GOTTA READ!

How to Find Your Book Sales Numbers

2010-08-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND--I still get constant comments on this old blog post. Since it's hard to locate anymore, I'm reposting. Read it and rejoice or weep, your decision.

HOW TO FIND YOUR BOOK SALES NUMBERS WITHOUT MUGGING YOUR PUBLISHER

Contrary to popular conception, there is no fast path to fame and fortune as a novelist. Still, those of us on our way to best-seller status (we can all hope) would like to know if our latest opus is selling 100 copies a week.

Or no copies at all.

Those reading this blog who aren't authors, look at it this way: If you beating your brains out trying to boost sales, wouldn't you like to know if anyone even noticed? Those reading who are authors know exactly what I'm talking about. (You can send me $1000 for the tips below, because that's what you'd have to pay for this information otherwise.)

First, let's discuss why we can't simply email the book's publisher, or look on their website to find out how we're doing. No author can on a regular basis--no matter who their publisher might be--because publishers keep sales numbers more secure than they do their bank accounts.

There are several excellent reasons for this, however, and it’s helpful to know them.

A few years ago, Bookscan tracked sales of 1.2 million books in the United States. Of those 1.2 million, only 25,000 books sold more than 5,000 copies. Fewer than 500 sold more than 100,000 copies. Only 10 books sold more than a million copies each.

If you work through all the numbers, (I did and double-checked, so don't bother) you’ll discover something horrifying. The average new book in the United States sells about 500 copies. (Yep. Only 500. Time to stop reading if you're an aspiring author and have a weak stomach.)

You can understand from this why small publishers keep the numbers private. Most have such low sales numbers they don’t like posting them publicly. Others simply feel that tracking and reporting numbers takes them away from the fifteen other jobs they're maintaining to finance their "We're gonna be Doubleday someday" addiction. In the meantime, the big guys don’t like to admit that they're not doing much better. (And spending a lot more money.)

If they’ve got a recent best-seller, they're happy to brag. Otherwise, mum's the word.

The bottom line: the entire book industry treats sales information as proprietary; something they can sell or bargain with.

You can't blame them, or...maybe you can, but it won't do you any good. So what’s the hapless author to do?

Well, you could sign up for Neilson Bookscan, which gets reports from the majority of retail outlets. On a yearly basis, that would set you back around $1000 per title. Like I said in the beginning of this article, if you 've got that kind of money, send it to me. I can use it.

ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF FREE ADVICE

Fortunately, there are several fast, free ways to get immediate information on your book(s) sales—without having to mug your publisher.

The easiest method is to call Ingram directly. (Assuming that Ingram wholesales or distributes your book.) The number is: 800-937-8000. Pick option "4" when prompted, then dial ext.#36803. When given the chance, dial your book's ISBN number.

An automated service will tell you how many books of yours are in their warehouses and how many have been shipped.

Remember that this number only represents the books that went through Ingram, which typically shows how many books you have sold to bookstores. Books bought directly through LSI probably wouldn't show up in these numbers.

Many authors compulsively check their sales ranking on Amazon, which is a waste of time. In case you haven't figured this out yet, you can’t determine anything from a single rank under the new system at Amazon, and even their old system wasn’t that accurate. What you want is your long-term rank/average. A new software (free because it’s in beta) will allow you to track your long-term average on Amazon. It’s simple to set up and easy to use.

Surf on over to http://www.titlez.com/ if you want to give it a try. (Consider all the typical warnings on using beta software issued. And if your computer crashes after loading it, please don't tell me. Mine did fine.)

One thing that all authors should know is how the book industry defines a "bestseller.” Bestsellers in mainstream categories are up for grabs. The number of sales per week required varies with the season and competition. Even worse, if the book is in an unusual niche, it could be declared a bestseller simply because it has no competition. A recent publisher declared their book about organic food for pets a bestseller before it was even printed. (I made that up.)

If anyone uses these tips, please be sure to check out my new website at www.cherylswanson.net and at least leave me a nice comment. (Buy my latest thriller, Death Game, and help my sales numbers! Please!)

Otherwise, Cooper O'Brien, my sassy heroine in Death Game, has a good Irish curse for you:

May the curse of Mary Malone and her nine blind illegitimate children chase you so far over the hills of Damnation that the Lord himself can't find you with a telescope.

Oh, yeah.

And may you lose $1000 tomorrow.

Cancer patient loses insurance over 1 cent

2010-07-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

A new item I wish I could have put in Busting Loose:

Cancer patient loses insurance over 1 cent

It's not the first time someone has lost coverage because they underpaid by a penny. And it likely won't be the last.
Posted by Karen Datko on Thursday, July 8, 2010 2:10 PM
Jobless and undergoing chemotherapy, a Colorado leukemia patient learned that she no longer had health insurance because she underpaid the premium by a penny.

The story of La Rosa Carrington, 52, was relayed by the Colorado Springs Gazette. What's even more remarkable is, this isn't the first time an insurance company or benefits administrator has dropped coverage over a lousy cent.

Free help for Breast Cancer Patients--from Busting Loose

2010-01-16T18:54:00.000-08:00

http://www.cherylswanson.net/

American Cancer Society

National Home Office

1599 Clifton Road, NE

Atlanta, GA 30329

Tel: 800-ACS-2345

http://www.cancer.org/

Offers excellent information on alternative/complementary medicine. Free one-on-one counseling after surgery.

AVON Breast Cancer Crusade

505 Eighth Avenue, 16th Floor

New York, NY 10018

Tel: 212-244-5368

www.avonbreastcare.org

Provides help finding free or low-cost mammograms

Breast Cancer Fund

8 Sutter Street, Suite 400

San Francisco, CA 94109-5400

(866) 760-8223

www.breastcancerfund.org

National non-profit focuses on identifying and eliminating environmental links to breast cancer.

Cancer Care

Tel: 800-813-4673

http://www.cancercare.org/

Will help locate groups aiding patients with costs of cancer care

Centers for Medicare

Tel: 800-633-4227

http://www.cms.gov/

Information on Medicare programs and toll-free numbers for each state’s Medicaid agency.

FINDCANCEREXPERTS.COM

Academic Oncology Resources

PMB 340 1140 Rockville Pike

Rockville, Maryland 20852

www.findcancerexperts.com

Assistance in getting a free second opinion on pathology

Hill-Burton Free Care Program

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

600 Fishers Lane, Rome 10 C-16

Rockville, MD 20857

Tel: 800-638-0742

Help with finding free or low-cost care at a Hill-Burton care center

National Breast Cancer Coalition

1101 17th Street, NW, Suite 1300

Washington, D.C. 20036

800-622-2388

natlbcc.org

If you wish to help other patients, this site has excellent information on getting involved in community breast cancer advocacy.

National Library of Medicine

Building, 38A Room 8 N805

Tel: (888) 346-3656

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/

Assistance in finding clinical trials.

Patient Travel c/o Mercy Medical Airlift

4620 Haygood Road, Suite 1

Virginia Beach, VA 23455

Tel: 888-675-1405

http://www.patienttravel.org/

Long distance assistance with travel.

