The Readers' Suite

Romancing the Valentine

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:54:00 +0000

The Romancing the Valentine Giveaway Hop is sponsored by Reading Romances. My giveaway will be Hardware, a romantic suspense novel set in Jamaica. The hop will go from February 6-13, with the winner announced on February 14, 2012.

All you have to do is be a follower of this blog, tweet if you’d like extra entries and fill in the form below. Make sure you visit the other bloggers listed.

Camille Moyston has managed to put the nightmare of a violent attack behind her. Having forged a safe, predictable life, the last thing she needs is a cliché, oversexed Jamaican male expressing interest.

For Quinn Mayhew, life is too good to waste time chasing a haughty, irritable woman who is too cautious to accept him for the man he is, but somehow she symbolizes everything he desires in his future.

When Camille's inner fortress finally starts to crumble, Quinn is arrested for murder and everything changes...

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense/Mystery
Book Length: Plus Novel
Word Count: 93,188
Pages: 340
Formats: PDF, HTML, ePub, Mobi, Lit, PRC

Black History Month Giveaway Hop

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:35:00 +0000

January seems to have disappeared in a rush, but with February stepping in, I’m pleased to be participating in a Black History Month Blog Hop for the first time. The hop is hosted by Reflections of a Bookaholic and Mocha Girls Read. To quote the aim…

This giveaway kicks off the month-long Black History Hop, which will focus on giving black authors, books, and those who support them a month in the spotlight.

My giveaway will be an e-copy of Hardware. See information below. All you have to do is fill in the form. You can tweet this post for an extra entry. Don’t forget to visit the other hosts.

Camille Moyston has managed to put the nightmare of a violent attack behind her. Having forged a safe, predictable life, the last thing she needs is a cliché, oversexed Jamaican male expressing interest.

For Quinn Mayhew, life is too good to waste time chasing a haughty, irritable woman who is too cautious to accept him for the man he is, but somehow she symbolizes everything he desires in his future.

When Camille's inner fortress finally starts to crumble, Quinn is arrested for murder and everything changes...

Publisher: Wild Child Publishing

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense/Mystery

Book Length: Plus Novel
Word Count: 93,188
Pages: 340

Have fun on the hop!

Book Review - The Look of Love

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:57:00 +0000

STORYLINE: Carmel meets Steve on the job, while she’s providing at-home care for his ornery father. Being on the fluffy side, Carmel has difficulty believing Steve is attracted to her. She battles Steve’s ex, his awful mother, her need for comfort food and low self image.

PLAYERS:

Carmel Matthews is a strong black woman who has dealt with her past mistakes, is raising her children and trying to sustain her failing business.

Dr. Steve Reynolds, just out of a bad relationship, is attracted to this plus-size woman, who’s a far cry from the type he usually dates. He’s unsure of what he wants out of their liaison, but in the meantime makes use of what he’s got in Carmel.

I LIKED: the pace of The Look of Love. I read the story in less than a day and think the writer is a talented storyteller. I fell in love with Steve’s father Marvin. Now there’s a character. He’s difficult to stand at first, but is caring and has some laugh-out-loud-funny lines.

The relationships were done well. Carmel and her friend Jasmine have several disagreements and there are some tense moments between Marcel and her mother. Carmel also goes through some tough scenes with her daughter. Relationships like these keep the reader close to reality.

Carmel’s weight challenge was the reason I bought this book, though I was scoping out another sample. I haven’t ever read a romance novel with this kind of issue. The writer kept things real by not writing in any miraculous solutions and by having the character take a close look at herself and her reasons for overeating. Good stuff.

I COULD HAVE LIVED WITHOUT: some of the glitches I found in the text. The formatting was fine, but there were a few things that should have been caught, but weren’t. These speed bumps didn’t take away from my reading pleasure.

OVERALL COMMENTS: While I enjoyed the story, somehow I wasn’t convinced that the couple had an immediate, blood-warming reaction to each other. There was interest, yes, but I can’t say exactly what kept me from feeling the chemistry.

I also had a little niggle with Steve. I didn’t see him as this hot, to-die-for guy, though he was portrayed as such. Dunno if it’s because he’s so nice, though he did prove he could be firm. At times, I found him wishy-washy and even to the end didn’t feel his emotions deeply.

COVER NOTE: Again, I’m not a fan of covers done using graphics, so of course, I included the original cover. Like a lot of books, the models don’t provide a true representation of the characters, but they’re a nice-looking pair.

RATING: Despite some issues with this story, based on the pacing, the relationships, and the realistic handing of Marcel's weight problems, I think The Look of Love is a truly awesome read.

SOURCE: I bought The Look of Love on Amazon.

Book Review - Heart's Desire

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:47:00 +0000

STORYLINE: Kara Smith embarks on a journey of revenge when her dying mother reveals that Kara’s father is Congressman Sidney Eastman. Driven by ambition, he tells Kara’s mother to end her pregnancy, and moves on with his life. Kara infiltrates Eastman’s office, but her plans backfire, leading to complications, which have dire consequences.

PLAYERS:

Brent Stevens: is a bright Admin Assistant employed to Eastman. He is engaged to Kara’s half-sister and though he breaks off the engagement, he’s still at the family’s beck and call. I didn’t get a strong sense of who he is, but the Eastman’s certainly know how to play on his feelings of guilt. I don’t remember if there’s mention of his family, but I do recall he started out poor.

Kara Smith: is a sheltered thirty-year-old woman who is raised in a religious cult. She too is riddled by guilt, but quickly finds her way in the new world that’s opened up before her.

I LIKED: the pace at which the story unfolded. Heart’s Desire had plenty of plot twists that kept the story moving. The writer does know how to keep the reader turning the pages. I also downloaded a sample of Jenny’s story Too Hot to Handle and whipped through it in no time, which is a good sign.

