Bird's Eye View

Don't Take My Lemonade Stand

2012-01-14T09:06:00.000-08:00

Janie Johnson's Don't Take My Lemonade Stand: An American Philosophy accomplishes with simple words and graphic illustrations a definitive exploration outside the sneering media clamor against American conservatism. She wrote with a difficult purpose: to explain a position in a language that is both lucid enough to appeal to adults and simple enough to be understood by students who have been denied an education in the fundamentals of government designed by the Constitution of the United States.
Yesterday, Standard & Poor down graded the credit rating of three European countries, an act that was long coming as the United States had achieved this reevaluation of credit in 2011.
Our own fiscal situation has not improved at this date. Rather than 'reinvent-the-wheel' I'm going to use Ms. Johnson's own words as to the fiscal behavior one should follow to achieve financial creditability from page 130.
"Did our elected politicians not understand the five basic rules of fiscal responsibility?
1. Don't spend more than you make.
2. Don't borrow more than you can repay.
3. Don't print so much new money that the currency is devalued.
4. Don't tax achievers so much that they lose the incentive to achieve.
5. Plan and save for a rainy day."
Today, one of the most vital issues before the American public is our national debit which grows exponentially every minute. Ms. Johnson defines three common sense areas that must be addressed before a solution to the problem can be achieved.
1. Limited Resources: ascertain how much can be siphoned off from tax payers before the entire system enfolds in upon itself.
2. Priorities: Congress must be spend time to set priorities of government.
3. Performance Measurement: Congress never outlined how to measure the effectiveness of their programs.
This review examined the question of fiscal responsibility in Don't Take My Lemonade Stand. You owe it to yourself and your children to read this title and consider its implications.
Janie Johnson's Don't take My Lemonade Stand can be found on Amazon and other book outlets.
Nash Black, author of Sandprints of Death.

White Jade

2011-11-16T04:30:00.000-08:00

Alex Lukeman's White Jade is an espionage thriller that is as plausible as today's headline news. This novel earns the phrase, "you can't put it down" and you wonder about its implications long after the story is finished.
Ungovernable ambition and the quest for power are a combination that wreaks havoc across the annals of humankind as does the suppression of the masses to achieve those goals.
A millionaire's cruel death trigger events that range across the Pacific Ocean and deep into the mountains of Tibet.
Selena Conner is the niece of the murdered man. She is content with her life of study and teaching of ancient languages until she meets Nick Carter, an operative for the low profile Project. Project personnel answer only to the president of the United States. Selena knows the location of an ancient text her uncle was tortured to obtain. Together they set out to obtain the text, prevent it from falling into enemy hands, and to unravel its significance to a modern regime.
The fine details of ancient history, combat, terrain, and equipment set White Jade above its competition. I found myself laughing during a tense scene when the author mentioned "GE turbofans" engines. My husband transported and x-rayed those jet engine fan blades in the 70s to insure they were perfect prior to assembly.
White Jade is a thriller that lives up to its genre to join the legions of Clancy and Flemming. This is one you won't want to miss, I enjoyed it so much I bought the sequel, The Lance to find out what happens next.
Visit with Alex @Alexlukeman on Twitter. His exciting stories are available on Amazon Kindle for $.99. Its a big bank for your buck.
Nash Black, author of Visitors and Sandprints of Death.

E-Force

2011-10-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

James D. Kellogg's E-Force is a genuine thriller. Many titles are labeled with the term thriller, but fall far short of being any thing more than an ordinary mystery/suspense works. Not so with E-Force.
Make sure you reserve a block of time sufficient enough to finish the novel. If you don't you will find yourself reading well into the night and early dawn.
Colt Kelly's employer EcoFriends is moving to the far left with its philosophical trends. Mixed with a change in direction is the misappropriation of contributions that has reached money laundering proportions. Colt pledged his loyalty to the group, he is guilty of transfering funds, and it now caught in a fraud scheme which could send him to prison.
E-Force is a ecoterror group that vows to destroy the resort communities built by AmeResorts. The group operates outside the law, their attacks are well planned, well financed, and have acquired the support of Marla Wells, a local TV reporter. In her broadcasts, she portrays the commandos as victims of the establishment who have been pushed beyond the edge.
E-Force is a political thriller that draws the reader deep into the lives of each individual well-drawn character. No thread, subplot, or scene is isolated, each leads to a satisfying whole of plot integration, which is writing at its best when the reader can live within the pages of the story.
Politics aside this is one of the finest thriller novels to reach the public in a long time. I'm delighted James D. Kellogg found me and requested a review. I'll be back for the sequel.
E-Force is available from Barnes & Noble and on Amazon.com both in print and as an e-book. Visit with James D. Kellogg at http://jamesdkellogg.com/
Nash Black, Sandprints of Death.

Dumpster Dying

2011-08-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

Lesley A. Diehl's Dumpster Dying is a cozy/traditional mystery set in Florida's interior where cattle and cowboys are the treat of the day. No beach bikini bimbos or sand fleas, instead a fun mystery where the older generation must face their past to stop a killer and stay out of jail.
Emily Rhodes was all set to live out her golden years with Fred Costa, her long time companion when Fred went for a run from which he didn't return. Fred "the rat" never managed to write a new will and his ex-wife inherits their assets including a portion of Emily's down payment on their home.
To keep a roof over her head and pay the bills Emily acquires the skill of mixing drinks and takes a job at the local country club. She is taking out the trash when she discovers the body of Marcus Davey in the dumpster.
Snow bunnies are not welcome in rural Florida, their only value to the natives is what money they can be induced to part with before leaving.
Characters may be slightly stereotyped but they read like real people you'd meet in the grocery store or at the local watering hole.
Did I mention no psychics, no recovering drunks , no vampires, etc? Plain fun for a great read without of the quirks, but a well paced whodunit with a surprising twist. Maybe just a touch of romance, no bed of roses, but then no matter how sweet they smell roses have thorns.
Delight with Emily and her friends as they hunt for a killer before he finds them.
Nash Black, Sandprints of Death

Spycatcher

2011-06-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

Matthew W. Dunn's Spycatcher is an espionage novel that reads like reading eye-witness newspaper reports from the Middle East.
Due to be released in July, Mr. Dunn brings years of experience in the field as an M16 operative who writes under his own name. Spycatcher is not a biography, but fiction that will keep you glued to you chair as Dunn sweeps you from Central Park across Europe and back again in an outstanding thriller of the dark side of undercover work.
Will Cochrane knows he must kill his contact to Iran before the man is captured and tortured to reveal secrets no man must divulge. The contact is not a friend in Will's friendless world, but his job and the safety of many others demands he must act with hesitation.
Will is wounded in the resulting gunfire and pulled from the fray in time to save his life. He awakens in a blank room and is confronted by a man who knows about his entire life. As they sit on the floor of a bare room Will knows the stranger must be a CIA operative who has a use for him outside of the conventional bonds of spying.
Patrick knows of his code name, Spartan. This is a position that can be held by no other man while he lives. His controller, Alistair is one of the most senior officials of M16. Only the British prime minster authorize the release this name. Patrick is a powerful and trusted man in the world of international intrigue.
Between Alistair and Patrick they send Will on a mission that will uncover his own past to flush out an operative high in the Iranian command to convince him to "betray" his country or die. Betrayal is a two-way street when power and wealth beyond imagination are at stake.
Spycatcher moves with the speed of jet planes and each character has an agenda that must be completed. The innocent become embroiled in the morass of empire decaying and rebuilding. No life is too valuable to be allowed to be a hindrance to success. I lost count of the bodies that fall across the landscape as Will endeavors to bring Megiddo out of hiding before he can complete his plans for world domination.
Nash Black, author of Sandprints of Death.

Sandprints of Death

2011-06-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

Nash Black's Sandprints of Death opened to a five star review from Alina Holgate, a resident of Australia. I normally talk about other writer's work on Bird's Eye View, but this time I want to toot our own horn and share with you Alina's review.

