But imagine if that were not the case.  Imagine waking up to nothing.  You do not know your name, you do not know who the man/woman/child who is sleeping in the bed next to you.  You have absolutely zero recollection of where you are.

What would you do?

I asked my Facebook followers a few weeks ago a rather complicated question.  It appears simple in it’s statement but holds a world of complications if taken seriously.  Would you rather lose your LONG term or SHORT term memory, and why?  The answers were interesting, and extremely varied.  Some were aghast at the thought of losing either. Some (myself included) were happy with the thought of losing their past, but it was one statement, one very bold and very eloquent statement that dominated the pack.  “My past made me who I am, if I forget it, who am I?”  Now I ask you, how do you argue with that?

“Christine wakes up every morning in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar man. She looks in the mirror and sees an unfamiliar, middle- aged face. And every morning, the man she has woken up with must explain that he is Ben, he is her husband, she is forty-seven years old, and a terrible accident two decades earlier decimated her ability to form new memories.

But it’s the phone call from a Dr. Nash, a neurologist who claims to be working with Christine without her husband’s knowledge, that directs her to her journal, hidden in the back of her closet. For the past few weeks, Christine has been recording her daily activities—tearful mornings with Ben, sessions with Dr. Nash, flashes of scenes from her former life—and rereading past entries, relearning the facts of her life as retold by the husband she is completely dependent upon. As the entries build up, Christine asks many questions. What was life like before the accident? Why did she and Ben never have a child? What has happened to Christine’s best friend? And what exactly was the horrific accident that caused such a profound loss of memory?

Every day, Christine must begin again the reconstruction of her past. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more un- believable it seems.”

Now, I have to be honest… I picked up this book for 1 reason and 1 reason only.  This quote:

Back in the “bad ol days” when I had a “day job” I had the misfortune pleasure of working with a nymphomaniac. Now, I am by no means one to judge (*cough*) but her lifestyle was…well, lets just say it left very little to the imagination. While normal (or at least “normal” by HR’s standards) office mates talk about their children or whatever new dive bomb trend diet they are currently on,  Madame X (which is what we are going to call her because she’s the type of person who would set my house on fire for this) used to talk about her trials (aka hook-ups) in online dating.

At first, (I have to be honest) I was pretty shocked. It’s not everyday that you are told (in great detail) about the “guy with the iguana on his profile” (iguana is code… I’ll  let you figure that one out) and how after a long night of bar* hopping (bed*) she snuck into Captain Underpants’ bathroom and dunked his toothbrush into the toilet a few times (because he lied about his height…duh) But the longer I was forced allowed to “bunk” with her, the more entertained I found myself, and eventually I became utterly enthralled by the crazy unique world of online dating.

So, (I have a point.. I’m not just rambling. Ok…I’m rambling a little) when Lisa Becker shot me an email and asked me to take a peek at her novel “Click: An Online Love Story” I just couldn’t refuse. (We’ll just call it a stay a home moms grievous attempt at entertainment.)

“Fast approaching her 30th birthday and finding herself not married, not dating, and without even a prospect or a house full of cats, Renee Greene, the heroine of Click: An Online Love Story, reluctantly joins her best guy pal on a journey to find love online in Los Angeles. The story unfolds through a series of emails between Renee and her best friends (anal-compulsive Mark, the overly-judgmental Ashley and the over-sexed Shelley) as well as the gentlemen suitors she meets online. From the guy who starts every story with “My buddies and I were out drinking one night,” to the egotistical “B” celebrity looking for someone to stroke his ego, Renee endures her share of hilarious and heinous cyber dates. Fraught with BCC’s, FWD’s and inadvertent Reply to All’s, readers will root for Renee to “click” with the right man.”

Now there are some brilliant things about this book and there are some disastrous things.  And since I like to go straight for the jugular (wow, that sounds harsh) I’ve decided to talk about the bad first.

In theory… a book written entirely in email format is fascinating, interesting and NEW! In reality, it’s a tad confusing.  While the book as a whole (plot wise) isn’t difficult to grasp, (think beach read easy) the layout and speed in which it was written was. Confusing.

There are 4 main characters in this book. Renee, Mark, Shelley and Ashley (this is important…so pay attention.) And the book revolves entirely around these 4 characters.  But instead of character development in the “traditional” sense… (monologues, back history, internal dialogue) we learn about these (slightly neurotic) people through a series of fast paced (sometimes obtuse) emails.

For example:

From: Renee Greene  – February 24, 2011 – 11:52 AM

To: Shelley Manning

Subject: Re: Fwd: Looking for Love?

You don’t think that’s rude?  You know how I hate to be rude.  And remember what nonsense ensued the last time I ignored an email?

From: Shelley Manning  – February 24, 2011  -  11:54 AM

To Renee Greene

Subject:  Re: Fwd: Looking for Love?

Yes, Miss Manners.  I know how you are.  And yes, I remember the psycho.  But seriously, in this case, I think it’s much nicer to ignore it than tell him he’s a 35-year-old freak of nature.

After a while there are so many Re:’s Fwd:’s and CC:’s that if you’re not paying very close attention you’ll get lost. Especially when a brand new email pops up and makes reference to something that was never even mentioned in a previous email, (like say…they talked about it at lunch, but we weren’t privy to it because…they didn’t eat lunch over the internet.)

Becker’s choice to write in this format also limited the readers ability to connect (emotionally) to any of the characters, most importantly  Renee…who is supposed to be the “lead” and in search of love.  Without the “guts” (the filler that takes up about 50% of most novels) the entire novel read more as water cooler fodder than an actual book.

Now, all of that being said,  there are some diamond in the rough moments that I couldn’t help but love.  The most noteworthy being Shelley and her need to name her sexual conquest.

“Thankfully, it was an attractive, musky, manly scent that protruded from his highly-active pores.  From now on, he will be know as Fire Hose.”

It was these glimmery moments of humor that I was hoping for when I decided to read this book to begin with.

Also, after 2 very intense books in a row (“The Storyteller” and “Smoke Screen”) it was kind of nice just to kick back and not think so hard. There was a story, it was predictable, kitchy and read a lot like an episode of “Sex in the City” but still, it was fun.

So what is my final conclusion, (since I was kind of all of over the place in this review) It was cute.  Not great, and by no means the “next great American novel” but sometimes it is what it is. FLUFF.

If you aren’t one for deep meaningful reads and just feel like taking a load off, this one might be a good choice for you.  Everyone else… I choose the “meh” button.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Peer pressure is evil, and so am I.

Click image for additional details.

***~~ (3/5)

Wanna take a crack at it too? How about trying to WIN a copy!!??  Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below and GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Once upon a time there lived a girl, in a tiny town, with nothing to do. So to pass the time she read.  She read, and she read, and she read…so much, in fact, that one day she threw down her book and declared that she had “finally read it all!”

“That can’t possibly be true,” her closest friend said. “There are so many books, and so little time, there is no way you have read it all.”

“Oh, but I have!” the girl proclaimed, “and I’ll prove it!”

“How?” asked her friend. “How will you manage such an un-accomplishable feat… proving that you have read it all?”

“Easy,” said the girl, twisting in her chair to face her friend. “Hand me my Kindle…I promise, that within the first 15 pages of whichever book you choose, I can tell you exactly what will happen.”

“Deal” said her friend, a smirk forming where a smile should have been. She took the girl’s Kindle and flipped vigorously through the titles, and then she saw it, the down turned face of a beautiful girl bathed in purple light.  This was the book that would change the girl’s mind.  She just knew it.  So she handed the girl back her Kindle and left the room. Five hours later she returned to find her friend clutching the Kindle to her chest. Her breathing quickened and her eyes wide.

“You are right.” said the girl…”I have NOT read it all, for this book I hold in my hands is new,  it is exciting, and it makes want for more.”  She then handed the Kindle to her friend and insisted that she read along.

“Welcome to the magical world of Intangible” the girl said, “It’s unlike anything you have ever read.”

“Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift.

Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it.”

Well, now that I have lulled you to sleep, with tales of pathetic ‘ol me, how about we talk about the book?

I used to expect the unexpected, I thrived on it actually, (like some girls thrive on chocolate) but about a year ago…the unexpected became much harder to achieve, especially in a genre like “paranormal.”  I know I have said this roughly 2 million times, so 1 more time shouldn’t hurt, but this is a very tough genre to make your mark in these days.  Unless you have an original plot and very strong characters you can pretty much count yourself out.  It’s a been there done that world.  So when I run across a book like “Intangible” by J. Meyers my toes get a little tingly and I feel this overwhelming need to share my feelings with the world. Why? Because books like these are the exception, not the rule.

Obviously…by this point you know that I enjoyed the book.  But what you don’t know, is why.

Now, I could go on for days about it’s exciting plot or action packed paranormal filled paradoxes but I won’t.  Because though all of those things are good, (or great, if I’m being honest) and they ultimately kept my fingers on hyper-drive, they were not what sucked me in, instead it was the characters that had me up until midnight reading.

For a debut author Meyers is amazingly talented at character development.  “Intangible” which in my head will forever be referred to as “Entangled” boasted approximately 700 types of paranormals (ok, I’m exaggerating, it’s more like 7) and (much to my surprise and delight) they each had their own voice, from the cranky to the overly cautious, and even though their dialogues were chopped up into many different perspectives, (think Christmas dinner with your 12 ADD 9 year old cousins) their depth was never lost.  As a matter of fact… their actions, (in the more “epic” of moments) only added fuel to their perfectly molded personalities, making this book a paranormal force to be reckoned with.

So what does this mean for you? Well, in short it means to cough up the $4.99 for the book. But if you are in need of something more specific I’ll go on record as saying this is one rock star start to a very promising series!

