothing

“Human beings can always be relied upon to exert, with vigor, their God-given right to be stupid. ” ― Dean Koontz

“The main advice I’ve given every beginning writer I’ve ever talked to is, ‘Do it’. You’ve got to stop talking about it and sit down and do it. Put your ass in front of a computer and do it.” – Glen Cook

Tip: Set up a system to track submissions, deadlines, marketing events, and more. Make the system easy enough to use but detailed enough so you know what’s happening when.

Jumpstart: Finish this: And so, I trudged off to work, my stomach roiling from…

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July 10

Birthdays: Marcel Proust (1871), Edmund Bentley (1875), Mary O’Hara (1885), John Wyndham (1903), Mildred Wirt Benson (1905), Martin Provensen (1916), Jean Kerr (1922), Alice Munro (1931), Julian May (1931), Dianne Ochiltree (1953), Candice F Ransom (1952), Seth Godin (1960), Karen Russell (1981),

Mildred Benson wrote under the pen name Carolyn Keene of “Nancy Drew” fame.

Martin Provensen won the 1984 Caldecott Medal for “The Glorious Fight”

Alice Munro won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Quote: Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ― Marcel Proust

“Someone will always ask ‘How long does it take you to write a novel?’ I hardly ever give them the real answer. ‘It depends,’ I will say. ‘A year. Sometimes three or four.’ The real answer, of course, is that it takes your entire life.” – James D. Houston

Tip: What is your brand? A brand is something that defines what you write. Stephen King’s brand is horror. Zane Grey’s was westerns. Nora Roberts is romance. When people see your name, what type of writing will they identify with you?

Jumpstart: Take two characters from different books and introduce them. What would happen if Tom Sawyer met the three musketeers? Or how would Nancy Drew deal with Sherlock Holmes? Would they solve the case together? Or fight each other?

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July 11

Birthdays: Thomas Bowdler (1754), Susan Bogert Warner (1819), E.B. White (1899), Cordwainer Smith (1913), Frederick Buechner (1926), Harold Bloom (1930), Bobbie Louise Hawkins (1930), Helen Cresswell (1934), Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (1938), Patricia Polacco (1944), Robert McCammon (1952), Amitav Ghosh (1956), Jhumpa Lahiri (1967), Min Jin Lee (1968), Kevin Powers (1980), Marie Lu (1984),

E.B. White is best known for “Charlotte’s Web” and “Stuart Little”, but he also co-wrote “Elements of Style” with William Strunk, Jr.

Frederick Buechner’s fictionalized biography of “Saint Godric of Finchale” was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 1981.

Jhumpa Lahiri won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his short story collection “Interpreter of Maladies”

Quote: “A library is a good place to go when you feel unhappy, for there, in a book, you may find encouragement and comfort. A library is a good place to go when you feel bewildered or undecided, for there, in a book, you may have your question answered. Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people – people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book.” [Letters of Note; Troy (MI, USA) Public Library, 1971]” ― E.B. White

Tip: Everybody has little quirks. What kind of quirks can you give your characters? Does he carry a good luck charm? Does she wear a purple silk teddy under her prim and proper business suit? Does he?

Jumpstart: Go through your high school yearbook and pick out two or three people and write about them now. What is the “class clown” doing? The “most likely to succeed”?

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July 12

Birthdays: Henry David Thoreau (1817), Johanna Spyri (1827), Pablo Neruda (1904), Donald Westlake (1933), Delia Ephron (1944), Elias Khoury (1948), Joan Bauer (1951), Adam Johnson (1967), Amanda Hocking (1984),

Johanna Spyri is best known for her book “Heidi”

Pablo Neruda won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971.

Adam Johnson won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Quote: “My grandma always said that God made libraries so that people didn’t have any excuse to be stupid.”― Joan Bauer, Rules of the Road

“When the going gets tough, the tough get a librarian.” ― Joan Bauer

 “My biggest word of advice to any new, future writers thinking about diving into self-publishing: Edit. I don’t care what you think, you didn’t edit enough. Some people won’t care that there’s errors, its true, but enough of them will. And they paid for it, so they have a right to. So edit more. And then again. Really….Self-publishing is great, but it’s not easy.” – Amanda Hocking

Tip: What is your tagline? This is similar to branding. Use as few words as possible to define your writing. For instance, a friend of mine uses: “Mystery, mirth, and mayhem” for her offbeat cozy mysteries. Another uses “Love with a shot of adrenaline” for her action/adventure romances. What is yours?