"Set a While"

"The best thing about this book for this Australian was that reading it was like going on holiday. I was transported to an island off South Carolina, rich in unique history where various members and neighbors of the Young clan have congregated to lick their various wounds. A series of murders occurs on the island thus trapping them together. They are further trapped by the weather. In the course of dealing with these challenges the Youngs become integrated into the local community and the history of the Young clan and the island is revealed.
"The murder mystery, which is the occasion for all these different characters being thrown together in a particular locale, could have been more carefully plotted and its resolution seemed rushed. However the strength of the book is not a great murder mystery. The strength of the book is the beautifully drawn characters and their intricately portrayed clan stories that make you feel connected to them like family. The strength of the book is in the incredibly atmospherically drawn portrait of this island, its history, its inhabitants, and the constantly shifting mood ot the weather and the sea that seeps into our characters bones. The strength of this book is that it makes you want to set a while and just listen to the cadences of the stories and the voices in which they are expressed and watch as island life passes you by.
"I think if you like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: a Novel you would like this. It has a similar feel in terms of becoming drawn in to an isolated, self-reliant community of loveable people who have a tough life but who welcome the right kind of strangers into the fold.
My best recommendation is that I immediately rushed off to buy more of Nash Black's books. And there is a recipe at the end of this book that's worth the price of admission alone."

Thank you, thank you Alina.

Nash Black (Irene & Ford)

Traveling with Pomegranates

2011-05-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

Sue Monk Kidd's Traveling with Pomegranates written with her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor is a writer's memoir about traveling (physical and metaphysical) and relationships.
This reader does not have children and does most of her traveling in an armchair, but the experiences of Ms. Kidd were easy to identify with from a writer's point of view.
Greece is their destination, both mother and daughter are caught up in the history and the myths of the islands as they explore the ruins. On the first journey they are locked within themselves as they attempt to make life changing decisions.
I read The Secret Life of Bees several years ago and as I read Ms. Kidd's narrative of the visceral development of the book I was tempted to retreat and read it for a second time now that I understand the nuisances of its development.
Their second trip to Greece is about the awakening of communication between the mother and daughter. The trip through France in search of the black Madonnas is fascinating from both an artistic and a cultural standpoint.
A good read at anytime, for any reason, and you don't have to agree with Ms. Kidd's conclusions to appreciate their expression.

Nash Black author of Sandprints of Death coming soon.

Small Business Taxes Made Easy

2011-03-15T18:01:00.000-07:00

I wish I'd had a copy of Eva Rosenberg's Small Business Taxes Made Easy forty years ago when I first opened my own business or even later when I started teaching business accounting and financial management.
Ms. Rosenberg's broad experience in the field of business planning shines through on every page with clear, concise descriptions and examples.
Are you a beginner with a great web idea who is just getting your feet wet on the Internet? She takes you through each step of organizing you work with scads of resources to extend your learning curve.
Are you the frantic CEO of your own company looking for a solution to a specific problem? The index for this volume is outstanding and easy to use to put you on the right page for mastering the art of business reports and every type of tax problem.

Today 'online' is where the business world operates. Where is your Nexus (the place where you do business) located? It is essential for you to understand the idea as more and more states fight for lost sales tax revenues due to Internet sales. Page 219 will get you started. I'm not trying to frighten you, but in WAASB I made the statement that "the Internet was the best free enterprise system since the Constitution of the United States was written," which for the time being is still true. Look at your phone bill and add up the taxes already in place for Internet usage.

Do like I did when I received my copy from the publisher. Take it to bed and read it in small portions. Underline, make marginal notes, and use Post 'Ems to create your own tab index of items important to your individual needs.

Through out the text, Ms. Rosenberg provides excellent definitions for terms, but a glossary of book-keeping terms begins on p. 79. This threw the reviewer who looks for this aid in the back of the book.

This is one volume that no business owner can afford to be without.

Visit with Eva Rosenberg at http://taxmama.com/.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalist Writing as a Small Business.

The Demon's Parchment

2011-02-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

The Demon's Parchment is the third in Jeri Westerson's medieval noir series. For this installment Ms. Westerson take the reader into the plight of both her disenfranchised knight Crispin Guest and the status of the Jewish people living in London.
The Jews were expelled from England, but when the queen is very ill a Jewish physician makes the journey to attend her bringing with him his son and a sacred parchment intended for those of his people who exist as converted Christians.
The sever winter has brought few client to Crispin's door, so when he is approached by Jacob of Provencal to find the missing parchment he accept the job. On his way to meet with his new client Crispin witness the body of a young boy being pulled from the Thames.

The boy did not drown in the cold waters, he was murdered in a hideous fashion. The gaolers mention another young boy who was discovered in similar circumstances. Crispin cannot help but be concerned for the life of his young prodigy, Jack Tucker. Jack travels the streets of London and will never be safe until this killer is found.
A great addition to one of the best new mystery series on the current market. This writer has been impressed enough to review all of the books in the series.

Visit with Jeri at http://www.jeriwesterson.com . The medieval noir series is available at bookstores, at Amazon.com and as an ebook. Don't miss this exciting series with its meticulously researched background.

Nash Black, author of Sins of the Fathers.

Tide Water Talisman

2011-01-23T13:38:00.001-08:00

Glynn Marsh Alam's current addition to the Luanne Fogarty series is Tide Water Talisman.

A rag-taggle group of survivors from Hurricane Katrina have settled in an abandoned motel near the coast of North Florida. They eek out a substance existence the best way they can to survive while they put their lives back together.
Dorian Pasquin inveigles Mama of Mama's Table and Luanne to visit the site where one woman is busy cleaning to open a cafe offering Cajun and coastal foods for fisherman. Pasquin wants his ladies to help the woman and her family get established.

After a trip down the river, when they land on shore Pasquin must identify the body of his old friend, Jimpson who was found lying in his store. His death was not an accident and other boatmen disappear to turn up underwater as Luanne and her lover, Vernon search the depths of the river for clues as to what happened to the dead and why.

The huddle of hurricane survivors was never a community, but the fine threads that bind them together begin to unravel as no one can connect the living with the dead. Death has been their constant companion since the winds and water destroyed their lives.

Glynn Marsh Alam devises a mystery of originality and suspense with the honed craftsmanship of one who has lived with both the rivers and the swamps of Northern Florida. The characters she has develped through eight novels come alive before your eyes and they have no peer in crime fiction. The ambiance she concocts is complete down to the sweat and the mosquitoes of the Gulf Coast.
Visit award winning Glynn Marsh Alam at http://www.glynnmarshalam.com. Her books are available in Florida at independent book stores and on Amazon.com.

Nash Black, author of the forthcoming Sandprints of Death.

Full Mortality

2011-01-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

I literally read Sasscer Hill's Full Mortality from the first page to the end in one sitting. I could not put down this well pace mystery and go to bed.
Nikki Latrelle is a jockey who rides full out through every page of this deftly plotted mystery. Nikki is building a career against the odds in a sport dominated by men. An injury to another rider gives her the ride that can push her into the big leagues. A major case of nerves leads her to the stables in the middle of the night to check that all is well with Gilded Cage. A man coming out of the mare's stall knocks Nikki down, she runs to her horse and discovers 'Gildy' has been murdered.
Days later she is battered on the rail by jockey Dennis O'Brian, her horse stumbles, she is thrown, and her mount Flame Thrower is put-down.
Nikki, recognizing the potential of a rogue mare, Helen's Dream, bound for an auction which will consign the mare to the knackers, grabs all of her savings and rescues the mare. When she checks on the mare, which she has renamed Hellish, she discovers Dennis O'Brian and another horse have been murdered.
The connection of Nikki to the deaths of three horses and the murder of a rival jockey is too much for the racing community to endure. The rumors fly when Nikki is questioned, her reputation is destroyed, her 'friends' abandon her, and she is driven off the track.
Unable to find a job and a home for Hellish, Nikki accepts the invitation of an old drunk to the worst of stables. She begins to fight back to regain her reputation, find who is behind the deaths of the horses, and bring a killer to justice to clear her name.

From starting gate to finish line Full Mortality is non-stop action of the very best kind with vivid, believable characters from the world of championship horse racing.

Visit Sasscer Hill at sasscerhill.blogspot.com and on Facebook.
Full Mortality is available on Amazon.com and other locations.

Nash Black, author of Sins of the Fathers.

Eascape from the Alamo

2011-01-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

Dac Crossley's Escape from the Alamo takes the reader on a journey from boyhood to manhood during the early days of the Texas Republic. Everyone knows the story of the heroic Texans who were murdered by Santa Anna after the fall of the Alamo.
The burden of being a 'dead hero' falls to a young man from Tennessee who followed his mentor, Davy Crockett to the final stand.
George "Possum" Hanks awakens during the aftermath of the Battle of San Jacinto with an old wound in his side, his face in the sand, and a vague memory of a rough wagon ride in Mrs. Dickerson's wagon. He didn't died, but in reality he can't admit to history that he survived the slaughter.