I COULD HAVE LIVED WITHOUT: the annoyance that came through Brent’s association with the Eastman family. Jenny, their daughter, is spineless, senseless and demanding. By the end of the book, she descends to being spiteful, even more needy and destructive.

OVERALL COMMENTS: I like reading black romances, so this was a treat for me. Though the book was a fast read, I had some issues with it. I thought the editing could have been tighter, which would have improved the story.

Brent’s readiness to pay for Kara’s services at the start of the book threw me a little, making me wonder about his character. It turned me off him a bit. The way she blackmailed her way into the Legislative Assistant’s job seemed improbable to me. Of course, Brent didn’t take her seriously for long, and soon brushed aside her threats of exposure. While she did seem naïve, Kara’s thoughts sometimes didn’t translate the way I expected them to, especially coming from someone who’d been brought up the way she was.

COVER NOTE: I’m not a fan of cartoony covers, hence I also included a copy of the paperback cover, which IMO is way nicer.

RATING: I found Heart’s Desire still needed work.

SOURCE: I downloaded Heart’s Desire as a free read from Amazon

Book Review - The Highest Price to Pay

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:36:00 +0000

STORYLINE: Ella Stanton, designer and shop owner, has her business taken over by Blaise Chevalier, who buys her debt as part of a package. She’s resentful of Blaise and the takeover, and he’s only going to give her business the time of day if he thinks it is viable. The attraction between them complicates matters to another level.

PLAYERS:

Blaise Chevalier: is a successful business and has a reputation as a playboy. He’s all business and quite smooth. However, behind all the glitz and glamour, he has issues he doesn’t allow the world to see.

Ella Stanton: is a young, upcoming businesswoman who makes sacrifices to keep her shop and design studio running. She’s elegant and seems to have it all together, but just like Blaise, her confidence and outer veneer hide deep, emotional scars.

I LIKED: the rich characterization in The Highest Price to Pay. These are both strong, yet vulnerable characters and so I was deeply invested in seeing them get together. I enjoyed Blaise and Ella’s interaction, even when they were downright hostile to each other. The chemistry and love scenes are well done. Oh, and Blaise was super-hot.

I haven’t read a Mills & Boon romance in ages, thinking I’d outgrown the plotlines; however, the writer handled this story so smoothly that I finished reading it in no time. This is the first time I’ve come across a female lead who isn’t physically perfect. While the plot isn’t complex, Ms. Yates still kept me tied to the story.

I first came across the cover of the book on Nas Dean’s blog and marked it to read on Goodreads. I thought these characters were a radical departure from the usual Mills and Boon romance, but since I haven’t read one of their books in a while, I’m probably way out of touch. I came across The Highest Price to Pay again on my Goodreads list this past Friday, downloaded a sample from Amazon and then bought the book.

I COULD HAVE LIVED WITHOUT: the emotional connection to these two characters. Weird, I know, but I felt Ella’s pain and insecurity in all its intensity. Truth be told, there were a few times that my eyes got a case of the burn. Of course, I know this is wonderful stuff. You can’t have a better experience than to feel for the people you’re reading about.

OVERALL COMMENTS: I have to be honest and say I found the book fascinating because of the cover, which speaks immediately to the racial difference between the characters, not that there was a big deal about it in the story.

The wrap-up came a little quickly for me as well as a teeny point I thought was unresolved, but I understand that this is the nature of a Mills & Boon Romance being that there are only so many pages.

Again, Ms. Yates did a superb job with the characters, and in my book, that’s one of the hallmarks of a good writer.

RATING: The Highest Price to Pay is a truly awesome read.

Book Review - Code Blood

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:58:00 +0000

STORYLINE: A young woman dies in an accident and someone at the scene takes her foot, which has been severed. Colt Lewis, a member of the paramedic team on the scene, becomes obsessed with finding the foot. His search takes him into the world of wannabe vampires and people who deal in body parts.

PLAYERS:

Colt Lewis: is a fire paramedic on a mission; he’s determined to right the wrong done to the accident victim. He’s a well developed character who comes to the job based on his history. He has his own demons, which he tries to outrun, but eventually faces and put to bed. He does exactly what he shouldn’t on the job; he gets involved and makes it his duty to find the person who stole the severed foot.

Markus Draper: Vampire and body part fetishist. A complex, creepy character who not only like body parts, but is also after a research student who has an extremely rare blood type. His fixation on body parts and blood leads him to do unthinkable things that don’t end with the results he set out to achieve.

I LIKED: the fact that Kurt Kamm created believable characters in Code Blood. The two main characters are driven by different things that happened to them early in their lives and it was easy for me to figure out how they evolved into the people I met on the pages. The writer also paid the same level of attention to A Li, the student Markus fixates on.

Code Blood exposed me to another world with strange customs. It was interesting to be inside the head of someone who would stop at nothing to acquire blood. Markus’ plans don’t quite work out the way he expects, but the plot twists will definitely satisfy readers.

From the little I know of what paramedics do, the language seemed to be ‘paramedic speak’, and was such that I understood what was happening. The writer ensured that there were enough accident response scenes in the story to give a true picture of the role of a paramedic.

I COULD HAVE LIVED WITHOUT: some of Markus’ weirdness, however, I understand that this is part of the character and how he sees himself. ‘Marcus the Great’ is a character I’ll remember for a while, simply for his determination and what some might consider foolhardiness. I thought he could have made better choices, as in ‘just say no’, but I also understand that when people are in over their heads, they simply try and find ways to cope. Some of these ways have unexpected and disastrous results.