Jumpstart: Finish this: There she stood, at the door to the cabin, looking like… (write it first as a mystery/thriller, then as a romance, finally, as a comedy)

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July 13

Birthdays: John Clare (1793), Isaak Babel (1894), Marcia Brown (1918), Louis R. Harlan (1922), David Storey (1933), Wole Soyinka (1934), Monique Wittig (1935), Jane Hamilton (1957), Carolyn Mackler (1973),

Isaak Babel was a journalist, Russian translator, dramatist and more, but was arrested and executed during Stalin’s purges.

Marcia Brown has won the Caldecott Medal three times.

Louis Harlan won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography for “Booker T. Washington”

Wole Soyinka won the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Quote: “Books and all forms of writing are terror to those who wish to suppress truth.” ― Wole Soyinka, Selected Poems

“Write. Write what you love. Write what makes you excited — journal, stories, memoir, anything. Be honest. Don’t be shy about putting in whatever you want. You can always edit later. And then, once you’ve gotten some significant writing done, throw out, revise, start over.” – Carolyn Mackler

Tip: When making changes to a manuscript, keep a copy of the original in case you need to go back. And always back up everything.

Jumpstart: What are you afraid of? What makes you cringe and pull the covers up over your head? What will you not read or watch because of the way it makes you feel? Write these feelings down and use them for your character.

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July 14

Birthdays: Owen Wisler (1860), F.R. Leavis (1895), Irving Stone (1903), Natalia Ginzburg (1916), Leon Garfield (1921), Peggy Parish (1927), E.V. Thompson (1931), Pema Chodron (1936), Susan Howatch (1940), Christopher Priest (1943), Jeff Lindsay (1952), Laura Joffe Numeroff (1953), Joe Keenan (1958), Brian Selznick (1966), Ranj Dhaliwal (1976)

Peggy Parish is best known for your books about “Amelia Bedelia”

Owen Wisler is considered the father of the Western novel.

Laura Numeroff is best known for “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”

Brian Selznick won the 2008 Caldecott Medal for “The Invention of Hugo Cabret”

Quote: “A lot of people who don’t write for kids think it’s easy, because they think kids aren’t as smart as they are, or that you have to dumb down what you would normally write for kids. But I think you have to work harder when you write for kids, to make sure every word is right, that it’s there for the right reason.” – Brian Selznick

Tip: Plot is a series of events that make up a story. Think of it as a map that a driver follows from one point to another. There should be a sense of building. Check your scenes. Do they map out a logical route, or are there detours that lead to dead ends?

Jumpstart: We’ve all read directions that come with “some assembly required” projects. Most are terrible. Find something you’ve done and write a step-by-step manual on how to do it the right way.

PAR FOR THE HEARSE by Misty Simon

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, 231 pages, #6 in Tallie Graver Mystery series

Blurb: It’s time for the Graver Family Reunion and if the potato salad doesn’t kill you, the miniature golf course might…
This is Tallie’s first family reunion in years, and while she’s braced for just about anything to happen, including Aunt Marg running her down to snatch the last deviled egg from the spread on the picnic table, all she wants to do is enjoy the rides, eat all the food, and stay out of the way of some of her more chaotic relations. But after a day filled with fun and shenanigans, it turns upside down when she finds a dead body near her car and her tires slashed. Was someone out for revenge and included her just for the heck of it? She’s willing to let the police handle it until she realizes the perpetrator was stabbed with her brother’s knife. It’s another round of whodunnit and why as Tallie tries to work through the clues and keep everyone in line before anyone else gets hurt. But she might be in for the ride of her life this time.

Amazon

Check out my 5+Sparkler Review on the “Mysteries” page

About the Author:

Misty Simon always wanted to be a storyteller…preferably behind a Muppet. Animal was number one, followed closely by Sherlock Hemlock… Since that dream didn’t come true, she began writing stories to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time.

Touching people’s hearts and funny bones are two of her favorite things, and she hopes everyone at least snickers in the right places when reading her books. She lives with her husband in Central Pennsylvania where she is hard at work on her next novel or three. 

Goodreads

Website

Amazon

A CAT-ASTROPHIC NEIGHBORHOOD by Maryann Shanesy

Fiction, Cozy Mystery (235 pages)

3***

Blurb: Tarsey Quinston, her husband Steve, and their newly adopted cat move to the upscale community of Bluffington Hills, where the neighborhood isn’t as idyllic as they hoped. As the couple settles into their new home and meets their quirky neighbors, they encounter the angry property manager who patrols the neighborhood on a Segway, handing out trash can violations and disrupting the neighborhood yard sale. Tarsey quickly realizes that mystery overshadows the picturesque community. Tarsey finds out that the town seamstress died under suspicious circumstances, and her cat bore a striking resemblance to the one Tarsey has just taken in.Could this be the same cat that belonged to the seamstress, and what really happened to her? As the layers of perfection are peeled away and drama within the Homeowners Association causes uproar between the residents, the property manager and Tarsey’s cat suddenly go missing. Now desperate to find her beloved pet, Tarsey must solve the mystery of what happened to all three of them before there is a CATastrophic situation!