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: lonely-ville is a very tough place to reside, everyone needs someone…so pay very close attention to how you treat those around you.

Click image for complete details

****½ (4.5/5)

Want to learn a little about Sera and Luke before you read “Intangible?” No problem… J. Meyers is offering up her short story “Intuition” for free.  Get to know the siblings before their futures get a little twisted.

Intuition: A Bonus Intangible Short Story

Luke and his twin sister Sera have unusual abilities. Hers is a gift—she can heal with a touch of her hand. His is a curse—he can see the future but he can’t do anything about it.

On a hike up the mountain, Luke has a vision unlike any other—one that leaves him terrified. Knowing that it will come true—and that he must do everything in his power to stop it—leaves his own future uncertain.

Click image to download!

“The pleasure we feel in criticizing robs us from being moved by very beautiful things.”

He is right.

As a reviewer I sometime feel it is my duty to look past what is good in a book;  to point out it’s flaws;  to shine a light on the things that may irritate you or turn you away from a novel rather than pull you in. And… on any other day, with any other book…this might still be the case.  But every once in a while, when the air is thick, and the book in your hands makes it difficult to breathe, the flaws are no longer important.

Sometimes words aren’t enough, because how do you tell someone that a book broke your heart?  That a piece of your soul was lost today, trapped between hundreds on sheets of paper, and put on a shelf to turn to dust.  You can’t.  You can only talk of its beauty and leave the criticizing behind.

“Anna and Abel couldn’t be more different. They are both seventeen and in their last year of school, but while Anna lives in a nice old town house and comes from a well-to-do family, Abel, the school drug dealer, lives in a big, prison like tower block at the edge of town. Anna is afraid of him until she realizes that he is caring for his six-year-old sister on his own. Fascinated, Anna follows the two and listens as Abel tells little Micha the story of a tiny queen assailed by dark forces. It’s a beautiful fairy tale that Anna comes to see has a basis in reality. Abel is in real danger of losing Micha to their abusive father and to his own inability to make ends meet. Anna gradually falls in love with Abel, but when his “enemies” begin to turn up dead, she fears she has fallen for a murderer. Has she?”

“The Storyteller” by Antonia Michaelis is unlike anything you have ever read.  It is not particularly happy, (German literature rarely is) it reeks of desperation, and it reads more like a journey than the mystery it’s touted to be.  But it’s short comings and questionable moral standings do not hinder this story like they would for so many others, instead…they are what makes it brilliant.

Imagine if you will, loving someone so much…that it is physically impossible for you to utter the words that would change your life.  That you’ve known nothing but hate, betrayal, and sacrifice for so long, that a piece of you…the “best piece” is irrevocably damaged.  Imagine, that the only way to express your true feelings is through made up words.  A fary-tale, told to a 6-year old girl who, against all odds believes in the magic of hope.

This is the what “The Storyteller” is all about.  A boy made of glass.  A girl who tries to shine it, and a little queen who despite the cold, has zero problem seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

But…what makes it so special?  The writing.  Instead of READING the story, we are TOLD the story…as if we are children, snuggled in our beds, drifting along with the cadence of our loved one’s voice.

Listen:

“The island,” Able said, “is made of nothing but rocks.  Or should I say, it was?  The island was made of nothing but rocks.  It was the tiniest island anyone can imagine, and it lay far, far out at sea.  On the island, there lived a single person, a very small person – and because her favorite place was the cliffs, the very top of the cliffs, where she could look out over the sea – because of that, they called her the cliff queen.”

There is a primary plot…I assure you, it’s what brought me to my knees, but they heart of the book is in the fairy-tale Able creates, weaving his sorrows and his fears into the actions of a few rogue characters.

“The Lighthouse keeper helped the rose girl aboard.  The little queen helped Mrs. Margaret, who was a little vain and had donned a rose petal for a hat.  But all of a sudden, the silver-gray dog was standing on the pier barking.  He jumped over the green railing of the ship, bared his teeth, and ripped the branches from the rose girl’s arm, and the roses covering that arm withered instantly.  ‘What are you doing?’ the little girl shouted angrily. ‘She has just saved me!’”

It’s not necessary for Michaelis’ characters to say they are sorry out loud, because they actively live it in their heads, and that my friends is what literature is all about.

So if you have never FELT a book, been moved to tears or wondered why you adore someone who, by any other standard you should hate, read this book.  It is sure to leave a mark, even if it’s one of disgust.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember:

“These are scars of pity.  I had to do something afterward.  Something I’d feel…maybe not even out of pity but more for me, so I’d know I still exist in spite of everything…ridiculous, isn’t it?”

***** (5/5)

Click image for additional details

Note: Though this is said to be YA, I strongly discourage anyone under the age of 18 from reading it.  It is brillant, but it is harsh.  Be young as long as you can.

Book Trailer

What would you do?

Would you..

A: Curl up into the fetal position and pretend it’s all just a bad dream?

B: Blame your eventual demise on the government? or

C: Do something about it?

The answer for Kira, the lead character in “Partials” by Dan Wells is C.  Do something about it.

“The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

“Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what’s left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she’s not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them—connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.”

Now, in order to appreciate this book you must first understand a few things.  #1 it is a dystopian novel, but unlike the relatively fluffy ones that we enjoy (you know…the ones weighted down by forbidden love and teenage angst in a world gone mad) Partials is a “hard-core” dystopian.

What’s the difference?

Well… for starters, the plot is NOT about finding that special someone in the middle of the night whose duty is to hold your hand and tell you everything is ok; it’s about survival at it’s most basic of levels.  While there is technology, it is either your enemy, or you can’t use it for lack of power.  There is a government, but their moral compasses are…questionable, and though the world is wide enough to afford you freedom, you are not allowed freedom.

I’m not insinuating that there aren’t character connections, because there are, (in the most unlikely of places in fact) but they are vastly different from the books that are currently out there, which…is actually rather refreshing if you ask me.

The 2nd, and probably the most important factor to under before you dive into this 480 page adventure is that it is VERY detailed.  Now, while this doesn’t bother me, (I’m used to forensic anthropology novels that spend 80 pages establishing the live cycle of a maggot) it may drive some of you crazy.  Why? because it is science related.  Think of it as reading the manual to your microwave over and over and over.  Some of you might actually find it beneficial to skim (*gasp* yes… I said skim) these parts in order to reconnect with the plot.  Me? I’m not a skimmer, but I can see where several people might be tempted to put down the book and walk away when Wells starts to go on his robot rants if they don’t.

So, what did I think overall?

Well, despite the occasional meandering into clever-clever land, I actually really enjoyed it.  It was original, well thought out and had several sub-plots that helped establish the conditions of their post-war/virus lives.  While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it is definitely a winner for those of you that enjoy the battle of life, and as an added bonus…the ending was spot on, all the way down to it’s book #2 setup.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: it’s not about HOW far you will go, but WHY you are willing to.

***½~ (3.5/5)

Book Trailer

“Knockers is about a young woman, Molly, who, through a surgical error receives unwanted breast implants. Furious, she schedules surgery to have them removed, only to find out that the implants begin talking to her. The implants, Max and Louise, give her great advice about her burgeoning love life although they rarely agree and are both highly opinionated and belligerent.  Through Max and Louise, Molly learns to trust her own instincts and falls for the most unlikely of men. “

That’s right ladies and gentleman….Talking Boobs!!! Now, before you get all high and mighty on me and think I’ve completly lost my marbles for loving this book, let me explain to you why it was so freaking brilliant that I stayed up until 3am reading (and pointing and laughing) at it.

Who here has seen the movie “What’s Your Number?” (which is actually based on the book “20 Times a Lady” by Karyn Boznak…just FYI) If you have, you know the beauty of well placed humor. The chances of 2 relatively hot people shedding their skivvies and jumping into the Hudson River at midnight are slim to none, (no one wants to chance bacteria in the lady bits) but “reality” isn’t what matters in these scenarios…it’s the feeling the “made-up” experience provides you.  Oaksmith adapted the same concept (delusional reality) and created an entire world around it.

Here is the thing, Molly (the lead) has some seriously deep-seeded issues, that (like most women) she keeps stuffed in her denial drawer.  It’s not until a pretty funny (ok, maybe not so funny for her) accident at the plastic surgeon’s office, that these issues come to life.  Literally. In the form of 2 talking breast implants.

I’ll admit, at first I was a little concerned that this book had jumped the shark, but the more I read the more it made sense.  Molly needed help, and what better way to give it to her than to make her a tad insane.  Her boobs (Max and Louise) added an outlet for Oaksmith to express Molly’s inner anxiety without wasting valuable space on monologues, and in taking the risk of the unconventional…she was able to create two very interesting and often funny characters without having to give them a past or even a future.

Like every good romantic comedy there are gobs of misunderstandings, lots of clumsiness and huge bouts of uneasiness,  but lets be honest…those are the characteristics that drive stories like these, and as if that wasn’t enough, they characters were damn near perfect, in a very “we-are-a-screwed-up-bunch-wackos” way.

The only problem I had with this book, (and I’ve actually ganked an entire star away from it’s rating because of it) is the horrible editing.  While the plot is fantastic, there are parts were I had to stop and re-read a sentence to understand what was trying to be said.  For example:

“Instead I forced myself to I call Dr. Hupta’s office from the kitchen.”

These are easy to bump over, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be fixed.  Immediately.