OVERALL COMMENTS: Code Blood is way different from the books I’ve been reading lately. It took me into the Goth world, but didn’t overwhelm me with details. I found some of the segments with A Li to be a little slow, but the writer presented the story in such a way that I was soon worried that she would be hurt, since she seemed defenseless. Let’s just say she proved herself not-so-nicely.

For those who like high-stakes, suspense and single-minded characters, Code Blood will make a truly awesome read.

SOURCE: The Cadence Group

Midwinter's Eve Hop Winner Announced

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:55:00 +0000

Thanks ever so much to everybody who participated in my leg of the Midwinter’s Eve hop. Thanks so much to Kathy at I am a Reader Not a Writer and Jessie at Oasis for YA for organizing this hop. The winner this time is Shannon Gallagher. I’ll be making contact with Shannon regarding her prize.

Sherryn Allbright is the envy of her peers. She is a wife, mother, and successful business woman. Her life turns topsy-turvy when a woman leaves a child on her doorstep, claiming her husband is the father.

Denial is useless, for the boy resembles Reece too closely not to be his offspring. Sherryn, who holds strong views on fidelity, believes her marriage is over. She blames Reece's predicament on his old neighborhood--a Kingston ghetto. If he'd sever ties there, he wouldn't be caught up in baby mother drama.

Sherryn goes through a season of upheaval, which culminates in violence against Reece, and a separation. When the child's mother is hurt, things take a turn for the worse.

For those of you who like exciting reading, for a limited time, Ethan Evers’ suspense/thriller The Eden Prescription will be available on Amazon at the price of $00.00! Yes, that’s right. Download your copy here by December 30, which is when the offer ends.

Happy Holidays to you all!

Midwinter's Eve Hop in Session

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:59:00 +0000

Welcome to the Midwinter's Eve Hop which runs from December 21-27. This hop is being run by Kathy at I am a Reader Not a Writer and Jessie at Oasis for YA.

This time around someone will win an e-copy of my novel Dissolution.

All you have to do to enter is be a follower here and complete the form below. You can like Dissolution’s Facebook Page or tweet this post for extra entries.

Do ensure you visit the other participants in the hop.

Sherryn goes through a season of upheaval, which culminates in violence against Reece, and a separation. When the child's mother is hurt, things take a turn for the worse.

Good luck and don't forget to complete the form below.

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Book Review - Peony in Love

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:40:00 +0000

STORYLINE: Peony, the protagonist in Peony in Love , is sequestered in the Chen household with female family members and knows nothing of men beyond her relationship with her father. She is betrothed to a man she has never met and during a performance put on by a troupe her father hires, she catches sight of a handsome man with whom she falls in love. She becomes love sick and her family does not realize what is happening until things turn tragic.

PLAYERS: Peony is a pampered sixteen year old when the reader meets her. Though Peony is spoiled, I could not help but be taken with her as she is curious about learning and stretches her mind beyond the usual things girls are expected to learn.

I LIKED: the fact that the book is a first for me. Lisa See takes the writer beyond the realm of the living into the world of the supernatural. I understand the concept of praying to ancestors for favours, this being part of African culture. However, this book goes much further, in that it explores the things that happen to those who die, and the various stages they go through before they find their final resting place. To date, I have not read any other novel set in China that explores the afterlife in such detail, which is part of what made Peony in Love a fascinating read.

I COULD HAVE LIVED WITHOUT: some of scary bits. See does very well at wrapping the reader in Peony’s ghostly world and the sometimes creepy atmosphere.

OVERALL COMMENTS: One of the major differences between See’s novel and other Chinese fiction is the fact that the characters she writes about are taken from history. This is also the first novel I’ve read which detailed the lives of women who actually existed and were artists – poets, writers and painters. It was new knowledge, but not a surprize that during times of social upheaval, such as the Manchu invasion of Yangzhou, women were expected to sacrifice themselves to save the men in their families.

See brings the reality of life in seventeenth century China into sharp focus through customs, such as ghost marriages. One other practice I’ve read about in several novels is foot-binding; however, See does an excellent job of putting the reader in-scene with the characters. As with Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, I cringed and cried along with the little girls as they go through the harrowing process, which in rare cases, can end in death.

The practice of ancestral worship was explained in detail and I’ve gained a little more insight into Chinese culture.

The research that went into Peony in Love is apparent, but seamless. See has taken historical characters and situations and combined them in a novel that is intriguing, rich in detail and will hold strong appeal for fans of Chinese fiction
RATING: In my book Peony in Love is a truly awesome read.

SOURCE: I received a copy of Peony in Love through People With Voices.

Winner Announced!

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 23:36:00 +0000

Thanks so much to those who took the time to enter the Gratitude Giveaway Hop. The winner of the Association of Foreign Spouses is Mary Reiss. I have emailed Mary and hope to hear from her shortly.

Enjoy your week and look out for the next review and/or giveaway.

Gratitude Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 02:49:00 +0000

I’m taking part in the Gratitude Giveaways Blog Hop which runs from November 17th to November 27^th. The hop is hosted by Kathy at I Am A Reader Not A Writer & All-Consuming Books and is a way to give back to readers and supporters of these hops.

This giveaway is really simple. All you have to do is be a follower of this blog and fill out the form below. My giveaway is a once read copy of Marilyn Heward Mills’ Association of Foreign Spouses. It's international!

Be sure to visit the other blogs in this hop and thanks for participating!

Virtual Tour - Space by Emily Sue Harvey

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:33:00 +0000

STORYLINE: Dan and Deede Stowe follow the path that all industrious people do. They work hard, save their money, raise their child the best way they know how and the plan for their retirement. Things don’t quite pan out like that, because just when they’re ready to enjoy all they have worked for, their adult daughter Faith moves in with them. She carries all the baggage that drug addicts do, and then some. The Stowes fight to protect their marriage, but the challenges their daughter’s situation throw at them might come at too high a cost.