Thoughts: This was a cute cozy mystery that had interesting characters placed in a gated community. There’s a strange woman who rides around on a Segway yelling at everyone and fining them for the smallest infraction of the rules. And feuding neighbors—one who plays steel drums and the other who plays opera—loudly—to drown out the drums. Tarsey and Steve aren’t sure moving to this neighborhood was a good choice. But the best part is the cat who finds them and leads them to the killer.

The only problem I had with the story was the over abundance of fluff and repetition. There was one 3-page section that could have been summed up in one sentence. There’s actually quite a few places like this. But overall, this was a cute story with a satisfying ending.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

FLOP DEAD GORGEOUS by David Rosenfelt

Fiction, Mystery, #27 in series (272 pages)

4****

Blurb: Lights, camera, action in bestselling author David Rosenfelt’s Flop Dead Gorgeous, as Andy Carpenter goes bicoastal to prove an old friend’s innocence. Retired lawyer Andy Carpenter remembers every dog that’s come through the Tara Foundation’s doors, but the most well-known alum of the dog rescue organization that Andy founded in Paterson, New Jersey, may be Mamie. Adopted by famous actress Jenny Nichols—Andy’s high school girlfriend—the miniature French poodle is now practically a starlet in her own right. Andy doesn’t hold it against his friend. In fact, he and his wife, Laurie, have dinner with Jenny while she’s in town filming her next big hit. But after an eventful meal, there’s a plot twist the next morning that none of them see coming: Jenny’s costar is found dead, a knife in his back. It’s not long before Jenny is arrested for the murder and finds herself in need of Andy’s legal services. While Mamie becomes reacquainted with Tara, Andy’s golden retriever, Andy digs into the lives of the rich and famous.

Thoughts: This wasn’t your typical cozy mystery. Most of them have bakers or shopkeepers, or some other amateur sleuth who swoops in to solve the mystery. This one has a criminal defense lawyer and his team on the case in question. That doesn’t make it any less compelling. Especially with this particular lawyer. Andy is supposedly retired, married, and has a foundation to help find homes for dogs. A long time ago, in high school, he dated a girl who has become a famous movie star. And now she’s been accused of murder. While trying to convince everyone he meets that he once dated the gorgeous star.

What I liked: that the “sleuth” is something different than the norm. And that things don’t always go his way. He also has a team already in place—experts to help him. This is definitely not your typical cozy mystery. But it is still light enough to be one instead of a thriller mystery. Also, the dogs are a cute touch.

What I didn’t like: Nothing, really. It’s a good story with a satisfying ending.

Recommendation: For something a little different than the standard cozy, pick this one up.

Disclaimer: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY IN THE USA

KAT OUT OF THE BAG by Wendy Kendall

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, (344 pages)

4****

Blurb: When celebrated international purse designer, Katherine Watson, hosts a gala for her Purse-onality Museum, she never expected the next day’s headline to read: ‘Murder at the Gala Premiere.’ But after a dead body is found during the event, that’s exactly what happened. Working to solve the murder, Katherine matches wits with local cop Jason Holmes and his K-9 partner, Hobbs. Although Holmes and Watson disagree often, they discover an undeniable attraction building between them. But they’ll have to put their feelings on hold and focus on solving the murder, before Katherine becomes the killer’s next knock off.

Thoughts: Wow, talk about high fashion when it comes to purses. I had no idea there was so much to know about purses and their history. In this story, Katherine (Kat) Watson has opened a purse museum in the small town of Bayside, Washington. She usually splits her time between LA and NY, running her high fashion purse company. At the gala to celebrate the opening of the museum, her friend (who is the mayor of the town) is murdered. Katherine is pulled into the investigation—and a possible romantic interest with the K-9 officer, Jason Holmes.

The characters in the story are fascinating. Not only Katherine and Jason, but Jason’s partner  Hobbs (who only responds to German commands when working), and Katherine’s sleek cat Purrada. There is also MJ (MoonJava), Katherine’s mother who harkens back to a 60s hippie vibe. And a cast of other interesting characters back them up.