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

1100 Fifteenth Street, NW

Washington, DC 20005

Tel: 202-835-3400

http://www.phrma.org/

Free medicine.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 250

Dallas, TX 75244

972-855-1600

Helpline 800-I’M AWARE

http://www.komen.org/

Sponsors the Komen Race for the Cure, largest grassroots organization of survivors and activists.

SPECIAL HOLIDAY OFFER ON BUSTING LOOSE

2009-12-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

http://www.cherylswanson.net/Aloha readers,

I'm excited to tell you! My latest book, Busting Loose: Cancer Survivors Tell You What Your Doctor Won't is available for $15.00 through the website: www.cherylswanson.net

Books can be gift-wrapped and mailed anywhere in the United States. (International shipping is also available.)

Cancer touches every life. If you have a friend or family member who is fearful about breast cancer, or recently diagnosed, this is the perfect gift.

Aloha and mahalo,

Cheryl Swanson

READ BUSTING LOOSE ONLINE--FIRST CHAPTER

2009-10-29T13:17:00.001-07:00

Busting Loose: Cancer Survivors Tell You What Your Doctor Won't

I don't believe in accidents. --Oprah Winfrey

2009-10-16T15:16:00.000-07:00

If you have an interest in how women diagnosed with a devastating disease actually cope, Cheryl Swanson's latest book: Busting Loose, Cancer Survivors Tell You What Your Doctor Won't will blow your socks off. Rather than review it at this point, we're reprinting the introduction below:

Introduction

I don’t believe in accidents. -Oprah Winfrey

On August 23, 2003, the day I turned fifty years old, I found a lump in my breast that turned out to be breast cancer. There was a feeling like—my God, how ironic is this? As a woman, you can’t approach the half-century milestone without being a little wistful. But I was turning fifty with a vengeance. I was in the throes of closing the public speaking business I’d owned for a decade, moving to a rural community in Hawaii and writing my first novel.

Something much more important was also at stake. My husband and I were in the final stages of adopting a little girl from Guatemala.

Any cancer diagnosis is dramatic, but timing made mine more dramatic than most. Suddenly, there was a hellish hole gaping in front of me. Could I hold fast to my dreams in spite of the diagnosis? Would I have the energy to drag myself out of bed, much last manage being a mother and doing some artistic work as well? Remember that John Lennon quote: How can I go forward when I don’t know which way I’m facing?

Close my eyes, six years roll away. I hear the voices of those who thought they knew which way I was facing. My breast surgeon told to pull the plug on the adoption process. Another advisor insisted something called the “chemo brain” would keep me from completing (much less selling) a first novel. A good friend worried that I might expire of loneliness if I gave up my career and moved to a rural community. My accountant told me I couldn’t afford it.

There is no getting around it—a cancer diagnosis causes a thousand deaths to hopes. Women are told they shouldn’t give birth to a child, at least not for a half-decade. They are told they won’t have the energy to keep working a full schedule and absolutely should not change careers while undergoing treatment. They are told that they can’t or shouldn’t adopt, that they should stay with a job they hate—because they might lose their health insurance. They are even told they should stay in a terrible marriage—because otherwise who will take care of them?

And to all of that, I say—Pshaw.

Women can and do take these risks, right after a cancer diagnosis. They hold fast to their dreams against the winds of pain, and use the fragile strength of hope to sustain themselves. They do it because they must do it. Because make no mistake—if we listen to the prohibitions of the nay-sayers and ignore what our heart is telling us—we are putting our very lives at risk.

I don’t want to scare you, but our world, including most of our health care professionals, doesn’t “get” cancer. Prevalent in our times is the shallow and naïve idea that a breast cancer diagnosis is such a calamity that the patient must be urged to hang up the phone on her hopes and dreams. Every day, using the weight and authority of the profession, doctors urge recently diagnosed women to put their life on hold, without any idea of what that might set in motion. Unknowingly, these doctors sometimes send these women along the road to self-destruction. Women who face a cancer diagnosis are in for the fight of their lives and they need a future to fight for, not another reason for despair.

Otherwise? They just might give up.

As each decade passes, we have more tools to combat breast cancer. But is it me? Or do we also seem to have less courage. Since my diagnosis, I have come to believe that the killing of dreams and hopes is the real tragedy of breast cancer in our time. Survival rates from breast cancer have continued to improve. Most women diagnosed with the disease in the next decade will find that their health snaps back to normal surprisingly quickly. Yes, there will be difficult times during treatment and dark days, plenty of them. But in the end, most will ride over the entire crisis like a beach ball on water.

But what about those women who are convinced to alter a cherished plan because of a perceived calamity? In that case, their life will be turned upside down. Their aspirations, hopes and dreams will fall out of their pockets and smash. That is why I believe that those in the “helping professions” who tell patients that there can’t be anything mysterious and uniquely transforming in being extremely ill need to make a noose out of their negativity and hang themselves with it.

Have I shocked you? I don’t mean to, but what cancer taught me is shocking—and it can’t be sugar-coated. There are many excellent breast cancer survivor guides available these days, but Busting Loose from Breast Cancer comes from a different place. While there are many useful books that help women “survive” cancer; Busting Loose from Breast Cancer is designed to help you use an initially frightening diagnosis to liberate yourself. My premise is that breast cancer is not the end of the road, it’s the gift of another beginning. A beginning based on going after what you really want out of life, and damn the consequences.

I agree with Oprah Winfrey. I don’t think there are any accidents. In my case, breast cancer was a clear thread running through everything I’d ever done and been. Because I did not listen to my doctors and advisors, because I allowed myself to believe the disease had a purpose, to teach me, finally, to follow my heart, the year I received my cancer diagnosis was the greatest year of my life.

Don’t get me wrong. It was a ferocious jolt. So ferocious, that there are times when the fear of cancer recurring boomerangs me into an emotional black hole. The struggle is ongoing for all of us. Some women get off easier than others, but in one way or another, no cancer patient entirely escapes the rough waters that lie ahead.

I’m not advocating being reckless—much the opposite. The disease requires each of us to take full responsibility for every moment of our lives, however things turn out. What I’m advocating is recognizing that nobody rescues us from the disease, instead we must rescue ourselves. The problem with “being passive” in the face of peril is that it cuts us off from our ability to act positively.

Many women are still being programmed to be what Virginia Wolf called the “Angel in the House.” From childhood, societal strictures teach females to be “good girls”—to speak in soft, sanitized words and display emotionally restrained, decorous behavior. Before cancer, these women didn’t actually know how to fight; hence they are hamstrung in the most important battle they will ever face.

What I joyously discovered through my own cancer experience was a different model for how women can go through a terrible disease. The women whose stories I tell in Busting Loose from Breast Cancer found that the experience of cancer helped them rediscover and reclaim the fiery wild woman inside. I’m talking about that fiercely alive and ageless “bad girl,” who exists in each of us in some unknowable combination of thought, feeling, physicality, and spirit. Even the most culturally repressed woman has a powerful alter ego inside that the disease gives shape to—like a genie released from a bottle.