Possum discovers he can not go home and adopts a new name of Red because of his beard and begins his journey back to the Alamo to find Davy Crockett. His faith in the strong man will not let him accepted that is Davy dead. One man suspects Red's secret and uses the knowledge to both badger and blackmail him.
Dac Crossley unique western is right in the details of the fledgling republic, the complex relationships between the new settlers and the old who hold this vast land. Red must learn the way of the west to stand on his own two-feet and be true to his own values because there is no one there to guide him.

A good read for anyone who loves authentic color, the Texas country, and a plain good yarn.

Visit with Dac for an interview at http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/ and on his blog at http://www.daccrossley.typepad.com/. His blog is one of the most interesting on the Internet with something new and different each week.

All of Dac's books are available on Amazon.com or for an autographed copy write him at soilmite@earthlink.net.

Nash Black, author of Sins of the Fathers.

Muddy Waters

2010-12-03T14:07:00.000-08:00

Maggie Toussaint's Muddy Waters is a romantic suspense novel that draws the reader into the story from the first page with the pull of the tide against the Georgia coast.
Roxie Whitaker inherited her grandmother's real estate firm and though there is not a high demand for homes in Mossy Bog she is determined to make a go of her responsibility.
Sloan Harding is the boy from across the tracks who has established a niche for himself in Atlanta, but is drawn back to his grandfather's house where he live a "hit and miss life" with a drunk for a father. The one person who had faith in him was Roxie's grandmother.
The small cottages they inherited are in aging states of disrepair and Roxie has one client who is persistent in his desire to obtain Sloan's cottage. Property management is a venue that keeps Roxie afloat and Sloan hires her to oversee the restoration of his cottage. Roxie accepts with visions of an eventual sale floating through her dreams.

Roxie returns home to find her home ransacked, which adds impetus to a feeling she has endured for several days that someone is watching her. What's a girl to do when she doesn't feel safe in her own home? Sloan may not be acceptable to the Mossy Bog's citizens, but he provides a safe haven (maybe).

This is a fun read and a delightful break from some heavy tomes.
Visit with Maggie at http://maggietoussaint.com
Nash Black, author of Haints.

The Dangerous Edge of Things

2010-11-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

Tina Whittle's debut novel, The Dangerous Edge of Things will keep you on the edge of your chair enthralled by her precise yet vivid descriptions of Atlanta, GA. Ms. Whittle's characters do not depend on their southerness for their uniqueness, but evolve with the modern city.

Teresa Ann "Tai" Randolph inherited half of a Confederate gun shop and moved from Savannah to explore the possibilities of her inheritance. One week in town, crashing at her brother Eric's home she discovers the gunshot body of a young woman.
The belated welcoming party gets worse as Eric is in the Bahamas and doesn't answer her frantic messages when subsequent events prove he is acquainted with the victim. Eric is employed by the security firm Phoenix and in typical older-brother fashion provides his impetuous baby-sister with a body guard and employment she does not want.

Enter the body guard, Trey Seaver is one of the most original characters in modern mystery fiction. Ms. Whittle builds Trey with adroit descriptions that fascinate and create empathy with Tai's frustration while she attempts to communicate with "the Iceman."

Tai and Trey must work as a team to keep her alive and unmask a killer. Her approach to anyone in authority is to argue and ignore while he is subservient to unreasonable demands. Tai has yet to find a box and Trey can not function without one. The tug-of-war between them is explosive until the very last word. The action's pace is faster than his Ferrari; it will drive you into the midnight hours.

Visit Tina at http://www.tinawhittle.com.

Tina Whittle's The Dangerous Edge of Things is soon to be released by Poisoned Pen Press to book stores and can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

The Day of Small Things

2010-10-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Vicki Lane's lyrical The Day of Small Things is the perfect book to curl up with at anytime, a hammock in summer or by the fire when winds are brisk. This reader is delighted that Ms. Lane took the time from her outstanding Elizabeth Goodweather series to explore in depth the engaging character of "Miss Birdie."
Fan's of the Goodweather series demanded more of Miss Birdie because in the brief sketches a real person shown through who was worth every moment they spent exploring her character.
The Day of Small Things is not a small story, but a saga of a young woman who against all odds learns to love and comes to grips with the divergent aspects of her own heritage. Least was her given name and her expectations did not exist until her aging Cherokee grandmother gave her five years of undivided love and the teachings of her people.
Her mother's bitterness and anger fueled a devastating revenge against her youngest child, Least. The mother's death gave the young woman a chance to explore the outside world if she can stay ahead of the sheriff. Her mother had signed papers committing her to a institution to be sterilized.
Each obstacle Least encounters on her journey to become "Miss Birdie" will keep you turning the pages, reading every word for the story, the customs, the atmosphere, and the charm that shines through some dark days.

This is a book you will not want to miss and it is one you will want to keep on your shelf to dip into when you need a glimpse of the perseverance of the human soul.

Visit with Vicki Lane at http://www.vickilanemysteries.com/. Vicki's books are available in the paperback book section of book stores and on line from Amazon.com.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree

2010-10-19T12:46:00.000-07:00

Susan Wittig Albert's The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree transports the reader directly to the 1930s and a woman's gardening group.
The country is in the midst of the Great Depression, but the ladies of Darling, Alabama have their hands deep in the soil and the lives of each inhabitant of this southern community.
Life isn't easy as their pennies are tight, but they are determined to restore Mrs. Blackstone's family home and the gardens that she left in their care. The work is hard because the old place was sadly neglected during Mrs. Blackstone's declining years.
Everyone is talking about the escaped convict and it isn't a surprise when reports of a ghost digging the gardens near the cucumber trees are reported. Nothing is ever what it seems in a good cozy mystery and the ladies are not about to put up with any nonsense from a ghost.

Mrs. Albert is an established writer with two successful cosy mystery series under her belt, but The Darling Dahlias may be her best yet. Her work reminds me of another great cozy writer Charlotte MacLeod. Mrs. MacLeod wrote an exceptional funny gardening series as Alisa Craig, an example is The Grub and Stakers House a Haunt.

If you enjoy a break from horrific murder and mayhem with a yen for gardening either of these two authors will give you hours of pleasure.

Susan Wittig Albert's books are available at bookstores everywhere and on Amazon.com

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

Spookiest Stories Ever

2010-10-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

Roberta S. and Lonnie E. Brown have spent a lifetime collecting stories of actual experiences with ghosts. They have complied these stories from family and friends in Spookiest Stories Ever: Four Seasons of Kentucky Ghosts published by The University Press of Kentucky.
Encounters with the paranormal does not occur just at Hallowe'en, but at any time when the veil to the world beyond has a window in time. Roberta and Lonnie recognizes this and have arranged their tales of phychic phenomena as to when they occurred.
Lonnie tells of his first encounter with something beyond the grave in The Cold Touch when the newly dead left a flower to indicate their presence.
Roberta tells of her experience at the Tab in Ghost of Berea College. I recognized the old theater building; it was there when I was a member of the library staff and teacher at Berea. A young boy could see the ghost, but Roberta could only hear his footsteps.
A suicide that keeps on dying is the subject Ghost Chains. No one has been able to live in the house in south Central Kentucky since the death occurred. It is a dripping, dripping, chilling tale of death; a perfect story to read on a warm summer's night.
When an event is of extreme importance to two individuals it isn't unusual for the dead to visit the living. From the winter section Roberta retells a story of the bond that existed between a young woman graduating from college and her father.

I've cited a sampling of these eerie true stories for each season. This is a book to savor and put down, pickup and reread as you visit with some very spooky haints.