Despite the oopsies… it was a hilarious book that anyone in need of a good belly laugh would be wise to read.  I’m certainly glad that I did.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: always bring a STABLE friend with you to the hospital…

****~ (4/5)

Anyways…I was not a big fan of this book, I actually think I rated it a 1, (I’d have to go back and look) but that’s beside the point, the point is that the concept was not the problem.  The execution was.  Why? Because it never went anywhere.  The entire book felt one long unmitigated journey to no man’s land.  Other than Alex trying to find out what the hell happened to him, (which yes… I admit did have it’s moments, why wouldn’t it) there was nothing to the story. Zip. Zilch. Nada.  Think of it as waiting, for 274 pages, for a shoe to drop that eventually you realize… was on your foot the whole damn time.  It was exhausting.

So what does this have to do with Harry Krebs’ novel “Fractured Persona?”  Everything.  “Fractured Persona” is “Flip” written correctly. (Ok…it’s a bit of a “grown-up” version, but it’s the same general story. I’ll stop talking now.)

“Richard Fornek is shocked to discover he has acquired not only a different identity, but also a new body after recovering from a coma in a North Carolina hospital. Although he recalls every detail of his life as Richard Fornek—his job back on the West Coast as a structural engineer, and his stormy thirteen-year marriage to Karen—his appearance is that of local warehouse worker Dan Curtis. Traumatized, he insists that he’s Richard Fornek, but when faced with the prospect of incarceration in a psychiatric hospital, has no choice but to live as Curtis; including accepting his marriage to Curtis’s spunky wife, Elizabeth. Before long, Fornek finds himself beginning to fall for Elizabeth, but the accusation of the murder of Curtis’s former lover throws a wrench in the blossoming relationship. Fighting to prove his innocence, he attempts to plead his case to his only confidante, a Baptist minister. If all fails, he will be faced with the death penalty and losing the woman he has grown to love. Steeped in mystery, suspense, and a touch of humor, Fractured Persona by Harry James Krebs is guaranteed to keep readers guessing from the first page to the last.”

“Hey Misty….What made “Fractured Persona” so different?” Well, in the most ridiculous of terms (cause duh…that’s what usually pops into my head) it had gumption. Not only did Krebs write a story that is sure to draw anyone in from the very first sentence.

“I wasn’t sure how long I was conscious before I became aware of my surroundings.  It could have been minutes, but it could have also been several hours.  I slowly lifted my head to inspect the setting around me.  The medical facility decor was unmistakable, with it’s cinder-block walls painted with cream-colored glass paint for ease of cleaning.  The air in the room was filled with the usual antiseptic smell mixed a hint of urine.  I hoped it wasn’t mine.”

But he managed to write a story that is not only intriguing on a “mental” level but an emotional one as well.

What do I mean? Well… first of all, it’s kind of hard not to focus on the fact that Richard/Dan hasn’t the faintest idea of who he is, where he is, or why he is there, but that’s not what makes the story.  What makes the story is what happens to him WHILE he’s trying to figure all of this out.

Stop. I know what you are thinking. “Duh Misty….we know that “what happens to him WHILE he’s trying to figure all of this out” is what the story it about.  It’s kind of obvious!!!”  But hear me out, cause I assure you, that’s not what I’m thinking.

Richard is a bit of a disaster, but underneath all of the moaning and groaning about his less than perfect life, he’s a good guy.  Dan (the man’s body that Richard decides to go all body snatchers on) isn’t a good guy.  As a matter fact he is probably one of the worst “Body snatching” options on the planet.  He is a drunk.  He is an ass. He is a cheat, and even more impressively disgusting…he is the prime suspect in murder investigation.

Overcoming THESE obstacle, not his missing body, is what drives the plot in this book. (This is the “kicker” that was missing from “Flip.”)

If I’m being completely honest, I was rather impressed by Krebs’ ability to make me both adore and want to strangle the lead character.  While we (meaning the readers) know that Richard is Richard, not Dan.  It’s hard not to want to lash out at him for all of the shitty things he has done to those around him.  For that, and that fact alone… I pat Krebs on the back.  It’s a pretty impressive feat to accomplish in 312 (or so) pages.

My only complaint? There was never a definitive resolution to the whole “Hey…this isn’t my body!” situation, but… I guess, you can’t win them all.

All in all… a pretty interesting book.

If you like a good mystery and thrive on the unknown, this one might be a good gamble for you.  If nothing else, the ending shocked the socks off of me and that is a pretty hard thing to do these day.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: deny deny deny!

****~ (4/5)

Anyways, I am a super huge goober fan of Heather’s and have been for a while now, (especially since she named a character after me!) so when she emailed me over the holidays and practically begged, (ok…maybe it wasn’t quite that dramatic) to read her next novel “Blank Slate Kate” I couldn’t refuse.

Here is the thing, Heather is fantastic with emotional dynamics, she has on several occasions, (Planning to Live, Go Small or Go Home, Seven Exes are Eight too Many) made me cry like a teenage girl who realizes her Gucci is fake, and when I’m not making a total ass out of myself, I’m laughing at her rather refreshing takes on life, (“I follow a link to Twitter and am soon drowning in endless updates like “Boyfriend farted this morning. Ew.” and “At Starbucks to work. Go me!”.  Everyone’s talking, constantly, but nobody’s saying anything that matters.”)  So when I realized that “Blank Slate Kate” was about a woman who wakes up thinking she’s a hot 16 year-old blonde girl only to find out she’s a 30 year old tattooed brunette, I couldn’t wait to get started.

First…they synopsis:

Waking up with a strange man is scary. Realizing you lost fifteen years of your life overnight? That’s terrifying. With her memories from seventeen to thirty-two gone, Kate has no idea who she is and where she belongs. As she begins to fall for the man who found her, she wonders if she forgot those years for a reason. Should she keep trying to retrieve her original self, or start a new life?

Now, as much as I love Heather, (and her work…obviously) this was not her finest hour.  While the book was entertaining, and even laugh out loud funny in parts…it lacked the draw I usually feel when reading her work.  Was it poor character planning? Maybe…there is one character in particular (Jake) whose attitude was very mono-directional only to be chopped in half and scattered about like buck shot, (dear God… I did NOT just make a gun reference) about half way in, BUT… even this couldn’t REALLY be the problem, it wasn’t THAT bad.  Maybe… it’s that Heather’s writing almost solely depends on her ability to capture her audience with emotion and that’s hard to do when your main character doesn’t know how to feel herself.  Who knows… the fact remains, that regardless of the pleasantness of this read, (and yes…it was a fun, quick, pleasant read) I wasn’t attached, (emotionally) they way I should have been to Kate/Donna and her battle for self-recognition. (*tear*)

All that aside, the story, (premise) itself was undeniably fantastic.  There was Heather’s ever present “love” aspect, but at the same time there was intrigue, (in the form of a mysterious iPhone app) gobs and gobs of heartache, (bound to happen when you are basically clueless) and enough wit to fill a garbage bag.

So, was I disappointed enough to steer you in the opposite direction? No…like I said, it was a pretty cute, interesting read. And though it wasn’t her BEST effort, (according to me) there’s no denying that it was still a good one.  If you like romances, this is definitely one you will enjoy so go ahead and snatch it up.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: What’s in a name…a rose by any other, oh forget it, we all know that’s bullshit.  Cheers!

Click image for complete details.

***½~ (3.5/5)

And… after hours of agony and approximately 750 gummy bears I’ve come to realize that it’s not gonna happen.

So…in the interest of saving most of you time, and me the fitful anticipation of getting this off my chest, I’ve decided to just throw this out there, and then move on…to that whole “rational” thing I was talking about a second ago.

Here goes nothing.  “Go Team Tristan!!!!”

Alright, now that I have proven to all of you that I’m A: obviously a fan of the dark side (see the synopsis) and B:  A 15 year old girl with a horrible acne that locks herself in the closet instead of going out in public… we can move on; to the synopsis.

“Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and unable to remember anything. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery…until she met a boy with a familiar voice.

Gabriel Archer has a voice from her past, and Scarlet’s determined to remember why. She immerses herself in his life only to discover he has a brother he’s kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer.

Upon meeting Tristan, Scarlet’s world becomes even more muddled. While she’s instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she’s impossibly drawn to Tristan–and confused out of her mind. As she tries to piece together her history Scarlet realizes her past…might just be the death of her.”

Now, how about we learn a few things about this stunning book.

#1 It’s original.  That’s right people… I said Original, with a capital ‘O’ *gasp*

This is probably THE thing I harp on the most when it comes to anything paranormal, so the fact that I didn’t have to berate my good friend Chelsea about it being just another wolf if sheep’s clothing was (to say the least) a relief.

Now… just because it’s original (*throws confetti*) doesn’t mean it didn’t have it’s flaws; the most important being that it had a very slow start.  Maybe I’m just used to Chelsea’s quick style of writing (see Sophie & Carter) maybe… I think that Chelsea is better than she allowed herself to be (relationship wise) in the beginning of the book.  But I was literally (no..seriously, I marked it) at page 120 when I finally felt drawn in.  Up until that point I was just really annoyed by the 7 hundred million mentions of hanging stars and (cue evil music) Tristan’s need to be a total jackhole.  But man… I tell you what, once I hit page 120, it would have taken 3 cheesecakes and a side order of Sam Worthington to pull me out of that book.

“Hey Misty…what did you like best about this book?”

Well, other than the love triangle, which…let’s all be honest with ourselves, we knew it was coming.  I loved Chelsea’s choice in narration.

“Anew” is, (for all intents and purposes,) a partitioned book.  No, it is not divided into “parts” but the narration is not singular either.  It is multi-narration, which allowed me (or you…if you follow my advice) to be drawn in from 3 VERY DIFFERENT angles.  The helpless, the hungry and the brooding, (I’ll let you guess which one is which)  Following Scarlet, Gabriel and Tristan’s journeys separately only acted as a catalyst in Chelsea’s crafty mind games, and in the end…made the plot much more exciting than it would have been one sided.