Somewhere in the midst of surgery or treatment or chemotherapy, your own genie is going to claw her way out of your core. And there’s no putting her back in the bottle once she’s free. But that’s a good thing, even a great thing; because she’s going to help you sing your song and live your life for the rest of your days. The person you were before cancer? She suffered from an overload of personal anxiety and cultural repression. Frankly, she wasn’t having as much fun as she could have had.

But she’s about to do something huge: survive a devastating disease. Dealing with cancer is going to take her to a new level—where she’s much more frank and able to face things that most women are too fearful or embarrassed to talk about.

So brace yourself. Breast cancer is a roller coaster ride the likes of which you’ve never experienced in your life. A trip full of cries, aches, pains, but also love and heart-felt laughs. I’m going to describe what’s ahead and I promise to tell it like it is. Sometimes I’ll make you laugh and sometimes I’ll scare the bejesus out of you, because I think it’s in your best interest to know the whole realm of strange things that might happen.

Bottom line: How do women find within themselves the necessary stamina to conquer their fear? How do they bust loose of the physical, spiritual and emotional grip of breast cancer? Here’s the answer and I hope it doesn’t stop your blood. We do it by throwing away the repressed “good girl” and all of her hang-ups. We do it by releasing our inner selves for battle. All of our inner selves—the bitch and the angel, the funny and the sad, the dark and the light.

It’s time to steel your nerves and summon your cool and anger and faith. Because the wild woman inside is about to bust loose and the moment she does, you will find yourself strong enough for any fight. From that moment on, we have not just survived, we have triumphed.

Here we go. Hang on tight.

It’s time to BUST LOOSE.

The book's not out yet--but should be available any day now from Amazon.We'll keep you posted.

Agatha Christie Rises From the Grave in Death on Delivery

2007-05-15T15:39:00.001-07:00

Hannah Claire, a grannie-from-hell detective, is at the heart of Anne K. Edwards' terrific mystery, Death on Delivery, and if you don’t love Hannah, you don’t have a heart. First, a disclaimer. As a fellow mystery author who likes violence, sex and 300-mph-action, I don’t like modern “cozies.” I find them unbearably unrealistic and so sweet they set my teeth on edge.

But Death on Delivery isn't really a cozy. Instead, it hearkens back to the good old days when Agatha Christie’s freakish imagination and gentle wryness were lighting up the British book scene. Edwards’ story is not saccharine; it is black, psychologically astute comedy. Death on Delivery is the type of book you don’t read so much because you believe what is happening, but because of the author’s dead-on understanding of human nature.

The story begins when greedy Jania Yewbanks gets her death “ordered up and delivered,” by her disgustingly self-righteous husband. Rid of a nasty woman whose death is “delivered” in a way that lets him off the hook, the husband figures he’s now on easy street.

But Hannah is on the case—and it’s pretty clear from the start that Hannah always gets her man. No spoilers in this review, you’ll have to read the book for yourself. But a number of entertaining sub-plots intertwine which keeps the surprises coming. The story finishes strong—with Hannah Claire proving she sleuth with the best out there in detectivedom.

Like Agatha Christie once did, Edwards takes a lot of chances with Death on Delivery, such as letting readers in on whodunit on the second page. The next 300 pages are crowded with outcasts—eccentrics, lovelorn old maids, criminals, scoundrels –you’ll recognize your entire family before it’s done.

The best part is that Edwards’ wit and wisdom helps us laugh at those who drive us nuts on a daily basis. A convenient catharsis for those days when (tell the truth, now) we all are wondering how we could order up our own: Death on Delivery.

Like Fantasy with a Japanese Flair? Here's a good new author...

2007-04-09T20:31:00.000-07:00

Gloria Oliver is the author of “In the Service of Samurai” and “Vassal of El”, both fantasy novels. To find out more please visit www.gloriaoliver.com

Published Works
In the Service of Samurai - YA/Adult Japanese Fantasy

Short Excerpt:

“I have seen with my own eyes the dead can haunt the living.” Toshi carefully removed Asaka’s wakizashi from its sheath. “I swear to you, if you do not accept what I have brought and restore the honor due to the Asaka clan, I will commit seppuku right here and now and haunt you with my spirit the rest of your life.” He didn’t wait for Asano’s reaction, but instead focused his gaze on the naked blade before him. He wasn’t samurai, but he would come back. He would give the ultimate protest by ending his life and then force his spirit to return to perpetuate it for eternity if need be. What Asano was doing was wrong. And he wasn’t about to allow all he and the others had gone through to be in vain. He would haunt Asano and those of his line until justice was served!
Laying the blade on the floor before him, he parted his kimono until his stomach lay exposed. He tucked his sleeves beneath his legs to hold him upright if he should falter. Ignoring Asano, he took up the blade. His shoulder flared with pain and he tried not to flinch, as he grabbed the blade with both hands. He turned the wakizashi until its sharp point was aimed at his belly, the residence of his soul.
Closing his eyes, he calmly begged the Great Buddha not to allow him to be taken to his next life. Quickly, he tried composing a short death poem as he’d heard samurai often did, but nothing he came up with satisfied him. Instead, he pictured in his mind the way he had dreamed Asaka and Miko would have appeared in real life. He let Himiko’s young face drift above theirs and was again sorry she and Miko would never meet.
Slowly, he stretched out his arms and tensed, his eyes still closed. With a sharp intake of breath, he pulled them in to plunge the blade into his stomach.

General Info and Sample Chapters - www.gloriaoliver.com/samurai.html
Reviews - www.gloriaoliver.com/reviews.html
Published: 2002 from Zumaya Publications (www.zumayapublications.com )
ISBN : 1-894869-67-2

Death Game, Cheryl Swanson At Green Apple Bookstore, San Francisco

2007-04-06T23:10:00.000-07:00

Death Game, by debut novelist Cheryl Swanson is being featured at Green Apple Book Store this month. Death Game was published by Zumaya Publications and introduces a hard-boiled, Irish Catholic female sleuth who lives in the Richmond District of San Francisco.

Cooper O’Brien spends her evenings prowling the area’s pubs and walking streets humming with Russian and Cantonese speakers. Her father is a counter-espionage agent and Cooper is pulled into her father’s shadowy world when her troubled teenage brother is targeted in a terrorist plot.

The waves of immigrants, not to mention a plethora of establishments serving food from every corner of the world, made the Richmond and Sunset an appealing setting for the novel, according to Cheryl Swanson. Not to mention the notorious fog, booming foghorns and marine breezes. Swanson said she found the area fascinating and exhilarating when she worked in it for several years.

Cheryl Swanson now lives in Kauai, but she visits often. “When I come, I take my five-year-old daughter to the Camera Obscura and hiking in Lincoln Park,” she said. Along the portion of the Coastal Trail that runs about six miles along the bluff above the sea she did research for her plot, sitting and watching traffic come under the bridge.

