Publisher: White Whiskers Press (June 15, 2013) Category: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense, Crime Thriller Tour Date: Mid May- Mid June, 2013 Available in: Print & eBook, 242 pages
Everyone has a bad day. Graduate student Ian Nash has lost his girlfriend in addition to being dropped from a Ph.D. program in theater at a Southern California university. When he stops at a local coffee shop in the lobby of a bank to apply for a job, the proverbial organic matter hits the fan. A gang of four robs the bank, and things get bloody. Ian is taken hostage by the robbers when the police show up. Now he has to save his life.
FBI Special Agent Aleece Medina’s analysis of the bloody bank heist drives her into the pursuit of a robbery gang headed by two women. She doesn’t anticipate how this robbery will pit her against both the bandits and the male higher-ups in the FBI while the media heats up during a giant manhunt.
The robbers are about to kill Ian, and all he has at hand is his knowledge of the stage.
My Thoughts:
This is the third book I have read of Christopher Meeks and consider myself a big fan of his work. The first two books of his that I read were, The Brightest Moon of the Century and Love At Absolute Zero. Both are literary fiction with some smart romance and biting humor. The characters in both are quirky. I love quirky characters and biting humor.
When Christopher told me about his new book, Blood Drama, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It a crime mystery thriller, not a genre I typically read. However, as a fan, I wanted to give it a try.
Blood Drama delivered! It is full of the quirky characters, I’ve come to expect from Meeks, especially the lead character, Ian Nash. It is fresh and has the biting humor I also expect from him. The book is well written and researched and flows well. It takes place in California, Minnesota, and Winnipeg. Since I grew up in Minnesota, I am familiar with all of the cities and some of the landmarks mentioned. I always find that a fun aspect of a book when I am so familiar with the location. I can certainly vouch for the authenticity of Meeks representation of Minnesota.
The crime/mystery is easy going and not heavy handed. IMO, the ending is pretty predictable but I enjoyed it despite that. With Blood Drama, Christopher Meeks has proved to me that he can successfully cross genres and still entertain. Highly recommended!
4.5/5
I received this book for my honest opinion.
About Christopher Meeks:
Christopher Meeks first published short fiction in a number of literary journals, and the stories are available in two collections, The Middle-Aged Man and the Sea and Months and Seasons. Recently, he’s focused on novels. The Brightest Moon of the Century isa story of a man who yearns for love and success, covering over thirty years—a tale that Marc Schuster of Small Press Reviews describes as “a great and truly humane novel in the tradition of Charles Dickens and John Irving.” His last novel, Love At Absolute Zero, is about a physicist who uses the tools of science to find his soul mate–and he has just three days. Critic Grady Harp calls the book “a gift.” The new novel, Blood Drama, has him edge into a thriller. Meeks also runs White Whisker Books and publishes four authors.
Thanks to Christopher Meeks, one winner will receive a copy of Blood Drama. This giveaway is open internationally. If the winner live in Canada or the U.S. there is a choice of print or ebook. If the winner is international, s/he will receive an ebook. Please use Rafflecopter to enter.
Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.
*2012 Finalist International Book Awards for Historical
Publication Date: September 26, 2011
Raven’s Wing Books
Paperback; 408p ISBN-10: 1618070150
Rocamora, a novel of 17th century Spain, is based on the life of Vicente de Rocamora, who struggles to make his place in a Spain obsessed with limpieza de sangre, purity of blood untainted by Jew, Moor, or recent convert.
Poet, swordsman, and master of disguise, at the insistence of his family, Vicente enters the Dominican Order and is soon thrust into the scheming political and clerical hierarchies that at Court.
Vicente becomes Confessor and Spiritual Director for King Philip IV’s teenage sister, the beautiful Infanta Doña María, five years younger than he, protégé and possible successor of Inquisitor General Sotomayor, and an invaluable assistant to the King’s chief minister, the Count-Duke de Olivares.
Vicente needs all his skills and cunning to survive assassination by a growing list of ruthless foes in both Church and Court, solve a centuries-old riddle to quell rumors of his own impurity of blood, and above all suppress his love for the seemingly unattainable María.
Rocamora Book Trailer:
My Thoughts:
This book is a fictional account Vicente de Rocamora. He was a master of disguises, poet, Dominican Priest, among other things. The book opens with a bang and never lets go. Vincente’s parents were both murdered and the starts off right away with him avenging their death, in disguise. It is 17th century Spain. At the age of 16 wants to be a solder but at the insistence of the remaining head of family, who vowed a oath of loyalty to, he becomes a Dominican priest.
Vincente move up the ranks rather quickly and becomes the confessor for the beautiful Infanta Doña María. The younger sister of King Phillip IV of Spain. Eventually it looks as if he will become the Inquisitor General.
Donald Michael Platt brings the time of the Spanish Inquisition to life. It is apparent he did a lot of research for this book. My only complaint, and it is a small one is I think there could have been tighter editing. Other than that, I loved this book and will certainly read the second book, House of Rocamora. Highly recommended!
