Immanuels Veins by Ted Dekker

September 2010 by Thomas Nelson

Hardcover, 367 Pages

Review Copy

Book Synopsis

It is a dangerous tale of times past. A torrid love story full of deep seduction. A story of terrible longing and bold sacrifice. Then as now, evil begins its courtship cloaked in light. And the heart embraces what it should flee. Forgetting it once had a truer lover. With a kiss, evil will ravage body, soul, and mind. Yet there remains hope, because the heart knows no bounds. Love will prove greater than lust. Sacrifice will overcome seduction. And blood will flow. Because the battle for the heart is always violently opposed. For those desperate to drink deep from this fountain of life, enter........(goodreads) 

Review

Russia, 1772. Think Gothic romantic setting, dark and mythical among castles, knights, kings and queens.

Toma and Alec are fierce warriors sent out by the Empress, Catherine the Great to protect and care for the Cantemir family. The men know the family consists of a mother and her beautiful grown, twin daughters Lucine and Natasha. The women are well known for their beauty and carefree attitudes towards men and passionate affairs. Toma and Alec have been warned to avoid romantic situations with the women and stay focused on the job, easy instructions, or so they thought.........

Alec is immediately consumed by Natasha and throws everything out the window to chase after the beautiful woman and shortly they begin a lusty affair that neither hides. Toma on the other hand takes heed to Catherine’s warning and does his best to keep his feelings at bay even though he is drawn to Lucine and cant stop thinking about her. Lucine is much more reserved in her passions than Natasha, but cant help being drawn to Toma as well, the two begin to play a quiet flirtatious game with glances and words but never reveal their true feelings. Then everything begins changing. It starts over an intense dinner with the friendly neighbors, who's master is Vlad Van Valerik. They have a passion for life that borders on darkness and secrets, but their zest has the ability to suck people in, the first being Natasha, who begins sneaking out to visit the castle late at night. Natasha wakes every morning to gitty after effects of the night and blood all over her sheets. While Toma investigates what could be happening, he losses Alec to the situation and both he and Natasha disappear. When the overly mysterious and charming Russian Vlad Van Valerik, comes to call on Lucine and decides he wants her as his bride it’s the last straw for Toma. Without knowing Tomas feelings though, Lucine believes Vlad may be the best alternative and gets whisked away to his castle. Toma is heart broke and decides to go after Lucine, but he isn’t prepared for what he finds and it will take a miracle to confess his feelings and save the woman he loves.

It comes to no surprise that Ted can and did take on a very provocative story. As he is one my favorite authors, I’ve found his most recent work to be daring, out of the box and brilliant!! I think many fans of Dekker will love the boldness and will be able to handle the metaphoric vampires in his story, while new fans will defiantly appreciate the darker elements that IV has to offer. Also for fans of the Circle Series it brings closure to understand where everything began. Certainly though this is making waves in the  Christian mainstream due to the sensuality of the book which I thought was beautifully done. The sensuality  is intense but never crosses the line into graphic sexuality and I think it gives the reader the passionate tone of the message being presented. Its haunting, dark, light, romantic and everything that makes storytelling unforgettable.

{Sidenote} For the reviews out there ( and Ive read some harsh ones) slamming Dekker for the sensual aspects in this story is ridiculous...(because Christian's don't have sex right, because we cant handle the word breast or tongue.....come on really??) Anyways, the book was dedicated to King Solomon and if you've never read Solomons Song in the Bible, its the most sensual and passionate poetry Ive read. Another argument Ive heard is that the lust was offensive due to the couple being unmarried. I cant believe this an issue, lets be clear here- I'm not promoting premartial sex- but as human beings even {gasp} Christians we do fall in love and we do experience sexual attraction, just because we are cautioned to wait for marriage, doesn't mean we don't struggle with the same things Toma did. I thought the book language when it came to the passion was suppose to be an example of how God is passionate over us, not in a sexual way but a very passionate dramatic way. Overall I would tell you not to be afraid to try this book because the girls wear low-cut dresses and the kissing is passionate.........or the theology metaphoric.

Rating

While Immanuel's Veins doesn't contain anything "sexually graphic" I would still recommend this to adults. Content includes: Mega-Bloody-Violence, vampire legends, sensuality dealing with dress and sexuality, murder, death, grief, despair and loneliness.