According to ForeWord Magazine, the leading reviewer of academic and independent press books, “Death Game is a sharp, fast-paced mystery.” ForeWord reviewer Maryann Miller said: “In this debut novel, the author weaves an intricate story with fine characterization and plenty of surprises. The pace is relentless and the language vivid.”

Many writers frequent the Richmond District, including best-selling author Amy Tam. Even though she uses Chinatown as the setting in her five novels, including The Joy Luck Club, she said in an article in the Charlotte Observer on January 28, 2007, “There's a cooler, lesser-known part of town where the newest immigrants from China, Vietnam and Russia have settled.” You guessed it. In the Richmond District, particularly around Clement Street.

Death Game
Cheryl Swanson
306 pages
Zumaya Publications
Softcover $14.99
978-1-55410-325-6
PDF and HTML $6.99
978-1-55410-326-3

M.D. Benoit's Virtual Book Tour

2007-03-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

From 28 March to 11 April, M. D. Benoit will be going on a virtual book tour to promote her upcoming alternate reality novel, Synergy. During that period, ten people will host her on their blog for one day. There will be discussions on the book, Synergy, its themes, characters, interviews with the author, reviews of the book, etc.

Every day, on her own blog, Life’s Weirder than Fiction (http://mdbenoit.com/blog), she will announce where she will be that day, as well as talk a bit about her host.

Synergy’s Virtual Book Tour will culminate with a Virtual Book Launch, on 15-16 April (http://mdbenoit.com/synergy). M. D. can be contacted at mdbenoit (at) gmail (dot) com.

Review of Meter Made by M.D. Benoit

2007-03-23T00:06:00.000-07:00

Meter Made by M.D. Benoit
Zumaya Publicationswww.zumayapublications.com
ISBN: 1-55410-302-9
Copyright 2005
Trade paperback, 256 pages,
$12.99 Science Fiction Mystery
Reviewed by Mayra Calvani

A kick-ass detective, a world where people and buildings are disappearing, universes within universes, cloning, and multiple dimensions are some of the elements in Meter Made that will keep you turning those pages till the end.

The novel begins with an intriguing scenario when Jack Meter receives an unusual request—to find a building which has simply vanished into thin air. Soon a beautiful yet cunningly deceiving agent from the Intergalactic Agency joins him in the investigation. As they ‘travel’ from one universe to another and escape from bounty hunters, it becomes clear the problem isn’t really about a lost building. Something incalculably higher is at stake, something that may destroy their own universe, and it’s up to Jack to prevent it. But will he—when he’s surrounded by people he can’t trust, unjustly suspected of multiple murders, almost fried by acid, and followed by vicious killers—one of them his own clone?

If you enjoy science fiction, mysteries, and physics theories about multiple dimensions, this is the book for you. The protagonist, Detective Jack Meter, is utterly sympathetic and has a sharp, witty tongue. The plot is intriguing and moves at a quick pace. Talented author M.D. Benoit utilizes quick, sharp dialogue to propel the story, which has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing for the culprits. The science behind the premise of the story is fascinating and they way Benoit moves her characters from one strange world to the other believable.

Meter Made is the second book in the series. Though the book stands well on its own, I’d recommend reading Metered Space first, if only to more fully understand past references in the story.

Review of Embraced by The Shadows

2007-03-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

Embraced By The Shadows, a Dark Fantasy novel by Mayra Calvani, reviewed by J. C. Hall

Fresh out of college, Alana has just landed her first job—restaurant manager at La Cueva del Vampiro, a new nightclub that everyone’s talking about in the city of San Juan in her native Puerto Rica. But what’s a Philosophy major back home from Boston University doing playing dress-up in a nightclub for horror aficionados? Well, Alana has always had a penchant for the paranormal ever since she was a child.
But now that opening night beckons, Alana feels wretchedly nervous. For some time now, she has been plagued by disturbing dreams, dreams so sensual and intimate that she’s been unable to share them even with Valeria, her life-long best friend, her ‘twin soul’. The two attractive young women have been close since childhood, but as soon as Alana meets the enigmatic Sadash, a rift comes between them.
As Alana falls under the spell of Sadash, she begins to understand the terrible bond that already exists between them. Yet it is not something that she can, or even wish to, deny. Amid tumultuous changes, Alana becomes convinced that her mother’s tragic early death was not an accident. But who, then, was responsible? Sadash hints at the truth and urges her to discover the killer, with horrific consequences.
The characterization in Embraced By The Shadows is excellent, with the characters of Alana and Valeria both well-developed and the interaction between them utterly believable. Sadash is as suave and dashing as his name suggests. His character is infused with an unwavering intensity and a level-headedness that make him come to…ahem…life. (Immortals do not die, but you have to die to become immortal—such is the contradiction that is Sadash.)
The night-scenes in San Juan, with the busy streets, the night-clubs and restaurants patronized by the young, rich and beautiful, are vividly described. I particularly enjoyed the passages that word-paint the balmy Puerto Rican nights. Here’s one that’s particularly enchanting:
The air was cool and heavy with the perfume of moist soil and green leaves, and the shrill melody of insects and coquies was overwhelming. A waterfall hummed in the distance, its sound echoing across the mountain. In the distance she saw the peaked slate top of the Spanish tower, a huge mystical silhouette projecting out of the dense back foliage.
Alana looked up at the sky. Black velvet, a clear shimmering carpet laced with diamonds. There it was in all its splendor—Sirius…
In sum, Embraced By The Shadows is a fresh addition to the dark fantasy genre, mixing modern-day Puerto Rican life with a dose of vampire lore. Author Mayra Calvani has created very true-to-life characters interacting fantastically in a sultry island setting. Embraced By The Shadows will appeal to fans of dark fantasy, and vampire aficionados in particular. A blood-chilling, spell-binding read.
Reviewed by J. C. Hall
www.jc-hall.com

J.C. Hall

2007-03-06T19:21:00.000-08:00

J.C. Hall is a Canadian author currently writing in the fantasy genre. Her published novels include Legends of the Serai and Lady of the Lakes. Lady of the Lakes is the first novel in the Silver Lakes trilogy and is being re-released by Zumaya Otherworlds, the SF/F imprint of Zumaya Publications. The sequel to Lady of the Lakes—The House of Caerne—will be released later this year.

J.C.’s poems have appeared in various fantasy magazines. Her non-fiction writing includes book and movie reviews as well as travel articles. Excerpts from her novels, poems and reviews can be accessed from her website: www.jc-hall.com.

Born in Hong Kong and educated in England, J.C. lived and worked in Vancouver, Canada for ten years before moving to Toronto where she now lives with her husband, Andy. When she’s not writing, J.C. can usually be found reading, training for middle-distance races, or transcribing printed books into audio-CDs for the blind, though not all at the same time.

2007-02-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

Want a GREAT New Read in a
Best-selling e-book? (Or in six e-books!)
Win this contest!

1) Starting on March 4th, the author of each of the books above will excerpt a small section and ask for a comment. (The excerpt and chance to participate will be on our sister blog: "Writing Confessions of Ten Mad Authors.)

2. A winner will be picked from among those entering each day and all winners will be announced at the end of the week.

March 4th - 10th is READ AN EBOOK WEEK.