Roberta Simpson Brown is a noted folklorist, oral story teller, and author. Other books by her are Queen of the Cold-Blooded Tales and The Walking Trees and Other Scary Stories. Her husband Lonnie E. Brown is a musician and author of Stories You Won't Believe. They currently live outside of Louisville, but were born in Russell County, KY.
Look for their books in bookstores and on Amazon.com as they are a perfect gift at any time of the year.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

The Scent of Rain and Lightning

2010-06-08T05:12:00.000-07:00

Nancy Pichard adds one more stunning mystery to a long line of successes. The Scent of Rain and Lightning sparks across the Kansas plains with storm flashes as Jody Linder prepares to enter the world of professional work as an English teacher.
Jody has been sheltered by her grandparents and uncles. They have love and protected her since the night her world was blown apart by Billy Crosby. Billy was tried and convicted of the murder of Jody's father and sentenced to life in prison.
The burning question for Laurie is what happened to her mother the night her father was killed. Laurie Linder disappeared; her body was never recovered; she was never seen again. Throughout her childhood Jody has been drawn to Testament Rocks and collected artifacts from the soil and sand to discover a connection to her mother.
Old vague memories rise out of the past to haunt Jody when she learns that Billy Crosby will be released from prison and return home for a new trail that was arranged by his attorney son, Colin.
The cadence of the novel pounds like the thud of hail on a tin roof as Jody relives her childhood images and discovers a new direction for her heart that leaves her head spinning with shock before justice is served.

The Scent of Rain and Lightning is available at bookstores everywhere and visit with the prolific author at http://nancypickardmysteries.com/.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

Broken

2010-04-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

Karin Slaughter's Broken will be her next award winner. The complex story of depression, revenge, greed, disabilities, and hatred is told with the stunning brilliance of a master writer.
There is never any let-up in this fast-paced police procedural. A young woman is murdered and the young man who is arrested for her killing commits suicide in his cell.
Their deaths reunited some of Slaughter's most intriguing characters as Dr. Sara Linton calls the state crime division to report Detective Lena Adams for negligence and lying about the circumstances surrounding the arrest. Dr. Linton believes this previous behavior of evading responsibility caused the death of her husband and she wants Lena punished.

Special Agent Will Trent is sent to the scene to investigate and is thwarted at every turn by the members of the force to prevent him from doing his job. He must turn both to Sara and Lena for help after the boy friend of the murdered girl is also killed by the same methods. The conflict between the two woman is detrimental to his efforts to complete his investigation, but for both women an internal devotion to their respective jobs finally supersedes their hatred of each other.
Slaughter exhibits a fantastic talent for descriptive prose that will have you putting the book in your lap to savor her images. Her strength shows in the small ordinary experiences of life and vividness of the surroundings. She handles the raw scenes of death with the crisp flat style of a police report, never broaching sensationalism.

I had the privilege of sharing a head table at a writing workshop with Karin. One of the things we discussed was, "Why are women never taught to protect and respect themselves as children?" It is a question I've not forgotten and for which I still seek an answer.
Broken will be available in bookstores everywhere in late June, until then you can visit with Karin, who loves to get letters at http://karinslaughter.com/.

Nash Black, author of Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

Devil's Island

2010-04-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

Carl Brookins continues the story of Mary Whitney and her husband, Michael Tanner in Devils Island.
Brookins gives the reader an inside view of a strong relationship between two unique individuals through his complex suspense/thriller. There is never any question in the story line as to who is the bad guy. He is Mary's ex-husband. Edwin Tobias can not endure to let Mary live after escaping from his domination.
Michael Tanner and Edmund Hochstein (director of Whitney Enterprises) do their best to protect Mary from the danger they foresee on the horizon, but how far does one go without becoming the same oppressive menace Mary escaped from when she left Tobias?
A planned vacation to Lake Superior divides Michael and Mary. He has obligations on the West Coast, which can not be ignored or postponed. Mary travels to Minnesota alone for a few days of sailing and research to trace her family's early logging interest on the islands of the lake.
Mary enjoys her time on the lake with the aid of a young woman who is a novice sailor. Then this fast paced story churns the turbulent waters even faster as Tobias plays cat-and-mouse games before moving in for the kill.
The conclusion is one of the most exciting and illuminating I have read in a long time. You must read the story for yourself to understand the gallant respect Michael has for Mary despite his own fears for her safety.

It is a gripping tale from start to finish. Put it on your must read list.
Devils Island is available on-line and from http://www.echelonpress.com/.

Carl is a professional reviewer, a member of the Minnesota Crime Wave, and you can visit with him at http://carlbrookins.com/.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

Talking About Detective Fiction

2010-03-09T09:58:00.000-08:00

Master crime fiction writer P. D. James explores the development of the detective, both amateur and professional in Talking About Detective Fiction. She does not slight the American authors who contributed so much to development of this genre, but she also uses many British examples.

Dame James gives the reader valuable insight into the famous characters of yesteryear who have become household names and continue to delight readers of the genre. She shows us her way of looking at Lord Peter and Miss Marple, while introducing fans to other more obscure characters to expand our appreciation of the field. My "to be read" list has expanded by a page.

If you are an author taking the time to read a professional book during any given year is mandatory for keeping abreast of your field. For crime fiction authors a good history of the genre that is not heavily weighed toward an academic style is provided by Talking About Detective Fiction. She does not try to lift the genre into the realms of literature or degraded it as unworthy of regard, which is a refreshing attitude to this reader.

If you are a mystery fans, Dame James gives you some hints as to why you keep reading and asking for more from your favorite author.

Nash Black, author of Sins of the Fathers.

Saintly Remains

2010-02-27T14:14:00.000-08:00

Tony Perona has stepped over to the dark side of the human experience with the forthcoming addition to his Nick Bertetto mystery series, Saintly Remains.

A shooting spree at the high school of Nick's wife, Joan leaves five students and the killers dead. The small town of Jasper, IN in shock and parents of all the young victims devastated.

Nick, Joan, and their daughter, Stephanie return for a well-earned vacation six months after the tragedy, but a residue of confusion and loss clouds their home coming.

When Joan's mother opens the back door for her cat Mr. Jangles, the horror is overwhelming; someone has skinned the pet and left him to die. While Nick and his mother-in-law are in the vet's office they learn of another mutilated pet in the neighborhood plus several dogs and cats who have disappeared. Nick vows he will find the vicious person who is practicing these vicious acts of cruelty on helpless victims. His search for the truth uncovers rumors of the existence of a Satanic cult, which emerged during the police investigation of the killings at the high school.

The reporter in Nick shouts "no" to coincidence.

The next blow to the close knit community comes when the body of the young girl who said she believed in Jesus before she died in the massacre is stolen from her grave. The grave has become a point of reverence as friends and believers leave tokens of faith, while her parents cope with pickers who are stealing their garbage to recover a possession of Keri's to sell on the illicit trade in saintly artifacts.

Are the seemingly random acts connected? The reporter in Nick again shouts "no" to coincidence.

Page after page will slip by as your eyes race across the type to follow the adroit narrative of Tony Perona as he covers a dark subject. Nick, his family, and friends dig deep to write the true story behind the deaths of Jasper's young citizens.

Who hides in the dark and commits acts of revenge against the unsuspecting? Who will kill and kill again to protect a deadly secret?

If you haven't met Nick Bertetto, a father who works from home and cares for his daughter while Joan follows her career try Saintly Remains, which will be available on March 17th on Amazon.com. Then you will want to go back and enjoy Second Advent and Angels Whisper for a good visit with a nice guy who gets a little help from above.

Visit with Tony at http://tonyperona.com/ to learn more about Nick Bertetto.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

Deadly Dues

2010-02-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

Have you paid your dues? Lulu Malone's are paid-in-full, but that doesn't exempt her from greater hassles with Stan Pope, her repulsive union representative.

Linda Kupecek's new character in the annals of crime fiction will steal your heart from the first page of Deadly Dues. Clear space on your shelf for Lulu and her friends to reside when you want a break from the heavy noir/thrillers that are abundant in the current crime fiction scene.

This is a delightful caper filled with sly allusions to our current culture, which will have you laughing out loud. It is a world of label fashion where no actress can step out her door unless she is well shod, even if her shoes are bargain purchases from thrift and consignment shops. Lulu's condo (bought when she was in the money) is furnished in the same style, which now in her reduced circumstances she is slowly selling off to meet the cost of living until the next break comes along.

Lulu and four friends receive a call from Stan to meet to resolve their differences. When they reach his HAMS (Honourable Association of Minstrels and Singers) office, someone has been there before them and ended their controversy by knifing Stan in the back. Where he had planted his own invectives in theirs. This crew does not want to acknowledge they were near that office as they each had a motive for eliminating the decreased. They exit the scene, flee, and reconvene at Murphy's to plot their next next course of action.