4.5/5- Christian Fiction-Suspense-Thriller

A big thanks to Thomas Nelson for Review Copy and to Bonnie (you know why)

Hardcover, 311 Pages

Borrowed- Compliments from Library

 

Book Synopsis

 

A redemptive story from multi-platinum recording artist Sara Evans.

Jade Fitzgerald left the pain of her past in the dust when she headed out for college a decade ago. Now she's thriving in her career and glowing in the light of Max Benson's love. But then Jade's hippie mother, Beryl Hill, arrives in Whisper Hollow, Tennessee, for Jade's wedding along with Willow, her wild younger sister. Their arrival forces Jade to throw open the dark closets of her past--the insecurity of living with a restless, wandering mother, the silence of her absent father, and the heart-ripping pain of first-love's rejection. Turns out Beryl has a secret of her own. She needs reconciliation with her oldest daughter before illness takes her life. In the final days leading to the wedding, Jade meets the One who shows her that the past has no hold on her future. With a little grace, they'll meet in the middle, maybe even before that sweet by and by......(Goodreads)

My thoughts:

The Sweet By and By is this months Christian Fiction Book Club selection hosted by Juju at Tales of Whimsy and is discussed by many bloggers who love CF books. My take on The Sweet is not so sweet, while I loved the cover, the redemption aspect to the story, I felt while reading it no draw to the main character Jade. Perhaps it was her overall disconnect from life, her family and living daily in her past mistake which made her feel outside of the story. When I cant emotionally connect with the protagonist I have a very hard time connecting to the book as a whole. Although the novel shifts between Jade and her mother, I found this novel far from charming, I guess the lightness or tone of the novel didn't work for me considering the seriousness of Jade's past. Granted the writing was lovely in a simple way and I found some aspects fun, like the wedding and vintage shop scenes, overall though it just wasn't for me. Some readers out there will love the lightness and breezy attitudes The Sweet By and By has to offer and I would recommend this to anyone who likes the lighter tone novel of serious situations.

Rating

Suitable to most readers and remains wholesome. Content includes: Dialog on abortion, sexual relationships, family drama, drug use, grief and depression.

2.5/5- Christian Fiction

Book Club Discussion Question:

1. In the opening scene, Jade struggles with sending a wedding invitation to her mother. A deep wound has distanced them. Have you or anyone you've been close to struggled with inviting a parent to a personal and family-oriented event? Is there ever any benefit to not inviting a parent to a child's wedding? Is there a benefit to putting the hurt aside for the day?

Ok- this is a pretty personal question.....I will answer by saying I think everyone has that someone in their family that makes things or situations hard to deal with. There is a member in my extended family who does drugs and I don't want this person anywhere near my kids. Its hard because I want to show them that they are worth it and that their life is worth fighting for, but at the same time I don't want their drugs, behavior or thieving fingers near me or my property. The benefit not inviting this person to family events is the safety of all our wallets. On the other hand though when this family member does come to events we as a family can practice letting go of  past hurt, the anger of being stolen from and try to show this person forgiveness and plant seeds of hope.

CFBA Book Spotlight

December 31st 2000 by HarperTrophy (first published 1950)

Paperback, 304 Pages

Review Copy

Book Synopsis:

Often cited as Maud Hart Lovelace’s (of Betsy-Tacy fame) best novel, Emily of Deep Valley is now back in print, with a new foreword by acclaimed young adult author Mitali Perkins and new archival material about the characters’ real lives.

Emily Webster, an orphan living with her grandfather, is not like the other girls her age in Deep Valley, Minnesota. The gulf between Emily and her classmates widens even more when they graduate from Deep Valley High School in 1912. Emily longs to go off to college with everyone else, but she can’t leave her grandfather. Emily resigns herself to facing a “lost winter,” but soon decides to stop feeling sorry for herself. And with a new program of study, a growing interest in the Syrian community, and a handsome new teacher at the high school to fill her days, Emily gains more than she ever dreamed...

In addition to her beloved Betsy-Tacy books, Maud Hart Lovelace wrote three more stories set in the fictional town of Deep Valley: Winona’s Pony Cart, Carney’s House Party and Emily of Deep Valley. Longtime fans and new readers alike will be delighted to find the Deep Valley books available again for the first time in many years.

