Title: Fatal Gamble: A Novel
Author: JP O'Donnell
Website: www.jpodonnell.com
Genre: Fiction: Mystery/Thriller
ISBN:
Publisher: iUniverse
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
ISBN: 978-0595504756 (hc)
ISBN: 978-0595514090 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0595618873 (e-book)

Reviewed by Will Gabbett of the Feathered Quill ww.featheredquill.com


It’s just another mundane day in the life of Dr. Jonathan Becker. He gets up, readies himself for work, kisses his lovely wife and then heads out the door for work. Getting in his car and tuning the radio to his favorite talk show, it’s a quick drive to the medical building where he runs a thriving pediatric practice. Arriving at his office, he sits in his car for a few minutes to listen to the end of the radio show and boom! Dr. Becker is shot dead. In just two short pages, Fatal Gamble grabs the reader and begs the question, who shot Dr. Becker?

The police are quickly on the scene of the deadly crime but have few leads in the murder. When another doctor from the same building is murdered, the wife of Dr. Becker seeks out a private investigator, Daniel Gallagher, to find the person, or persons, responsible for her husband’s death. The police, particularly the lead investigator, Jack Hoskins, are not fond of Gallagher, an ex-cop, and are not willing to share crucial information on the case with the private investigator. Through his own cunning and expertise, Gallagher must shift through a series of clues and false leads to find the killer.

After a third doctor from the same office complex is found dead, it becomes clear to Gallagher that the connection the three murder victims share is their partnership in the ownership of the medical building. When the police arrest a suspect and declare the case solved, Gallagher is the only one to question the arrest. With detective work that would make Perry Mason proud, Gallagher continues to search for the assailant. His investigation leads him to Washington , DC , Las Vegas , NV and his own backyard. Will he be able to find the killer before another doctor is murdered?

Fatal Gamble is a quick reading thriller with crisp, easy writing that takes the reader directly into Gallagher’s world. There are several unexpected twists and turns in the story that keep both Gallagher and the reader guessing. O’Donnell expertly guides the reader into the underworld dealings in both Washington and Las Vegas while avoiding all

the dry, dull irrelevant background text that many authors incorporate into their stories. With short, concise chapters, it is tempting to “read just one more chapter” before putting the book down for the night. Alas, for this reviewer, that “one more chapter” became two, then three, and then ten or twenty more chapters. It was a hard book to put down.

Quill says: If you’re looking for a great “who dun it?” book, pick up Fatal Gamble.


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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
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Why Not Travel Stories with a Lesbian Twist

Title: Something to declare: good lesbian travel writing
Genre: Nonfiction: Travel
Edited by: Gillian Kendall
Publisher: Terrace Books
Pages: 219
RRP $19.95
ISBN 13 978 029923354 9

Reviewed by Deborah Sheldon


Something to Declare: Good Lesbian Travel Writing is neither travelogue nor tourist guidebook. The nineteen essays in this collection take the armchair traveller on a jaunt around the globe, featuring stories set in places such as Chile, Mexico, Vietnam, Ireland and Italy, and various cities within the United States, but you won't find hotel recommendations or restaurant reviews. Instead, editor Gillian Kendall has brought together an eclectic mix of essays from travellers who invite us to share their deeply personal experiences.

Each writer happens to be lesbian, but it is the writer's emotional journey rather than her sexuality that takes centre stage in each story. As Kendall remarks in her introduction, "...I had to wonder exactly What Makes a Lesbian a Lesbian when I got pieces that contained no reference to sexuality or orientation: they were just about places and people". Despite the strident subtitle, this is a collection for every reader, not just for lesbian readers.

Overall, expect top-notch writing. This is a literary collection, and you may find yourself pausing here and there to linger over a finely wrought sentence or image. A few caveats: at least one story is pure fiction; some essays appear to be a mixture of fact and fiction; and a couple of pieces, by comparison, feel amateurish and clunky. This is a mixed bag of lollies; as Kendall writes in her introduction, the book is like "meeting new friends at a good late-night party, where lesbians have gathered to laugh, eat, flirt, show off, sympathise, and - mostly - tell stories".

One common theme is coming to terms with home truths, no matter how uncomfortable or painful. The hardships of negotiating love feature strongly. A foreign place, which takes the writer out of her comfort zone, typically makes her face something she's been trying to ignore or repress. In Bashert, Leslea Newman tells of a sexual awakening in an Israeli kibbutz that comes as a total surprise to her although, perhaps, not to us. In Oaxaca, Suzanne Parker writes about the difficulties of travelling to a place she had previously visited with an old lover, and the disquieting mix-up of memories that can occur:

Who was it who bought me the lemon ice? Who made love to me in a room with a wall of windows? I was in a constant state of translation, of revision. Who was it who lay down ten years earlier and who wakes up now to the sound of different breathing?