E-books are the fastest growing segment of the publishing world; don't miss out on your chance to find an absolutely fabulous new author and a fun new way to read!

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Review of Ghostly Tales in America's Jails

2007-02-19T15:23:00.000-08:00

Ghostly Tales from America’s Jails (Review excerpted from Writing Confessions of 10 Mad Authors Blog)
Edited by Joan Upton Hall
Atriad Press LLC
ISBN: 1-933177-09-8
Trade Paperback, 240 pages, $15.00
Non-fiction Anthology/Paranormal
Available at Amazon

Reviewed by Mayra Calvani

Are you intrigued by true ghost stories? Author Joan Upton Hall has put together a collection of spooky tales that will be thoroughly enjoyed by fans of the paranormal, especially by those readers with a particular interest in old jails and prisons.

The stories, forty in all, take place in different times and locations across the United States, bringing in the flavor of each individual setting–from an old Salem Witch Jail from the 1600’s to a Charleston Civil War prison for pirates to a modern state penitentiary in the Wild West. These haunting stories written by a versatile group of authors from various backgrounds, appeal to the reader’s imagination and capture the dark mood of these jails, bringing to life the misery and violence that once took place there. The fact that many of the jails and prisons are now restaurants, inns, offices, shops and museums is interesting.

The chapters are arranged in chronological order from the oldest to the newest haunting, and each story is accompanied by an author photo and bio. Some of the authors are host hunters, psychics, and correctional officers.

How do investigators of the paranormal seek verification? What are their methods? How do they classify and study hauntings? What type of people encounter ghosts? Is there a pattern? Is this something that happens to believers—who may be easily influenced—or to skeptics as well?

If you’re a ghost hunter, the book includes addresses and contact information of the institutions, that is—as the editor notes—“if you dare.” Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, this is an intriguing book that will tickle your sense of wonder and offer some spooky excitement on those long rainy evenings.

*****

Rebel Nation by Christopher Stires (Review by Gloria Oliver)

2007-02-18T22:32:00.000-08:00

Premise: Alternate Earth where the South succeeded with their ploy to separate from the Union and become their own country.

Now in the present, as the Confederate States deals with a turbulent time of political change andpossible brighter future for their minorities, news reporter McKenna Alexander must deal with the fact her ex-husband is rumored to have been theone who put the 5 million dollar hit on a recently released rights activist.

Would even Cullen sink to such depths, or does someone else have an agendaand is just using him?

Review: Totally fascinating. If you've ever even considered reading alternate history, this book is for you! Wonderful attention to detail and world building. Great suspense, awesome prose, and plenty of hair raising excitement to boot! Characters are well developed from all sides, with plenty of insights for a nice 360 degree view. Intrigue, love, murder, hate, misguided manipulations, sacrifice, this one has it all!

Gloria Oliver www.gloriaoliver.com Unveiling the Fantastic

Synopsis of Embraced by the Shadows by Mayra Calvani

2007-02-07T12:54:00.000-08:00

Number One Fictionwise Bestseller under Dark Fantasy for 3 weeks. Number One Bestseller ebook at Twilight Times Books for 8 months

Drawn inexplicably to the mystical and supernatural, Alana takes the hostess job for a new restaurant and nightclub, La Cueva del Vampiro. But soon after she starts the new job, Alana is plagued with dreams of dark sensuality, dreams that take on shattering reality when she meets the stunningly handsome, charismatic Sadash.

For Sadash is the man she saw in the shadows so many years before…and Sadash isn’t human….

“On the surface, [Embraced by the Shadows] appears like many recent vampire romance novels. However, Alana lifts the novel high above the current level of similar books because readers feel he protagonist’s inner torment between a love that borders on obsession and a past that she obsesses over. Sadash is somewhat more typical of the sub-genre though his human like conscience brought about by his love for Alana will surprise readers yet feels true to his character. Even with the threat to their existence as a couple taking a back seat to the love story, sub-genre fans will fully hunger for more dark supernatural romances from Mayra Calvani.”

–Harriet Klausner, Blether Book Review

In Service of the Samurai by Gloria Oliver

2007-01-25T22:40:00.000-08:00

Buy the Book at: http://tinyurl.com/fk8am

Washington Science Fiction Journal - Colleen R Cahill

Oliver has created a work of atmosphere, adventure and fun. I recommend you start your quest for a copy today.

This is a magical, unique novel which deserves wide recognition.
Crystal Reviews, Vivianne Crystal

I highly recommend you go out and get it and be prepared to enjoy a trip to Medieval Japan. Timeless Tales, Jameela

REVIEW BY CHERYL SWANSON

In a medieval Japanese village, a powerful samurai kidnaps a fifteen-year-old mapmaker. The hapless young boy, Chizuson

Toshiro, is thereby thrust into a world honeycombed with riddles and undergirded with darkness. Virtually everyone Toshi meets for the next 300 pages of this novel is a ghost.

In Service of the Samurai is a neatly spun fantasy in which a young boy comes of age in old Japan in the midst of an extraordinary journey. As the masked geisha, Miro, slowly gets a grip on Toshi’s heart, he finds himself beginning to care about his captors. Stockholm syndrome or not, they redeem themselves by giving Toshi a chance to choose his own path and make his own life.

At its core, In Service of the Samurai is a classic mythic story about a hero’s journey. It is a minutely imagined fantasy that transports readers to a highly nuanced world. The pacing is not for those who like a plot that whisks along. But for my money, this is a story worth the reading.

Review by Cheryl Swanson, Gotta Read

Reviews on Embraced by the Shadows

2007-01-25T22:01:00.000-08:00

Embraced by the Shadows] is a superbly written, deftly balanced story of love and death and twisted loyalties that will keep you enthralled from beginning to end. More importantly, it will make you think and perhaps take a closer look at the shadowed corners of your own psyche.” –The Blue Iris Journal

"Mysterious, intriguing and somewhat unsettling at times, this novel is a must for all vampire reading fans. A rich, twisting plot and a surprising ending awaits you."
--The Midwest Book Review

"[Embraced by the Shadows] is a wonderful tale of a woman torn between a love she can not resist and a life she does not understand. Alana is a character to fall in love with... Mayra Calvani did an exemplary job in weaving this story of passion, love and betrayal. Once the reviewer started the prologue she was hooked and could not put this book down. This is a must read for fans of paranormal!"
–Love Romances

“A dark brooding novel, Calvani takes us on a journey into the darkest
corners of our hopes and desires, especially the desire of all humans to
somehow survive and how far would we go if we were given the chance
to live forever...This is a must read for all fans of vampire romance novels.”
--Murder & Mayhem Book Club

"...For any of you female readers that have always had the fantasy of your masculine vampire following you all through your life and not revealing himself until he thinks you are ready, this book is for you. This was an excellent read."
--ParaNormal Romance Reviews

Mayra Calvani

2007-01-04T15:12:00.000-08:00

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Puerto Rican author Mayra Calvani writes non-fiction and fiction in a variety of genres. Her stories, articles and reviews have appeared on many online and print publications in the States, England and Puerto Rico. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Literature/Creative Writing from the University of Bridgeport, CT. Her stories, articles, and book reviews have appeared in many online and print publications in the States, England and Puerto Rico. She is co-editor of "Voice in the Dark" ezine, where she writes a monthly column.