But it is the descriptions of purses and the reasons for carrying particular ones that was fascinating. I am in no way a fashionista. My idea of a good purse is usually a cheap tote bag of some sort that will hold all my “stuff.” I learned a lot about the history of them in this story. And not in a bad way. The descriptions were interesting and added a lot to the story.

Recommendation: This is a decent cozy mystery with a satisfying ending and a fascinating study in purses. Recommended.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Birthdays: Hermann Hesse (1877), Jean Craighead George (1919), Cyril M. Kornbluth (1923), Wislawa Szymborska (1923), Mark Billingham (1961), Jack Gantos (1951), Elizabeth Graver (1964), Darren Shan (1972), Matthew Reilly (1974), Tao Lin (1983)

Hermann Hesse won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his writings. Best known for his books “Steppenwolf” and “Siddhartha”

Jean George is best known for her work “My Side of the Mountain”

Wislawa Szymborska won the 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature for his poetry.

Jack Gantos is best known for creating the character of “Rotten Ralph”

Quote: “Someone once said anyone can be great under rosy circumstances, but the true test of character is measured by how well a person makes decisions during difficult times.”― Jack Gantos, Hole in My Life

“Unless someone has broken all your fingers there’s nothing stopping you writing. It won’t always be any good of course, but writers have good days and bad days, same as anyone else.” – Mark Billingham

Tip: Three act structure is the most common storytelling device. In Act I, the main character’s life is thrown out of whack. In Act II, he tries to solve the problem, but can’t. Act III, he uses knowledge gained in II and formulates a new plan.

Jumpstart: You have just learned that you are the heir to a kingdom – a very small one with rich resources but surrounded by larger, not so nice ones. Do you take the throne? Why or why not?

Birthdays: Johann Heidegger (1633), Gottfried Leibniz (1646), George Sand (1804), William Strunk (1869), James M. Cain (1892), Amber Reeves (1887), James Cain (1892), Jean Stafford (1915), Emily Arnold McCully (1939), Denis Johnson (1949), Lisa Scottoline (1955), Louise Penny (1958), Genevieve Valentine (1981), Blake Bailey (1963),

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz is thought to be one of the founders of library science.

William Strunk, Jr. was a grammarian best known for his book “The Elements of Style” which was revised by his student E.B. White.

Jean Stafford won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her “Collected Stories”

Lisa Scottoline’s book “Final Appeal” won the 1995 Edgar Award.

Quote: “I’ve read that one out of twenty-four people is a sociopath, and if you ask me, the other twenty-three of you should be worried.” ― Lisa Scottoline, Every Fifteen Minutes

“I love writing both fiction and memoir. Both have unique challenges; bottom line, fiction is hard because you have to come up with the credible, twisty plot, and memoir is hard because you have to say something true and profound, albeit in a funny way.” Lisa

Scottoline

Tip: Consider using a storyboard for your book. Set up a chart—either paper, computer or large piece of cardboard or whiteboard that you map out your scenes and chapters on. Sticky notes work well for this as you can move them around.

Jumpstart: Write a scene where two enemies are caught in a stuck elevator. What happens?

Birthdays: Winston Graham (1908), Czeslaw Milosz 1911), Harry Blackstone, Jr. (1934), Assia Djebar (1936), Jose Emilio Pacheco (1939), David McPhail (1940), Ahmed Sofa (1943), Daniel Goldhagen (1959), Adam Roberts (1965), Dinaw Megestu (1978),

Czeslaw Milosz won the 1980 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Quote: “Let’s try the library,’ I tell him. ‘We can find out anything there!” ― David McPhail

“Don’t think about how your characters sound, but how they see. Watch the world through their eyes – study the extraordinary and the mundane through their particular perspective. Walk around the block with them, stroll the rooms they live in, figure out what objects on the cluttered dining room table they would inevitably stare at the longest, and then learn why. Be generous to your characters: kill them, save them, break their hearts and then heal them. Stuff them with life, emotions, histories, objects and people they love, and once you’ve done that, once they are bursting at the seams, strip them bare. Find out what they look like—how they stand, talk move, when they have nothing left. Now put them back together, fill them once more with life, except now leave enough room for the reader to squeeze their own heart and imagination inside.” – Dinaw Megestu

Tip: In dialogue, try to avoid the “But as you know…” syndrome. If the reader should know it, then you should have had it in before this.

Jumpstart: Open any magazine to a picture and write a paragraph about what is happening or what is being advertised. You’re trying to describe this to someone who can’t see it. Be specific.