Prejudice, or the fear of it, runs like a fine thread through many of the essays. Unexpectedly, the prejudice isn't always strictly confined to lesbianism. In Sheila Ortiz Taylor's beautifully written piece Outrageous, the narrator Glenda, who is white, and her black male friend, Topaz, have stopped for lunch at a diner while they are ferrying her belongings to hger new home in Florida. Ortiz writes:

Topaz unrolls his paper napkin, sending knife and fork skittering across the table. In the silence that follows, his eye falls on a truck driver in a faded red cap, holding his barbecued pork sandwich in two enormous hands as if the bun is the steering wheel of his truck. The man's eyes bore across the room trying to fix him in the crosshairs of his attention.

"Oh shit," says Topaz. "I was afraid of this. He thinks you're a white woman and he knows I'm a black man, and he assumes the everybody here is heterosexual, despite compelling evidence to the contrary. Now he's wondering exactly where his responsibilities lie."

The honesty of each contributor in revealing her soul makes this collection a voyeuristic experience too, as if you were dipping into the intimacies of a hidden diary.

Not every story appeals, of course, but that is typical for all anthologies. Choosing which stories to keep and which to leave out is a calculated risk that each anthology editor must take, but there's more than enough talent and feeling in Something to Declare to carry the reader over the odd bump or two. Challenge, pain, revelation and spiritual growth are the hallmarks of this book. You won't learn much about the various cities and towns listed in the stories, but you will gain an interesting insight into the human experience.



~Reviewer Deborah Sheldon is an Australian writer whose credits include television scripts, magazine articles, nonfiction books and medical writing. Her fiction has appeared in magazines including Quadrant, Pendulum and Island. Her short story collection, "All the little things that we lose", was released January 2010

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
And while you're at it, as a courtesy to the author, please retweet this post:

Editor Reviews Book on Editing for Amazon

The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Publisher: Red Engine Press
ISBN: 9780978515874
Available in paperback and for Kindle

Reviewed by Steve Fortosis for Amazon

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is a very brave lady. She had the audacity to write a book representing surely one of the most anal of all groups: editors/proofreaders. And, even more courageous, she did so in a casual, good-natured manner. She boils down a massive array of points and topics into less than 200 pages, and her editing knowledge is extremely impressive. This book surely deserves its place on every writer's bookshelf. My advice would be to compose your book by letting the words flow freely, without high anxiety regarding the multitudinous rules of writing. Then go back to Carolyn's book and run it through her gauntlet of wise steps to the polished manuscript. You really can't go wrong following her sage advice.
--Dr. Steve Fortosis, writer and editor, sfort1222@msn.com

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
And while you're at it, as a courtesy to the author, please retweet this post:

Boarding School Mysteries Book Reviewed by Donna M. McDine

Title: Boarding School Mysteries ~ Pick Your Poison
Written by: Kristi Holl
Soft cover: 134 pages
Ages:9-12
Publisher: Zonderkidz
ISBN: 978-03105-67998
Published: June 2009
Price: $6.99

Reviewed by Donna M. McDine

Pick Your Poison is not only the title of this edition of the Board School Mysteries it is a long time saying when not knowing what to choose in a difficult situation. Unfortunately, the girls at the private Landmark School for Girls don’t have a choice. While enjoying the delicious meal prepared by Abby for her home-ec project, several girls become severely ill. At first it is believed the meal was prepared with spoiled food until more girls become ill eating different food. Setting the wheels in motion of suspicions and accusations.

Determined to take the attention off Abby and herself, 12-year-old Jeri McKane begins her own investigation to reveal the truth. What she uncovers is unthinkable for many. Throw in the threat of competition and several individuals look guilty. Will Jeri be able to discover the truth before the food poisoning goes too far and someone dies?

Immerse yourself into the setting at the private Landmark School for girls and learn for yourself the true meaning of friendship. And beyond outward appearances all may not be what it seems with determined ambitions bubbling below the surface.

Children’s author, Kristi Holl has done it again. The twists and turns arise at every corner, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat and quickly turning each page with suspense to the end.

To learn more about Kristi Holl’s accomplished writing career visit her at:
Kristi's Web site.
Writer's First Aid blog at http://institutechildrenslit.net/Writers-First-Aid-blog

New mystery series at www.BoardingSchoolMysteries.com
Girls Connecting with God Web site at www.devotions4girls.com
What's a Girl To Do? blog at www.devotions4girls.blogspot.com
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The reviewer is Donna M. McDine, children's author, member of SCBWI, Musing Our Children & Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club. Her Webssite is http://www.donnamcdine.com. She blogs at Write What Inspires You Blog: http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com
and The Golden Pathway Story book Blog: http://www.thegoldenpathway.blogspot.com

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
And while you're at it, as a courtesy to the author, please retweet this post:

Eliza Earsman Publishes Call-to-Action Poetry

TITLE: A Collection of Verse
AUTHOR: Eliza Earsman
GENRE or CATEGORY: History/Verse. 108 pages.
ISBN: 978-0-9556248-1-0

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS BOOK

From amazon.com:

Highly highly recommend you consider submitting your poetry for awards ... (Haven't done so yet - maybe later!) gifted writer ... amazing eloquence to your poetry. ~ Pamela Guerrieri, Senior Editor. www.proofedtoperfection.com


Your sight-rhymed poems have impressed. They cover politics, culture, and religion about which you write passionately, occasionally didactically.~ University Lecturer, Wales.