She lives in Belgium with her husband, two children, and their latest addition to the family—Amigo, a 10-weeks old golden retriever. She is an active member of Broad Universe and Sisters in Crime. Her dark fantasy, Embraced by the Shadows, has received multiple excellent reviews.

Arturo el Rey Review

2006-12-26T21:49:00.000-08:00

In San Antonio, Texas in 2011, Marine Cpl. Art Reys witnesses the end of any organized government or help from anywhere as a deadly virus pluges Earth into global chaos.

People hide from armed bands, scavenging to survive and finding shelter wherever they can. Armed gangs kill to get food, weapons, and gas for their motorcycles. Art and his friends protect the helpless wherever they can and make enemies as well as friends as others join them for protection. Art's heart aches and he has puzzling deja vu flashs of his past life as King Arthur.

As mankind hides like animals or becomes slaves to survive, Shanna Cranston and her father make their way to a compound protected by a high rock face to settle. When Art and his friends find a group of people hiding in an abandoned library near New Braumfels, Art is reunited with John Nilson, his seventh grade teacher ad mentor. Nilson was Merlin in a past life and it becomes obvious as they work to help others, that Art is King Arthur brought back to restore order.

Art meets Shana on a visit to Cranston's Compound and they fall in love, but Art leaves to continue his quest for security on his own as many are flockilng to him for protection. As Art's influence and reputation quickly spreads, he is declared 'King of Texas' and he is able to offer a secure place to Shanna. Can Art continue building his safe and democratic kindgdon? Can he hold fast to his code of ethics? Can he win Shanna Cranston to be his Queen?

Joan Upton Hall's well drawn characters and realistic scenes give us page turnng entetainment; Arturo el Rey and Shanna give us hope for peace as they capture our hearts.

Review by Jackie Griffey, Author of Memphis in Our Hearts, Recycling Humanity, the Maryvale mysteries, and a reviewer with Gotta Read

Legends of the Serai Review

2006-12-15T12:16:00.000-08:00

JC Hall is as skilled a wordsmith as they come. With Legends of the Serai she has created a classic fantasy filled with believable characters and shot through with recognizable reality.

Legends of the Serai stole hours of sleep from me, so make sure your house is in order and your children and pets well fed before you open it. With rhythmic, almost melodic phrasing, author J.C. Hall lures her readers into an imaginary world filled with passion and adventure. At the heart of Legends of the Serai is a haunting exploration of the transfiguring power of love--a subject that, for all of its universal nature, requires a delicate touch to make bloom.

J.C. Hall has that touch—as displayed in the book's prelude, in which two goddesses have decided to walk among mortals. The goddesses believe themselves to be indifferent to the fate of humans, but both find out different when they fall in love. The first renounces her immortality to lie with her human lover. The second goddess makes a more interesting choice. Taking on garb of a warring caption to save the human race, she makes a vow that forces her to be faithless to the mortal she loves.

And then begins the real tale—played out by an all-too-human young woman, Lady Cara'sen. Cara fights like a man, with skill and strength, yet she is completely female. As the fates of kingdoms shift and hang in the balance, she is torn apart by her longings for two very different men. Each man holds a deep love for her, but neither the fiery Karvel'len nor the ever-devoted Jai can resist trying to deny Cara her right to choose.

In one of the book's many compelling scenes, we read:

"Say the words," he demanded. She pulled back and looked into his eyes. He could tell that she understood.
"You, and no-one else," she vowed, "this life-time and the next. For any number of life-times the goddess chooses to send us."
He silently pledged the same vow, clasped her once more to him, then pulled away. He strode off into the night, the snowflakes hissing onhis upturned face.

Cara has a quest that takes her to the penal colony of Retrib—posing as a man. This is a clever stroke by the author, because after Cara is stripped of her female form, we get to see the inner heart of a powerful but still very young woman. Cara is estranged from her father, a powerful admiral, and the kingdom he protects seems doomed. But a sorceress gives Cara hope she may ye tsave it by locating her beloved half-brother. In Cara's struggle, we see her gaining maturity and standing up for her own future.

Although it has a fascinating plot, what catches and pulls you through Legends of the Serai is the beauty of the writing. The pace,while quick, is a bit more relaxed and therefore perhaps more satisfying. The author takes time for the little nuances and detailsthat make a magical world truly come alive. In addition, the author's wry humor is exhibited at just the right times—giving the reader an opportunity for an occasional inner chuckle.

This is a book to curl up with and let yourself be transported intoan alternate world where honour, duty and devotion still matter.

Cheryl Swanson is a reviewer with Gotta Read and the author of DeathGame.

Review of Meter Made

2006-12-04T18:04:00.000-08:00

With Meter Made, author MD Benoit is poised to knock it out of the park and into low earth orbit.

Meter Made is one of those books that defies conventions at every turn while making you sit back and watch the story unfold with a big fat smile on your face.

Is Meter Made a hard-boiled mystery, with a bucket of clues, danger at every turn and plenty of action? Or is it sci fi, with all of that genre’s specific traditions and variations? Meter Made is both, and the fun is in watching talented author M.D. Benoit mix the two genres up and make them stand on their heads.

The first novel in the series (Metered Space, Zumaya Publications) introduced private eye, Jack Meter, who had an encounter with aliens that changed everything for him. In contrast to the typical sci fi stock character, (in my experience, sci fi authors tend to be strong on ideas and weak on characterization) Jack is unique, memorable and all-too-human. In Meter Made, he is dealing with the loss of the one thing that previously defined his life, his beloved Annie. Jack desperately misses Annie, but it’s not so much obsessive love for Annie that drives him in Meter Made, as the need to use the memory of her to escape the possibility of a new love.

As the story begins, Jack is hired by eccentric tycoon, Lambert Garner, whose apartment building has just gone missing. Jack soon discovers that someone is stealing pieces of the universe and also erasing the record of their existence—tough luck for the poor suckers who happened to be living there.

Fortunately, Jack’s got a bit of alien technology, a telecarb, implanted in his arm which allows him to go anywhere in the universe just by imagining himself there. The device was created by the Thrittene, a semi-benevolent group of aliens. While the Thrittene mean Jack well, they are always causing him problems. For one thing, their telecarb never seems to work when it is most needed—a great plot device that keeps it from becoming an annoying deus ex machina. Worse, it seems to be slowly turning Jack into a Thrittene—a fate he’d rather avoid.

Everything goes hourglass shaped when the story’s femme fatale, Neola Durwin, enters the picture. Neola is a hot woman who is somewhat rude and Benoit does a good job of keeping you guessing about her role in the story. Is Neola destined to become Jack’s new love interest-cum-partner? Or is something more sinister afoot?