PLAYERS: Deede Stowe is patient, sweet and tolerant. Everything a mother and wife should strive to be. At times, I thought her a saint.

Dan Stowe is complex, understanding to a point and at the same time simplistic in the way he views his daughter’s problems. He’s a no-nonsense disciplinarian and his attitude doesn’t work too well when there’s a drug addict in the picture.

I LIKED: the relationship shared by Dan and Deede. At no time did I doubt their love for each other, and the differences in their approach makes Space a balanced story. The supportive family unit (which included Deede’s family) is a wonderful change of pace, even though there’s a bad egg in there, bent on mischief. Her behaviour can’t be blamed on drugs, but a misguided sense of jealousy.

I have to admire the role their faith played in helping this couple stand firm in their challenges, even when they didn’t know which way to turn for help.

I COULD HAVE LIVED WITHOUT: Faith’s sometimes unreasonable behaviour. Many times, I wanted to slap some sense into her, especially when she was being inconsiderate and nasty to her parents. Like Dan I got tired of her.

I was perturbed by a section where Faith describes her trip to a hospital in Jamaica. It so happens that I’m Jamaican and didn’t recognize the hovel described as a hospital. In part, Faith account says…A hospital it was not. It was a mere shack with dirt floors. One could stand in the open front entrance and see out the back door. I know the writer is at liberty to be creative in crafting a story, but I wanted to protest that even in the remotest villages, we don’t have clinics with dirt floors. Health workers would give the government what for over such conditions.

OVERALL COMMENTS: I read Space more than a month ago, but didn’t write the review immediately. I worried over whether I’d be able to retain what I’d read of the book. However, I had no challenges. The characters are memorable and the story is such that it stayed in my mind, maybe because I’ve never read a novel that is as in depth as this one in exposing the complications that go hand-in-hand with substance abusers.

I now have a better understanding of what the relatives of drug addicts must go through, the hopelessness they feel, the questions they have as to where they went wrong, and the endless ups and downs.

The pacing is good, the book easy to read and I couldn’t help rooting for the characters. Even when I got tired of Faith, I wanted her to get well simply because her parents are such decent, faith-filled people.The title is oh, so, fitting, based on everything that happens in the book.

I’d definitely recommend this read for people who are suffering and who have suffered because they have relatives who are addicts. It’s also a good read for people who have relatives that can’t support themselves.

RATING: In my book Space is a truly awesome read.

SOURCE: I received a copy of Space through the publisher The Story Plant.

Comments button is located at the top of the page.

Review - String Bridge

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:47:00 +0000

STORYLINE: Melody, an Australian musician, falls in love and moves to Greece where she lives with her husband, Alex. After settling into marriage, motherhood, work and the sameness of everything, Melody realizes she has cut off a part of herself when she gives up music. She makes decisions that put her on a new and exciting path, but circumstances conspire to derail her plans in unexpected and life-changing ways.

PLAYERS: Melody – conflicted wife, mother and editor who grabs hold of a chance to advance her career, and return to the music she loves.

Alex – husband to Melody, is a promoter. He’s a complex man who runs the gamut from confident businessman to vulnerable man-child.

I LIKED: the complexity of the characters, which makes String Bridge a delightful read. Melody’s experience is that of so many of us who enter a relationship and end up not being sure whether or not our feelings for our partners have changed. I was able to get deep inside Melody’s head and understand her fears, doubts and guilt as she navigated through difficult circumstances.

Alex is painted as loving, thoughtful, selfish, spiteful and childish - all the qualities I’d expect to find in a human being. These qualities come out through the storyline, so I could understand the man Melody falls in love.

I COULD HAVE LIVED WITHOUT: the tempestuousness of their relationship. I wasn’t sure that Alex and Melody wouldn’t end up hurting each other. They have several run-ins, which put me on edge, because of their young daughter Tessa. One of their altercations does end up being a sticky situation, involving their child. However, the ups and downs of a normal relationship wouldn’t have been so well played out without the high drama between these two.

OVERALL COMMENTS: The book is a wonderful example of how choices affect our lives and that giving up the things we enjoy can be stifling. It’s also provides a sobering look at how our lives can change in just a few moments. String Bridge also speaks to treasuring the people who matter in this life.

The sensory details are deftly handled, which is always a refreshing experience. Some of the things Bell observers are a bit more than I normally see in a novel, but it adds to the reality of her character’s situation and reminds me that it is in our deepest state of distraction and isolation that we see things clearly.

The pacing is good, the story rich in similes and a good reminder that no matter the size of our challenges, we can and do experience hope and renewal. The itty-bitty guitars used to denote scene breaks were pretty cool. Another nifty feature is the CD referred to in the book - On the Other Side – that’s actually a reality. Also, I love, love, love the surprise ending notes in String Bridge.

RATING: In my book String Bridge is a truly awesome read. Read an interview with the author here.

SOURCE: I received a copy of String Bridge through the publisher.

Please click the post title to open up the comment block.

Book Release & Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:25:00 +0000

My third novel, Hardware was released yesterday. Consider this as me blowing my own trumpet, broken fragments and all. Maybe a symbol of me breaking into the market in a big way?...Nothing is impossible, right?

Hardware is my fourth release and it’s very close to my heart because my tight-ass main female character resembles me a whole lot personality wise. This book also took me on some strange adventures, but to get back on point, Marci Baun of Wild Child Publishing has been a dream to work with, as well as James Kellogg, the superb editor who was assigned to me.