For Lulu it gets worse as thugs and killers invade her home demanding "a key," but taking her dog. Bodies appear in Lulu's home, but Stan's body disappears. Who killed him and removed his body? Who is master minding the attacks on Lulu?

A girl can't even shop the mall without getting mauled.

Lulu Malone and her quirky actor friends are an excellent group to fill the shoes of the late Charlotte MacLeod and Donald E. Westlake in the realm of humorous mystery fiction. Lulu's next adventure is Trashing the Trailer.

Linda Kupecek is a Canadian author, a retired actress with a slew of credits to her name and she knows the world of which she writes.

Her books: Deadly Dues, Rebel Women: Achievements Beyond the Ordinary, Rebel Cook; Entertaining Advice for the Clueless and Fiction and Folly for the Festive Season are available on Amazon.

Deadly Dues is worth the purchase price of $9.95, it will last longer than Lulu's job at McDonald's.

Nash Black, author of Sins of the Fathers.

When Death Intervenes

2010-01-26T16:27:00.000-08:00

L.C. Hayden's third addition to the Harry Bronson series, When Death Intervenes will keep you turning the pages to the satisfying conclusion.

Harry Bronson is a retired Dallas police detective who has promised his wife, Carol a real vacation vie their motor home. A campground is South Dakota leads to his downfall when he senses a fellow traveler is in deep trouble.

Linda Randig is running to protect her estranged son and her 18 month-old grandson from a ruthless killer who holds their lives in his hands unless she follows his instructions. Photographs of the accidents that killed her parents and husband's deaths were left at her home so Linda would know they were murdered. Harry is unable to let the desperate mother travel alone after finding tracking and listening devices in her coach.

Benjamin Carrier has a long history with the Dallas police department; he tricks Harry into sending his fingerprints to Mike Hoover. The former partners learn a vicious killer escaped death and is now leaving a trail of violence for them to follow in his brutal game.

The pace is swift as the body count builds to a frenzy, while Harry and Mike delve through a mass of lies and deception to discover Carrier's link to a multi-million dollar scam and blackmail. The threads of the plot wrap together to support a distinctive police procedural.

Look for When Death Intervenes by L.C. Hayden at bookstores everywhere and visit with the award nominated author at http://lchayden.com/.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

The Bone Chamber

2010-01-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

Multiple award winning Robin Burcell's The Bone Chamber is a first class bone chilling romantic/suspense/thriller, which will keep you glue to each page.

Sydney Fitzpatrick is a forensic artist who is pulled from her last session at the FBI Academy and asked to take on a new assignment on the eve of a well deserved vacation with her family in San Francisco. Sydney doesn't want to job or the aggravation, but a friend invites her to dinner and persuades her to take the assignment.

It isn't until Sydney is finishing what seems to be a routine facial identification of a young women does Sydney learn her friend is dead. Dr. Natasha Gilbert was the victim of a hit-and-run accident. She is furious with Special Agent Zachary Griffin who kept the information from her. Who is Agent Griffin who can enter the portals of Quantico with impunity and change lives at his command?

Sydney is not without resources and investigates Agent Griffin, whose identity and employment circumstances become stranger and stranger. Fueled by her anger with him and her grief for Tasha, Sydney follows him to Rome and a case that is definitely not a vacation.

The sparks fly between Sydney and Zack, but neither has the time or inclination to indulge in personal affairs while they are fighting to stay alive. The twists and turns of plot and relationships will propell the reader the tombs of ancient slaves to the final page.

The Bone Chamber is title I acquired through Amazon's Vine Review program, which I consider worthy of a broader review. It is available in bookstores and online everywhere. Comments are welcome at Harper@harpercollins.com.

This review is in compliance with FTC rules of September, 09.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

The Crossing Places

2009-12-31T14:07:00.000-08:00

I came across British author Elly Griffiths's The Crossing Places through the Amazon Vine program where I also write reviews for new books.

Seldom do I read a book from cover to cover at one sitting, but this cozy/suspense is a page turner from the first word.

Ruth Galloway is an archaeologists with a deep love for the lonely salt-marsh country where she did her early internship working on the resurrection of a henge. The mudflats, when the tide recedes reveal evidence of human activity back to the Iron Age.

A chance discovery of the bones of a child prompts Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson to ask for Ruth's help as to their identity. He is hoping they are the remains of a child who has been missing for ten years, but Ruth identifies the bones as those of a Bronze Age child who was allowed to die in a ritual sacrifice.

Since the kidnapping Detective Nelson has been taunted by letters as to the location of Lucy Downey's remain, but when another child goes missing the hunto is on by all parties to locate a killer before he can strike again.

With a masterful pen Ms. Griffiths creates word pictures to draw the reader into the bleakness of the English coast and the lives of her characters who populate the windswept Norfolk marshes. Each has a spark of life that shines through to enthrall the reader.

The Crossing Places is not Ms. Griffiths first novel, but it is the first in a new mystery series that will have this reader coming back for more. The book will be available on Amazon.com some time in the new year. Visit Elly Griffiths and Ruth at http://ruthgalloway.com/.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

Red's Hot Honky-Tonk Bar

2009-12-25T04:47:00.000-08:00

Pamela Morsi's Red's Hot Honky-Tonk Bar is a May/December love story along the line's of Kirk Douglas's The Gift, but there the similarity ends.

Red Cullens has always done what she had to do to provide for herself and her illegitimate daughter, but this request could be more than she can handle.

Staff Sergeant Bridge Lujan is calling from Kabul. Her mother-in-law has had a major stroke, her ex-husband is in Korea, and there is no one else to care for her two children.

The last thing Red wants is to become an overnight grandmother to a ten and six-year-old. Red's home is not suitable for children. She lives in a small apartment above her bar where the jamming vibrates long into the night. She is a night person who sleeps during the day with her current "boy toy" lover who plays in the band. Besides, Cam isn't aware that the "hot mama" with flaming red hair down her back and skin tight jeans has family responsibilities.

Red admits Bridge raised herself while she was doing what she could to provide a roof over their heads and put food in their mouths. Bridge has been careful with her children and the advent of Red in their lives upsets their ordered existence. Daniel refuses to speak English, his sister tries to assume the burden of their care until their mother comes home, but Red will not shirk her duty.

Where does the role of room-mother, cookies & cupcakes fit into the life of a tavern owner who is watching the urban renewal progress of San Antonio consume her livelihood? The upper crust will never be the same when Red steps up to the plate.

Maybe getting what you never wanted is the best thing that ever happens to you, but it will take major adjustments on all sides before the matter reaches its conclusion.

Red's Hot Honky-Tonk Bar is the perfect romance to renew an interest in a genre filled to overflowing capacity with boy-meets-girl-happy-ever-after-tales. Its a great read with finely drawn flawed characters who will steal your heart.

Visit with Pamela Morsi at http://www.pamulamorsi.com and visit bookstores everywhere for Red's Hot Honky-Tonk Bar.

Nash Black, author of Sins of the Fathers and Qualifying Laps.

Merry, Merry Ghost

2009-12-14T10:27:00.000-08:00

Carolyn Hart brings back the most delightful ghost in mystery land, Bailey Ruth Raeburn in Merry, Merry Ghost to decorate the season with fun and fantasy.

Bailey Ruth has a new assignment from the Department of Good Intentions: "to protect a little boy" from his greedy faux relatives.

A return trip from Heaven to Adelaide, OK during the holiday season is just the ticket Bailey Ruth has been anticipating. A short side trip to check on her children and she's off to do her duty to little Keith Flynn who has lost both his mother and father.

Keith is left on the doorstep of his grandmother's home; she was not aware of his existence, yet his papers prove he is the son of her estranged son, Michael.

His arrival is not greeted with joy from all the members of his grandmother's extended family and someone is willing to kill to prevent her from signing a new will in Keith's favor. It is up to Bailey Ruth to enlighten the authorities there has been a murder, bring the culprit to justice, and protect Keith's inheritance.

Merry, Merry Ghost is just the book to enjoy for yourself after all your holiday chores are finished and give to friends that deserve a bit of cheer on cold winter days.

Merry, Merry Ghost is available on line and at bookstores everywhere. Visit with numerous award winning author Carolyn Hart at http://www.carolynhart.com/.