As a mystery, Meter Made accomplishes what few mysteries do. The jigsaw puzzle pieces fit smartly together and every event is precisely positioned to build upon previous events and lead smoothly to the climax. The real genuis is in the tiny details, such as the dead accurate behavior of three smarter-than-the-ordinary children:

The patter of tiny feet on the stairs jolted me out of my brooding. The triple-E’s appeared, Erin in front, as if to protect his two sisters. They smiled hesitantly.
“Mom says to come up for your snack, Daddy wants to wring your neck, too.”
“That’s what he said, huh?”
Eric nodded. That’s ‘cause you’re an insiderate jerk. What does insiderate mean?”
“I think you mean inconsiderate….”

During the course of his investigation, Jack Meter learns lessons about whom to trust and works through the process of grief. By story’s end, his earlier wish to die has come true and he accepts it without a lick of sentimentality. In a memorable scene, he discards a piece of himself--his dying parallel self--an essential part of healing anyone who has suffered a great loss understands:

“Only two people can cross,” I said. I stared at Jack. His eyes were closed, his skin already dead white. “There’s nothing we can do, Claire.”
“Take him to the Thrittene.”
“If I do that you’re stuck here. Your job’s more important. We’re running out of time.”
She didn’t move for a moment. Then she grabbed the key and marched to the kitchen.
“You’re a hardhearted bastard, Jack Meter.”
“Yeah,” I muttered, without looking back. “I guess I am.”

For those who don’t read much sci fi, be assured that there is not a single eye-glazing moment in Meter Made. MD Benoit draws upon speculative quantum physics in the book, but she resists the temptation to turn it into a tedious college lecture and simply allows the science to percolate through her fertile imagination and into the story.

This isn’t a book for those who like things writ large across the sky— Benoit has the satirist’s gift for telling a violent story without a lot of blood and screaming. And sex, somehow, barely comes into it. Real sex, somehow, would ruin it. But you can get sex anywhere. From Meter Made, you get a strong narrative voice and a fast-paced idea-packed tale that keeps you hooked until the very last page.

Because this series is only two books old, it’s impossible to say whether the quality of the Jack Meter casefiles will remain consistent. But MD Benoit is clearly poised to knock it out of the park and into low-earth orbit.

Reviewed by Cheryl Swanson, reviewer with Gotta Read

Death Game

2006-11-29T13:51:00.000-08:00

M. D. Benoit's World

2006-11-28T04:16:00.000-08:00

Slideshow of author M.D. Benoit's published and upcoming works.

Visit M.D. Benoit at M. D. Benoit's World or on her personal blog, Life's Weirder Than Fiction.

Recycling Humanity Review

2006-11-13T17:52:00.000-08:00

Read Recycling Humanity and you’ll be entranced. Jackie Griffey’s wit and wisdom put an imperfect world back in joint.

Review

Recycling Humanity is a lighthearted tale by a writer who comes out of the same state that brought us Maya Angelou, John Grisham and Ellen Gilchrist—Arkansas. In Recycling Humanity, Aaron Willoughby is delivered to an old folk’s home by the machinations of his scheming daughter-in-law, Blanche. Aaron makes sure that the money-grubbing Blanche at least foots the bill and while she is stilll sputtering, has already planned his escape. In short order, Aaron meets another societal throwaway—a gifted surgeon forced into early retirement by a medical conglomerate. These two codgers are too old and worn out to become dangerous outlaws–aren’t they?

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

It’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest” all over again, as Aaron and Dr. Martin Hammond bust out and move in with a girlfriend. In short order, this indomitable duo has set up a secret business based on the surgeon’s skills—and are reforming the world by recycling humanity. The gist of this business is too wickedly funny an idea to give away, but blackmailers, child molesters and corporate executives, keep an eye on your spare parts. For the first time in your life, you are going to contribute something useful to the world.

Griffey is a prolific, skilled and versatile writer with a gift for extremely funny dialog. Recyclying Humanity is written in an over-the-top, breezy, folkloric style; the characters are full of energy; the plot starts out with a wonderful twist, and keeps twisting.

Jackie Griffey, you are rural Arkansas’ answer to Sharyn McCrumb and your Recyclying Humanity (Bookman Publishing, 333 pages) is a wholly entertaining package. If you like happily ever after jazz and books that make you smile, do yourself a favor and give Jackie Griffey a try.

Cheryl Swanson
Gotta Read Review
Author, Death Game

Books Selected for Forthcoming Reviews

2006-11-13T16:20:00.000-08:00

Death Game Review

2006-11-12T14:26:00.000-08:00

Midwest Book Review

Cooper O’Brien’s life turns upside down when her younger brother, a troubled teenager, is accused of murdering another boy in what looks like a deadly game. In spite of the evidence, including a tape which shows her brother shooting the victim, Cooper believes the tape is fake. The question is: How can she prove it? With her brother on the run and the authorities after him, Cooper begins to investigate on her own… only to discover a bottomless vortex of deceit, rage and death.

As the story unfolds it becomes obvious that something much more sinister and terrifying than a simple murder is stake. Twisted computer games, ‘closed cities’, terrorism, and a massive conspiracy mix together to create a suspenseful thriller that will touch readers in an emotional level. Its horrifying implications are not far from reality in the present world we live in.

Though the story is written in first person, which is somewhat unusual for a thriller, talented author Cheryl Swanson maintains a quick pace that reaches a spine-tingling, heart-stopping climax. Sensitive readers who are easily offended by explicit language should be aware that this book contains its fair share of it. Swanson’s style is characterized by a stabbing wit and razor-sharp sentences that suit the plot and add momentum to the pace. An impressive debut novel by a promising author.

--Mayra Calvani, reviewer and author of Embraced by the Shadows

DEATH GAME REVIEWED BY EPINIONS

2006-11-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

"…a stunning debut novel with all the hallmarks of a great thriller." --J.C. Hall
J.C. Hall is a reviewer with Epinions and the author of the fantasy novels: Legends of the Serai, Lady of the Lakes and The House of Caerne. Visit her website at www.jc-hall.com

REVIEW

Pros: strong likable protagonist, well-developed characters, unflagging dramatic tension, intriguing build-up to a thrilling climax
Cons: you’ll be worrying about your teenager even when she/he’s at home
Bottom Line: With her teenaged brother wanted for murder, Cooper moves heaven and earth to prove his innocence, in the process unearthing a link between internet gaming and something much more sinister.

If your idea of a good thriller is a masterly combination of action and intrigue, where the stakes are high and the tension builds and builds till you can barely read fast enough to get to the explosive climax, then look no further than Death Game.

With a scenario that explores the seductive and insidious world of internet gaming, linking this seemingly harmless teenage fixation to the training of military operatives and the more sinister consequences of perestroika, Death Game is both timely and relevant, and a sharp reminder of the startling vulnerability of ordinary American citizens.

