Fiction Addict

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Multnomah Books

Publication Date: July 2011

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

“Happily Ever After”

The words inspire anything but happiness in Bridget Pickwick-Buchanan. She is a tree-huggin’ and animal-lovin’ widow who has yet to move past the death of her husband four years earlier. When the family estate is put up for sale, Bridget makes it her mission to find an eco-friendly buyer.

J.C. Dirk, an Atlanta developer known for his green projects, seems like the perfect candidate, if only he would return her calls. Not one to let go or be dissuaded, Bridget makes the trip to Atlanta where she barges in on one of his meetings. Though none too happy by the interruption, J.C’s interest is peaked upon discovering her family name. Before long, J.C. is planted in North Carolina and it seems like more than just the estate is in danger of being handed over to the handsome developer as Bridget fights to keep the reigns in on her heart. But with family ghosts rattling in the closets, real life is much more complicated than in the Little Golden Books she reads to her niece. Bridget has learned all too well that fairy-tale endings are sometimes just that…fairy tales.

Restless in Carolina by Tamara Leigh is a gold mine waiting to be discovered. Picking up the book, little did I know the surprise I was in for. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Publication Date: April 2011

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

“I confess that I am an accessory to a crime that is ongoing and to a murder that is going to happen very soon […] I don’t want to be a part of it, but it’s too late to stop.”

With those words the mysterious woman flees Father Aiden O’Brien’s confessional.  He doesn’t know who she is. He doesn’t know where she comes from or where she is going. And he is bound to silence by the seal of the confessional.

Alexandra “Zan” Moreland’s life is slowly coming together after her son vanished two years earlier. Her interior design business is on the brink of success. Maybe there is hope of her achieving some semblance of normality amidst the constant nightmare that has been her life since Mathew’s abduction. Then on what would be his fifth birthday, a witness reveals pictures showing Zan as the kidnapper.

Reeling with the shock, Zan insists she is innocent, but proving it becomes even harder when someone accesses her financial accounts and wipes her out, ruining her credibility. The police, her ex-husband, even her strongest supporters, Alvirah Meehan and Father O’Brien, all believe she is guilty. With the clock steadily ticking, Zan must prove her innocence before the police arrest her. However, the truth comes at a price. Every step she takes toward discovering it brings her closer to the person who wants her dead.

Once again, the Queen of Suspense lives up to her title. In I’ll Walk Alone, Mary Higgins Clark delves into the world of identity theft. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Guideposts

Publication Date: April 2011

Guest Reviewer: Tara Norman

Every mother wants to see her daughters happy and settled and trust me, Caroline Dodge was no different. In fact, to add a little fun to the mix, Caroline Dodge was a hopeless romantic when it came to anything Jane Austin related.  Her last dying wish was for her two daughters, Ellen and Mimmi to travel to England together and attend a walking tour of Hampshire, England, to explore where Jane and her sister lived. The two sisters assume their mother’s wish is for them to learn about all things Jane Austen and become an Austenite like her. Little do they know….

Once they arrive in Hampshire, one last package from their mother has yet to be opened. The sisters were instructed not to open the envelope until they arrived in England. When Ellen opens the package it’s an utter and complete shock to them. Their mother has left them Cassandra’s (Jane Austen’s sister) diary!

Reading through Cassandra’s diary, Ellen and Mimmi discover that the two main characters in Sense and Sensibility, Marianne and Elinor Dashwood, were inspired by Cassandra and Jane’s relationship. They also find themselves identifying with the Dashwood sisters. This also means that the Dodge sisters work together to solve several riddles they found in the diary.

Then tragedy strikes. Just as they are reconciling and making headway with the riddles, the diary is stolen. Several people from the tour come to mind as the thieves: Mrs. Gwendolyn Parrot, the Jane Austen expert: Ethan Blakemore, a debonair descendant of Jane Austin who recently inherited an estate: Daniel, Ellen’s first real love from college who is now an antiques dealer that showed up on the tour per Caroline Dodge’s request before she died. Who could have swiped this all important precious piece of history?!

Beth Pattillo’s The Dashwood Sisters Tell All is a modern-day spin on the Jane Austen classic with a bit of mystery mixed in. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve recently been blown away by Isaac Marion’s debut novel, Warm Bodies. Listen in as Jake Chism and Lori Twichell discuss the book and chat with Isaac Marion about his backwards journey to publication and the story behind the best book trailer we’ve ever seen.