***please note: Book Arrival Unknown, Review to Come.

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

September 14th 2010 by Grand Central Publishing

Hardcover, 340 Pages

Purchased

 

Book Synopsis

 

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family. But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.....(Goodreads)

 

Review

On the run from an abusive husband, Katie has been place to place, when she arrives in Southport a sense of peace overwhelms her and soon she finds an old, rundown cottage to rent. With what little money she has, Katie begins fixing up her place and finds a job waiting tables at a local diner. As the months slowly go by she starts to feel a sense of freedom and lowers her guard enough to strike up a friendship with Alex, a widowed bachelor of two kids. Soon friendship grows into love and Katie begins making subtle mistakes. The guard that once protected her can do nothing when she opens herself up to do things she never could when married to Kevin. Also it doesnt help that someone Katie never factored, just happens to pass on information to Kevin that helps him find crucial facts about her new life. Love may have to wait for Alex and Katie with all these obstacles heading their way.....especially with Alex not wanting to let go of his deceased wife and Katie’s evil husband hot on her trail.

I found it interesting that Sparks wrote the novel from Katie, Alex and Kevin’s perspective and it defiantly gave the story a much developed and suspenseful feel. At times Kevin’s thoughts bordered on annoyance, reading from a drunken wife beater has its own creepiness factor, but after awhile, Kevin seems to ramble the same thoughts over and over. The ending was explosive and knowing Sparks usually kills off a character, I was in knots thinking it could be Katie or Alex….or the kids. While the ending wrapped up very convenient, I thought the subplot with Jo was truly a shocker. Unlike most of Sparks work, Safe Haven offered a twisted and dangerous character which immediately I grew to hate. Honestly I didn’t know Sparks could write so many twisted thoughts on a page, where he seemed a little uncomfortable even in the writing from this POV (hence the rambling) he pulled the menacing character off. The suspense and mystery surrounding the story kept me up way into the night and reading until the last page.

Rating

Safe Haven is recommended to adult readers and contains: Language, domestic violence, drinking, sexuality- graphic sexual and murderous thoughts from Kevin- grief, death and loneliness.

 

4/5- Romance-Thriller-Page Turner

Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of The Black Cloister; Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana; and Together for Good.

Prior to launching Dobson Media Group in 1999, Melanie was the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family where she was responsible for the publicity of events, products, films, and TV specials. Melanie received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Liberty University and her master's degree in communication from Regent University. She has worked in the fields of publicity and journalism for fifteen years including two years as a publicist for The Family Channel. Melanie and her husband, Jon, met in Colorado Springs in 1997 and reside along with their two adopted daughters in the Pacific Northwest.

Nightingale by Susan May Warren
November 1st 2010 by Summerside Press

Paperback, 320 Pages

Review Copy

Book Synopsis

Esther Lange doesn’t love her fiancé—she’s trapped in an engagement after a mistaken night of passion. Still, she grieves him when he’s lost in battle, the letters sent to her by the medic at his side giving her a strange comfort, so much that she strikes up a correspondence with Peter Hess, an Iowa farmboy. Or is he? Peter Hess is not who he seems. Indeed, he’s hiding a secret, something that could cost them both their lives, especially when the past comes back to life. A bittersweet love song of the home front war between duty and the heart...a battle where only one will survive. (Publisher Description)

Review

In the beginning of Nightingale Esther finds herself on a ledge with Charlie...a war patient contemplating suicide. As Esther begins to coax Charlie away from a deathly fall, she cant help but think maybe jumping off and flying away would end the pain in her own heart. Reality hits hard and the love of her daughter Sadie keeps Esther's feet on the ground and brings her back home to the attic they are living in.

Esther wasn't always a single mom living in an attic with people who hated her.....once she was a carefree girl, living life, training to be a nurse and making pretty good choices. Catching the eye of a handsome solider changes everything. The two spend a small amount of time together and one night after a passionate dance, out of desperation from the war and the urgency to make a make an intimate connection, Esther and Linus take that dance to the back seat of his Ford. Even though the two never had intentions to be together in the future that night results in Esther's subsequent pregnancy and Linus already being in love with another woman bitterly sends Esther to live with his parents. Alone, scared and without any support from family she does just that...runs to Linus's parents.When Esther receives the "Goodbye" letter sent by a medic named Peter upon Linus's death, clearly she cant help but feel relieved. Already she thinks she's being punished by God for her mistake and thinks perhaps this could be her freedom out of the situation, only Linus's parents are unaware of his death and Esther fears the power his father posses and will take Sadie away from her. So Esther keeps quiet and waits for official word from the Military and strikes up a correspondence with the man who sent her the original letter. Slowly over the course of writing back and forth,  Esther and Peter develop a friendship that turns into love, but the past comes to haunt both of them as Esther finds out who Peter really is and Peter finds out whats lurking around the corner for Esther.