I will admit… there were a few parts that were predictable (maybe I’m just hard to fool anymore, who knows) and as a follower of mine (Farin) pointed out… it was a little surprising that it took the other characters (mainly Scarlet and Gabriel) so long to piece things together, but hey…it is what it is.

Overall… I enjoyed it.  I was furious with Chelsea and the way she ended it (regardless of how smartly plotted it was) but it was well worth the first 120 pages to discover a whole new world of opportunities that may or may not spring up in the cursed lives of the Archers.

My advice…if you love ANY type of YA, Paranormal or even just romance; get this book.  Hell, it’s only $2.99…if you are like me, you spend more than that on coffee every day.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: if he’s hot…it’s ok to follow him into his basement of doom.  Ok, not really, but you get what I’m saying.

Click image for additional details

****~ (4/5)

Book Trailer

Hey guess what!!! I’m not done.

The lovely Ms. Chelsea shipped me a signed copy of “Anew” to giveaway to one of you lucky lucky readers, so… just hop on down to the Rafflecopter sign-ups and get busy!

The Giveaway!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

But first… a word from Fox’s sponsor:

“For Willa Jacobs, seeing her best friend, Jane Weston, is like looking in a mirror on a really good day. Strangers assume they are sisters, a comparison Willa secretly enjoys. They share an apartment, clothing, and groceries, eking out rent with part-time jobs. Willa writes advertising copy, dreaming up inspirational messages for tea bags (“The path to enlightenment is steep” and “Oolong! Farewell!”), while Jane cleans houses and writes poetry about it, rhyming “dust” with “lust,” and “clog of hair” with “fog of despair.” Together Willa and Jane are a fortress of private jokes and shared opinions, with a friendship so close there’s hardly room for anyone else. But when Ben, Willa’s oldest friend, reappears and falls in love with Jane, Willa wonders: Can she let her two best friends find happiness with each other if it means leaving her behind?”

Alright…alright, I will admit that I was (unconsciously I assure you) drawn in by the prologue of this novel (there is a bit of a battle royal staged at a bank) and… against ALL of my better judgement I just HAD TO KNOW what in Hemingway’s holy name happened, so I read on. But it wasn’t all that far into the read (though it’s a quick one) that I realized that I had committed to something less than spectacular.

Like I said above, as with every other chick-lit I have read (I beg of you…someone please prove me wrong) the beginning of the novel was the best part, but around the 60 page mark or so.. I started to find Fox’s sarcastic slams and pun-tastic play on words down right annoying.

Now, before you start scolding me, because I too am ingrained with the “say sarcastic shit” button, I have nothing but respect for those who know when to shut it off, especially when it comes to writing…a somewhat serious book.  That’s not to say I didn’t chuckle like a lunatic (and perhaps take notes) in the beginning of this book, I’m just saying that a break now and then (like say…for instance: during sex scenes) would have been nice.

So, what about the characters?

Well, Willa was mildly entertaining when she wasn’t destroying herself, Jane was nice…when she wasn’t being a control freak, and Ben was… well… pathetic. No, actually, change that to gutless, (which also goes for Willa.)

And, if that wasn’t enough to warn you off of this mildly amusing, yet incredibly predictable read.  Let’s talk about the ending.

IT SUCKED!

I’m talking grade-A, top of the class, “what the hell….is that it?” type of ending.

In 3 words… it just stopped.  Everything was a mess, Willa was rambling about something that may or may not have been construed as meaningful and the next thing I know, *POOF* it’s over.  Which left me a little annoyed that I had even read the book in the first place.

All in all… not that awesome, unless you need material for a girl on girl smack-down.

Don’t waste your money people, spend it on something you won’t want to drive a wooden stake through.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Fool me once, shame on me.  Fool me 26 times… I deserve to be punished.

Click image for additional details

**½~~ (2.5/5) <—I’ll give it an extra 1/2 of a star for the few times coffee came out of my nose.

The time in which I bore you to death with my over-analytical mind and unabashed love for treks through the woods. That’s right… it’s a fantasy novel!!!! *does a somewhat retarded looking leg kick*

It has been a while since I read a good “you destroyed my family now I must take vengeance on you” novel and since Daniel (you might as well get used to that… there’s no way in hell I’m calling him Mr. Arenson) pretty much guaranteed me his soul (and a working right arm) to review “Blood of Requiem,” I had to agree. (You have no idea… I really need that right arm.)

Anywho.. before I go on a some ridiculous rant (which you will most likely skim than read) let me share with you what this book, (with the breathtaking cover) is all about.

“Long ago stood the kingdom of Requiem, a land of men who could grow wings and scales, breathe fire, and take flight as dragons. Requiem ruled the sky.

But Dies Irae, a tyrant leading an army of griffins, hunted Requiem’s people, burned their forests, and shattered their temples. Requiem fell. This ancient land now lies in ruin, its halls crumbled, its cries silenced, its skeletons littering the burned earth.

In the wilderness, a scattering of survivors lives in hiding. The griffins still hunt them, and every day promises death. Will Requiem’s last children perish in exile… or once more become dragons and fly to war?”

Fantasy novels are epic…heart-wrenching, and ultimately designed to test the wills of all involved.  This is what makes them so engaging, and also one of the more difficult genre’s to write. To be honest,  there is rarely (if any) “actual” history involved when piecing these stories together, and 99% of the time the worlds created are exclusively unique, eliminating the need for extensive research, BUT maintaining a certain level of drama while at the same time “building” a world can be daunting, and if an author lacks experience, (or a significant amount of coffee,) their writing can sometimes appear stunted.

Why does this matter…?

Well… we are well aware by now that Daniel is a very talented fantasy author, (at least according to me) and has plenty of experience, but that doesn’t mean that every once in a blue moon his writing doesn’t lack the “golden shimmer of greatness.” What it does mean however, (deep breath) is that Daniel knows how to recover.

For example, below I have offered you two passages; from two very different times in the book.  In the first, Daniel seems a little off balance, like he really wants to make the passage shine, but he isn’t quite sure how, instead it reads as an average descriptive paragraph for an average everyday book.  In the second passage however (which comes at about the 60% mark) you can see that he finally found his footing, and created an awe worthy, visually captivating paragraph that makes his story come to life. This (naturally) is the point in the book where I finally connected. *ding – light bulb*

-Towards to Beginning: “Forget Gloriae for now, he told himself. Benedictus needs me. Kyrie shot between clouds, zooming, tumbling, somersaulting.  He flew with eyes narrowed, flew like never before, dazzling the griffins, spinning so fast, they barely knew where to follow.  As he flew, he roared in pain and pride, for his king had returned.”

-Slightly past the mid-way point: “The blaze hit the griffin, pushing it back.  It tumbled a few feet, then again flew at Benedictus.  It looked like some roasted animal now, smoking and furless, its skin red and black and blistering.  The beak was open and screeching, the rider writhing and screaming, a ball of fire and blood.  Benedictus howled and lashed his tail, driving its spikes into the griffin, and finally it tumbled toward the ground.  It fell like a comet, still screeching, until it hit the ground and was silent.”

And since we are on the topic of disjointedness.. the dialogue also felt a tad flat in the forefront of the book (very un-Daniel like I might add) but again, he made a startling comeback once his characters were fully feted out and took on a life of their own.

Anyways, on to what I loved about “Blood of Requiem” (partially because I want you to understand that this was a solid start to a promising series, and partially because I think Daniel may have a gun to his head right now.) The dragons. *roars into the air like a moron*

I LOVE dragons, and this is one area where Daniel did NOT let me down.  Their descriptions were breathtaking, their actions intoxicating, and though they huffed and puffed (literally) at each-other when irritated, this only endeared me to them more.  Most dragons are written from the “callous” angle, or at the very least… one that makes them appear gruff and unmoved, but Benedictus and his family of shimmery beast were not.  Instead Daniel brought their weakness to light, highlighting their prideful stubbornness but also their damaged souls.  In short… he kept them human, making their flaws beautiful instead of shameful.

As for the rest of the characters, (Dies Irae and Glorea specifically) I hated them.  Not from  a writing aspect mind you, but full fledged hatred that one might have against…say…their neighbor who throws grass seed in their flower beds. Which… only goes to show how far a few well written tirades can go.

So, what is my overall verdict? Well.. to be honest, this was not my favorite book of Daniel’s, BUT it has outstanding promise, AND… luckily for you (since I’m soooo freaking behind on reviews right now) the next 2 books are already out, so there is no waiting to see what happens next.

If you like fantasy, take a chance.  If you are more the “we’re going to the chapel…” type, this may not be the best book for you.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Anger is like fuel… one little spark and shit will hit the fan.

Click image for complete details

***½~ (3.5/5)

“I’m so pissed I could punch a bunny right now.”

I know, I know… it’s not exactly the most “animal friendly” of sayings and I’m sure that once this review goes live I’m going to get email bombed by PETA, but hey…it’s my saying, and I like it.

See…it encompasses a vast variety of uses.  Have a bad day at work? The “man” got ya down? Maybe you found a book that really annoys the crap out of you and you have no idea how to explain how much you wanted to chunk it across a room. This phrase says it all!

You LIKE bunnies right? You think (that despite their alarming need to replicate) they are furry, and cute and make your kids happy on Easter…right? So what could be worse than wanting to punch one?

Oh yeah… a book that really annoys the crap out of you and you have no idea how to explain how much you wanted to chunk it across the room. (<– 2 points for wit!)