You can read an excerpt here and if you like Romantic Suspense and think Hardware is something you’d enjoy, stay with me. I’m going to be giving away five copies of the e-book. All you have to do right now is fill in the form below. I’ll also be posting this on my book review blog as well, and will draw the winners in combination. Authors know how precious reviews are, so if you win, help a sister out and leave a review on Amazon and as many other places as you post reviews online.***Don’t make me have to stalk you for you to follow through.***

Soooo, if you’ve got a yen to make an armchair visit to Jamaica, remember to complete the form. The drawing will be done on November 12, 2011. You can tweet for extra entries or give the book a plug on your blog. I appreciate anything you can do to help spread the word.

Camille Moyston has managed to put the nightmare of a violent attack behind her. Having forged a safe, predictable life, the last thing she needs is a cliché, oversexed Jamaican male expressing interest.

For Quinn Mayhew, life is too good to waste time chasing a haughty, irritable woman who is too cautious to accept him for the man he is, but somehow she symbolizes everything he desires in his future.

When Camille's inner fortress finally starts to crumble, Quinn is arrested for murder and everything changes...

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense/Mystery
Book Length: Plus Novel
Word Count: 93,188
Pages: 340

In the ~~unlikely~~ event that you missed the book trailer the first couple of times I posted it, I'm throwing it in the mix again.

Thanks for stopping in and for your help with Hardware!

Promissory Payback & Unrevealed - Partner in Crime Tour

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 03:01:00 +0000

STORYLINE: In PROMISSORY PAYBACK Jane is called in to investigate the gruesome murder of a woman who profited greatly from the misfortunes of others. The case leaves Jane with little question about motive...and with a seemingly endless number of suspects.

PLAYERS: Detective Jane Perry, a recovering alcoholic who comes across as a hard-assed, no-nonsense officer, who knows what she’s about.

The supporting cast of characters is related to the victim in some way and most have reason to want to see her dead.

I LIKED: watching Jane at work and how she conducted the investigation. She was patient in questioning her suspects (of which there were many) and sifting through clues, some of which I didn’t pick up on immediately.

The story is complete within seventy-seven pages and I couldn’t help being impressed with Ms. Dewey’s ability to have crime and solution satisfactorily wound up in so few pages.

I COULD HAVE LIVED WITHOUT: Jane’s sometimes cynical view of both life and the people she meets. I understand that this is as a result of the situations she has seen on the job, and the people who merit her unkind thoughts do eventually show themselves to be less than squeaky clean.

OVERALL COMMENTS: I enjoyed Promissory Payback. The plot was well thought out, the pacing good, the characters complex and the detective darn good at what she does.

RATING: In my book PROMISSORY PAYBACK is a truly awesome read.

SOURCE: I received a copy of Promissory Payback through the Partners in Crime Tours.

EXCERPT:

From PROMISSORY PAYBACK:

Detective Jane Perry took another hard drag on her cigarette. She knew she needed to quiet her nerves for what she was about to see.

Another victim. Another senseless, gruesome murder that she would add to the board at Denver Headquarters. When Sergeant Weyler called her half an hour ago, she hadn’t even finished her third cup of coffee. “This one is odd, Jane,” he told her with that characteristic tone in his voice that also suggested an evil tinge behind the slaying du jour. “Be prepared,” he said before hanging up. It was a helluva way to start a Monday morning.

As Jane drove her ’66 Mustang toward the crime scene in the toney section of Denver known as Cherry Creek, she tried to look on the bright side. If she’d still been a drinker, she’d be battling an epic hangover at that moment and doing her best to hide it from Weyler. But since becoming a friend of Bill W., her addictions involved healthier options such as jogging, buying way too many pounds of expensive coffee and even briefly joining a yoga group. She stopped attending the class only because the pansy-ass male instructor wasn’t comfortable with her setting her Glock in the holster to the side of her mat during class. Since she was usually headed to work after the 7 AM stretch session, Jane was obviously carrying her service weapon. She wasn’t about to leave it in her car or a locker at the facility. Nor would she be so careless as to hang it on one of the eco-friendly bamboo hooks that lined the yoga room.

So for Jane, it was obvious and more than natural for the Glock to lie next to her as she attempted the Salutation to the Sun pose and arched into Downward Facing Dog. In her mind, there was no dichotomy between the peacefulness of yoga and the brain splattering capacity of her Glock. As the annoying, high-pitched flute music played in the background—a sound meant to encourage calmness but which sounded more like a dying parakeet to Jane—she felt completely safe knowing that a loaded gun was inches from her grasp. The other people in the class, however, did have a problem and they showed it by arranging their mats as far from Jane as humanly possible. None of this behavior bothered Jane until the soy milk-chugging teacher took her aside and asked her to please remove the Glock from class. Since Jane wasn’t about to take orders from a guy in a fuchsia leotard who had a penchant for crying at least twice during class, she strapped her 9mm across her organic cotton yoga t! op and quit.

That’s what predictably happened whenever you shoved a square peg like Jane Perry in a round hole of people and situations that don’t understand the real world. Crime has a nasty habit of worming its way into the most unlikely places—churches, schools, sacred retreats and possibly yoga studios. The way Jane Perry looked at life, yoga might keep your flexible but a loaded gun kept you alive so you could continue being flexible. She knew what it felt like to be the victim of circumstance; to be held hostage by another person’s violent objective. Even though it was a long time ago, she’d never wash the stench from her memory. Her vow was always the same: Nobody would ever make Jane Perry a victim again.

But somebody apparently had made the old lady inside the Cherry Creek house a victim. Jane rolled to the curb and parked the Mustang, sucking the last microgram of nicotine from the butt of her cigarette. Squashing it onto the street with the heel of her roughout cowboy boots, she flashed her shield to the cops standing at the periphery and ducked under the yellow crime tape that was draped between the two precision-trimmed boxwood shrubs that framed the bottom of the long, immaculate brick driveway.