Susan has a unique gift that creates beautiful heroines and relatable characters. From page one this stunning and romantic war story entangled me. Esther was a deeply developed character easy to identify with in the pain of her mistake and believing herself to be unredeemable. I wanted to high five her when she stood up for herself (my favorite with the water) and I wanted to cry with her when she felt there was no hope left. A touching story about courage, love and forgiveness.

Rating

A fabulous read recommended to those who love historical fiction. While nothing graphic is told in this story topics include: One night stand, mild sensuality, pregnancy, war, attempted suicide, violence and murder.

4/5- Christian Historical Fiction

Thanks to Litfuse and Summerside Press for Review Copy

About the Author

Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of twenty-four novels with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Book of the Year.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!) A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/. To purchase Nightingale check out: http://www.christianbook.com/nightingale-susan-warren



Nightingale is about letters, the power of written correspondence to convey thoughts and emotions to those far away. And sometimes near. Letters are forever, they are something we savor and pull out to read again and again. They are often cherished and kept in a special place. To celebrate the release of Nightingale, Susan would like you to write a letter. One grand prize winner will receive a Flip HD Camcorder. 5 runner's up winners will win a signed copy of Nightingale. There are two ways to enter the contest by writing letters.

1. Write a letter to a soldier. At the end of the contest we’ll print out and mail your letter for you.

2. Write a letter to a friend, loved one, family member, enemy. Tell them something you wished you’d told them before. Tell them you love them, or maybe how they touched your life. Perhaps an apology is in order or a thank you. Or perhaps you'd like to relate a funny tale or just share life. Whatever it is, submit it here along with your email address and we’ll send it for you. To Enter simply click on the button above.

Check out the remaining Blog tour schedule: www.litfusegroup.com/Blog-Tours/nightingale-by-susan-may-warren.html

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The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

September 21st 2010 by Razorbill

Hardcover, 352 Pages

Purchased

Book Synopsis

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world. Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs......(Goodreads)

Review

When we believe in something…that belief breeds power, it gives voice to overcome scary things or to the unseen eye in Gentry, it gives protection against the lively underworld beneath them. The people's belief makes the ground sacred and in certain aspects gives them the power to fight unknowingly. Along with it the power of their fear spreads and whispers to unseen things. Bumps in the night become the bogeyman in the closet and dark places that contain hidden things gain more control and become more powerful. While the people in Gentry remain silent and no one speaks of “them” they all know what lurks underneath and the price for their silence is high.Maybe they are holding on to the hope that not talking about it or ignoring it will change the situation. As the seven year mark of bloodletting arises and one child go's missing no one stands up and no one questions why. But, there is one boy, one who will make a difference and turn the Underworld upside down.

Mackie lives with his family, he is well loved…but different. For one he’s allergic to iron and blood and over the past 15 years has been slowly dying. Being a replacement child from the underworld makes Mackie a bit of an outcast, but with the love of his sister and best friend Roswell, he remains under the radar and maintains a quiet life and able to stay somewhat healthy. When a local baby is stolen and it happens to be the little sister of the girl Mackie loves, he begins to question the way of the underworld. Perhaps its time for things to change, perhaps he’s the one who needs to change things…and perhaps the whole town will pay the price good or bad for speaking out.

For me, this book was like stepping into a creepy Tim Burton movie but more so one of acceptance. Told through the first person account of Mackie I felt outside of the "Fae" aspect, the story was about Mackie longing to fit in. I think he wanted to be normal, he wanted to go to church with his family, a place of consecrated ground he couldn't walk on, he wanted to be a part of the world without the sickness and grief of metals and iron. I think he wanted to belong more than anything and ultimately chose his family and friends to show us the quiet strong hero he could be.Only proving that its always the unsuspecting person who truly makes a difference. Beautifully Creepy, with rock and roll poetics, a dark and dreary read full of haunting writing and tremendous debut talent……I loved it!!

Rating

The Replacement is recommended to mature teens (16& up) and adults. Contains: Violence, murder, mild sexuality including references to various degrees of dress from a guys pov, language, teen drinking and some frightening elements.