Cooper O’Brien has just seen, on videotape, her teenaged brother Jimmie shoot another boy in cold blood. As an FX special effects technician trained at USC film school, she would know if a tape’s been altered. But despite her best efforts, she can find no indication that the tape’s been tampered in any way. Still, there’s no way she can believe that Jimmie is capable of killing anyone. And it’s not as if the boys even knew one another—there just isn’t any connection between Jimmie and Stephen, the boy he’s supposed to have killed. Except that Stephen, the dead boy, is the son and heir of Walter, a millionaire businessman with whom Cooper had a fling a while back. Is Cooper herself the connection?

With Jimmie now on the lam and everyone convinced of his guilt, Cooper must somehow prove his innocence before the police gets to him. Her investigations lead her from friend to foe as she gathers clues in order to solve the puzzle of the seemingly senseless murder of a young boy. The stakes, already high, are raised even higher as Cooper uncovers link after link in a chain of escalating evidence that point to forces beyond internet gaming to the recruitment and training of military assassins, to a chilling aspect of 21st century terrorism—the attack of a highly visible symbol of the West, expressly with a view to maximizing the loss of civilian lives.

The author, Cheryl Swanson, has penned a stunning debut novel with all the hallmarks of a great thriller. Characterization, intrigue, and pace—Death Game has it all. Death Game boasts a strong yet very human protagonist. Cooper O’Brien might be vulnerable inside but she’s smart and streetwise and acts plenty tough. Even in the throes of physical jeopardy, she keeps her head and her big talk. Yet her vulnerability is shown in several telling passages that make the reader know her as a real person. Partly, it is the first person point-of-view narrative that puts you right in Cooper’s shoes, but mostly, it’s the skill of the author. In fact, all the main and secondary characters are well-developed. Even Jimmie, absent for most of the story, is well portrayed. Having been subjected to a demanding yet emotionally absent father (not unlike his purported victim Stephen), he has since lost both parents and has been acting out at school.

When Walter, the dead boy’s father, asks Cooper if Jimmie’s capable of murder, if he’s a normal boy, here’s what she thinks before she replies:

Normal? You’re talking teenage boys. You think any of them are normal? But I didn’t say that to Walter.
‘I don’t make strong claims to mental health myself, Walter, so who am I to judge?’

Likewise, Stephen is dominated by an over-achieving and distant father, and is, moreover, friendless. Perhaps the author has a point—not all teenage internet gamers are at risk, but those who are emotionally unstable (through no fault of their own) could easily be exploited through their obsession with violent online games. No doubt there are many such lost boys glued to their computer screens in our disintegrating society, fixated dangerously on abject violence.

The intrigue is played out through almost the entire novel, and it is not until almost the very end that the reader finally sees the bigger picture. At the same time, the motives of Cooper’s estranged husband Rick leave the reader guessing till the end. Dramatic tension is thereby sustained throughout—that is, until it’s racheted up several more notches as we plunge headlong into the thrilling climax.

The writing is generally excellent. I particularly enjoyed the dialogue, but there are many incidences of fine writing that made me read a passage over again. For example, here’s Cooper looking for Jimmie among a group of homeless teenage drifters:
Doug was buzzed—naturally. Still mainlining, although he’d run the alphabet soup with hepatitis and didn’t have enough of a liver to keep a cat alive. I snagged a few other throwaway kids, steeling myself to resist their stories of deteriorating health and craving for drugs.

And here, Cooper is reflecting on her estranged husband:

When you’re young, you think things can be patched together again. You think you can reshape the past, keep the good things, discard the rest…How little I knew in those days about love. How little I knew about the heart’s infinite capacity for pain.

Death Game may not be a high-testosterone, roller-coaster type of thriller, full of car chases and explosions, but if you’re looking for a thoughtful, well-crafted thriller that will keep you guessing till the last clue’s in place, with a strong-willed protagonist who’s so real you finish the book thinking that she must exist somewhere on Earth, then give yourself a break and read Death Game at the earliest opportunity.

Highly recommended. 'Reviewed by J.C. Hall, author of the fantasy novels, Legends of the Serai, Lady of the Lakes and The House of Caerne. Visit her website at http://www.jc-hall.com

Review of The Journalist

2006-11-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

If you’re tired of dumbed-down mysteries and made-for-TV thrillers, read The Journalist. It brings the political tensions and dilemmas of the twenty-first century into razor-sharp focus.

REVIEW
Zackery Stearn eats torrid Mexican food, drinks Bohemia beer and writes newspaper copy—in a world where newspapers are going the way of the T Rex. It’s the year 2008 and profound things are happening on Planet Earth—all of them bad.

The Journalist (Zumaya Publications, 296 pages) is a biting political thriller. G.L. Rockey’s writing is reminiscent of John D. MacDonald’s; his hero, Zackery Stearn, capably plays the role of a modern-day Travis McGee. Like Travis, Zackery is a cynical knight-errant trying to stay afloat in a world of vertiginous moral complexity. There’s a touch of Robert Parker here too, in the sassy, snappy dialog. As befits a man of the twenty-first century though, Zackery is more cerebral and less susceptible to the female sex than either MacDonald’s or Parker’s characters.

The caper in The Journalist centers on a plot to abolish the constitution and the perpetrator is none other than the President of the United States. Coming out of the West Wing is a lot of lofty rhetoric concealing a plot to use the fear of terrorism to strip citizens of their freedom. It’s a little too close to the truth to be comfortable, but The Journalist manages to takes a small, toothy bite at truth without pushing any specific political agenda.

The Journalist is full of colorful characters who get thrown into an increasingly frenetic mix, but the real fun lies in listening to how they all talk to each other. True to life, no one answers anyone’s real questions; they’re too busy listening to their own inner dialog.

One thing you have to watch in The Journalist is that it moves back and forth between characters chapter by chapter. Switching perspective so abruptly means that the characters weave in and out of view. It keeps things fresh, but it also makes it easy to get lost. My advice is to grab yourself a tall Mexican beer, put your feet up and read it straight through.

Saludo, G.L. Rockey. The Journalist is a great read.

Cheryl Swanson,
Author, Death Game

Great Indie Bookstores

2006-11-06T16:40:00.000-08:00

Do you love the smell of books, that distinct combination of wood pulp and ink that assaults you whenever you walk into a bookstore? Most of us at Gotta Read make it a point to visit the local indies when we travel, browsing through the shelves, picking up books and reading the first paragraph and a few in the middle, in hopes of finding a true gem.

Our of our goals at Gotta Read is to compile a list of excellent independent bookstores, a list that will be continually revised. One of the best ways to find a good new book is to go to the person who is in charge of stocking a good, independent bookstore. (Or develop a group of friends, offline or online, and let them make recommendations. That's one reason we started this blog.)

But recommendations only go so far—sometimes we can’t stand the books even our best friends recommend. Other times, we pick a book at random and go through it in one sitting.

The only true guideline to finding a great book? Stay away from anything that has New York Times bestseller written on top of it. Frankly, that's a designation that is largely engineered by publishing conglomerates. On the other hand, the various Independent Bookseller's Association's lists contain some real gems.

If you'd like your bookstore listed, post us a comment and we'll check you out. We'd love to pay you a visit.

Regards,
Reviewers and Authors at Gotta Read