Book Review: Deep Trouble by Mary Connealy

If you’re looking for a fast-paced romantic cowboy story that will have you laughing one moment and tearing up the next, you have to read a Mary Connealy book.

Deep Trouble follows Shannon Dysart’s quest for the treasure her father claims hend in the southwest. She leaves fou her upper-crust St. Louis life in 1881 with some hired guides and the cryptic map left by her father. What follows is an adventure that takes the reader deep into the history of Grand Canyon and Shannon Dysart’s trouble.

If you’ve ever read one of Mary Connealy’s books, you know that so far I’ve only scratched the surface. In Mary’s books, none of the characters are ever what they appear to be at first glance. Shannon’s hired guides should be honorable, her long time society beau should be a helpless greenhorn, and the cowboy who comes to her rescue, Gabe Lasley, should leave her in a safe spot and go back to his own life. But of course, none of that happens.

And just what is the treasure that Shannon’s father found in the depths of this mysterious and beautiful canyon? Shannon and Gabe discover it, and you might also when you read this book.

Mary’s books are perfect reading for any time. My favorite time to read one of her stories, though, is on a weekend. That’s when I have chunks of time available to devote to one of my favorite authors.

Deep Trouble is available in paperback from Barbour Press or as an e-book from Amazon.

I received a copy of this book as a free download from Netgalley for my review.

Book Review: Stealing Jake by Pam Hillman

Pam Hillman’s debut novel, Stealing Jake, is a joy to read! From the very first scene we are caught up in Livy O’Brien’s world – a world where homeless street children are forced into a life of crime in order to survive, and if caught, are “sold” to unscrupulous men who use them for cheap labor in sweat shops. Although Livy has escaped that life by the grace of God, she refuses to leave it behind completely, knowing that she can be the instrument God uses to save others from that miserable existence.

Then she meets Jake Russell, the deputy of the small Illinois town where Livy and her mentor, Mrs. Brooks, have recently moved to start an orphanage. With Livy’s past, her first instinct is to avoid this lawman, but circumstances – and mutual attraction – continue to bring them together.

I thoroughly enjoyed the way Pam introduced and developed her characters. Both Livy and Jake have their demons, and Pam reveals them to the reader in a natural and compelling way. She allows her hero and heroine to face them, and then vanquish them before our eyes.

I am waiting impatiently for Pam’s next book!

I received a copy of this e-book as a free download from Netgalley for my review.

Book Review: The Corruptible by Mark Mynheir

I love good detective novels, and this is a great one. Mark Mynheir has given us a complex character in his Private Investigator Ray Quinn, one that reveals his layers little by little. But at the same time, Ray isn’t static. As he reveals himself to his friends and to us, we see him growing, changing, and digging deep into his personal challenges.

In “The Corruptible”, Ray is hired by financial magnate Armon Mayer to investigate the theft of some information from his company. When the suspect is found dead in a seedy motel room, Ray wonders just who the real bad guy is. He doggedly pursues the clues to the very end – which may very well be his own.

“The Corruptible” is the second Ray Quinn novel from Mr. Mynheir, whose bio makes me confident that the gritty reality he shows us in genuine. Ray Quinn is already a favorite of mine, and I’ll be reading the first novel in the series “The Night Watchman” as soon as possible.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for my review.

Quote of the Day

Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own.

Carol Burnett

Quote of the Day

Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say 'infinitely' when you mean 'very'; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.

C. S. Lewis
(1898 - 1963)

Book Review: Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer

In Beside Still Waters, author Tricia Goyer takes the reader on a journey into an aspect of Amish life that few people consider: What happens to the people of such a tightly knit community when tragedy strikes?

Born on the same night her two older sisters were killed in a buggy accident, Marianna Sommers has tried to replace them in her parents’ lives. Marianna is caught between her duty to honor and respect her parents and her own desires to enjoy the courtship of the man she loves. If she refuses to relocate to an Amish settlement in Montana with them, Marianna would disappoint her parents and cause yet another loss to their family, something that she can’t bear to do. And yet, Aaron Zook has built a cabin on his land; a cabin for her if she’ll just stay and be his bride. As Marianna seeks to find peace with her decision, she finds something else that she never even knew was missing: the peace that she finds beside still waters.

I enjoyed this story immensely. The characters were presented realistically, with a lot of variety in personalities, which is something that is often missing in books with an Amish setting. Marianna is compelling as she seeks to understand the nuances of her life and the affect that the tragedy of the night of her birth had on her, and continues to have on her family. I also enjoyed the setting, since as readers we don’t often see Amish outside of Pennsylvania or Ohio.

This is the first of Tricia Goyer’s books I have read, but I will certainly look for more of them. A sequel to this book, Along Wooded Paths will be published in October, 2011, and is available for pre-order.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for my review.

Book Review: Story Engineering by Larry Brooks

Learning to write fiction – that is, good, quality fiction that an editor will embrace – is a little like Theseus seeking the Minotaur in the labyrinth. The prize is there, but where?

In his book, Story Engineering: Mastering the 6 Core Competencies of Successful Writing, Larry Brooks gives the writer tools that will assist in crafting a story. Teaching the reader about Concept, Character, Theme, Story Structure, Scene Execution and Writing Voice, Mr. Brooks maintains that by learning and implementing all six of the core competencies the writer will be able to craft a complete story – one that covers all the bases.

The problem with most stories, Brooks states, is that “they still fall short of expressing the essence of a great story.” Without the blending of the core competencies together the writer is left with a story that is flat. It can have great characters, or a stellar theme, but it fails to carry them through in a way that will bring the reader a “literary feast.”

As I read the book, I found myself being persuaded that perhaps Brooks has a map to the labyrinth of crafting stories. I tried a few of his techniques in the first draft of my work in progress, with the result of feeling more confident that my story captures that essence of storytelling that all writers seek. I plan to implement all six of the core competencies as I begin the rewrite of my story, balancing them as Brooks suggests.

Of course, Theseus found his prize with help from Daedalus and Ariadne, but he still had to slay the monster himself – and that’s the task that Brooks leaves to his readers. This book won’t write your story for you, but it will provide you with the tools you need to do the job.

A free copy of this book was provided by Thomas Nelson Publishers for my review.