Nash Black, author Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

http://twitter.com/Pennhand

Serpent in the Thorns

2009-10-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

Jeri Westerson has given her growing list of fans a new adventure for Crispin Guest in Serpent in the Thorns. Ms. Westerson's first medieval noir mystery for Crispin was Veil of Lies, where she introduced the disgraced knight who when stripped of his heritage by Richard II must eek a precarious living by finding lost items.

Crispin's "lost items" are not mundane and this time he is besieged from all sides for the return of the sacred Crown of Thorns, which he picked up while investigating a murder French courier in the room of a simple minded girl who claims she killed the man. How could she have killed the man with a special arrow known only to the English court? His duty is to protect his new client whose sister has given him a small fee.

A novel set during the period of the rule of the House of Lancaster is backed up with the extensive research and knowledge Jeri Westerson brings to the printed page. The minute details of life for both commoner and aristocracy of the era ring with authenticity and pull the reader deep into the story for a fascinating adventure where rogues and honorable men are known. But are they when the unstable rule of a vain seventeen year-old governs their lives?

Crispin wants to use the Crown to regain his status. Follow him as he risks his life and the lives of those who have befriended him during his hours of darkness to pursue his ambition.

Serpent in the Thorns, as Veil of Lies, apply demonstrats the work of a master for plot, character development, and setting. You will enjoy every tight word of this exciting medieval noir mystery. Both books are available on Amazon.com and bookstores. Veil of Lies in the new paperback edition has a new cover.

Join Jeri at http://jeriwesterson.com/ or Crispin who keeps a journal on his own Web site at http://www.crispinguest.com where you will learn more about him and the times in which he lived.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

Death and Honesty

2009-10-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

Death and Honesty by Cynthia Riggs continues the sleuthing skills of Victoria Trumbull for the delight of the author's many fans. Victoria is ninety-two-years-old and her nosiness when it comes to murder has earned her the position of a deputy on the local police force, which is a responsibility Victoria strives to fulfill.

Cynthia Riggs parlays a varied background and a position as a thirteenth-generation Islander on Martha's Vineyard into an outstanding series that gains more fans as each addition is published.

Victoria discovers the body of a neighbor who happens to be one of the community's tax-assessors. No one really cares for a person who fulfills this position, but murder is taking distaste too far.

Another name for honesty is money plant and though its bright bluish/purple bloom is lovely in a late-spring garden; it is invasive and roots out frailer plants.

This soon happens as Victoria discovers the tax-assessors have been raising the assessment values on properties owned by the seasonal residents, the extra income is not evident in the towns coffers.

Delilah Sampson is one such owner who is facing financial crisis of her own. The heat begins to build for Delilah when the body of the private pilot for a disreputable minister is found in her pond. A former helpful friend of Victoria's is acting as Delilah's chauffeur under another name, which leads Victoria to wonder if he, too, is no longer to be trusted.

Join Victoria in a cozy mystery that is well plotted, filled with humor and substance that will take you to the beach. A well-written cozy is a welcome break for the deluge of heavy chiller-thrillers.

Death and Honesty is available where mysteries are sold and online. Visit with Cynthia Riggs at http:www.cynthiariggs.com to discover what she has in store for Victoria's next adventure.

Nash Black

Writing as a Small Business and Haints, Indie Award Finalists

Homicide in Hardcover

2009-09-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

Kate Carlisle has introduced a new sleuth to the cozy mystery scene with Brooklyn Wainright in Homicide in Hardcover. Brooklyn has an intriguing occupation, she repairs and restores antique books, this painstaking work gives her a deep insight into teeny details the ordinary person would never see.

As I read I kept wondering if Brooklyn my precious copy of the first American edition of Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist. It is bound in green patterned silk, but the spine has parted ways with the body. This is how well Kate Carlisle (a debut author) develops her characters. They become real to the reader.

Brooklyn was named for the place she was conceived by her "flower children" parents who have managed to make their avocation a success in a commercial world. She discovers her mother leaving a basement studio of her mentor just minutes before she discovers his body in the disaster strewn workshop. Why was her mother in the museum where a major collection of prize books is being shown? What is her mother hiding and did she have anything to do with the crime?

The plot and its numerous threads are woven together like the very fabric of a fine book covering. The suspense builds as evidence accumulates that points to several candidates for the killer in this fine who-done-it.

I've been looking for a new sleuth to follow and purchased this title through Amazon's Those Who Bought This Book Also Bought section, otherwise I may never have discovered this jewel of a cozy.

Kate Carlise has also received another review from a fan, see http://mmgornell.wordpress.com/ for a second opinion and welcome Kate to the world of cozy mystery fiction.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

http://twitter.com/Pennhand

HARDBALL

2009-08-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

Sara Paretsky's private detective V.I. Warshawski returns with a new addition to the outstanding series. Hardball will be in bookstores everywhere in September.

Paretsky's character of V.I. "Vic" Warshawski was one of the first of the strong female PIs who are as hard-boiled as the guys and the this character has never disappointed the reader.

Hardball allows fans to a slight peak inside Vic as this story involves her current family and memories of her beloved parents.

Against her better judgement V.I. assumes an investigation of the disappearance of a young Black man who has been missing for forty years. Lamont Gadsden has not been seen in Chicago since the night prior to the big snow that paralyzed the city for days. His aunt wants him found before she dies and Vic cannot refuse the request.

Johnnie Merton is in prison for crimes that will keep him there for the remainder of his life. He was an old client of Vic's when she worked for the Public Defender's Office, even then his power over the Black community was enormous and he scared Vic though she refused to give him the power over her by allowing him to see her fear. Merton is Vic's opening link to Lamont, but he refuses to aid her search.

Vic cousin Petra, a recent college graduate comes to Chicago to work on the political campaign of a rising politician. She swiftly makes her presence know both to Vic and her employers.

The hunt for the missing civil rights worker and Petra's employment create a tornado of power as Chicago politics: past, present & future collided in a thrilling page turner. The violence is stark and graphic of the world of the 1966 race riots and the political consequences of that era as Vic remembers bits of her childhood with connections to the present.

With the veteran Partetsky welding the pen there are sifts and convergences in plot lines that make for a rapid pace tied in the shrunken fabric of social history.

Nash Black, author of Writing as a Small Business and Sins of the Fathers

http://pennhand.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/Pennhand

DEAD ON

2009-08-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

DEAD ON by Robert W. Walker is a chiller thriller of the first magnitude. Rob takes the reader's capacity for the imagination of horror to stomach turning depths, and then gives it more twists than a Georgia backroad that paves an Indian trail. This new addition to his broad range of titles will keep you awake long after the last page is closed.

I've reviewed several titles on this blog that were heralded as thrillers, but none of them had the spine tingling power of DEAD ON.

From the first page when former Atlanta police detective turned PI, Marcus Rydell is contemplating ending his life through his gun point first date with Dr. Kat Holley the tension and suspense builds as they bind together to catch a psychotic killer who has destroyed their lives and halted their careers.

The reader is compelled to keep turning the pages. Rob does little pseudo psychological musing as to what has turned ex-marine, professional hunter Iden Cantu into a monster killer. He illustrates by the deviants' blood curdling actions how a man slips over the line into insanity.

Cantu thrives on torture, both physical and mental for his victims. Cantu picks Rydell as his adversary when Rydell experiences a blackout as his partner and two other policemen are executed over his prone body. It is a duel manhunt of Cantu's choosing unless he can destroy Rydell from inside his own brain before Rydell finds him.

Nothing is predictable in this fast paced horror/thriller and the descriptions are sparse as each character controls their own destiny, which are fought against an unpredictable opponent.

This reviewer will be back for the sequel DEAD END, because there are many questions left unanswered.

You can find DEAD ON in your favorite library or online at Amazon.com. Visit with the award winning author at http://robertwalkerbooks.com.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

http://twitter.com/Pennhand

A Trace of Smoke

2009-07-14T08:47:00.001-07:00

Rebecca Cantrell's A Trace of Smoke takes the reader deep into the noir world of Berlin in 1931. A world in upheaval with the rise of the Nazi party just before Hitler comes to power. The power of this debut mystery is enthralling, spurred by the in depth research of the author.

The minute details makes the novel come alive in the reader's mind because the word pictures she paints are both stark and vivid. Rebecca recreates a world that becomes a major character. A Trace of Smoke could not exist, except for the setting.