We’re also giving away 2 copies of Warm Bodies and we give all the details on how to enter the giveaway in the podcast. Enjoy!

Read our print reviews of Warm Bodies here.

More about Isaac Marion:

Isaac Marion was born in north-western Washington in 1981 and has lived in and around Seattle his whole life, working a variety of strange jobs like delivering deathbeds to hospice patients and supervising parental visits for foster-kids. He is not married, has no children, and did not go to college or win any prizes. Warm Bodies is his first novel.

This podcast can be downloaded via iTunes or streamed below:

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Genre: Romance, Horror, Suspense

Publisher: Atria

Publication Date: April 2011

Jake Chism’s Review:

R is a zombie, but R is so much more. He certainly looks the part with his trademark gait and rotting flesh.  Sure he loves to munch on human brains as much as the next dead guy, but something is changing inside. He just met this human girl named Julie on a hunting raid and instead of eating her, he’s decided to save her life and hide her from his friends. In this post apocalyptic world where zombies prey on human survivors, this is certainly a no-no. But R can’t help himself. Julie is causing him to do something he didn’t know he was capable of doing: to feel.   For the first time in his death R has found a reason to live.

The plot summary above does no justice to Isaac Marion’s breathtaking debut. Neither do the “zombie love story” nor “zombie Romeo and Juliet” monikers others have given it. Like its main character, R, Warm Bodies is so much more than what we see on the surface.

The story is told in the first person from R’s POV and (I can’t believe I’m saying this) I’d place this first person narration on the level of Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas. Marion writes like a seasoned pro, making this the kind of story that will send aspiring novelists and veterans alike into fits of jealous rage. Not only is this Isaac Marion’s debut, but he sold the movie rights before the book was even written, much less published. Yeah, the kind of stuff that only happens in publishing fantasy land, but nevertheless the final product is more than worthy of the hype.

Marion infuses the well balanced plot with beautiful themes of compassion, creativity, and humility. R’s “courting” of Julie is beautiful to behold, leaving us with countless scenes that will sear in your mind long after reading. For example, I will never forget R’s Frank Sinatra record skipping serenade that is nothing short of literary genius.

Fans of the zombie mythology will find plenty here to satisfy, but Marion deftly avoids the pitfalls of gratuitousness and overindulgence that one might expect in a zombie tale. There’s more than enough gore, violence, adult content, and language here to warn sensitive readers, but the journey is more than worth it for readers who long to be moved by their fiction. Read the rest of this entry »

Jake Chism chats with NY Times Bestselling Author Andrew Gross about his new novel, Eyes Wide Open. Listen in as Andrew Gross talks about the personal tragedy behind this story, his early encounter with Charles Manson himself, and what’s next for his fans.

More about Andrew Gross:

In 2009 New York Times bestselling author Andrew Gross received the most horrifying phone call of his life — his deeply troubled nephew’s body had been found at the base of a cliff on the Californiacoast. Haunted by this tragedy, Gross turned to his own form of therapy – writing novels. The result is EYES WIDE OPEN (Harper Collins; July 12, 2011) his break-out novel that tells the story of a family haunted by a secret past.

Andrew Gross is the author of The New York Times and international bestsellers The Blue Zone and The Dark Tide, and coauthor of five No. 1 bestselling novels with James Patterson, including Judge & Jury, Lifeguard, and The Jester. Gross lives in Westchester County, New York, with his wife, Lynn. They have three children.

This interview can be downloaded via iTunes or streamed below:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Genre: Military Suspense/Thriller

Publisher: Barbour Publishing

Publication Date: July 2011

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

Canyon “Midas” Metcalfe has made many mistakes. The scars on his wrist are proof to his pain, desperation — and failure. He couldn’t even take his own life without messing it up. But that was two years ago. Now he’s part of Nightshade, a covert group of men who are in the business of restoring life and peace to the broken parts of the world — if only it would work for him too.

For the past six months, Danielle Roark has lived every woman’s biggest nightmare. Taken captive by a Venezuelan war lord, she’s been raped, tortured, and broken. Managing to escape only leads her into another living hell. Her government, the people meant to protect her, accuses her of fabricating the story and committing treason — a crime punishable with death. Returning is her only option. But how can Dani survive the jungle that nearly killed her? And what does she hope to find when some of the best secret ops have returned empty handed?