PUBLISHED BY: The Story Plant

GENRE: Suspense

Promissory Payback ISBN-13: 9781611880076 ISBN: 1611880076

UNREVEALED
In UNREVEALED, Dewey gives us four indelible portraits of Jane Perry:

ANONYMOUS: One of Jane's first AA meetings leads her to an encounter with a woman in need of her detection skills...and a secret she never expected to uncover.

YOU CAN'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER: Forced by her boss to speak at a high school career day, Jane meets a troubled boy and finds that his story is only the beginning of a much more revealing tale.

YOU'RE ONLY AS SICK AS YOUR SECRETS: An early-morning homicide call introduces Jane to a mystery as layered as it is unsuspected.

THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM: Jane finds herself sharing a 2:00 am conversation at a downtown bar with an old acquaintance. Will the bloody night that proceeded this moment complicate Jane's intentions?

REVIEW

I hardly ever read short stories and wasn’t sure what to expect of Laurel Dewey’s collection, Unrevealed. However I was pleasantly surprised. Each story is unique in terms of subject matter, how each is handled, and what is expected of Perry. In each situation, the reader is given the opportunity to see Perry in a different light. Apart from her tough-cop persona, she’s cast at different times as confident, intuitive, protective, sympathetic, understanding and vulnerable. The endings of each tale came as a surprise, which is one of the hallmarks of a good writer.

It’s hard to pick a favourite from this collection, so I’ll say a bit about each. Anonymous is my least favourite, simply because it made me sad to acknowledge how far we can possibly fall from who are originally. It also made me think about the inevitability of death.

The second story speaks to Jane’s tenacity even as she doubts what she believes she’s being told. The end is satisfying, considering the fact that Detective Perry solves a crime she isn’t too sure is committed. The strange thing is that she works out clues through a boy who has special needs and speaks in a disjointed fashion.

Perry shows herself to be a classy lady when she keeps critical information under wraps to protect the main character in You’re Only as Sick as Your Secrets.

The last story in the collection provides much food for thought. I really like the way Dewey handles this one. It packed an emotional wallop and at the end I was sympathetic to both Perry and her unfortunate friend, who takes drastic action after being a victim in her own home.

This total package provided me with another truly awesome read.

PUBLISHED BY: The Story Plant

GENRE: Suspense

Unrevealed ISBN-13: 9781611880236 ISBN: 1611880238

AUTHOR BIO: Laurel Dewey was born and raised in Los Angeles. She is the author of two nonfiction books on plant medicine, a Silver Spur-nominated Western novella, hundreds of articles, the Jane Perry novels, PROTECTOR, REDEMPTION, and REVELATIONS, and the Jane Perry novelette, AN UNFINISHED DEATH. She lives in Western Colorado with her husband, where she is currently working on a standalone novel.

AUTHOR SITES:

Website: www.laureldewey.com

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laurel-Dewey-Author/200115782067

Book Review - Pumpkin Roll

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:45:00 +0000

STORYLINE: The story opens with a mature couple babysitting three young boys in a quiet neighbourhood in Boston around Halloween. The boys enjoy watching the neighbour across the street and think she’s a witch. The adults try to distract them and in observing Mrs. Wapple, are drawn into a mystery that has supernatural elements. The situation deteriorates when said neighbour is attacked inside her house and the main character is implicated in the assault.

PLAYERS:

Sadie Hoffmiller: A mature and kindhearted woman who has recently found her calling as a private investigator. Intrigue seems to seek out Sadie and she finds it hard to stay on the sidelines taking no action when Mrs. Wapple starts acting strangely.

Pete Cunningham: A police officer who is grandfather to the boys and is sweet on Sadie. He scoffs at thoughts of the supernatural and is reluctant to get involved in the strange developments across the street from his son’s house. Pete has his own secrets which prevent him supporting Sadie in her investigative efforts.

I LIKED: reading a book that has older characters in the leading roles. Most of the books I read have younger protagonists. Sadie and Pete’s maturity ensure they aren’t rash in their decisions and actions, even though Sadie is a mover and a shaker.

There is some nice chemistry between Sadie and Pete and the fact that they have responsibility for Pete’s grandsons makes for some entertaining ‘family’ moments.

Pumpkin Roll is a definite change of pace for me as I usually read faster paced stories. There are several suspects, so I didn’t guess the identity of the culprit until late in the day, which is good, but came as a wicked surprize. An aside here – we should listen when our instincts tell us to be careful of certain people.

The pace picks up significantly in the last third of the book and feels like it takes on breakneck speed toward the end.

Having not read the series before, I really like the recipes that are included. I think that’s an awesome touch. I’ve discovered that the author has a series of culinary mysteries. Some of the names are making my mouth water when I think about them. Check out Josi Kilpack’s website. She’s hosting an iPad contest.

I COULD HAVE LIVED WITHOUT: the length of the book. Could be stylistic preference, but sometimes there are more details and explanation than I need.

I have one minor niggle with the wrapping up of the story, but not enough to detract from the satisfaction of finding out whodunit. The book is open ended, which I’m sure leads to more adventures for Sadie.

OVERALL COMMENTS: Pumpkin Roll is tagged a culinary mystery, but avid readers in this genre would dub it a culinary theme cozy mystery. The novel provided a pleasant change from my usual fare.

RATING: For those who like cozy mysteries, Pumpkin Roll makes good reading. I got through the book in a short time and find the writing good, but in comparison to the frenetic pace of the stuff that I read normally, Pumpkin Roll falls

just shy of awesome.

SOURCE: Pump Up Your Book/Shadow Mountain Publishing

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Winner...Banned Books Week Hop

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 01:30:00 +0000

Congratulations to Tina Goodwin who won for herself a copy of Beloved in the Banned Books Week Hop Giveaway. I’ve sent Tina email. Thanks to everybody who participated. If romance is your thing, sign up for the Celebrating Romance Giveaway Hop here.