Hannah Vogel is a crime reporter for Berliner Tageblatt under the pen name of Peter Weill. On her way to the Criminal Investigations Department she discovers her gay brother's picture on the wall of the Hall of the Unnamed Dead. He had been stabbed and his body was dumped in the river, where it was discovered by a passing tourist boat. Hannah is shocked and frightened, but she vows to unearth his killer.

Hannah inherits a five year old boy who calls her Mother. Anton carries a birth certificate which names her as his mother and the brother as the father. Who is "Little Eagle?" Did her beloved bother father this child at the age of fourteen?

Follow Hannah as she searches for the truth through the dangerous streets of Berlin, the El Dorado (gay bar) where her brother was a performer, Tegel Prison, and the abandoned homes of her friends who've fled the coming Holocaust. This is one you will not put down until the last page.

Hannah's story will continue in 2010 with A Night of the Long Knives. Visit Rebecca Cantrell at http://rebeccacantrell.com/.

PS, this copy is from the Russell County, KY public library. Thanks you all, you have good taste.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

The Last Bridge

2009-07-08T04:50:00.000-07:00

The Last Bridge by Teri Coyne is a symphony of pain.

Alexandra "Cat" Rucker has buried her memories in an alcoholic haze for all of her adult life, but the suicide of her brutalized mother brings her home to avoid or face the future.

The complex threads of her life are woven around the cryptic note left by her mother.

"Cat, He isn't who you think he is." Who is the "he?"

Is it her father? Her teenage lover? Her bother? The son she gave birth to and abandoned?

Abuse both sexual and physical leaves many scars and grows twines like a deadly snake around the lives of everyone it touches. What saves this title from being a travesty of malignancy is the powerful writing style of debut author Teri Coyne.

The story itself reminds me of Michaela Jefferies's, Grasping for Love, which is a non-fiction title by a victim of sexual abuse. I have met Michaela and watched her struggle against a past she can never forget.

Cat doesn't forget her past either, and it takes many months to find her way to a tentative understanding of who "he" is or was. With fiction there is a grain of hope buried in the final pages for Cat's recovery. A graphic read that is not comfortable, but it is enlightening. Teri Coyne has a profound voice and a superb story for a debut novel.

You can learn more about Teri at http://www.tericoyne.com/. The Last Bridge will be on sale July 28, 2009.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

Self-Publishing News

2009-07-07T04:34:00.001-07:00

Self-Publishing News

Shared via AddThis

Missing Mark

2009-07-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

Missing Mark by Julie Kramer has all the zip and fascination of her award winning Stalking Susan.

Riley Spartz, investigative reporter for Channel 3 in Minneapolis has found a rental in the exclusive White Bear Lake community, which has a history of peaceful living until Riley arrives. Her forte is mystery, finding the truth, while murder clouds her view.

The frenzied pace of her day doesn't keep Riley awake as her next door neighbor operates his perennial yard sale through the night. K-9 officer Flying-Cloud is shot and Riley covers the story. She ends up dog sitting when Shep recognizes her and destroys the scene report. Shep's nose for meth is legendary and he discovers a wealth of fragrance in the neighbor's inventory.

May is ratings month at the station and Riley is pushed to follow the breaking news of a missing trophy bass, while her interest is sparked by an ad that parodies Hemingway's bet winning short story.

Why did the impoverished groom miss his wedding to a wealthy heiress and leave the bride to be humiliated before their families and friends? No word has been heard from him in the months before Riley enters the case to dig in the dirt and stir the waters of White Bear Lake.

I watched the video trailer (http://juliekramerbooks.com/), which is as slick as the story. You will want to reserve your copy of Missing Mark. Julie Kramer has proven her Riley Spartz mysteries are events to anticipate.

You can visit with Julie at kramerjuliem@aol.com, but visit your favorite brick&mortar bookstore or order this excellent summer mystery online.

Nash Black, Writing as a Small Business and Sins of the Fathers.

the four corners of the sky

2009-06-27T02:53:00.000-07:00

The four corners of the sky by Michael Malone is difficult to categorize. Is it a mystery, a romance, a family saga, or an adventure story? It doesn't matter because the four corners of the sky is one of the best books you will read this year.

The story of Navy pilot Annie Peregrine-Goode and her extended family will stay with you long after you have closed the volume.

Abandoned by her father, Jack Peregrine, at Pilgrims Rest his family home she is a lost little girl who gets The King of the Sky for her seventh birthday. As she hugs the Piper Cub she chants to herself, "I'm a flyer."

Reared and formally adopted by her aunt, Samantha "Sam" Peregine and Dr. Clark Goode, Annie spends her childhood flying, which becomes her life when Sam arranges for her to have a balloon ride with D.K. Destin for her eight birthday. Annie flies as a runner and a pilot to out-pace the loneliness of being left behind, but never wins either race.

Annie is a fighter. The story opens when Annie realizes she married for all the wrong reasons and her father steps back into her life with a pull that may destroy her career and her life.

Nothing is ever as it seems with Jack Peregine at the controls. The pace is fast, surprises at every corner, the intricate plot and threads are woven with expert prose into an exceptionally well told story that will keep your eyes glued to the page.

Michael Malone has ten award winning novels to his credit and is a professor at Duke University. the four corners of the sky is available on line at Amazon.com or bookstores everywhere.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

The Drowning Pool

2009-06-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

I won a copy of Jacqueline Seewald's The Drowning Pool; it was the first contest prize I've ever won.

Kim Reynolds and Mike Gardner are a couple in the early stages of their relationship who have a unique bond. Kim is a research librarian and Mike is a police detective, both have an insight into people and crime scenes. The psychic element is very subtle and adds to detailed police-work, which takes the reader into the story.

Mike has a new partner in Bert St. Croix. Bert has so many issues it is difficult for her to trust anyone. Her past has followed her from New York, but is she really ready to leave her old life and move on into a new phase?

The victim, Rick Bradshaw is a man about bedrooms who uses, discards, manipulates, taunts, and humiliates people to feed his feed his devouring ego. The story follows the classic style of a cozy where the character of the victim provides the clues to his demise with all the twists and turns of a New Jersey back-road.

But Ms. Seewald has some surprises in-store for the reader who thinks they have it all figured out. You will keep turning the pages late into the night with this strong sequel to The Inferno Collection.

The Drowning Pool is the perfect pool for a cool summer dip. Another review of this excellent addition to the cozy mystery field is by Marlene Pyle at The Genre Review, http://thegenrereview.com/?p=72. Jacqueline Seewald"s books are available in bookstores and on Amazon, B&N and other online outlets.

You can contact Jacqueline at jacquelinesw@optonline.net.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

A Kidnapping Gone Wrong

2009-06-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

Fran Stewart's Biscuit McKee makes her fifth appearance in Indigo as an Iris, which was my introduction to the series. Indigo is a complete cozy, with nice people caught in extra ordinary events.

A one page introduction of a kidnapping victim regaining consciousness leads the reader to turn the page to discover who was bound in the backseat of her own car while a mother drove and feed her child the cinnamon buns the victim had purchased? The kidnapping is planned by the most mathematically inept abductors on the planet. It has no hopes of success, but leads to lives twisting and ending. The murder does not occur until the climax of the story and there is never any doubt as to the killer.

Biscuit McKee, who is Martinsville's librarian and Marmalade, her cat find their way into homes and shops they pass on their walks through the close knit community. Family members create problems with their fractured relationships and friends refuse to behave as expected in this complex cozy.

Biscuit's reactions to her daughter, her sister, and her husband give the reader a clear picture of her insecurities. It is the charm of those insecurities and the distinctly southern voice that gives the story its flow as one event intertwines and leads to another.

The cast of characters fascinated me so much I ordered Orange as Marmalade (the first of the series) to expand my appreciation of Biscuit, her family, her friends, and Marmalade who behaves as a cat whose humans never understand her language.

You can visit with Fran Stewart at Mystery Matters: where murder is an open book http://www.franstewart.com/ and listen to her outstanding radio interviews of mystery celebrities. Fran's books are available at Amazon.com and other retail outlets.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

How did Molly Die?

2009-05-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

The Late, Lamented Molly Marx by Sally Koslow is a delight in mystery/suspense fiction from the first page. Have you ever imagined or dreamed of attending your own funeral as Tom Sawyer did?