Canyon and Dani’s lives intersect at her court hearing. Their connection is instantaneous.  Now it is up to Nightshade to escort her safely back to Venezuela and secure the evidence needed to prove her innocence. But can Canyon keep his focus with a beautiful, tragic woman threatening to steal his heart? He can’t afford not to, because this is one mission some will stop at nothing to make sure fails.

Ronie Kendig is brilliant in the third installment of her Discarded Heroes series, Wolfsbane. Heart-pounding suspense and adrenaline-pumping action keeps the reader pinned to the edge of the chair. Kendig carries her audience through the dangers and perils of the Venezuelan jungle as Nightshade fights to save Dani. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Publisher: Dutton Adult

Publication Date: April 2011

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Jennifer and Beth work at the same newspaper. They’re also best friends. They share everything together. Unfortunately, they usually use their work email to share it.

Lincoln works at the same newspaper but Jennifer and Beth don’t know him. They’ve never heard of him and they have no clue that Lincoln is tasked daily to read their email. As an internet security expert, it’s Lincoln’s job to make sure that everyone at the company is using their email for a specific purpose: work. Beth and Jennifer use their email for a specific purpose and it’s got little or nothing to do with work. The more Lincoln reads, the less inclined he is to warn them off of using their email even though that’s his job. You see Lincoln has become a silent third partner in their friendship.  He has found himself personally invested in their lives.  And trust me, he knows how absolutely creepy and strange it is. That’s why he’ll never approach either Jennifer or Beth about what’s happening. It just muddles things further when Lincoln realizes that he’s fallen in love with Beth.

Attachments is an absolutely delightful old fashioned love story wrapped up in modern day technology. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Zondervan

Publication Date: June 2011

Reviewed by Tim George

Day of War is the story of a restless mercenary and the warlord rumored to one day be king to whom he pledges his allegiance. Benaniah’s troubled spirit has not been satisfied with skirmishes with Amalekites, Philistines or even one-on-one contests with man eating lions. But in the mysterious warlord David, he senses something of destiny. Something worth living and dying for.

By way of disclaimer I must admit Biblical novels are not my favorite. Too often writers, in an effort to spin a good story, try to one-up the sacred account. Plus, telling a story in which anyone who has read the original already knows the plot and giveaways is seldom done with the effect of great fiction. In this case debut author Cliff Graham has not only managed to stay true to the Scriptural and avoid the usual pitfalls of such novels but has raised the bar to level that will take quite a while for anyone else to surpass.

Once joined with David’s men, Benaniah soon becomes acquainted with what the troops call, The Powerful Three, Josheb, Eleazar, and Shammah. They have all been on a campaign far from their home base of Ziklag bolstered by iron weapons from the Hittite Keth, a master forger. We are warned in the preface that this is a story of war written by a man who has seen it firsthand. There are pulse pounding battles with killer lions, terrifying raids on helpless civilians and heroic charges against overwhelming odds. This is the story of David’s Mighty Men, a diverse and disaffected group of warriors held together by their leader’s charisma, military leadership and the unyielding sense he hears from a God that has become a dim memory to those he leads.

What sets this story apart, however, is the depth Cliff Graham plums, in exploring the nature of manhood and the relationships forged between those men in the most horrific of circumstances. Benaniah is a great warrior but he is also a man beset by guilt, insecurities and nagging frustrations.  Many of David’s band of misfits simply follow him for the sake of plunder and women. But Benaiah perceives something more in the warlord many call The Lion. He sees a man of purpose with a supernatural destiny. He sees a man who hears a voice he wishes he too could hear and understand.

For those who say fiction from Christian publishers do not touch on the realities of life enough, I suggest they might rethink that after reading Day of War. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Romance

Publisher: St Martin’s Griffin

Publication date: March 2011

Reviewed by Melody Ballard

Joy Harkness lives an ideal life; she is middle aged and in her prime.   She is a distinguished professor at Columbia University, is financially stable, confident, successful, and is well liked. One day she realizes that the foundation of her life is crumbling and that much of what she values may be only a facade.

She leaves New York and travels to Massachusetts to begin a new life and career at Amherst College.   She buys an old Victorian home in which to live and her life is forever changed.  What she believed to be a home remodel project becomes a major home reconstruction.