4.5/5
I was given a copy of this book for my honest review.
About Donald Michael Platt:
Born and raised inside San Francisco, I graduated from Lowell High School and received my B.A. in History from the University of California at Berkeley and won a batch of literary cash awards while in graduate school at San Jose State.
When I moved to southern California, I began my professional writing career. I sold to the TV series, MR. NOVAK, ghosted YOUR HAIR AND YOUR DIET for health food guru, Dan Dale Alexander, and wrote for and with diverse producers, among them as Harry Joe Brown, Sig Schlager, Albert J. Cohen, and Al Ruddy as well as Paul Stader Sr., dean of Hollywood stuntman and stunt/2nd unit director. Also, options were taken on my unpublished WWII fighter ace novel and several treatments.
After living in Florianópolis, Brazil, setting of my horror novel A GATHERING OF VULTURES, Dark Hart 2007, Briona Glen 2012, I moved to Florida where I wrote as a with: VITAMIN ENRICHED, pub.1999, for Carl DeSantis, founder of Rexall Sundown Vitamins; and THE COUPLE’S DISEASE, Finding a Cure for Your Lost “Love” Life, pub. 2002, for Lawrence S. Hakim, MD, FACS, Head of Sexual Dysfunction Unit at the Cleveland Clinic.
Currently, I reside in Winter Haven,
Florida. My magnum opus historical novel, ROCAMORA, set in 17th century Spain and Amsterdam during their Golden Ages, was released by RAVEN’S WING BOOKS at the end of December 2008. It has been republished by Briona Glen, September 2011. My completed sequel HOUSE OF ROCAMORA was published by Briona Glen November 2012, and I am polishing a completed novel set in the 9th century Carolingian Empire about another unusual historical character, Bodo, the Apostate.
Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.
Publisher: Bush Street Press (May, 2012) Category: Self Help, Non-Fiction, Self Discovery, Happiness Tour Dates: Mid April, 2013 Available in: Print and ebook 158 pages
#1 on Amazon Hot New Releases!
We arrive on this planet naked and without operating instructions. We live our lives and learn from trial and error (lots of errors) what works, what doesn’t work, what makes us happy and what pisses us off.
Each new person that comes into our lives gets no user’s manual and has to figure us out the hard way. But what if we changed the rules? What if we wrote our own user’s manual, The Happiness Handbook, about what makes us tick and gave it to the people we love most?
Imagine how that would change our interactions and our lives. People would begin to do what makes us happy and … we would be happy! If someone received our Happiness Handbook and chose not to follow it, well then, we could choose not to hang out with them more quickly.
The Happiness Handbook is about empowering the reader to discover their own unique ways of being that lead to unlocking their full potential and becomes their guide for leading the extraordinary life they were born to fulfill.
The Happiness Handbook is written in a warm, friendly and informal tone; as if a girl friend were guiding the reader through their process of self discovery. Peppered with humbling, humorous anecdotes and stories; the reader has a practical, seasoned guide and partner in crime as they work the exercises and use the tools to move from unhappy to happy!
My Thoughts:
You may have noticed that I don’t really read many self help type books, in fact I don’t think I have reviewed any here. However, when Jenn’s assistant Linda approached me to put together a tour for The Happiness Handbook I took a look at it. I realized right away that it wasn’t your regular self-help/relationship book. I tend to not read those for a reason, they aren’t helpful to me.
The Happiness Handbook is so much more and for that reason, I decided to read it myself as well as set up a tour. First and foremost it is a tool to help you get at what truly makes you happy so you can have a happy relationship with yourself and others. At a young age, I was taught not to be selfish, strive to make others happy. Jenn gave me permission to delve deep inside and look at what makes me happy. She made me realize that I can help others even more by helping me discover myself.
I had never stopped to really think about what makes me happy. Written with witt and easy reading Jenn helped me discover what makes me truly happy. This book is packed with easy and fun exercises to complete. It is aimed at women but men would find it helpful to complete as well. Jenn also encourages you to share what you learn about yourself with your spouse or boyfriend, etc.
Highly Recommended!
5/5
I was sent a copy of this book for my honest review.
About Jennifer Flaa:
Serial entrepreneur with deep roots in technology and a passion for music. Jenn merges creativity and tech with fun and energy.
After starting her career as an engineer at NASA and a stint in Silicon Valley as a Quality Assurance Manager, Jenn started her first of four companies. Vettanna provides high tech resources and communications training on-camera.
Not content to use one side of her brain, Jenn is also the rock vocalist and song writer for the band Urban Fiction, the author of The Happiness Handbook and the Better Boyfriend blog.
You can find out more about Jenn and The Happiness Handbook in her interview on CBS:
Thanks to Jennifer Flaa, I am giving away one copy of the book. This giveaway is open worldwide. If you live in Canada or the U.S. the winner will have the choice of print, pdf or Kindle. If international the winner will receive pdf or Kindle. This giveaway ends on May 7, 2013. Please use Rafflecopter to enter.
Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.