Fiction Addict

We recently reviewed The Kensei by Jon F. Merz, and we were more than impressed. Check out our recent conversation with the author as we discuss vampire ninjas, his recent success with eBooks, and plans for The Fixer TV series.

More about Jon:

As a writer, Jon has published over a dozen novels including four Lawson Vampire adventures (2002-2003) with Kensington’s Pinnacle Books, the Jake Thunder mystery/thriller DANGER-CLOSE (2004) with Five Star Mystery/Thorndike Press, and eight installments in the internationally bestselling adventure series Rogue Angel (2006-present) with Harlequin’s Gold Eagle line. His latest thriller PARALLAX debuted in March 2009 as an exclusive ebook. Praised by bestselling authors like Robert B. Parker, Douglas Clegg, and Thomas Monteleone, Jon’s novels will continue to thrill readers for many years to come. His short fiction story “Prisoner 392″ (appeared alongside Stephen King in FROM THE BORDERLANDS, 2004, Warner Books) earned him an Honorable Mention in 2004′s Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror edited by Ellen Datlow. Jon has also co-authored two non-fiction books: LEARNING LATER, LIVING GREATER with Nancy Merz Nordstrom (2006, Sentient Publications) and THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO ULTIMATE FIGHTING with Rich “Ace” Franklin (2007, Alpha Books/Penguin/Putnam). Jon’s next Lawson vampire novel, THE KENSEI, debuted in January 2011 from St. Martin’s Press.

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Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication Date: March 2011

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

The brothers are Reggie and Nigel Heath.  Reggie is a barrister in London.  Nigel is off in California as a direct result of ignoring a condition of their lease at 221-B Baker Street.  All letters to Sherlock Holmes are to be answered with a form letter provided by the landlord.  Reggie and Nigel failed to do this, and it has cost them both quite a bit.  Reggie has no clients, no fortune, and his girl friend is dating Lord Buxton, a tabloid owner.  In fact, her breast in his hand is the cover photograph for this week’s edition.  Reggie is a trifle upset about this.

When he does get a case, it looks like a slam-dunk for the prosecution.  They have two eyewitnesses and a tape of the cab owned and operated by his client at the scene of the crime, the murder of some American tourists.  Reggie gets an anonymous note that leads him to information that gets his client off.  The same man is then accused of murdering yet another person.  There has been a rash of crimes connected to Black Cabs, a line noted for its upstanding reputation, and Lord Buxton’s paper has been giving those crimes great publicity.   Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Fantasy, YA

Publisher: Living Ink Books

Publication Date: April 2011

Jake Chism’s Review:

Kr’Nunos has suffered a devastating blow from brothers Hadyn and Ewan Barlow, who have foiled his plans to ruin the youth of Karac Tor. However, Kr’Nunos has his sights set on an even darker plan. Once and for all he will destroy Corus, the great champion of the land that Kr’Nunos keeps imprisoned in Hel. With Corus out of the way, he can finally lead his evil army out to take control of Karac Tor. Unfortunately for Kr’Nunos, Hadyn and Ewan will continue to fight along with their brothers Garrett and Gabe, who have also been called to this mysterious land for a greater purpose. Together they must unite a divided people and confront the one who seeks to destroy them all.

In 2008, D. Barkley Briggs released The Book of Names (Book 1 of The Legends of Karac Tor), only to find out shortly after that his publisher had dissolved their entire fiction line. Fans of the series were shocked and Briggs was left without a publishing home. Four years later fans are rejoicing with the news that Living Ink Books is now publishing the entire series, and has even committed to the five books that Briggs originally intended. It has been a long wait, but faithful fans will be glad to know that it was certainly worth it. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Historical, Romance

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date: April 2011

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Lewton Paterson is a gambler with a wild reputation. He’s grown up on the streets and he knows all the different ways of the law – inside and out. But as he’s begun to edge farther away from his teens and deeper into his manhood, he’s realized he’s bored with the life of a gambler. He’d like to settle down, marry into a respectable family and become a respectable man. The problem is that as much as everyone in town likes him, they also see him as an unsavory gambler with few honorable qualities. This makes it hard for Lewt to step into the life he so desires.

Duncan McMurray is one of the only men that Lewt can even begin to call a friend. He’s a Texas Ranger and he loves his life in the outdoors. When he bumps into Lewt, he has two things on his mind. One is his unmarried female cousins. Duncan had just put a plan into motion to bring several eligible bachelors into town by train to meet his cousins so that he could get them married off and consequently, out of his hair.  Duncan’s task was to escort these fine gentlemen to his family’s ranch. The other thing on his mind was the group of Mexican criminals that his unit was in the middle of pursuing. In his mind, the fine gentlemen could find their own way to his family’s ranch. The criminals and the men he served with wouldn’t wait.

So when these strange men started arriving in town, Lewton Paterson took it upon himself to help his friend Duncan with his problem. He would meet these fine gentlemen, figure out what it was that they had (and he didn’t) and he might just be able to catch himself a McMurray wife in the process. He sends one of the ‘fine gentleman’ packing after a hard night of gambling and takes his place. Hopefully by the time Duncan finds out, it’ll be too late. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: The Permanent Press

Publication Date: Feb 2011

Reviewed by Melody Ballard

This is the story of one man in a particular place, at a particular point in time. It is a story of beliefs and passion, of a county and it’s people, and it is a story of truths and lies. It could be about all people, in any place at any time but it’s not. It’s the story of Ishmael and it’s the story of Africa.

Ishmael is called the Barefoot Librarian. Raised in an orphanage he soon learns that the way to freedom is  through books and stories; it is through the classics that he makes sense of the chaos that surrounds him. He learns that literature is a metaphor for life, and that life itself is only a reflection of the reality of one’s beliefs.

He believes that others can find hope within these same pages in which he finds sanctuary.   Loading books upon his back,  he travels from village to village leaving an entire book at one place, a chapter, or only a few pages at another.  Wherever people gather they fill in the missing pieces with stories of their own. Ishmael is firmly grounded in his own reality, and is resigned to the fate that he knows must surely await him.

His ordered world changes when he meets Kate.  Through Ishmael’s eyes we see the magic of discovery that can be found within ones heart. Kate is headstrong, passionate, full of optimism with a belief that if one cares enough, wrongs can be made right. Renewed meaning and hope surface when Ishmael and Kate encounter Mara, the child of a war with no name.

The chance meeting of this white woman of privilege, this black man of strength, and this lost child soon becomes a maelstrom of emotion as events find their world spiraling out of control.  The stark truths around them surge through an abyss of unimaginable horror, only to culminate into a vacuum of unreality.

Charles Davis masterfully crafts Standing at the Crossroads with vivid imagery and powerful but eloquent prose.  Davis, author of Walk on Bright Boy, and Walking the Dog, just keeps getting better.  Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys “Fiction with Feeling”.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Drama

Publisher: Viking

Publish Date: January 2011

Reviewed by Chrystal Dorsey

If you enjoy uncovering family history that contains a flavor of mystery then put on your ancestral hat and join Lucy Jarrett. At the crossroads in her life she returns to her hometown (Lake of Dreams in upstate New York) a decade after her father’s death.  She still has not forgiven herself for not going fishing with her father the night he died and has kept her hometown at bay since then. But when Lucy learns that her mother was injured in an accident, she realizes that it is time to leave Japan and go home.

Lucy discovers a collection of objects locked in a window seat that soon reveals a hidden family history. She’s determined to solve the mysteries surrounding her great-grandfather’s suffragette sister, Rose, who was forced to give away an illegitimate daughter and who may have been the mysterious muse for a famous stained-glass artist.  Lucy’s high school boyfriend, Keegan Fall, a glass artist himself, also enters the picture. Complicating matters, Lucy’s domestic partner, Yoshi, is headed to Lake of Dreams from Japan, but Lucy’s not sure if they still have a future together.  During her quest, Lucy seems reluctant to accept the fact that her mother and brother have moved on with their lives, while she chose to remain continents away.  At the same time, as Lucy explores the traces of her family’s lineage, it will yield dramatic insights that will free her to live her life to its fullest and deepest.

Kim Edwards is the author of the New York Times #1 bestseller, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter.  Due to the overwhelming success of her debut novel, the expectations for The Lake of Dreams may have been extreme and somewhat unobtainable in the eyes of many ‘Memory Keeper’ fans.   However, the author stays true to her talented and gifted use of descriptive language in her second outing. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Literary

Publisher: Europa

Publication Date:  April 2011

Reviewed by: Jennifer S. Roman

Poor Rosa has to do everything.  When her daughter, “dumb Sulfia” becomes pregnant at 17, Rosa makes the efforts to take care of things.  Unfortunately, in her eyes, there were twins, and only one baby was aborted.  Now Rosa has to take care of her dumb daughter and her granddaughter, because she knows that Sulfia isn’t capable of taking care of herself, let alone her new infant.  She takes care of her husband, Kalganow, and helps him to boost his career.  On top of all of this, Rosa holds down a full-time job as an educator.  As the story progresses and the family faces over-the-top drama, Rosa again tackles the responsibilities and makes sure that the family is safe.  She even goes so far as to find husbands for Sulfia.  How can it be possible, then, that her husband no longer appreciates her and ends up leaving her for a Russian literature professor?  How can Sulfia be so avant-garde and stupid as to leave, with the baby, and go to nursing school?  How can her granddaughter, Aminat, run away from Rosa and become famous without ever speaking to her grandmother?  Nobody appreciates the sacrifices Rosa has made.

Of course, we readers learn that Rosa is the narrator of the story, so of course we see things from her perspective.  We see how beautiful and smart she is, how resourceful and clever she is, and how hard-working she is.  We see how devoted she is to her family.  We catch just slight glimpses of how others really see her.  It’s always interesting to see how people view themselves versus how others see them.  Sulfia actually sees her mother as overbearing and meddling.  Kalganow sees Rosa as being cold, rigid, and always right.  Eventually, Aminat becomes an orphan but still runs away from Rosa.  Rather than being “abused” and belittled by her grandmother, she would rather be on her own with nothing and try to make something of herself.  She does not want to be the rich and famous surgeon her grandmother aspires her to be.  Clearly, Rosa is a piece of work, and most likely, most readers will be able to relate to having a family member similar to her.  If she weren’t so entertaining, Rosa would be absolutely annoying with her high esteem.  Instead, one has to laugh at her ideas and her beliefs of how she can fix absolutely everything.  This book is highly entertaining because we do not have to live with her.  Instead, we can peek at a family’s dynamics and watch the drama from a safe distance. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Medical Thriller

Publisher: Abingdon Press

Publication Date: April 2011

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

A cloud of suspicion falls on Dr. Elena Gardner when her comatose husband dies while on life support. She can’t recall pulling the plug, but she can’t remember for her actions or whereabouts at the time of his death. Although her coworkers understand at first, when one of her patients dies under similar and equally questionable circumstances, rumors start to fly.

With her residency behind her, Elena moves to Dainger, hoping for a fresh start. However, the mysterious calls she’s received for months follow her there. Someone accuses Elena of killing her husband. When another patient dies at Elena’s new practice, everything points to her. Elena must prove her innocence and find the killer.

Richard Mabry’s Diagnosis Death is everything you expect from a medical thriller. Read the rest of this entry »

James Andrew Wilson is a human, a man, a husband, a father of three boys, an aspiring novelist, a spy, a superhero, a conversationalist, a recluse, an artist, a serious humorist, an aficionado, a skeptic, a believer, a sleep-walking insomniac, a child, a dreamer, a realist, a real boy, a truthful liar, a ham, a beef, an archer, an unreliable witness, a wise investment, an etc., an i.e., a bullet point, and many other things unmentionable. He also enjoys garlic and good wine. You could, and should, read more about him here, or here, but not here.

Dear Author Of The Greatest Novel Ever Written According To Your Mom:

If you read my bio, then you are well aware that I am a busy individual. I have great respect for my time and expect you to as well. You have written a novel and promised me that it is entertaining, enlightening, and worthy of the hours required to read it.

We will see. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

Publisher: William Morrow

Publication Date: March 2011

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

Dr. Bill Brockton finds himself in the Florida panhandle, doing a favor for a student who doesn’t believe her sister committed suicide.  While he’s there, a dog brings in a skull.  The local police ask Dr. Brockton to take a look at it, as they don’t have a forensic anthropologist handy.  He tells them it’s the skull of an adolescent male, and that it’s been in the ground for a while – more than a year or two.  Then the dog brings in another skull.  Same story.  There is no missing persons report that matches the age of either of the dead boys; at least one of the boys was murdered.

Dr. Brockton continues to investigate, although it becomes quite clear that there are forces out there who would very much like him to pack his bags and go back where he came from.  The stakes get higher when the owner of the skull-finding dog is murdered, as well as the dog.  Brockton finds out that the skulls may have something to do with an old boys reform school.  It’s difficult to find the connections because neither the people who worked there nor the boys who were incarcerated there have any inclination at all to talk to Brockton about the school.  What are these people afraid of? Read the rest of this entry »

In 2008, D. Barkley Briggs released The Book of Names (Book 1 of The Legends of Karac Tor), only to find out shortly after that his publisher had cancelled their entire fiction line. Since that time, his fans have desperately been waiting for the series to find a new home. This April, Living Ink Books is bringing the series back with the release of Books 1 and 2 in the series, followed by Book 3 in Fall 2011.

Recently, Jake Chism caught up with D. Barkley Briggs to talk about the resurrection of the series.

More about D. Barkley Briggs:

Dean Barkley Briggs has worked in radio, marketing, and new product development. He also pastored for eleven years. Briggs is about to begin the fourth in his epic five book fantasy adventure series, The Legends of Karac Tor. Books 1, 2 and 3 will release  Spring and Fall of 2011. After the unexpected death of his first wife, Briggs has since remarried a beautiful widow named Jeanie, and now has eight amazing kids. Enter Karac Tor at www.hiddenlands.net.

Read our reviews of The Book of Names and Corus the Champion.

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Genre: Thriller

Publisher: The Fiction Studio

Publication Date: March 2011

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Marcus Williams is trying to start over after his controversial dismissal from the NYPD. He escapes to small town Asherton, TX, where he has inherited a ranch from his aunt. While Marcus settles into his new surroundings, he quickly stumbles into a living nightmare. Francis Ackerman, Jr., a notorious serial killer, has also set his sights on Asherton and has begun one of his trademark murder sprees. Marcus wants to lend his experience to the local police, but nothing is as it seems in Asherton. Marcus now finds himself caught in the middle of a madman’s crosshairs and a conspiracy with deep roots in the government. As Marcus tries to make sense of the chaos around him, he strives to hold on to the integrity and honor that have always driven him. Marcus must now balance that goodness with the shadows of his past in order to stop the evil that has invaded Asherton.

The Shepherd is a nice twist on the familiar serial killer genre, bringing loads of surprises and twists around every corner. Francis Ackerman Jr., is one sick man and Cross excels in transporting the reader into his depraved persona. This is one villain who will make your skin crawl as you find yourself hanging onto his every diabolical word. Indeed, this character may be too much for some readers, but I thought he really fit with the tone of the novel. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: St. Martin’s Minotaur

Publication Date: October 2010

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

Sheriff Kat Campbell enjoys living in Perry Hollow, a small town in Pennsylvania.  It’s a good place for her and for her son.  She’s building a life there.  Henry Goll has the life he wants in Perry Hollow.  He writes the obituaries for the local paper and keeps a very low profile.  Nick Donnelly works for the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and spends his spare time talking to serial killers.  Their paths intersect when the mutilated body of a local farmer is found in a pine casket on the side of a road.  Nick enters the case because the mutilations bear a strong resemblance to the corpses left by the “Betsy Ross Killer”.  Perry Hollow actually finds this reassuring; if it’s the serial killer, then it’s not one of them.  They, unfortunately, are wrong. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Aladdin

Publication Date: February 2011

Reviewed by Shaun Stevenson

The end of a book series is always bittersweet. There’s the excitement of finally seeing what happens, but also the sadness of leaving a world behind. And now P.W. Catanese brings readers to the finale of The Books of Umber trilogy with the last installment, The End of Time. I wondered if the ending would live up to the previous two books, Happenstance Found and Dragon Games. But I have to say: The End of Time is the best one yet.

Umber has sunk deep into another depression, and things in the kingdom are grim with Prince Loden looking to claim the throne. Happenstance, Umber’s ward, dreads the moment when he will be faced with the challenge of saving an entire world – all while old enemies are drawing close. And that’s when the whispers begin: something powerful and unknown is coming across the ocean from the mysterious Far Continent. To make things even worse, deep beneath the Aerie, an evil is growing, biding its time before striking. Everything is coming to the pivotal moment when Happenstance must face his true fears and powers: can he save his friends? Or will he led them all to a fate worse than death? Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Publication Date: January 2011

Reviewed by Josh Olds

Vampire ninjas.

Need any more really be said? Lawson is a hundred and fifty year old vampire known as a Fixer. It’s his job to maintain the shaky balance between humans and vampires—which most humans, of course, don’t know exist. After a prolonged time in the trenches, Lawson is finally given a reprieve for some R&R and advanced ninjutsu training in Japan, and that is where The Kensei begins.

Of course, a sanguine tale about a vacationing vampire would hardly be worth writing about—even if he is a ninja vampire. That’s probably why author Jon Merz wastes no time in messing with his protagonist’s vacation plans. From an encounter with an assassin on the train ride in, to becoming involved in a Yakusa turf war that’s a front for much more, Lawson barely has time to catch his breath as he tries to unravel the mystery and understand why the vampire known as the Kensei wants him dead. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Penguin Group
Publication Date: October 2010

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

Beth Kennedy is a single working mother, so her plate is plenty full.  Her two kids are finally getting used to her marital situation.  She’s making a go of her independent bookstore in the small town of Rynwood, Wisconsin.  When her best friend Marina suggests she run for secretary of the local PTA, Beth is less than excited.  Marina is good at arm-twisting; Beth agrees to run.  As anyone who has ever lived in a small town knows, there are no such things as elections for PTA officers.  One mentions one might consider it – one is sworn in at once.  So it goes with Beth.

At her first meeting as official secretary, the principal of the elementary school drops a bombshell.  Agnes Mephisto is approaching retirement age, and there doesn’t seem to be a soul in the town who would mourn that day.  She has an uncanny knack for rubbing people the wrong way, alienating parents, wearing down teachers, going around the school board.  Her news?  She has come up with private funding for an addition, and has already consulted an architect, who has drawn up plans for this addition.  The crowd goes wild, and not in a good way.

Because Beth owns the children’s bookstore, every parent in town comes to her to complain and kvetch.  Not that she can do anything, as she keeps telling everyone.  Then Agnes is killed.  The suspect list is huge.  Marina and Beth decide they must find the killer, although their reasons for making this decision are quite disparate.

This is Alden’s first book, and it has been nominated for an Agatha Award.  Rightly so.  Alden creates believable characters acting and reacting in believable ways.  The actual situation might be a stretch, but not a very big one.  The motive, when it becomes apparent, is as old as time.  There are the beginnings of a romance for Beth; Alden seems to be taking her time with this story arc, which bodes well for the reader and for the series.  All in all, a commendable book for a new author.

Review Copy provided by the publisher.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Candlewick

Publication Date: April 2011

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

The stories of Goldilocks, Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack and Jill, the Frog Prince and others dovetail into one “where it all started” story in Previously by Allan Ahlberg. Ahlberg tells each character’s sequence in reverse and illuminates what happened to the characters “previously.” At the same time, the author leads each story into the tale of another character.

For example, “Goldilocks arrived home all bothered and hot.
Previously she had been running like mad in the dark woods.
Previously she had been climbing out of somebody else’s window.
Previously she had been sleeping in somebody else’s bed, eating somebody else’s porridge, and breaking somebody else’s chair!

Previously she had been humming a tune and having a little skip by herself in the dark woods.

Previously she had bumped into a hurtling and older boy named … Jack.”

Previously uniquely forces children to probe further into familiar tales and hypothesize about their origins. Anachronistic twists like a milk-white Mercedes and a free gift in a cornflakes box will make older readers smile. The book ends with a gentle cadence of dreamlike thoughts, ending appropriately with “Once upon a time.”

Illustrator Bruce Ingman uses acrylics in his simple, childlike paintings.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Josh Olds was born reading…or near that. He is a contributor at Fiction Addict as well as the founder of TheChristianCritic.net book review site. Read more about him here.

Spring break was last week for me. It meant a week’s reprieve before diving back into college classes and working about half my usual hours. Spring break is a legendary time where many folks pack their bags and head towards the coast to spend a week on the beach or some other sort of vacation. Me? I took my vacation into the world of Story. But why do we even have stories? Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: March 2011

Reviewed by Tim George

In that moment I felt pity for her, a woman whose spiritual quest was destined to circle back to hopelessness and despair. She searched without listening. She wanted truth only if it was convenient. But something bothered me even more. Who was more despicable, Claire the lost soul, are the one manipulating her?

Special Agent Raleigh Harmon has been a lot of places in her career with the FBI. Since author Sibella Giorello first introduced us to Raleigh in The Stones Cry Out, she has been shuttled from Virginia to Seattle and back again because of various issues with superiors. Now engaged, Raleigh is still battling a certain restlessness as she embarks, minus her fiancé,  on a cruise to Alaska with her mentally failing mother, her caring but misguided Aunt, and her aunt’s wacked out new age clairvoyant friend by the name of Claire. That’s right, Claire the Clairvoyant. While that and other snippets of The Mountains Bow Down are as humorous as Claire’s name, don’t mistake this story for a lighthearted adventure. As in all of Giorello’s novels, this is a tale both of an unsolved crime and of the mysteries of the human condition.

Raleigh’s vacation to see Alaska’s grandeur and escape thoughts of her approaching wedding is cut short when a woman is found hanging from the ship as an apparent suicide. To complicate matters more, the woman is the wife of an actor staring in a movie being shot on the ship. A movie for which Raleigh’s aunt is a “spiritual” consultant. What follows is a classic mystery as Raleigh races the clock to prove this was no suicide and to find a killer hiding among 2000 passengers before the ship reaches port.

At every turn Raleigh is stymied by suspects, family and the crew of the ship. The captain is so concerned with his reputation he refuses to believe there has even been a murder. The cast and crew of the movie are too caught up in themselves to care about anything else. Claire the Clairvoyant is a thorn in Raleigh’s side. And of all things, Raleigh is joined by Jack an agent who gave her nothing but grief the last time they worked together. As the case progresses Raleigh becomes more certain the killer is among them, more conflicted between her career and her mother’s failing mental health and less certain about the future to which she is committed.

Every time I begin a novel by this gifted author I always think, “This isn’t the kind of book I usually like to read.” But it never takes more than a couple of pages for me to forget such a misguided notion and find myself sucked in by Giorello’s first-person immediacy, unvarnished honesty, and determination to peel back the façade of human goodness to reveal what lies beneath. It isn’t just the vain lives of the Hollywood elite who are being exposed in this story. Raleigh Harmon, a believer, is having yet another layer of duplicity scraped away in a painful process of self-discovery. And it is the depth of her character and the power of the author’s prose that keeps me coming back.

Captain Geert’s disdainful “Arnold Swartsinagerish” pronunciation of California will amuse you. Claire the Clarivoyant’s silly predictions of the obvious will give you relief after scenes filled with painful insights into the things that unite and rip families apart. The veneer of celebrity that unsuccessfully covers the ugliness of human nature will make your shake your head. The mystery of the who, how, and why of a murder will keep you guessing. But it is Raleigh’s story that will keep you reading. She is a unique woman who is honest about her own duplicity. She wants to do the right thing, has an undying faith in the one she follows, loves her family with sincere passion and yet is still working on solving the greatest mystery of all – the mystery of the why’s of her own heart.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Lori Twichell is a proud book geek and Jake Chism’s partner in crime at Fiction Addict. Her job is to help manage and run the day to day tasks and she, on occasion, helps stir the crazy just enough to keep it fun.

I am a voracious reader. I mean that’s probably obvious from the fact that I help Jake with the running of a website titled Fiction Addict right? But even that doesn’t really cover it. Reading is like oxygen. Sunlight for a plant. Without a book in my hands or an idea in my mind, I’m certain I would shrivel up and cease to exist. I need to read. I thought everyone was like this until I met someone who said they don’t read unless they’re forced to for some project or for school. This stopped me short. Really? There are people who don’t like to read? How is that…possible? I decided that this needed some more research. Read the rest of this entry »

Jeffrey Overstreet’s The Auralia’s Thread series has been warmly embraced by fans and critics alike since 2007 when we were introduced to Auralia and her wondrous colors. The final book in the series, The Ale Boy’s Feast, is finally here and we invited Jeffrey Overstreet to share his thoughts as the journey comes to a close. Listen in as Jake Chism talks with the author about his beloved characters, the connection between faith and art, and a glimpse at what is to come.

More about Jeffrey:

Jeffrey Overstreet is the author of three previous books in The Auralia Thread. Publisher’s Weekly called Auralia’s Colors a story “precise and beautiful… masterfully told,” and it was a dual finalist for a Christy Award. An award-winning film reviewer, he has written a moviegoer’s memoir, Through a Screen Darkly, and contributes regularly to Image and other journals. He lives in Shoreline, Washington and works at Seattle Pacific University. Find him online at lookingcloser.org.

Click here for your chance to win the entire series in our Auralia Thread giveaway.

You can subscribe to our podcast via iTunes or stream this interview below.

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Genre: Thriller

Publisher: AmazonEncore

Publication Date: February 2011

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

Shaken flips back and forth from present day Chicago to Chicago twenty-five years ago, and stops at various times in between.  Present day finds Jackie Daniels tied up in a storage locker, the next victim of Mr. K, a serial killer she’s been hunting for (you guessed it) twenty-five years.

The flashbacks give us a lot of history about Jackie, about her experiences on the force, about the people on the force and the relationships that were forged so long ago and where they are now.  There are some mistakes in Jackie’s past, both personal and professional; the effect those mistakes have in the long-term is quite serious.

A significant portion of the book deals with the hunt by the Chicago Police, and Jackie’s friends, to find her before she is killed in a most horrendous and painful fashion.  This hunt leads directly to people involved in some of the less brilliant of Jackie’s decisions and previous cases.  Most of these people are not people anyone really wants to get up close and personal with, at least not without a serious death wish.

Konrath had written another suspenseful thriller.  Although the reader knows from the beginning that Jackie is rescued (there’s a “From the Author” forward, so there is no giving anything away here), Konrath is still able to build great suspense.  He also offers several choices for “the bad guy”; again keeping the reader guessing up to the very last minute.

Shaken, as a title, is an obvious play on the way the novel is structured; Jackie’s life is given to us in bits and pieces, not in consecutive order.  It’s also a play on Jackie’s emotions during her captivity; the killer wants to break her will, and almost succeeds.  There is the continuing play on drink-related titles.  As with the title, the book plays on the reader’s fears and emotional attachment to this character – a strong woman with a lot going on in her life.

Warning: While very well written, this book is definitely not for people with queasy stomachs or people with an optimistic view of the probability of real evil being non-existent. Konrath can be very violent and sexual, either implied or explicit.  For mature audiences only.

Review copy provided by the author.

Genre: Literary, Comedy

Publisher: The Dial Press

Publication Date: January 2011

Reviewed by Jonathan Schindler

Why would Cyrus Ott, a wealthy businessman known for his savvy investment skills, leave his family and his home and sink a substantial fortune into an international newspaper doomed to fail? The answer to this question, while known to the reader, is hidden from Ott’s descendants, who assume his love of the news is what has compelled him to start this venture in Rome. They double their efforts to keep the newspaper afloat for over fifty years in Ott’s memory. Their misunderstanding provides the backdrop to The Imperfectionists, Tom Rachman’s hilarious novel-in-stories that catalogues the misadventures of the final batch of employees at Ott’s newspaper.

The Imperfectionists is divided into eleven stories, each bearing a headline from the newspaper and each story following a different character in some way connected to Ott’s newspaper. The stories follow editors, correspondents, a reader, an accountant, one of Ott’s descendants—a motley cast of characters, to be sure, but one that reveals the broad scope of the newspaper’s reach. After each story follows a short bit of history about the founding of the paper. I liked this shift from the present back to an earlier period because it allows the story to develop and gain momentum, rather than revealing the necessary facts at one shot.

What I really appreciate about The Imperfectionists is not only the breadth of characters included but also the range of situations in which we are able to see them. Characters amble in and out of each other’s stories, and a character we meet in one is likely to appear in another. I like this approach because it mirrors real life in many ways: the people we meet wear many different hats, and who they are at work is not always who they are at home. Seeing the characters in different lights fosters empathy where it might otherwise be absent.

I said at the beginning of this review that The Imperfectionists is hilarious, and it is. There are several lines and situations that had me laughing out loud, and several dry sentences that perfectly captured the working-in-an-office experience. (One of my favorites, for example: “Nobody throws anything away here; nobody knows whose job that is.”) But for a book that is in many ways comedic, The Imperfectionists is surprisingly poignant. Rachman shows the reader the funny side of life and work at a subpar paper, but he presents the characters honestly, exposing all their failings and weaknesses yet without passing judgment on them. Sometimes readers will laugh, sometimes they will want to cry, but they will always feel, and normally they will feel with the characters.

In conclusion, I will say that part of the reason why I loved this book is how I related to it. I’ve had some experience with newspapers and editorial curmudgeons (and might even be one myself), and as far as my (limited) experience will take me, I can see the accuracy (or at least the caricatured accuracy) of Rachman’s account. Sensitive readers should be warned that there are some adult situations and language in The Imperfectionists, but for readers desiring an entertaining, well-written, and character-driven look at the underbelly of a fading, albeit well-respected, institution, I can’t recommend The Imperfectionists enough.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date:  December 2010

Reviewed by Jennifer Roman

Olivia lives a quiet, “normal” life in suburban America until her Chinese father reveals on his deathbed that he has a daughter, Kwan, who still lives in China.  Olivia’s mom and latest boyfriend decide to bring eighteen-year-old Kwan to the United States, where she and young Olivia will grow up together.  Kwan regales Olivia with stories about her life in China and her ability to see ghosts through her “yin eyes.”  As the story progresses, she shares the story of her “previous lives” with Olivia as well.  Some stories are funny, some are out-there bizarre, and some are sad and touching.  Olivia doesn’t know whether to believe her sister until she and her husband Simon go to China to do research for a magazine article and take Kwan with them.  There Olivia finally understands Kwan’s superstitions, stories, and undying loyalty.

The Hundred Secret Senses follows Olivia’s upbringing with Kwan and proceeds into her adult life.  Periodically, it is peppered with Kwan’s stories that include the difficult history of China.  Narration easily changes from Olivia to Kwan and back, illustrating their perspectives on life.  Olivia sees her flaws and the down side of things, while Kwan tells how it really is, either oblivious or not caring how other people react to her stories.  Many times Americans think of foreigners as people who are silly or clueless, even stupid, because they do not behave the way Americans do.  Olivia certainly thinks this of Kwan, but when she gets to China and lives in Kwan’s world, she realizes just how wrong she is.  This is a great story of love and understanding, and any fan of Amy Tan will thoroughly enjoy it.

This story, because told candidly through Kwan’s perspective, contains a lot of violence.  It is not gang-fight or shoot-‘em-out violence; rather, it is about daily living violence.  She describes how people kill and eat livestock or wild animals.  She spares no detail when, for example, explaining how to kill and dress a chicken.  She talks about how the native Chinese reacted to the Christian missionaries and how the war affected them.  Kwan describes in detail a compound fracture on a woman’s leg.  In summary, she tells about life how it is: gory, violent, and difficult.  It is not meant to offend, merely to enlighten readers who may never see anything as difficult as the characters have.  One must consider this if faint of heart.  In addition, there are a few profane words throughout the story, including the “F-word.”  Readers who don’t want to expose themselves to such vulgarity should not read this book, but if one takes the situations and language in context, it should be a wonderful read.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Little, Brown

Publication Date: September 2010

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

Dave the Potter by Laban Carrick Hill tells the true story of a South Carolinian slave from the 1800s. Both skilled and literate as a slave, Dave crafted exquisite pottery and wrote his own poetry on many of the pots. This book follows the potter through the making of one such pot, as told by a narrator.

A real depth, almost akin to oils, fills Bryan Collier’s watercolor illustrations, which take the reader into the southern setting Dave knew. The play of light and nuanced details in the illustrations make this a truly beautiful book.

Much like the poems Dave inscribed on his pots, the book shares his story with a lyrical quality. Each vivid word is carefully chosen, making the book a pleasure for the ears as well as the eyes.

Includes a bibliography, list of websites, author’s note, illustrator’s note and a collection of poems by Dave. An outstanding book for further classroom or home discussion.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Fantasy, YA

Publisher: Living Ink Books

Publication Date: April 2011

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Hadyn Barlow and his brother, Ewan, have never wanted to live in the middle of nowhere Missouri, but after the tragic loss of their mother that is just where life has brought them. Making the best of the situation they set out to help their father with some chores while on Thanksgiving break. Amidst their work they discover a mysterious stone formation hidden on their land. The discovery is highlighted by a frightening encounter with four large birds that seem to be delivering them a message. It seems the formation they have uncovered is an ancient rune stone that serves as a portal to another world. As the brothers explore this fascinating new land they soon discover that their arrival is anything but coincidence. Darkness threatens to destroy the ancient world of Karac Tor and Hadyn and Ewan have been called to fight it.

The Book of Names is everything you could want in an epic fantasy adventure: Good vs. evil, wondrous landscapes and settings, intriguing characters, mysterious magic, and action scenes galore. D. Barkley Briggs works his own brilliant magic as he weaves all of these elements together into a dazzling journey that leaps off the pages as each new chapter unfolds.

Briggs will no doubt be lauded for his clever writing and delectable prose, but his strength is his ability to tell a story. We are given characters that we care about and clear cut heroes and villains that we love to cheer and loathe. Themes of faith and redemption ring loud and true without seeming manufactured or irrelevant to the story. In the end Briggs gives us a delightful taste of what is to come with a brilliant twist that will surely send this series in an altogether exciting new direction.

Young and old alike will be charmed and captivated by D. Barkley Briggs and his exceptional storytelling prowess. The Book of Names is certainly worthy of your attention and the perfect first installment to what is sure to be a groundbreaking new series.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Little, Brown

Publication Date: October 2010

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

Logan, Miles, Daisy and Phillip are competing in the Annual Candymakers Contest. They meet at Logan’s family’s business, the Life is Sweet candy factory, for a tour and to begin preparing the most inventive, tasty new candies possible before moving on to the competition. But beneath the surface lie hidden motives; each contestant conceals secrets. As they prepare their unique confections, those secrets begin to unravel and the contestants find they must join forces or lose all.

The book reflects a charming combination of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory paired with The Westing Game—part scrumptious candy, part complex mystery, with the child heroes front and center. Multi-layered characters provide the perfect complement to this intriguing plot. The pacing is steady, not speedy, but the attentive reader will be rewarded as clues begin to be revealed.

Lots of twists, surprises and fun candy-making information will keep tweens drooling for more. The Candymakers by Wendy Mass is deliciously satisfying.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Harper

Publication Date: February 2011

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

On Monkey Island, life is good, but there’s still a bit of work to be done. Oswego Pete, on the other hand, believes the Easy Life is out there, waiting for him and his monkey companions. He challenges Chief Uh-huh Freddie for the leadership of the monkey troupe. Oswego Pete will show them the Easy Life and then they can vote for who should be leader. Thus, the five monkeys venture out into the wilderness. After being pursued by a lion, chased by a shark and bored by hippos, the monkeys find that “easy ain’t always good and a little work ain’t always bad.”

Looking for the Easy Life by Walter Dean Myers is a frolic through misguided monkey shenanigans. The language and rhythms remind readers of an urban setting, not a relaxed island paradise, an interesting twist that readers will either dislike or adore.

Either way, children will delight in the characters’ adventures and in the pictures. Hilarious illustrations of toothy monkeys and other critters fill this fun, funky book.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Jake Chism is a self diagnosed book junkie and the founder of FictionAddict. Read more about him here.

As long as I can remember story has held an incredible power over me. I think it all started with Saturday morning cartoons in the early 80′s. I was head over heels for Scooby-Doo, He-Man, She-Ra (yes, I’ll admit it) GI Joe, and Transformers. My love for those iconic animated series soon transformed into a total fascination with all things Star Wars. A fascination, I must admit, that has only grown over the years and has become ingrained into my very being. My Star Wars fandom isn’t as intense as those who collect unopened action figures or those who are ready to throw down when discussing the “Han shot first” debacle. My love for Star Wars has been and always will be story-centric. I could care less about action figures, autographs, conventions, and collectibles. Instead, give me the films (prequels included), give me the Clone Wars animated series (which is way better than you think), and give me some healthy doses of the ever growing Star Wars Expanded Universe (novels for me…I’m just not a comic book guy). I just can’t get enough of the story.

It’s not always been about Saturday morning cartoons and Star Wars for me, though. That’s just where my love for story began. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s been a lot of buzz lately about Marc Schooley’s latest novel, Konig’s Fire. This one more than lived up to the hype in our minds and we couldn’t wait to chat with the author about it. Listen in as Jake Chism and Marc Schooley talk about his writing, the possibility of a “plant men” sub genre in speculative fiction,  and his experience with Marcher Lord Press.

Read our review of Konig’s Fire here.

More about Marc Schooley:

Marc Schooley is a Texan, which may be empirically verified if you ever hear him speak. He is a Christian philosopher, theologian, Bible teacher, speaker, musician, and Christian fiction writer who welcomes you to communicate with him at marcschooley.com. MS Quixote—which may or may not be Marc’s alter ego (a special commission has been established to investigate this matter)—wouldn’t mind a note every now and then as well. With regard to alter egos, MS Quixote wears glasses and Marc does not, so the mystery is a bit difficult to unravel.

You can subscribe to our podcast via iTunes or stream this interview below.

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Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: January 2011

Reviewed by Shaun Stevenson

Thomas Nelson has been hitting YA gold lately. With their wildly good Dreamhouse Kings by Robert Liparulo, The Homelanders by Andrew Klavan, The Lost Books by Ted Dekker & Kaci Hill, the publisher has been a real powerhouse in putting out solid fiction with solid stories and characters. And now, Jon S. Lewis enters the fray with his equally great Invasion, book one in the C.H.A.O.S. series.

Colt McAlister’s parents are dead. And he doesn’t understand what’s happening. Especially when he has to move in with his grandfather in Arizona. Things aren’t quite what they seem to be, and soon more questions are flying around than Colt has answers for. And then things get really crazy as Colt learns the truth: this planet isn’t alone. And there are evil forces threatening to invade. And now it all falls to Colt — can he save the world and keep his friends alive at the same time?

Lewis isn’t a stranger to the YA world. With his popular Grey Griffins books, he definitely knows what he’s doing. And he creates a fun universe filled with all kinds of strange stuff from shape-shifting aliens to flying motorcycles and jet packs. The writing moves along swiftly, and Lewis balances character and plot well. The chapters are fairly short, but don’t feel too stunted or quick. Some of the action scenes are top-notch, often reminiscent of Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider books. Things leave off well at the end of the story, but not so much that Lewis has nowhere to go next time around. A sketchbook of sorts is included detailing different characters and highlighting possible future mysteries to be solved.

But this isn’t just a straight-up, non-stop action extravaganza. Lewis takes some time to dive into the emotions behind Colt losing his parents, and issues of revenge and being open to others. Colt’s character is well explored and given enough depth to keep things interesting. A couple of side characters do tend to seem similar, but overall, Lewis does a good job with his supporting cast.

At times Invasion almost reads like a fun nostalgic throwback — mixing elements of stories like The Rocketeer, Captain America, and 1940′s action-adventure serials into something new and fun. Lewis will definitely gain many new fans through this series. I know I’m one.

Book purchased by reviewer.