Mainly succinct, sensuous. ~ University Lecturer, Wales.

Written with clarity and precise diction. ~ University Lecturer, Wales.

A beautiful gift. Informative and enlightening! ~ Wanda, http://www.thesistahsministry.com/soulsistahscafe.htm

The following critiques on individual poems are from staff, University of Cardiff, Wales:

CATALONIA: you use lexis and syntax that suit the ambience being evoked.

STORM: contextualized to seafarers and `sun hammered waves' is stunningly visual.

HOME IN ON THE RANGE: both lyrical and dramatic. Arresting word combinations e.g. `squirrels pine, needles spruce. Also the comic details of old Billy grazing.

CHUNK: how fluently you convey nature's kinesthetic energy.

GLASGOW: CELL BLOCK H - powerful pathos. Scots dialect is employed appositely.

HEAVENS ABOVE: shows love of word play.

SCENE FROM THE BACKGOUND: even more of a word picture. Effective feature are the echoic effects...

CANUTE: punning, a teasing reflection of King Canute's fabled ability.

JAFFA GATE STING: seriocomic. Song-like opening.

CATALONIA: a poem to the architectural beauty and transcendent faith contained in Barcelona.
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From the Back Cover

Provocative, reasoned, instinctive, funny, robust.

This latest publication by Eliza Earsman expands, in verse, some of the data in Days of Elijah (Revised and Expanded): A True Story - ISBN 9780955624827.

Specific/urgent attention should be paid to the non-fiction poem 'LEST SHE FORGETS' re the UK Mountbatten-Windsor royal family/World War Three agenda.

Sanity galvanizes readers to act!

Earsman is also the author of Days of Elijah.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
And while you're at it, as a courtesy to the author, please retweet this post:

Lists to Help You Plan Your Reading for 2010

I know it's not January 1 but it's not too late to think about reading for 2010, is it? Here are a few I've been directly involved with:

MyShelf.com runs top ten lists from each of its reviewers and columnists. My list is there for you to peruse but mostly I'm proud to be on reviewer Jennifer Akers's list with the poetry chapbook I co-authored with Magdalena Ball. It is She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections On Motherhood. http://www.myshelf.com/toptenreads.html


Then there is the Top Ten List on Squidoo from Jennifer Akers. She included The Frugal Book Promoter as one of her Top Ten for LIFE changing books. Guess improving a career can be life changing. But I’m getting a really big, fat head here. You’ll find several other great books on writing on that list, too. http://www.squidoo.com/booklist.

You may also want to buzz over to see the prizes I give out every year. They aren't limited to ten nor do I always name ten. The Noble (Not Nobel!) prize is a fun way to honor excellence in literature that isn't considered for the Nobel--and that leaves lots of room for me to play! It is at http://www.myshelf.com/backtoliterature/column.htm. Find past year's winners every January in the archives. You reach them from the Back To Literature page.

I am on a campaign to get more people to read and to buy books as gifts. And, I'm hoping I can encourage them not only to support the publishing industry but also to support emerging writers. Maybe set a goal. Half of those books could be by emerging writers. In other words, Stephen King's On Writing is superb and so is Bird by Bird, but do a search on Amazon. There are many other books on writing that are good and that your writing friends (or reading friends) will love.
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
And while you're at it, as a courtesy to the author, please retweet this post:

Imagination on Board Author Reviews Avon Romance

An Artful Deception
By Karen Kogan
Avalon Books
Hardcover: 216 pages
ISBN-10: 0803499175
ISBN-13: 978-0803499171
$23.95


Reviewed by Connie Gotsch

Lady Katherine wants no part of marriage to Phillip, to whom she has been pledged since childhood. But as her carriage takes her farther and farther from her girlhood home, she realizes she must either accept Phillip as her husband, or Cedric, the cousin she detests.

When the carriage turns over on a rough road and her maid dies, Lady Katherine conceives a plan to avoid both Phillip and Cedric. She will pose as the maid until she can find her own husband But Phillip turns out to be handsome and much kinder than the bullyboy she remembers . Now what?

The absolutely delightful romance, An Artful Deception of course, by Karen Cogan, published by Avalon Books.

The story twists and turns as romances do, while Lady Katherine struggles to clear up the misunderstanding she has created. With the help of a jealous servant, Cedric finds her and closes in. Phillip becomes furious when he discovers her true identity and threatens to let Cedric have her.

Predictably, Lady Katharine straightens out her mess, as good romance heroines do, but the fun of An Artful Deception comes from watching her do it. Karen Cogan has an easy-to-read style and a good sense of pacing. She balances action with just the right amount of description and dialog.

An Artful Deception is a light, cheerful, and totally fun read. It’s great for a winter night by the fire, or a warm beach in some mid-February vacation spot.

The reviewer is the author of A Mouth Full of Shell and Snap Me a Future
Featured in "The Complete Writer's Journal" --www.redenginepress.com
Learn more at www.conniegotsch.com.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
And while you're at it, as a courtesy to the author, please retweet this post: