In love with the Beauty Killer...

I love to fall in love with a new author. Chelsea Cain isn't actually a new author, she's just new to me. I'm halfway through the third book of the Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell series. I found myself wanting to talk about the series before I've finished it. It's awesome.

Heartsick is the first book of the series. We are introduced to Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell. I was wondering how this was going to be a series when the serial killer was already in prison. But because Cain is a superb writer with a twisted imagination... it was completely doable. Gretchen was called the Beauty Killer before she was caught. And she really wasn't caught, more like allowed herself to be caught. Archie is a detective on the task force that was put in place to find the Beauty Killer. Archie was also her last victim and number 200. It's the twisted relationship the two of them have that draws you in. Cain keeps you wondering what happened to Archie when he was taken by Gretchen and tortured nearly to death. I was kept on the hook by slowly getting details of the past as the book worked through the present case at hand. We also get to meet Susan Ward. She's a journalist who's been asked to tag along with Archie and tell his story as he's investigating cases of dead girls around Portland. I LOVE Susan. She's quirky, funny and full of unusual tidbits of information. As the books in the series progress I love her more and more. In book 3 I am finding myself laughing out loud at some of the thoughts and dialog attached to this character. Those are the three very important characters. Of course there are supporting characters, but these are really the main three. Gretchen was using Archie and Susan in a game. Gretchen loves to play games with people and she's damn good at it. I don't want to give too much away because I want you to read the book.

Sweetheart is the second book. The Beauty Killer is on the loose, and she's a threat to everyone, including Archie's family and Susan. And the way she breaks out is crazy! She's the absolute mastermind of games. Archie is suicidal and it's Gretchen that he wants. And when I say want I mean that in so many different ways. We start to learn even more about Archie's past and the real story behind his relationship with Gretchen. I'd like to say I saw it coming, but I didn't. It's another gripping tale of love, hate, betrayal, death, games and funny Susan moments. And a deal between Gretchen and Archie that will make you run for book #3 like I did.

Evil at Heart is the next book in the series. Like I said, I'm only halfway through this, but it's awesome. I have no idea who's guilty of what. Gretchen Lowell has a huge fan base. People love her. She's still on the run and bodies are showing up all over the place. Archie is in a psych hospital and Susan is... well.. being Susan. You'll know what that means when you read the series. Archie is no longer a detective because he's taken a leave. but he has to help find out what's going on with all of these dead bodies around Portland. No one wants to call it Gretchen's handy work, but there are some uncanny coincidences that make it hard not to think it's her. We start to learn even more about Archie's past even though you don't think there's anything else Cain can give us. It's simply brilliant!

I will follow up after I read a few more of the books. I can't imagine for one second where this is going. I love that. Check out this website: www.iheartgretchenlowell.net. I thought I was obsessed with these books before... then I went to the website.

Read often!

Far Far Away... Jeremy and his ghost.

Far Far Away... what a lovely name for a book. Read a little about it and decide for yourself whether or not to pick it up. It's heart warming, endearing, suspenseful and mysterious.

Jeremy Johnson Johnson is a teenage boy who lives with his reclusive father and owns a bookstore. How does a teenager own a bookstore? His grandfather left it to him when he died. The boy’s mother left years before this story begins. And as this story is taking place she has already passed away. Jeremy Johnson Johnson was given this name because both of his parents had the last name Johnson. His mother was a bit quirky so this fits right in with her personality. After his father received notice that his mother was dead, he became a recluse. He never left the house and rarely got out of bed. Jeremy was left to raise himself.

So what is the purpose of this story? Jeremy is going to lose his bookstore which is also his home. He and father live in the building. Jeremy’s father isn’t earning money and what does come into the house is from Jeremy’s gardening jobs.

So you must be thinking, well so far this isn’t very interesting. Perhaps not yet. What if I told you Jeremy can hear the voice of Jacob Grimm of the Brother’s Grimm, would that peak your interest? He heard the voices of his mother and grandfather after they died. From where this story is taking place, Jacob died about 200 years prior. In fact, Jacob is the one who is telling the story from his point of view. What we learn about ghosts and the spirit world through this tale, Far Far Away by Tom McNeal, is a whole new way of thinking about ghosts. In this version of a ghost story people cannot see them, they cannot move things (unless they try very hard to move something like paper by going past it quickly), the air around them is not cold, and a few other things that are opposite of what we normally believe.

Jeremy has a small group of friends. The important one is Ginger. He very much likes Ginger, and she likes him too. But Ginger can make Jeremy do things he wouldn’t normally do. Jeremy is reserved, Ginger is not. She convinces him to go on an adventure in which they break into the town baker’s home. Of course they are found out and almost caught. This is where things start to get interesting. The baker claims it is not them. The teens believe this is out of the goodness of his heart. Is it? There’s a strange dwarf-like deputy who acts odd. He seems to be stalking Ginger. The town’s people start to shun Jeremy as the story travels of his supposed break-in at the baker’s. The poor kid. Jacob is trying very hard to guide Jeremy throughout these times, but no teenager in their right mind wants to stay home and study while the girl he likes is begging him to be with her. Jacob does his best to talk to Jeremy and warm him of immediate dangers, but the poor boy keeps getting the short end of the stick.

We have a moment of hope as he enters to be on a television show in order to win the money to save his home and bookstore. You think he has it in the bag because it’s testing his knowledge about the Brother’s Grimm tales, but at the last second we are let down. Again we are so sad for Jeremy Johnson Johnson.

I have laid out a great deal of the story for you, but I will not give you the ending. Not even close. There's is so much more going on that I can't begin to explain to you in a blog post. You must read to enjoy it at its best. The end involves poison, kidnapping, personal revelations by the children, and a ghost who desperately wants to save this boy he’s come to love. You think you know where the story is going…. until you do not. It’s a subtle twist that I very much enjoyed. I even found myself with wet eyes at a few spots.

Far Far Away, by Tom McNeal, is a wonderful story of struggle and triumph with the exact right amount of supernatural intrigue. I highly recommend this book for people of all ages. You will fall in love with Jeremy Johnson Johnson and his ghost.

Read often! Enjoy!

The last book of Cat and Bones....

I warn people right away that I am a spoiler of endings. So please turn away now if you are not up to date on Jeaniene Frost's series on Cat and Bones.

First of all, I didn't physically read this. It was an audio book. As I walked a local hiking trail I came upon the part where Bones dies. I literally yelled "NO!" and proceeded to cry. I couldn't bare the thought! My heart sank into depths unknown as Cat watched Bones fade away and wither up into nothing. I thought she would take her life. I was completely devastated.

Frost, you are a freakin' brilliant! He wasn't dead! He came back and saved the day. The description of his looks as he first appeared to Cat was amazing. I truly thought he was dead. I thought the savior was Denise. Then it's Bones! OMG! The moment made me shout again and by now I am probably the crazy person on the walking trail that is certifiable.

The one thing that Cat and Bones could never have was a child. But the get one in the most obvious and yet insane way. Why wouldn't her DNA or eggs be taken when she was working for the government? It makes sense. Obviously Frost thought this through. I can only hope to be as clever as she is.

I am very sad that I won't have any more Cat and Bones tales, but the ending is final. I have closure. And that's really all I can ask for.

Hats off to you Jeaniene Frost. A brilliant ending to a wonderfully imaginative series. I will cherish is always.

Read often! Enjoy!

Anne Rice and The Wolf Gift

I've thoroughly enjoyed Anne Rice's novels from Vampires to Sleeping Beauty. The Wolf Gift is something different. First of all, we see some things are different from the norm in werewolf writing. The change isn't horrific. It's not painful, orgasmic actually, and it's not uncontrollable. The origins go back  so far that the history as it's explained in the end was, to say the least, powerful.

Ruben is an amazing character. I love him! When he meets Laura it was concerning and beautiful at the same time. But it was a loving experience. The fact that he is driven to punish the evil doers of the world is what makes him the unsung hero. It's a calling of the gift. When he accidentally bites a boy he's trying to save... it's like he had a child. There's now this boy who needs him and is so infatuated with the wolfman already that he has his own theories. I felt like this was going to be a great fit. And it clearly was.

I loved listening to the elders at the end. We get so much information in this book that I didn't realize that this was going to be a series.  The fact that it is makes me so incredibly happy! I am now seeking the next book.

Rice's writing is superb. There's so much in one book that I couldn't handle it myself as a writer. I would feel like it would have to be broken up into more than one because everything that's there. But she's amazing. It's seamless. You just want it to keep going... AND IT DOES!

It's a story of love, personal struggle, religious pondering, history, family... and so much more. Read it. Love it.

Enjoy! Read often!

Private LA

Be warned.... spoilers!

I love all of James Patterson's series. I just do. I love following characters from book to book and seeing what happens to them on a personal level. Private is no different.

I love Jack. I want all good things for him. I love Justine. I know she just went through this really hard time, but just because you saw Jack with that woman... please don't give up. I know they belong together. I can feel that in the next book there will be some closure for me on this.

As most people do, I follow the tabloids. I like to know what's going on. Instead of using Brad and Anjelina, he uses Tom and Jennifer... but we get it. The famous people who show the world that they do great things. But these people don't do great things. I thought the idea was fabulous. Just because you say something doesn't mean that you mean it. AWESOME. It shines a light on the fact that celebrities don't necessarily do things out of the goodness of their hearts. And Private was there to throw it in there face and make them pay. Suck it!

This is so minor, but it bugged me that Patterson wrote about people hitting the dislike button on Facebook. I follow him on every social media possible and if he has any clue, then he knows there's no dislike button. Yet. I really hope for one in the near future.

Jack Morgan.... I love you. You are an honest person with values and morals. You are Alex Cross times 10 in sexy.

Please give me more of Justine! She is an amazing woman and I want her to be with Jack sooooo bad.

Bottom line... if you haven't started the Private series then do it now.

Whatever you did to make this amazing, Mark Sullivan, kudos to you!

James Patterson and The Walking Dead (Slight Spoilers)

I LOVE both James Patterson and The Walking Dead. This is only important because Patterson keeps mentioning it his books! The latest Alex Cross Book, Cross My Heart,  this book tore on my heart strings. I thought everyone was dead. The undoing of Cross made my heart hurt and tears well in my eyes. I vocally yelled "no!". Ali is a cutie. In this last one he was the smart one. Go Ali! He wasn't dreaming! Listen to your child! But the little boy loved The Walking Dead. Even Nana Mama watched it.

Skip to Confessions: The Private School Murders..... another mention of The Walking Dead. I ask you James Patterson... do you love this show? I LOVE THIS SHOW. So if my favorite author loves this show, writes about it and I love it too.... maybe this is an awesome thing. :)

Writing Woes

I have some writing opportunities in front of me. They aren't big or popular. They aren't even fiction. They are not my goal. I don't want to do them with a heavy heart, but I do.

Do you have to go through these phases to get where you want to be? Do you have to not like your own writing to get noticed or be successful? Please chime in.

I need either solace or a solution.