Celebrating Romance Giveaway Hop

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 13:14:00 +0000

Welcome to the Celebrating Romance Giveaway Hop being hosted by Reading Romances. The giveaway will run for a week and my giveaway will be the book below. The giveaway is international under the following conditions.

Be a follower of this blog

Fill in the form

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I will contact the winner via email and expect to hear back within 48 hours.

Be sure to visit the other blogs in this hop.

Moonlight Rises Virtual Book Tour

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 01:59:00 +0000

Book Details:

Genre:Adult Suspense, Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: StoneGate Ink
Publication Date: August 13,2011

Synopsis:“Life sucks. Then you die. Or, if you’re Dick Moonlight, first you die and then you live.”
Dick Moonlight is dead.

Really dead this time, now that three President Obama-masked thugs dressed all in black and communicating only with hand-held voice synthesizers pressed up against their voice boxes have beat the life right out of him inside a dark, downtown Albany alley. What are the thugs after? A box. Size, weight, description unknown. They also want him to stay away from his newest and only client: a handicapped nuclear engineer of dubious Russian heritage by the same of Peter Czech.

But then, now that they’ve killed him, Moonlight’s problems seem to be over. In fact, as he undergoes an out of body experience, his soul floating above his train-wreck of a corpse inside the Albany Medical Center I.C.U., he feels pretty damned good. Great in fact. To make death all the more sweeter, his one true love, Lola, is standing by his bedside. With her long dark hair draping her chiseled face and big round Jackie O sunglasses hiding tear-filled eyes, she appears every bit the grieving sig other. Nothing could make the dead-and-gone Moonlight prouder.

But then something happens. Something bad. A man enters into the I.C.U. Some young guy. He takes hold of Lola’s hand, and pulls her into him. Together, the two share a loving embrace over Moonlight’s dead body. Now, what seemed like a peaceful death is anything but. Moonlight wants back inside his body so he can face-off Some Young Guy and find out if his true love has in fact been cheating on him. At the same time, he wants to find out the true identity of those thugs who killed him so he can exact his revenge. No doubt about it, Moonlight needs to live if he’s going to uncover some pretty painful answers and take care of business.

Like a little kid dropping down a playground slide, Moonlight slides right back inside his bruised and broken body. Opening his eyes the white light blinds him. He feels the pain of his wounds and the pain of his breaking heart.

Life sucks, then you die.

But Moonlight rises.

Author Bio:
Vincent Zandri is the No. 1 International Bestselling Amazon Kindle author of THE INNOCENT, GODCHILD, THE REMAINS, MOONLIGHT FALLS, CONCRETE PEARL and the forthcoming MOONLIGHT RISES. He is also the author of the bestselling digital shorts, PATHOLOGICAL and MOONLIGHT MAFIA. Harlan Coben has described his novels as "...gritty, fast-paced, lyrical and haunting," while the New York Post called THE INNOCENT, "Sensational...Masterful...Brilliant!" In March, April and May of 2011, he sold more than 100,000 Kindle E-Books editions of his novels, and is rapidly closing in on the 200K mark all totaled. An MFA in Writing graduate of Vermont College, Zandri's work is translated into many languages including the Dutch, Russian and Japanese. An adventurer, foreign correspondent, and freelance photo-journalist for RT, Globalspec, IBTimes and more, he divides his time between New York and Florence, Italy.

Connect With Vincent:

The Next Stop:

October 4th-Review@Romancing The Book

Purchase Links:

Amazon|BarnesAndNoble

Book Review - The Association of Foreign Spouses

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:48:00 +0000

STORYLINE: Ghana provides a vivid, if sometimes chaotic setting for this second novel by Marilyn Heward Mills. The main characters are four women, who are transplanted from Europe. Three are married and two are raising children. The fourth has children, but isn’t married, and fights an ongoing battle with the children’s father.

The women view themselves as living in an alien society. To some extent, and based on the difference in their lifestyles, they are outcasts and so they form a bond of friendship. They support and cheer each other on during difficult times and are more family than friends. Among their challenges are episodes of infidelity and spousal abuse. All this, while coping with the dangers that come with social upheaval.

PLAYERS: Eva, Dahlia, Margrit and Yelena are diverse in character and strong in their individual ways. Each woman’s experience is touching and relatable.

Eva has a seemingly perfect marriage, children and an interfering mother-in-law who descends unannounced and takes charge of her home. However, I believe it is the way that Eva views the locals that makes me somewhat unsympathetic to her.

Throughout the novel, the Ghanaians are portrayed as dishonest, and I got impatient with Eva when problems developed between herself and her husband. I understand having one’s trust betrayed and was sorry for her, but her husband was made out to be such a good man that I couldn’t hate him for what he had done.

I LIKED: the fact that the author describes life in Ghana so well that I feel I have lived through the dry season, walked through the streets and seen the empty shelves in stores, ‘the dirt and the cloying stench of clogged drains’, heard the irritating mosquitoes, the rain coming down in sheets and tasted the variety of food.

The women rally and survive their challenges and come full circle to appreciate the life they have, no matter that the society they live in is chaotic, at best.

I COULD HAVE LIVED WITHOUT: what I felt was stereotyping. The male figures in the story seem either good or bad, so when Eva’s husband falls from grace, I couldn’t fathom how their problems might end. Vincent, another character, has no redeeming qualities. He is abusive, cruel and dishonest, someone you love to hate. His wife, Dahlia, is a perfect doormat and though she thinks he has turned into a monster, there is nothing from her perspective to indicate that he was ever a better person.

Within the story, the rich are stereotyped as plunderers and in some instances, are dragged away and shot after accusations of profiteering and treason by the authorities. Instead of being simply terrifying, the coups strike me as irrational and disorganized, which I suspect is the writer’s intention. Each time, a coup is declared, it isn’t long before the current leader is deposed and another takes his place.