Molly Marx is in the here-after attempting to understand how at the young age of 35 she arrived in this place. Her Jewish heritage does not give a broad scope for her to know her strange new powers or how to control them. She can view what is happening as an observer, but it warned never to make herself known except on the single occasion when it is vitally important for her peace and acceptance of her new status.

Molly's husband Barry, her daughter Annabel, her parents and twin sister Lucy, her best friend Brie and her true love Luke all must travel their own roads through life, which no longer includes her in their midst.

The narrative moves among three perspectives: what Molly sees happening after her death, her memories of her relationships with the people she loves, and the dark cloud that blocks the horizon as to the reason for her death. Was is an accident, suicide, or murder?

Molly cannot remember why she wrecked her bike and drowned in the Hudson River, nor how she ended up on the bank where her body was discovered.

The Late, Lamented Molly Marx has all the warmth of a family reunion, the joy and pain of daily relationships, and the discovery of who you really were as a person. Join Molly on her journey it is well-worth the price of the ticket.

The one fault I find with the book is the cover color, white is a poor choice for our electric world as it tends to bleed into the background. Against the sand of this blog white shows the strong elements.

You can learn more about Sally Koslow by visiting her website at htt://sallykoslow.com. Her titles are available from Amazon.com & other online booksellers, and in bookstores across the country.

Nash Black, Writing as a Small Business and Sins of the Fathers.

Return of the Texas Ranger is a Winner

2009-05-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

Dac Crossley's Return of the Texas Ranger, has won the Indie Award for the best western for 2009. Congratulations Dac, we knew you'd written a winner.

Return of the Texas Ranger

2009-04-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

Kingsville, TX in 1927 where the King Ranch has brought progress to a sleepy little town with the advent of the railroad. The glory days of the Texas Border Wars are long gone, but former Texas ranger Sheriff Richard "Red" Regan gets a jolt as his old colleague Whitey Wilson steps off the circus train.

Whitey lives in the past and has refused to move forward, now he has a mission to find the killer of their mentor, Nacho Ybarra. Then maybe, Whitey has returned to claim Red's wife and son as his own.

Red is fighting the physical pain from an old bullet lodged against his spine and must force himself to do his job with the aid of a few little pills a pharmacist friend has given him. It is a daily battle to hide his agony and he knows Whitey is walking trouble for Whitey is a man who consistently will not abide by the rules.

This vivid western mystery by a native son of Kingsville is a winner for reading enjoyment. It has all the twists, subplots, humor, loyalty, and suspense of a mystery, but is truly a western. Many mysteries are set in the west, but could occur anywhere. This is a story where both time and place become a major character.

Return of the Texas Ranger is Dac Crossley's sequel to the award winning Guns Across the Rio with all the ethnic ties spiced with conflicting loyalties that will keep you turning the pages. You can trust Dac to provide accurate details as to time, place, traditions, customs, and culture, which make his stories come so alive. You'll be glancing down to check if you have mud on your shoes as you follow the story on a rainswept night.

This reader would enjoy more stories about Red, Whitey, and Nacho before their careers have met the future because of the knowledgeable insight that flows from the words of this unique author.

Join Dac's legion of followers at http://daccrossley.typepad.com/ where he adds new insight into the legends of Texas history and discusses everything that inhabits the South Texas country or the joy of going barefoot in the summer time. You can learn more about this new author in the mystery field by visiting his website at http://soilmite@earthlink.net. Dac Crossley's books are available from Amazon.com or at the Alamo if you're traveling to San Antonio this summer.

by Nash Black, author of Writing as a Small Business & Haints.

Conception is Murder

2009-01-25T18:17:00.000-08:00

Award winner, Dr. Darden North has served up a medical murder novel that is difficult to stash as an ordinary thriller. It is written from the omniscient point of view, which for this mystery enthusiast did require a period of adjustment. This literary style of writing is not one you often see in a mystery/suspense novel. There is no murder until late in the story, instead it is a steady building of tension between the characters and the reader who is unsuspectingly drawn into the twisted plot.

To say a murder mystery is literary is trite, but I can think of no better description. The writing is so smooth and the threads of the story interlock in a fascinating fashion, but not before you are thoroughly puzzled and intrigued as to where the tale is leading.

The characters are exposed through their thoughts and actions with graphic insight into the human behavior of self-deception. The frightening and chilling aspect of reading about them is the realization: "I know people like that." People who always blame someone else for their own actions, yet never consider the consequences of their desires.

The medical and computer technological detail are explicit and written so a novice can understand them when conceptualizing the process of receiving an implant of an embryo for impregnation.

Is the physician performing a service or preying on human frailty? Fresh Frozen provides a new understanding of the dilemma. How far will someone go to have a child, how far to protect their privacy, their reputation, their obsessions, their crimes, and their humanness?

From the pen of Darden North no one escapes and the unexpected conclusion will leave you pondering long after you've finished Fresh Frozen.

Darden North's books are available from a book store near you or online from Amazon, B&N, and others.

Nash Black, author of Writing as a Small Business and Sins of the Fathers.

Creative Thinking

2009-01-18T12:55:00.000-08:00

We had the privilege of sharing both a signing table and a dinner table with Robert Alan Black and discussing the cognitive thought process that guides an author's style.

Broken Crayons is a guide book designed to be used in group sessions for executives and employees to solve problems, but many of the concepts he details in a simple, easy to remember pattern apply to writers who work alone.

One of my favorites is a list of activities that can easily generate a new way of thinking. Alan's text is on p. 17-18, but I'm semi-quoting as I've changed items to suit my purpose.

Broaden Your Interests searching many areas for information.

Reverse Perspectives to see things a different way.

Open Yourself to an infinite number of ideas.

Kickback and let your imagination run around.

Eliminate Steps in Procedures to discover new ways to solve problems.

Never say Never. Keep yourself open to positives in all things.

Combine Ideas, new & old, tried & experimental, ones you agree with, ones you know will not work.

Rearrange steps, facts, data, ideas, characters to create unique approaches.

Adapt or alter existing ideas to produce new ones.

Orient differently, switch, change, alter combine past, present, and future, here, there, somewhere, nowhere.

Noodle around, play with ideas, look at it from the perspective of a child or an animal.

Sleep On It For a While, let your intuitive or subconscious mind work on the situation in your story.

Coloring inside the lines of our dime store book was a skill we learned as children. Now Alan gives us dozens of guidelines for breaking our crayons and working outside the lines.

His Cemetery of Creativity is one we've visited many times. Add your personal monuments to his forty-tombstones, and give them a proper burial.

Broken Crayons: Break Your Crayons and Draw Outside the Lines by Robert Alan Black is available from him with a unique signature at alan@cre8ng.com or from Amazon.com.

Nash Black, reviewers and author

http://pennhand.blogspot.com/

Selling a Book

2009-01-10T17:31:00.000-08:00

How do you tell the world about you and your book? The manuscript is looking for a home, is in the process of being published, or is on the market. If you don't "toot your own horn," no one else will do it for you.

The book marketplace is changing almost weekly and it is difficult to stay current with all the innovations, new techniques, and economic downfall. Marketing is like building a house, when actual construction begins you must establish a firm foundation. Building for yourself a rock solid base is the essence of market research.

Jeffrey Marks provides the basics with INTENT TO SELL: Marketing the Genre Novel. My copy is the 2nd edition, which was published in 2005. Since that time there have been rapid changes in the market place. 2008, alone, turned the publishing world upside down, but the basics of promotion have not changed. Several writers have covered the topics with much the same answers in various formats, but for me a book is still easier to pull off the shelf and browse.

Recently an established author was seeking advice on how to compose a query letter to accompany his press release to print media. How do you approach someone with whom you are not personally acquainted and illustrate to them your title is newswrothy? Jeff devotes a full chapter to "getting your name out there." Step-by-step he takes you through the elements of a press kit, its necessity, its components, and its uses.

One important item Jeff discusses, which I haven't seen any where else is on p. 114. "You should save at least one box of your title for special matters and for your own purposes. Don't sell these copies at your signings or give them away to readers." In today's market this is vital, as books go out of print, are picked up by a new publisher, publishers go out of business or are absorbed by another publisher, copyrights get hung-up in bankrutcy court, or your title may end up being published in another format without the permission of you or of your publisher. So keep a few copies in storage, you never known when they may be important in another scope.

Jeff keeps the mystery world current on marketing techniques from his website http://www.murdermustadvertise.com/, which is easy to navigate and open to the public.