Alright, I’ll get to the point, but first (cue dramatic music) the synopsis.

“If a violent battle destroyed the only world you’ve ever known, would you be brave enough to save who was left? Would love be strong enough to survive the fight? Either way, there’s no turning back.

The Empyrean is the only home 15-year-old Waverly has ever known. Part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space, she and her boyfriend Kieran will be pioneers of New Earth. Waverly knows she must marry young in order to have children who can carry on the mission, and Kieran, the handsome captain-to-be, has everything Waverly could want in a husband. Everyone is sure he’s the best choice. Still, there’s a part of Waverly that wants more from life than marriage, and she is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

Suddenly, Waverly’s dreams are interrupted by the inconceivable – a violent betrayal by the Empyrean’s sister ship, the New Horizon. The New Horizon’s leaders are desperate to populate the new planet first, and will do anything to get what they need: young girls. In one pivotal moment, Waverly and Kieran are separated, and find themselves at the helm of dangerous missions, where every move has potentially devastating consequences, and decisions of the heart may lead to disaster.”

Dear Sci-Fi,

My how I’ve missed you.

Wait… your not sci-fi? You’re actually a religious driven rant sloppily disguised as a space shuttle take over with barren women and one very sloppy plot?

My bad.

Ok, that was a tad rude. I apologize, but I feel the need to stress just exactly what you are getting yourselves into if you do (despite me advice *wags finger*) decided to purchase this book.

Yes, there are a shit ton (hmm… I think I used that same phrase in the last review, I need new material) of Sci-fi related elements to this book.  They are on a spaceship, it’s kinda hard not to talk about artificial gravity, but despite it’s obvious outer-limits roots, this book is more of a angry woman turns her ship into a cult and decides to whack some people read.  Don’t get me wrong… I like a good whacking as much as the next person, but the way in which it was handled was… well, it wasn’t handled, let’s just leave it at that.

The characters (despite Waverly…she was a little annoying at first, but pulled through) were bland. This was the biggest problem of all.  The Empyrean (Waverly’s ride) was overthrown by an evil mongrel (who does not deserve a proper name) and thrust into an upheaval of epic proportions. And what did we get from the characters. “Blah” that’s what we got.  I hate to sound mean, but (other than Seth) I didn’t care what happened to them.  Take them away, let them float amongst the stars, throw them a party and take embarrassing pictures of their oddly shaped party hats? I DON’T CARE.  I don’t know about you, but if I don’t care about the characters, I won’t care about the book.

Now, back to the whole “religious driven rant” I mentioned above.  I am a christian.  I can appreciate religious literature, but since when did Sci-fi and the Mother Mary start running in the same circles?  That’s like saying Charles Darwin and Jesus Christ like to hang out on the weekend and throw back some cold ones. I was genuinely confused by it.  This book had a fantastic premise, hell… despite my better judgement I will probably read book 2 (only because this one ended in a cliffhanger) but half way through the plot became a spiderweb of “good religion” vs “bad religion” not the fight for their lives that it SHOULD have been.

And  lastly… because this review is already longer than the Declaration of Independence. The narration was less than desirable.  Under normal circumstances I welcome duel narration, but I firmly believe Glow would have benefited for 1 perspective.  Does that mean I didn’t get anything out of Keiran’s slightly vapid narration? No… he had his moments, and even started some rather interesting bisecting plot lines, but instead of the writing making me feel closer to the intended party, it only made me grit my teeth and hope Waverly’s voice would come back soon.

The only GOOD thing I can say about this book is that it is 100% original, I’ve never read anything like it.

So…where does this leave me? In short, disappointed.  I really wanted this to be good.  It has been sooooo long since I have read Sci-fi and I was practically salivating when I got it in the mail, but alas… that’s what I get for throwing all my hopes and dreams at it.

Pass on this one peeps… you will only find yourselves annoyed and wishing for more.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Sometimes you win some, sometimes you lose some, and sometimes you want to drown yourself in gummy bears and pretend you never even hear of it.

Click image for additional details

**~~~ (2/5)

Why?

Because originality is hard to find. (“You put an angel in, you take an angel out, throw in some stupid ass rule, and you shake it all about.”) In a time when every other book published is about a cute, (not necessarily human boy) who has a deep dark secret it is becoming increasingly difficult for anything really good to stand out.

Now, before you get all giddy like a monkey on crack, and assume that I’m going to jump off of a bridge for this novel… I am not referring to “Unbreakable Love.” (*sigh*) Let’s face it…it’s been a while since I’ve been 100% happy with a straight up, no holds bared para-romance, but I am very happy to announce, that this is the first time, (in quite some time,) that (despite it’s somewhat predictable plot sequencing) I was was not bored by what I read.

Hmm… that sounded much more down-trodden than I expected it to. Whatever… First, the synopsis (then I’ll explain myself.)

“Jennie Townsend is unlucky in love, so she is immediately suspicious when a mysterious new student named Nate tries to gain her friendship. But there is something special about Nate, and in spite of her best efforts Jennie finds her feelings for the boy growing deeper every day.

In fact, Nate is more special than Jennie can even imagine. He is a guardian angel, sent to protect Jennie during a most dangerous time in her life. To do so, he must first become close to her – but not too close. The rules for Protectors warn against physical contact and strictly forbid falling in love. But the more time Nate spends with Jennie, the harder the rules are to follow. Will Nate be able to save Jennie from a premature end, or will his own emotions – and Jennie’s – get in the way of completing the task for which he was specifically chosen?”

So… back to my “this isn’t the greatest love story of all time” sucker punch.  Let me be clear.  I did actually enjoy this book.  No, it was not very original.  Yes, I could predict what was going to happen about 15 pages before it actually did, but despite it’s flaws I carried this book around in my back pocket for an entire week, reading when I had a free moment.

Here is what I loved about “Unbreakable Love”

The characters (Nate in particular) seemed genuine. A little screwed up, and frustrating when it came to communication, but genuine all the same, WHICH allowed me to dive into their lives on a more emotional level. (No crying mind you, just a bunch of “Awwws” and “WTH you idiot!” s) Carling did a wonderful job with her dialogue and even more…with the descriptions of body language (Hello!!! Forbidden touch remember!)  I have to be honest, I got a little angsty when Jennie and Nate got “too close.”

Now, though I won’t go as far as saying that I “loved” the plot, I will say that I “liked” it.  There were a few parts that glistened with originality and because of those moments, it allowed me to enjoy the flow of the book without making a shit ton of comparisons in my head.

However, with the good comes the bad. Luckily for Carling (P.S. this is her debut) they are rather insignificant details. (Ones that pleasure readers will not give a rats ass about, so if you want to skip this…feel free.)

First…I freaking HATE the huge blue blob on the front of this book.  No, really… I hate it.  The image used (though very unlike the characters descriptions in the book) is beautiful and evokes a sense of intimacy with the readers, then BAM! They disrupt the flow with a horrendous title bar in bold conflicting colors. *shudders* I know I shouldn’t care. I know that it’s what inside that really matters, but for the love of all that is holy… You know what, I can’t even finish that sentence.  I value my life, and I’m afraid God may strike my ass down if I keep going.

Second. The book should have stopped at page 211 not 214.  It’s not that the last 3 pages were horrible, but they should have been listed as an epilogue.  Instead (though relevant to the story) they detracted from the solidification Carling had worked so hard to create.

Overall it was an enjoyable book, and anyone who takes pleasure in reading paranormal romances won’t be disappointment.  I’m just a harder critic than most.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around, that’s what it’s all about. Hey!

***½~ (3.5/5) <–I totally ganked half a star for the cover. Just FYI

Who wants a FREE BOOK!!!!  Thanks to the lovely people at Acacia Publishing, I have a signed copy of this little ditty to give away.  Just fill out the form below and GOOD LUCK!

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

“Memorable characters, heart pounding action, and sizzling hot romance – TOUCH has it all!”   Jennifer L. Armentrout, Author of Half-Blood

“Raw and emotional; just like it’s heroine, TOUCH packs a mean right hook. Jus Accardo’s action-packed debut is sure to win her a legion of fans.”  Inara Scott, award-winning author of The Candidates and The Marked

Hard to ignore…right?

That’s not to say I didn’t have my reservations though.  Coming on the heals of another book (about a GIRL who can’t touch anyone – “Shatter Me“) I was a tad concerned that my natural need to compare and contrast their greatness would start this little ditty off in the Southern Hemisphere of zero. And while yes… I still firmly believe that “Shatter Me” is the better book, (overall) I think it would be an injustice to compare the two. Why? Because (yay for Accardo) they are VERY DIFFERENT BOOKS!

“How?” you ask… Well, first lets find out what the book is actually about, and then I will tell you why I loved it.

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

I know that I have told you this before, but my best friend is a raging conspiracy theorist, (a lunatic… I assure you,) but a conspiracy theorist all the same, so when I realized what it was that I was actually reading; I started bouncing. (yes… bouncing, don’t judge me!) Aside from the romance, the somewhat spectacular action sequences and the amazing dip into “originality lake” this book is about a girl whose life is absolutely NOTHING like what she was raised to believe it is. (God that was a mouth full.) And… once she (being Deznee) actually realizes it for herself…all hell breaks loose. (Wait…daddy…you are a WHAT?)

So why is the conspiracy theory aspect of this book so important? Well…other than the fact that it pretty much drives every kick-ass (and I mean that literally) moment of this book, it is what keeps you in touch (<–ha) with the characters themselves.

HUH?