OVERALL COMMENTS: I came away from the story with the idea that Ghanaian society is in tatters as a result of corruption, the divide between rich and poor insurmountable. The men are drawn as dishonest and irresponsible, and the women accommodating.

In some respects, this novel reminds me of the White Woman on the Green Bicycle, in that the main character is an expatriate who is fed up with her adopted home. Like that character, Eva is aware of the plight of the locals through her employees and the unavoidable scenes that greet her on the street. She has a conscience, but knows she can’t help everybody. However, she is detached from the suffering around her. The high fence and secure gate reinforces that separation from reality.

The social unrest is also present in the White Woman on the Green Bicycle, so too is the reality that the poor live a far different life from expatriate who has relocated to a foreign land.

I laughed and cried over the situations that blindsided the group of friends, but at times, I was unable to suspend my disbelief. The pacing of the story is good, the prose fluid and the ending satisfactory.

SOURCE: People with Voices Full review posted here.

RATING: The Association of Foreign Spouses is well written and worth the time it took me to read. However, in comparison to Heward-Mills’ first novel, Cloth Girl, the book fell

just shy of awesome.

Banned Books Week Hop Open

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 02:11:00 +0000

Welcome to the Jamaican stop in the Banned Books week hop, which runs from September 24 to October 1. This hop is being hosted by Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Jen at I Read Banned Books and will run from September 24th to October 1st.

For additional information on Banned Books Week, go here. You can visit the American Library Association’s website for details on the most challenged books of the 21^st century.

My giveaway (international) is Beloved by Toni Morrison. This book isn’t banned, but has been challenged as being unsuitable as reading material for minors. As always, entry is nice and easy.

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I will contact the winner via email and expect to hear back within 48 hours.

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Be sure to visit the other blogs in this hop.

Don't Get Mad...Get Even

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:54:00 +0000

New week. New adventures.

Giving up the Dream was uploaded to Smashwords on September 14 and now has 99 downloads. Don’t Get Mad…Get Even has had 7 takers. I’m happy that the single story and story collection are up today, September 19, 2011, as scheduled.

I need help getting the word out, so I’m gonna offer you a copy of the story collection in exchange for your assistance in one of three ways. Choose the option that suits you best.

Option 1: My next story collection (oh, yeah, I always have something up my sleeve) will be called Kicked to the Kerb (curb to Americans) and I’m looking for story ideas. So with that in mind, I’m asking you to let your creative juices flow for a minute.

You’ve been cheated in some way, or cheated on, or perhaps you’ve been kicked to the curb and think you deserve better. By way of a comment, give me your most interesting scenario as to why you got kicked to the curb or why you dished it out to someone and I’ll email you the code for a copy of Don’t Get Mad…Get Even. There’s no rush and if you like this kind of challenge, you can come back when you think of something.

Option 2: If you have no brilliant scenario, but still would like to read the book, let me know in the comments or via email. A review is all I ask in return.

Option 3: Post the book cover on your blog in exchange for a post, interview or whatever you want to talk about here on the Character Depot. I’m also open to critiquing the first three chapters of your book if that works better for you.

Most importantly, I would be ever so grateful if you’d post a review on Smashwords or Amazon (if and when the book makes its way there) after you’ve read the stories. In the meantime, feel free to tweet this post. (Note to those self-publishing – do separate uploads to Smashwords and Amazon)

And now for a bit about Don’t Get Mad…Get Even.

What choices do you have when you are abused, cheated on and left with a trail of broken promises? Don’t Get Mad…Get Even. Take an inside look at Jamaican culture and lifestyle through a collection of award-winning stories. You will laugh, cry and commiserate with a compelling cast of characters, who conquer their challenges in unique ways.

Housekeeping Time

In the back of Don’t Get Mad…Get Even, you’ll find a glossary of Jamaican terms for anything that might sound unfamiliar. I’ve also included three chapters from my next novel Distraction...more on that some time later.

Many thanks to the innovative and super talented Tirzah Goodwin who did my cover, Jeanne Bannon, a superb critique partner, whose arm I twisted to read Giving up the Dream before I was satisfied with it, and Clarissa Draper, a wonderful blogger and writer who didn’t make me grovel, but agreed to read my stories with only some gentle persuasion. Kidding aside, these ladies and I have a history as we’re members of the same writing network. They’re good people. Visit their blogs.

Michelle and Wendy cheered me on and are super accommodating and flexible with helping me showcase my work. Ladies, you all rock!

And so do you. Yes, you, the blogger who has visited and provided encouragement and support while I navigate these new, but exciting waters.

So what are you waiting for? Hit me with your ideas.

Source

Winner of Back to the Books Hop Announced

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 22:14:00 +0000

Judy Cox emerged the winner of my giveaway compliments of random.org. Judy wins for herself e-copies of the books below. Congratulations, Judy and enjoy!

I'm emailing Judy to let her know she won.

Look out for my review of The Association of Foreign Spouses by Marilyn Heward-Mills.

Back to the Books Giveaway Hop

noreply@blogger.com (J.L. Campbell) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 03:10:00 +0000

You are at the Jamaican leg of the Back to the Books Giveaway Hop hosted by Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Heather at Buried in Books. This hop will run from September 1st to 7th.

As always, entry is nice and easy.

Be a follower of this blog

Fill in the form

Tweet for extra entries (optional)

I will contact the winner via email and expect to hear back within 48 hours. If not, I’ll pass the book/s along to the next person in line.

My giveaway consists of two e-books in the action-packed hilarious Priscilla the Great series. One winner will get both books.

Thanks for stopping in. Do visit the other blogs that are part of this hop.