4.5/5- YA-Paranormal-Faeries

Finally, a little vindication for the fat chicks….

According to an the article on WebMD “New Genes Linked to Obesity, Belly Fat” http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20101011/new-genes-linked-to-obesity-belly-fat two studies have identified 18 new genes linked to overall obesity and 13 more that influence whether your weight goes to your belly or to your thighs (the lovingly labeled apple shape or pear shape body). These new findings may explain why blanket recommendations about exercise and eating right just don’t work for a lot of people. Wow, imagine that. This is exactly one of the points I was making in my book, Making Light of Being Heavy.

Anyone who is just normally skinny seriously cannot wrap their head around any reason for another person being fat, and these people include physicians, counselors, experts, etc., unless it is one of the obvious incorrect assumptions including eating too much, not enough exercise, and basically not taking care of oneself. These studies do not surprise me in the least, but actually make total sense and validate my lifelong struggle with weight and many others like me. Apparently, the more obesity genes you have the greater chance for you to have the risk of obesity and even greater difficulty in maintaining a “normal weight.” Personally, I think the whole “normal weight” theory is a bunch of hogwash anyway because as I have said before, if we all fit perfectly into the predetermined guidelines set forth by our physicians, counselors, experts, etc. we would all be the same size. And how normal would that be??

So there you have it, proof genetics plays a key role in our weight. To all my fellow fat chicks and professional dieters, give yourself a break! Life is good, get out and enjoy it - things will fall into place.

Thank you Kandy for stopping by sharing and best of luck with your book and finding the best kick-butt diet for all us girls out there!!

**Kandy Siahaya was raised in a small town in Maine where she graduated from high school in 1984. She worked her way up from her first job as CSW to Manager of Kentucky Fried Chicken and ended up in Brunswick, Maine. When she decided to leave the fried chicken business at age 22, she packed up her little Chevy Chevette and moved to Florida, where she worked as a waitress and had a great time as a single girl in her 20’s. Reality hit when she was 25 years old and she went back to Maine and received her Associate’s Degree at Beal College and promptly moved back to Florida and started a career in medical transcription. In 1995 at age 29, she moved to Miami, Florida, and continued with transcription starting her own business. In 2002, Kandy left Florida and moved back to Maine with her 5-year-old son and continued medical transcription but had an unexpected decline in work which left her with a lot of time on her hands. This is when she decided to write the book, something she had been thinking about for a few years but never had the time because she was always so busy with her business. It was meant to be a quick and funny read, something to brighten the outlook of many that really do not see the light through their own tunnel vision. It was also intended to be insightful for those that could never possibly relate to this specific subject. Kandy has succeeded in doing just that with Making Light of Being Heavy.

Making Light of Being Heavy by Kandy Siahaya

April 2009 by Northern Reprographics

Paperback, 90 Pages

Review Copy

Book Synopsis

These days everyone has a society-driven mindset and totally forget to laugh, especially at themselves. This may be cliche but the author truly believes that laughter is the best medicine and thinks everybody should laugh every day. Period. Over the years as a person blessed with the fat gene, Kandy has been in many situations where if she could not find humor she probably would end up on the couch in the psychiatrist s office. This book is about as politically incorrect as it gets for such a subject but it is also based on reality. This is a reality that many women have just like Kandy but do not think they can (or should) at times just laugh about it. Her intention when she started writing this book was to hopefully give insight to many who could never relate but at the same time perhaps provide a different perspective to women just like her. It is a point of view that has given her the strength to live her life happily and project these feelings onto everyone she comes in contact with. (Goodreads)

Review

Hilarious....for once an actual book about being fat that is honest, raw and funny. While I don’t know what its like to grow up with obesity or the “fat“ as Kandy refers to throughout the book, I have struggled after my pregnancies to lose weight. Its hard, frustrating and at times discouraging. I loved the honesty and accurate portrayal of the ups and downs of dieting and weight loss. Some of the comments were so dead-on I thought maybe she read my mind. Kandy walks through some very popular and unpopular diets that most of us struggling to lose weight have gone on. I personally have never tried these hard-core diets and they seem gross and painfully depressing!!

Mostly though this book made me laugh.....I loved that Kandy along with promoting the fact that diets are hard and a pain in the butt knew the importance of keeping your body at a reasonable weight and that most of these fad diets out there just don't work in the long run. A fun guide for any of you out there wanting to lose weight or need a good laugh for encouragement.

Rating

Can be read by anyone....but will get the best response from adult women. Heavy comes packed full of laughs, I know what you mean moments and plenty of sarcastic comments including mild if any language.

4/5- Non-Fiction-Self-Help

Thanks to Pump up your Book for review copy.

Debbi Mack's 20 Questions Blog Tour

Question 12: What books or other works have influenced your writing most?

Wow. What an interesting question. I'm glad you asked that, Tina. And let me say it's a real pleasure to post here at Tina's Book Reviews. Thanks for hosting me.

My work has been influenced by so many things I've read. But my earliest influences were probably television and movies. When I was growing up during the Sixties (you know, the dark ages when dinosaurs roamed the earth LOL), one of my favorite television shows was Honey West. She was a female private eye at a time when there was no such animal being widely distributed as entertainment. She was nothing less than amazing. I wanted nothing more than to be her, with her cool convertible, her handsome sidekick, Sam (hmm, that's my protagonist's name … coincidence?), and her cool apartment where she kept her pet ocelot. Yes, Honey apparently was fond of big cats. As in really big cats. I can still picture myself gawking in awe at Anne Francis playing that awesome role. But my television influences didn't stop with her. I went on to become possibly the biggest fan of The Avengers ever. If Honey West impressed me, well, Mrs. Emma Peel simply blew me away. She knew everything. She could do everything. (And she had a really cool convertible, too. A very important component. LOL) And she could fight! Whenever bad guys showed up, did Mrs. Peel run and hide? No. She came right at them with karate kicks and judo moves. (Corny and poorly choreographed ones, but I was a kid, so …) Now, The Avengers may have been something of a cartoon and more than a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I took it seriously. I aspired to be as amazing as Mrs. Peel. I wanted to be as confident and sassy as she. Mrs. Peel was nothing less than a role model. But this was just the beginning of my love affair with mystery and crime fiction. Other television shows that influenced my writing included: Perry Mason, Mannix, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Get Smart (okay, those last two are spy shows and one a spoof – even so …), The Rockford Files and The Name of the Game. (Does anyone even remember that show? LOL)

As time went by, I started to watch a lot of old classic films. I became enthralled by such classic films as The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity, Shadow of a Doubt, North by Northwest … I could go on, but can you see the progression? I really loved mysteries, crime fiction and thrillers. And not just blood and guts and gore thrillers, but thrillers made by masters of suspense like Hitchcock. (You can just consider all his work influential by default.) It was through thrillers like these that I learned that characters matter. Stories are about people. And even if there were all sorts of jolts and twists on these thrill rides I was taking, the stories also revolved around characters I cared about.

It was also through the dark mysteries based on the books of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and James M. Cain (to name a few) that I learned about how intriguing life's ironies could be. These stories influenced me because (for good or ill) I was so keenly aware that life wasn't always fair. And I wanted to tell stories about how life wasn't always fair. And tell them in an entertaining way, the way those authors had done. One thing that bothered me (even as a kid) was how few women got to play the lead in these dramas. Other than the exceptional few, the lead character was almost always a man. I swore that if I ever had the chance to write fiction, I'd make my lead character a strong, hard-nosed woman. One who could take care of herself. Not one of these frilly, girly characters who couldn't run without tripping over her shoelaces. But a woman of character and strength. All these things were floating about in my mind, influencing me, as I envisioned someday writing a private eye novel with a strong female lead.

Needless to say, as a child, I was heartened in the fiction department by discovering the Nancy Drew mystery series. Again, Nancy was a girl who was strong and independent. Her father was a lawyer. Her mother was, um, conveniently absent. Nancy wasn't the type to sit back idly if there was a mystery to be solved. (And, yes, she had the requisite cool car.) She had all these friends (their names kept changing LOL) and a really great boyfriend whose forces she could marshal if she needed help. That along with the Cherry Ames series about a mystery solving nurse (who couldn't hold a job to save her life LOL) all went into influencing my writing. Once I discovered that these amazing old movies I was watching were once books, I turned to reading them next. And I started reading modern writers who followed the hardboiled tradition. This would include, of course, Sue Grafton, Marcia Muller, and Sara Paretsky. It would also include Ross MacDonald, Lawrence Block, Robert B. Parker, and Walter Mosley.

One of my greatest influences (who I started reading shortly before I started writing in earnest) is Judith Van Gieson. Now, Van Gieson isn't a name you'll see on the New York Times bestseller list. But she had a profound influence on my writing. You see, at a time when female private eyes had become trendy and were all the rage, I was afraid of creating yet another one. I needed something to make my protagonist distinctive.

When I read my first book in the Neil Hamel series by Judith Van Gieson about an Albuquerque, New Mexico attorney who solves mysteries, it hit me. Neil Hamel was (basically)a female lawyer solving mysteries like a hardboiled private eye. And Van Gieson wrote so evocatively about New Mexico that the setting was almost like one of the characters in the book. I thought, "Why not take that concept to Maryland?" After all, I was a lawyer. I could bring that experience to the table.

So, I'd like to thank each and every one of these authors (and the many, many more who go unnamed) for influencing my work so much. But I especially thank Judith Van Gieson without whose books Sam McRae might not even exist today.

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Thanks for reading, everyone! Don't forget to leave a comment with your email address if you'd like to enter the drawing for the 10 autographed copies of IDENTITY CRISIS I'm giving away. (One entry per person, but comment as often as you like.) The drawing will be held on my blog My Life on the Mid-List after the tour is finished. Check my blog for the entire tour schedule. And please join me at my next stop tomorrow: Rex Robot Reviews

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Debbi Mack is the author of IDENTITY CRISIS, a hardboiled mystery and the first in a series featuring lawyer Stephanie Ann "Sam" McRae. She's also a short story writer whose ebook anthology, FIVE UNEASY PIECES, includes the Derringer-nominated "The Right to Remain Silent," originally published in The Back Alley Webzine. Debbi's work has also appeared in two of the CHESAPEAKE CRIMES anthologies.

Be on the lookout for her next Sam McRae novel, LEAST WANTED, which will be published soon (in print and ebook versions).

Debbi practiced law for nine years before becoming a freelance writer/researcher and fiction author. She's also worked as a news wire reporter covering the legal beat in Washington, D.C. and as a reference librarian at the Federal Trade Commission. She lives in Maryland with her husband and three cats.

Amy Inspired by Bethany Pierce

October 2010 by Bethany House

Paperback, 288 Pages

Review Copy

Book Synopsis

Amy Gallagher is an aspiring writer who, after countless rejections, has settled for a career as an English professor in small-town Ohio just to pay the bills. All her dreams suddenly start to unravel as rejections pile up--both from publishers and her boyfriend. But just as Amy fears her life is stuck in a holding pattern, she meets the mysterious, attractive, and unavailable Eli. She struggles to walk the fine line between friendship and something more with Eli, even as staying true to her faith becomes unexpectedly complicated. When secrets, tragedy, and poor decisions cause rifts in Amy's relationships, she must come to terms with who she's become, her unrealized aspirations for her life, and the state of her faith. Can she dare to hope that she will find love and fulfillment despite it all?  (CFBA)

Review

I jumped on the chance to review this book, as it was a WOW of mine awhile back and I absolutely loved the cover. Was it worth the wait??? It wasn't what I was expecting but I did find the story to be engaging, fun and encouraging. I think anyone can relate to the ups and downs of trying to find your place in the world.....and most importantly for bloggers wanting to be writers, Amy's story is almost painfully relatable.

Amy a girl who wants nothing more than to be a writer go's through issues of writing itself, getting published and facing tremendous amounts of rejection. While the novel moved a bit slow with the first person narrative, once I connected to the characters things began to progress and move along at a nice pace. Amy was a very nice developed character who displayed likable quirkiness and honest reactions to tricky situations...ie...liking a guy you shouldn't....I wanted Amy to get a little stronger by the end but otherwise the story was a well written heart felt tale of one girls determination to succeed, fall in love and not lose her faith in the process.

Rating

Suitable for many readers including mature teens. Content include: depression, romance, friendship, temptation and faith struggles. Recommended to those who love romance, overcoming and Christian Fiction that isn't preachy.

3.5/5- Christian Fiction- Romance-

Thanks to Bethany House via CFBA for Review Copy

After completing a master's in Creative Writing and working as a visiting instructor at Miami University in Ohio, Bethany Pierce now lives with her husband in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she is a member of the McGuffey Art Center and continues to write. Her first book, Feeling for Bones, was one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2007.