Ok…let me explain that a little better (cause I suck.) Jus Accardo wrote a novel that challenges human nature’s ability to trust.  She thrust her characters into a VERY intricate web of lies, and then forces them to choose.  The choices they make (or don’t make) then act as a catalyst in developing their relationships with each other. In essence, the conspiracy controls the outcome. (*takes a bow for sounding smart*)  And since no conspiracy (geez I’ve said that world like 50 times now) is complete without a handful of misguided superheros and one very angsty girl with daddy issues, those are in there too.

So what about the actual plot? Well…if I tell you I’d have to kill you, but I assure you that it’s a fun ride with plenty of “ahhhs” stuck in for good measure.

There is 1 tiny problem I had with this novel though, and that is that it’s part of a new series, and God only knows I already have 70 of those going.  That said…the book did NOT end in a cliffhanger and (though I don’t recommend it) could be read as a single serving if you really don’t want to get too involved.  Me? I’ll be reading book 2, (cause I have zero self control…and I think Kale is hot. *sigh*)

So there you  have it…another “please don’t touch me” miracle that had me karate chopping my furniture because I’m a little insane and thought it would help.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Just because you CAN jump off of a roof, doesn’t always mean you SHOULD!

Click image for complete details

****~ (4/5)

“Why are you so hard on books?”

So here, once and for all… I’m going to throw all of my cards on the table and tell you why.

The world is FULL of books.  Books about love, loss, hell… even decapitation… if you can think it up, most likely there is someone out there that has already put it down.  The beauty of books comes in their distinction.

Indulge me just for a second and think of two books you have read that have similar plots and/or characters.  Now…which one did you like better? There IS a clear winner correct? There has to be a clear winner or no one would ever be able to decide what to read next.

My equation is simple.  If the book is good, if I didn’t really find anything wrong with it, (aka enjoyed it,) it gets a 4.  If it’s good and there were a few issues a 3 (which is what you see the most from me) BUT…if it moves me, makes me cry, cringe or even shudder from fear that is when a book gets a 5.

After so many books, thousands upon thousand of words… if I don’t want to let the book go at the end of the day, that’s when I know it’s “distinction” was better than everyone else’s.

“Angelfall” is my reason for 5′s.

It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

 

Now, before you write this book off thinking it “just another Angel book gone evil,” let me be very clear when I say it is not.  Yes, “Angelfall” has Angels, but they are only the shell of the story.  Redemption, Resurrection and Trust are what “Angelfall” is actually about. That said…post-apocalyptic reads are very quickly becoming one of my favorite genres to read.

Why?

Because they define human nature.  For example:

“The intersections are gridlocked with abandoned cars.  I’d never seen a gridlock in the valley before six weeks ago.  The drivers here were always as polite as can be.  But the thing that really convinces me that the apocalypse is here is the crunching of smartphones under my feet.  Nothing short of the end of the world would get our eco-conscious techies to toss their latest gadgets onto the street.  It’s practically sacrilegious, even if the gadgets are just dead weight now.”

Amazing…is it not? Six sentences.  It took just six sentences to sum up our existence as it currently stands.  Forget religion, forget our causes or our tabloid obsessive behaviors; no… it’s our devices that we will find ourselves clinging to when all else is lost.  It is THIS that Susan Ee portrays so brilliantly.  The realization that life is now one continuous string of coping mechanisms.

“I think about burying the body, but a cold part of my mind tells me that this is still the best deterrent I could have.  Any sane person who looks through the glass doors would run far, far away.  We now play a permanent game of I-am-crazier-and-scarier-than-you. And in that game, my mother is our secret weapon.”

As for the characters?  They are brilliant, and haunting, and in some moments… what nightmares are made of.  From the first page you are no longer a bystander in a world gone mad, instead you are the quivering hand helping to push them in their desolate journey.  You fall when they fall, you shake when they shake, you mourn when they mourn.

I must warn you however that this is not an overly pleasant read.  It is actually quite horrific (think blood and guts) in some parts and will take a person with a “strong constitution” to get through the central bulk of it.  But I assure you, if it were not for these descriptions, the final scenes would have lacked the emotional connection to make them work properly.  And at the end of the day…that’s what reading is all about. The connection.

So here it is… my final word on a book that literally took my breath away, get it, live it, love it…and pass it on.

You absolutely cannot go wrong with the 99 cents it will cost you to gobble this puppy up… I guarantee it.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: trust is difficult to earn, but worth the effort.

Click image for complete details.

***** (5/5)

Need more convincing? Read the first 5 chapters for free on Susan’s website!

I know all of you are expecting a Freebie alert today, but there has been a little change in plans. Today I’ve been asked to host a spot on the very talented Ms. Michelle Warren’s “Wander Dust” blog tour and I just couldn’t say no. (Especially since I practically begged her for a copy to read for myself) So… Today: lovely prizes and a chance to learn more about Michelle. Tomorrow: back to normal (aka free books) Happy Reading! —Misty

P.S. I know several of you are wondering why I didn’t review this book as well as post about the give-a-away (since that’s what I normally do) but in the effort of not making this post longer than the Mississippi river I’ve decided to post the review separately NEXT week. Cheers!

About The Book

Ever since her sixteenth birthday, strange things keep happening to Seraphina Parrish.

The Lady in Black burns Sera’s memories.

Unexplainable Premonitions catapult her to other cities.

The Grungy Gang wants to kill her.

And a beautiful, mysterious boy stalks her.

But when Sera moves to Chicago, and her aunt reveals their family connection to a centuries old, secret society, she is immediately thrust into an unbelievable fantasy world, leading her on a quest to unravel the mysteries that plague her. In the end, their meanings crash into an epic struggle of loyalty and betrayal, and she’ll be forced to choose between the boy who has stolen her heart and the thing she desires most.

3 Questions With Michelle

Q:  The lead character of Wander Dust’s name is Seraphina Parrish. To me…this screams biblical inspiration ( “Seraphine was the name of a 13th-century Italian saint who make clothes for the poor.) is there any weight behind my assumption, or was this completely random and you actually did something simple like Google “Cool Names!”

A:  The idea for the names of the characters really just popped into my head. It’s like they were already decided for me. I never even questioned if Seraphina was a good name or not, I just went with it. I did do some research on the name Seraphina as I was brainstorming for the book, and I did entwine some historical aspects into the story line. The name ended up working perfectly with the theme. So, I think it was meant to be.

Q:  I love the mystery behind secret societies. Did you do any research for this aspect of the book?

A:  I am a little bit of a history nerd, especially when it comes to secret societies in the US. If I have time to watch TV and my husband gives me the remote (which is rare), I’ll immediately flip to either the History or Discovery channel. I’ve probably watched every show ever made about the Masons. The secret society in my book is completely fictional, but I did weave symbols, secrets, underground lairs, and legends into the story.

Q:  Your bio states that you love to travel.  To date… where is your favorite place to visit?

A:  My favorite US city is Chicago. For this reason, I used it as a backdrop for my book. I also love traveling abroad. My favorite city abroad is Rome, Italy. Rome was the first place I ever traveled to out of the states, so it has a special place in my heart.  I’ve been to almost every city I wrote about in the book.

The Giveaway!!

Enter below for a chance to win these awesome prizes!!

Scavenger Hunt Piece!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I know, I know…it’s childish, rude and I’m certain most of you are now screaming for me to “suck it up and write the review!” sooo, I will.  Against my better judgement, and the very high possibility that India Lee might chunk my name into the “God I hate this reviewer” wind.

But first… they synopsis.

Gorgeous friends. Gorgeous boys. Endless parties. And a mother who can’t say sh*%.

Laurel Rixon thinks she likes being the good girl. She has a flawless GPA, a best friend who idolizes her, and a football playing boyfriend. Skipping parties to study is fine when you need to impress your perfect mother and of course, your insanely hot English teacher. Laurel Rixon loved being a good girl.

That is until her world at school turns upside down and her own perfect mother makes the mistake of her life. Now Laurel’s ready to abandon the good for the bad, and it’s just so easy when no one can tell you what to do anymore. With a limitless credit card, a new look, and a new clique of beautiful friends, Laurel’s ready to live the life she never knew she wanted.

But when you’ve spent your life on the good side, making up for lost time can get ugly.

Ok, now that I’ve gotten all of the semantics out of the way, let’s get the party started.

The good:

I loved the cover.

and….. um….

still thinking…

damn it!

Now normally (as I’m sure y’all have noticed by now) I would try to find some glowing things to say about every novel. The writing, the plot, the characters…something, but in the case of “Suburban Girl’s Rebellion” I had more issues with it that loves.

To start, I hated the characters. All of them. Ok, that’s not entirely true… I liked Will, he had principles, but as for the rest of the always drunk, snobishly rich, backstabbing, drugged up, over-sexed teenagers that graced the pages of this shockingly clichéd work of fiction, I pretty much wanted to put duct tape over their mouths and shove them in a closet.

On what planet do parents (even morally questionable ones) let their 16-year-old daughters party like Keith Richards on school nights? No one! Hell…even the parents on Gossip Girl have SOME standards.

I get the “point” of the story, I promise. (I’ve even witnessed a less severe version of it) “overly ruled” daughter has a bad day, has a bit of a breakdown and then (rightfully so) decides to break out of her cage and become her own person.  The problem that I have is that “said girl” (aka Laurel) morphs into one grade A, wanna take a water bottle to her head Bitch (<—with a capital B.)  Not only does she lose focus of everything AND everyone around her, but she starts using and abusing the people. Hence the…”I hated the characters.”

“Ok, ok…we get it! You didn’t like her! What else?”

Well, (since I am being forced off my high horse!) The writing was very choppy. I WILL admit that it evened up a little bit in the end (when Laural was going all Satan’s mistress on everyone,) but the first half of the book read as if being sent through a telegraph.

I am mad (stop) I have friends (stop) I should do my homework (stop)

And…if that alone wasn’t enough to drive you bat shit crazy (geez I’m cussing a lot today) Lee put Imogen Rose’s label dropping ways to shame.  I wish I was lying when I say there were at least 4 chapters of shopping references (for the obligatory “good girl gone bad” high-school make-over cliché’) but I’m not. They were there and boy were they extra shiny.

Lastly, cause I’m afraid if I keep going I may make someone cry (sorry India, that was not my intention) the story was open-ended.  That’s right, there was zero resolution.  As a matter of fact, the last page only created MORE questions that needed to be answered as opposed to answering the ones that were already floating around. (Hello…you can’t have one of your main characters talk about a “secret” and then end the story 3 paragraphs later never telling the secret!)

So where does this leave me? Unfortunately on the shorter side of the stick.

This one needs some major attention before you spend your hard-earned moolah on it.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: it only takes 1 bad seed to ruin the entire apple.

Click image for complete details

*½~~~ (1.5/5)

“Elephant” by Jim Breslin

In this debut collection of stories, Jim Breslin explores the soul of suburbia; the disenfranchised and the desperate. The characters in these twenty-one stories struggle to mend relationships and find redemption. Sometimes funny, often sad, the unsettling stories in Elephant portray the suburban landscape of loneliness and hope.

A man is tempted by memories of his past life after his drunk ex-wife pays a surprise visit. A couple wrestles with their fruitless attempts to have children. An eccentric homeowner issues a series of comical concerns to his lawn care company. A young woman discovers her boyfriend has placed a Craigslist ad seeking a three-way. A husband tests the reciprocity of his wife’s love only to find himself in the throes of a dangerous free fall.

Short stories, (unlike novels) take a very distinct “brand” (I guess you can say) of author to write them. (The same (if you are curious) can be said for the people who read (and enjoy) them.) Why? Because short stores are written as if strapped to a time bomb.  While “novels” are laced with hundreds (if not thousands) of pages filled with adjectives, short stories are chopped, condensed, and (more often than not) offered up on a very blunt serving platter.

Does this mean that cohesion, (and enlightenment) cannot be achieved with so few words? Of course not, if just takes a master of manipulation to do so successfully.

Who here has watched the film “The Adjustment Bureau?”  How about “Keith?” Did you know that both of these movies were based on short stories? No? (Yay me for teaching you something today.)

These are just 2 examples of short story brilliance, AND…evidence to the fact that it does not take a million words to tell a good story. It simply takes focus.

This is the problem I had with Mr. Breslin’s stories. No focus. While some of them were good (for example: Elephant, and We’re Not Dog People) others felt like interrupted thoughts.  Not all authors are the same (I’m no where near stupid enough to believe this) and each has their own unique writing style, but I think it is very important for authors not to get too wrapped up in their own prosaic thoughts when trying to get a point across. (Hmmm, that sounded a bit harsh. Let me try again.) Though the writing was good, (even impressive in parts) and yes…the stories did indeed make you think, (which I believe to be  Breslin’s main initiative in writing them to begin with) overall they were a tad TOO abstract. Which (I’m sorry to say) may actually have an adverse reaction and PUSH “causal readers” away instead of drawing them IN.

If you are going to tell a story, even a short one, you must make sure it is still a story.

Now, before you get your La Perla panties in a wad, let me make one thing very clear.  I am NOT opposed to short stories.  I am not opposed to literature that evokes reflection, or appreciation of self-worth. What I’m not keen on is the illusion of plots.

So, here is where I stand… I have read better, I have read worse, but if it were up to me… I would fill my lunch hour with something more filling and less fluffy.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Sometimes good things come in small packages and sometimes it’s just a pair of socks from your Aunt Hilda.

Click images for complete details.

***~~ (3/5) <–If you are curious why the 3… I LOVE the cover art & feel that it deserves a little credit. Otherwise…I would have gone with a 2.5

Note: In case you are interested… “The Adjustment Bureau” is based on the short story “Adjustment Team” by Philip K Dick and “Keith” is based of a short story (of the same name) by Ron Carlson, found in his anthology “The Hotel Eden.”

“Beautiful Disaster” by Jamie McGuire is the polar opposite of “emotionally challenged.”

How many of you here know what co-dependancy is? According to Mr. Webster it is:  of or pertaining to a relationship in which one person is physically or psychologically addicted, as to alcohol or gambling, and the other person is psychologically dependent on the first in an unhealthy way.

Now, here is a little known fact.  At the age of 17 I became aggressively codependent, so much so that I (after a bout of serious stress, and 1 missing person) had a breakdown.  Yep, right there in the middle of my football field I turned into a bottle of mush.  I then opted to leave town for a week and disappear into oblivion.  After that I stopped going to school, refused to get out of bed, and eventually found myself in a psychologist office begging to be hypnotised into forgetting my life.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, other than the apparent need to destroy my well rehearsed “illusion of sanity” for a great review, I felt it was necessary to explain what this book is REALLY all about.

The inability to let someone go.

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend America, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand. Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the charming college co-ed. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’ apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

First, let me start by saying that I stayed up until 4am reading this book, which…if nothing else…should tell you that I LOVED it.  This was not your normal love story.  As a matter of fact, take away everything you have ever learned about love stories and throw it out the window.

Done? Awesome.

Now, let me teach you something new. Life is not perfect.  A huge sum of us have a past that we are not proud of, parents that we would rather push off a bridge than spend a holiday with, or have zero faith in our ability to love.  We make things more difficult than they should be, we dwell on the negative, and when we finally DO find something worth holding on to, we tend to throw it away like yesterday’s trash.  Beautiful Disaster is the love story of THESE people.  The imperfect people that pretend to live perfect lives.  It is not conventional, it is extremely irritating, and at times more emotional than is necessary. BUT…all of these things are what makes it so damn good.

I cannot convey to you the emotions I felt when reading this book, If I tried, I would be lying. What I can do is tell you is this.  That regardless of your past, your current situation or the bright shiny future you have imagined for yourself…YOU will FEEL this book too.  Everyone loses things, distrusts people, and holds on to other things that may or may not be damaging.  We are human, these are human traits. What matters however is the journey we all follow when correcting our mistakes, or in this case…follow our hearts.

In short, Jamie McGuire wrote a book so intense that it can’t really be called a book at all but more a “series of lessons.”  A lesson on how to write good literature.  A lesson on evoking emotion, a lesson…in how to love the people that really need it.

“So Misty…did this book have a downside?” Yes, they all do…but sometimes it’s not about the editing errors or the occasional hop in plot, instead it’s about the pounding you feel in your chest when you read it, the tears streaming down your face at the end of a heart-wrenching chapter, or the relief you feel when you finally reach that very critical last page.

Sometimes a book just needs to be a book.

So, if you love a good cry, like to be moved by the books you read, or just love LOVE then this one is a keeper.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: To be truly beautiful, you must experience the disaster first.

Click image for complete details

***** (5/5)

What IS: The Lion, The Lamb, The Hunted?

She only stepped outside for a minute…

Book Trailer

Excerpt from Andrew E. Kaufman’s

The Lion, The Lamb, The Hunted

Glenview Psychiatric Hospital looked like it could drive a person insane if they weren’t already. Chain link and razor wire surrounded the perimeter, and beyond that, ivy snaked its way up dirty red brick walls. I let my gaze follow it to a bar-covered window where an elderly woman looked down on me, her face as white as the long, stringy hair that framed it. She nodded with a vacant, fish-eyed expression, then flashed a menacing, toothless grin that sent chills up my spine. I turned my attention away quickly, headed for the front door.

Glenview had once been a private facility, but the state had taken it over several years before. From the looks of things, they hadn’t done much to improve it. I moved down a dimly-lit, claustrophobic hallway so narrow that I doubted two people could walk it side by side. The asylum-green walls were cracked and chipped, the floors covered in nondescript, skid-marked tile. The overall theme: dismal and cold.

I came to the gatekeeper for this palace of darkness: a receptionist behind a Plexiglas partition blurred with fingerprints, grime, and other slimy things I was afraid to think about. Her expression told me she was sick of her job. Couldn’t say I blamed her. Then I heard static and a speaker going live.

“Can I help you,” she said. It sounded more like a statement than a question.

I leaned in toward a metal-covered hole in the glass. “Patrick Bannister, for Doctor Faraday.”

No verbal response, just a loud buzzer and a simultaneous click as the lock disengaged; I pulled the door open and found her waiting on the other side behind a service counter.

After signing in with my I.D., I handed over my cell phone. Then a security guard arrived to escort me through a sally port that looked more like a cave. Smelled like one, too. Next stop, a service elevator: high stink-factor there as well, like a nasty old gym locker.

Stepping off onto the fifth floor, I fell into sensory overload. The stench was so wicked and fierce that it burned through my sinuses—excrement, sweat, and cleaning agents all blended into one nasty funk that kicked my gag reflex into action. Then came the sounds: a woman’s hysterical laughter echoing down the hall, clearly not inspired by anything funny, along with lots of cursing and other peculiar, vaguely human cries I could hardly identify. As we moved past the metal-grated security doors, patients peered at me with flat, vacant expressions, creepy smiles, and wild eyes that made my skin crawl.

Finally, we came to a port in the storm: the nursing station. The guard nodded to the woman behind the counter, she nodded back, and he left me there.

In her early fifties, she was a striking brunette, one of those women whose looks seem to improve with age: high cheekbones, dark-lashed, pale blue eyes, and a pair of legs that could give a twenty-year-old a run for her money. The nametag said she was Aurora Penfield, Nursing Supervisor. I eyed a photo on the desk; it was of her, much younger with a small boy on her lap, both smiling big for the camera. Then I looked up and saw her staring, waiting for me to speak.

I cleared my throat. “Patrick Bannister, for Doctor Faraday.”

In a dutiful, mechanical manner, she reached for the telephone and punched a few buttons, giving me the once-over while waiting for an answer.

I smiled.

She didn’t.

Then I felt a tug on my leg. Startled, I looked down into a pair of dark, cavernous eyes staring up at me: a woman squatting on the floor, probably in her sixties but with a distinctly childlike quality. Tangled, grizzled hair surrounded a hopeless, miserable face. She barked at me, then snarled, baring her teeth.

“Gretchen!” Penfield said, leaning over the counter, her tone cross and unwavering. “Move away immediately!”

The woman looked at Penfield, looked at me, then frowned. I spotted a yellowish puddle forming between her feet. Two orderlies stepped quickly toward us; they each grabbed an arm and pulled her up, then guided her away.

Nurse Ratched went back to her work as if nothing had happened and said, “Doctor’s on his way. Please take a seat.”

I did.

A few moments later, a side door opened and Doctor Faraday appeared. He was somewhere in his sixties, tall and slender with a thick head of silvery hair and wire-rimmed glasses that missed the fashion curve by a good twenty years. His face registered zero on the expression scale, as blank as the wall behind him. We shook hands; his were rough-skinned and ice-cold.

He led me down a corridor and past a door with a glass observation window. Inside, a patient sat in the corner, hands under his gown, giving himself pleasure. He made direct eye contact with me and started jerking himself with more enthusiasm and fervor. Then he stopped, and a shit-eating grin slowly spread across his face. I looked away, feeling my nausea return for a second round.

When we reached Faraday’s office, he took a seat behind his desk, and I sat across from him. “Jean Kingsley,” he said, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes. “Haven’t heard that name in years.”

“I’m doing a story about her son’s kidnapping and murder.”

He put his glasses back on, looked down at some paperwork. “I’ve reviewed her records. What exactly would you like to know?”

“We can start with the basics, her condition, how many times she was admitted, and for how long.”

He puffed his cheeks full of air, then let it out slowly.  “Mrs. Kingsley was a very sick woman. She suffered a series of breakdowns—three, to be exact—rather significant ones. She was admitted here after each of them. The duration increased with each visit, as did the severity of her condition.”

“How long was her last stay?”

He rubbed his chin, glanced up at the clock. “About a month.”

I made a few notes. “Any indication why she killed herself? I mean, other than the obvious. Anything unusual happen that day?”

“Not at all. Mrs. Kingsley was dealing with enormous guilt over her son’s murder. She blamed herself. As time went on, her memories and perceptions about the kidnapping seemed to become more distorted, as did her impression of reality as a whole.”

“Distorted in what way?”

“Her recollection about what actually happened, the circumstances leading to it—none of it made any sense, and most of it seemed to lack truth. After a while, it started sounding like she was talking about someone else’s life rather than her own. She was different person.”

“What kinds of things did she say?”

He gazed down at his notes, threw his hands up, shaking his head. “I honestly wouldn’t know where to begin. Purely illogical thinking.”

I leaned forward to glance at his notes. “Can I have a look?”

He dropped his arms down to shield them and stared at me as if I’d asked the unthinkable. “Absolutely not.”

“But Mrs. Kingsley’s no longer alive, and her husband gave me permission.”

“That’s not the point, Mr. Bannister. It’s at my discretion whether or not to release them, and I choose not to.”

I paused and shot him a long, curious gaze. He broke eye contact by picking up the phone, hastily punching a few buttons, and then said, “Ms. Penfield, please come to my office immediately.”

“Doctor Faraday, you should understand my intentions here. I’m not trying to—”

“I understand your intentions just fine. You have a job to do. So do I.”

Penfield walked in, spared me a quick glance, then gave the doctor her attention. He said, “Please put these records back where they belong.”

She nodded, moved toward his desk.

I tried again. “Doctor, I don’t want to put Mrs. Kingsley or this hospital in a bad light. I just want to tell her story so people can understand the hell she went through. Not seeing those records would be missing the biggest part.”

Penfield looked at me with an expression that was hard to read. I couldn’t tell whether it was animosity or…well, I just couldn’t tell.

The doctor said, “The answer is still no, Mr. Bannister. The records are confidential. End of discussion.”

Penfield grabbed the last of the papers, closed the folder. “Will there be anything else, doctor?”

Faraday shook his head, and she threw me another quick glance before going on her way.

He said, “Now, where were we?”

I nodded toward the door. “We were discussing those records you just had whisked out of here.”

“Look.” He exhaled his frustration, shook his head. “I’m sorry if it came out wrong. It’s not that I’m afraid you’ll put us in a bad light or anything like that.”

“Then what is it? Because quite honestly, I’m a little confused about what just happened here.”

He gave me a lingering stare, then said, “Let me put it to you this way. Some things are better left alone. Trust me, this is one of them.”

“I’m not following you.”

“What I’m saying is that the picture you’d see of Mrs. Kingsley would not be a flattering one. And it wouldn’t serve any purpose other than to make her look badly.”

“Doctor, with all due respect, good or bad, it’s reality, and it’s my job to write about it, not hide it.”

He shook his head and pursed his lips.

I tried another option. “If you won’t let me see the records, can you at least tell me more about what happened while she was here?”

He paused for a long moment, seemed to be evaluating my words, and then with reluctance in his voice said, “With each visit, she became more disturbed, more agitated…and more lost in her own mind. We couldn’t help her. No one could. Things were becoming extremely tense. And unpleasant.”

“Unpleasant, how?

“We were concerned about the safety of others.”

“Why?”

He hesitated and then, “There were threats.”

“What kind?”

“Death threats. To the staff and other patients—actually, to anyone who came within shouting distance of Mrs. Kingsley. Quite honestly, she frightened people. We’d made the decision to move her to the maximum-security unit, and her husband was in the process of committing her. Permanently.”

“Do you know what brought this on?”

He pressed his hands together, looked down at them for a moment, then back up at me. “When I said Mrs. Kingsley was a different person, I meant it.”

I narrowed my eyes, shook my head.

“She was experiencing what we call a major depression with psychotic features.”

“Which means…”

“She was severely delusional, seeing and hearing things that didn’t exist, and…” He let out a labored sigh. “…and she began assuming an identity other than her own.”

“What identity?”

“She called herself Bill Williams.”

“She thought she was a man?”

He nodded.

I glanced down at my notes, raked my fingers through my hair, looked back up at him. “Was she in this state all the time?”

“No. She’d slip in and out.”

“When did it start?”

“Toward the end of her last stay.”

“So, close to the time she died,” I confirmed.

“Yes.”

“And who was this Bill Williams?”

“Nobody, I’m sure. But in her mind, she was him. Her vocal tone became deeper, her mannerisms, even her facial expressions…all convincingly masculine. It was a startling transformation.”

I leaned forward. “Did she give any details about him? Who he was?”

“Just that he was a murderer.”

“She took on the role of a killer…”

“Yes, and according to her, one of the most dangerous killers of our time, maybe ever.”

“What did he do?”

“Question should be, what didn’t he do? She reported that he began murdering when he was nine years old. Lured his best friend into a shed behind his house, then beat him to death with a claw hammer, to the point where the child’s face was unrecognizable.”

I shuddered.

“She talked about it frequently—as Bill Williams, that is. She…I mean, he…took great delight in the feeling in his hands when the hammer made powerful impact with flesh and bone…the release, the euphoric pleasure.”

I shook my head, the shock rendering me speechless.

“And it doesn’t end there. He just kept going. Several years later after his mother remarried, he climbed into their bed while she and the stepfather were asleep and began spooning the husband. Then he shoved the man’s face into his pillow…and a kitchen knife up his rectum. The mother woke in the middle of the night drenched in blood. Bill had wrapped the man’s arms around her, then went off to his room and peacefully back to sleep.”

“Good Lord,” I said. “All this created from her mind?”

“I’m afraid so. A very disturbed one, I remind you, one that had lost contact with any form of reality.”

“Did this Bill—or Mrs. Kingsley— talk about anything else?”

“Plenty. In her final days, she spent a good part of her time bragging about the murders he’d committed.”

“What did she say?”

“Horrible things. Gruesome things. Some of the most disturbing I’ve ever heard—and trust me, I’ve experienced a lot here.”

“Details?”

“I’ve actually tried to forget them…but with a few, I’ve had a hard time doing that.”

“You can’t tell me?”

“I’d rather not.”

I drew in some air, blew it out quickly. “Can you tell me why she’d dream up someone so horrible, let alone want to assume his identity? Who was this guy?”

Doctor Faraday gazed out the window and shook his head very slowly. A tree branch shifted in the wind and threw an odd shadow across his face.

I waited for his response.

 

About Andrew

Andrew E. Kaufman is a freelance writer and author living in Southern California, along with his six Labrador Retrievers, three horses, and a very bossy Jack Russell Terrier (who, incidentally, thinks she owns the place). His new novel, While the Savage Sleeps, a forensic paranormal mystery, takes place in the fictitious town of Faith, New Mexico.

After receiving his journalism and political science degrees at San Diego State University, Andrew began his writing career as an Emmy-nominated writer/producer, working at KFMB-TV, the CBS affiliate in San Diego, then at KCAL-TV in Los Angeles. For more than ten years, he produced special series and covered many nationally known cases, including the O.J. Simpson Trial.

You can learn more about Andrew and his work by visiting his site: Andrewekaufman.com