She is soon immersed in her work at Amherst, in the lives of those around her, her home and her new handyman Teddy Hennessy.  She is no longer able to hide behind a veil of sameness in New York; she is now in the spotlight. She becomes part of the team at Amherst with a niche of her own. The personal nature of the community is foreign to her as well as the openness of those around her. She begins to understand who these people are and their connectedness with each other, and she is part of this.

Teddy Hennessey has a genuine love for what he does.  He has an eye for shape and form and color and he understands what fits and what doesn’t.  He makes the needed repairs on this beautiful but neglected home. With his talent for transformation, and his love of poetry and history, he is able to show Joy a world of possibilities she never imagined.  She becomes increasingly aware that the love of her home and her feelings for Teddy grow stronger as the restoration nears completion.

From colorful anecdotes of her adventures in dating the men she calls “coyotes”, to both tearful and laugh-out-loud events, we find ourselves joining Joy as both her house and her life are transformed in The Season of Second Chances. Written in the first person, you will captivated by the depth of the characters, the vivid imagery and the strong but believable plot. At times both uncomfortable and intriguing, this novel is one you don’t want to miss.

Review copy provided by publisher. 

Congratulations to the winners of the 2011 Christy Awards!

Check out our reviews of some of the winning novels (for a full list of winners go here):

Sworn to Protect by DiAnn Mills (Contemporary Romance)

The Reluctant Prophet by Nancy Rue (Contemporary Series)

The Bishop by Steven James (Suspense)

To Darkness Fled (Blood of Kings Book 2) by Jill Williamson (Visionary)

Motorcycles, Sushi & One Strange Book by Nancy Rue (Young Adult)

Genre: Romance/Suspense

Publisher: Penguin Group

Publication Date: June 2011

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

Dead bodies are a dime a dozen in Lucy Trask’s world. She’s a medical examiner and death holds no surprises for her. All that changes when she stumbles across the mutilated corpse of a friend while jogging through the park. When a trail of tortured bodies is left for Lucy to discover, one thing is certain. Someone is out for revenge, and Lucy is somehow at the center of the killer’s endgame.

Death and violence are nothing new to Afghanistan war veteran J.D. Fitzpatrick. He has seen his share of gruesomeness. However, the mutilated bodies that keep appearing reach a whole new realm. With each murder, J.D. is convinced the killer is reserving Lucy for his/her grand finale. As J.D. struggles to protect the beautiful and independent ME, he finds himself losing control of his heart and emotions. Protecting her becomes as much a personal task as it does his job. But how can he keep Lucy safe with all the secrets she’s keeping? Somehow, he must convince her to trust him.

You Belong to Me by Karen Rose is a gripping novel that stole my breath as my heart beat faster. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Howard Books

Publication Date: June 2011

Reviewed by Tim George

In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women centered on the living Christ. Then the church moved to Greece, where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome where it became an institution. Next, it moved to Europe, where it became a culture. And, finally, it moved to America, where it became an enterprise.

That quote from Richard Halverson sets the stage for The Judas Gospel, yet another imaginative and intensely thought provoking novel by Bill Myers. Using the device of a supposed conversation between Judas and God we are quickly transported away from heaven to the stage of South Central Los Angeles where a cast of divergent characters offer a glimpse of the best and worst of the American church.

At the center of the story is Rachel Delacroix, a young woman with a troubled past that includes the death of her mother and sister in a terrible house fire, a stint in a mental institution and an abiding fear of anyone beyond her immediate family. Home just six months, she has backed off her medications and begun to have troubling dreams that always seem to end with the same two words, “Tell Them.” But when Rachel obeys the dreams and tries to pass what she has seen along to the police her troubles are only about to really begin.

Though her minister father does his best to protect her, Rachel comes under the influence of a new visitor to their church. Jude Miller knows Rachel has the gift of healing and he sees big things in her, and his, future. Unlike Judas of old, he doesn’t intend for this young woman’s gift to be squandered in small venues. As her notoriety grows Rachel become a star much too big for a tiny South Central LA congregation populated by the faithful few. And so, as she becomes the focus of a police investigation into the killing of a high official, thousands clamor for a healing touch. It all began as a simple dream and honest longing to serve God but becomes something beyond anyone’s control.

The Judas Gospel has many layers. On one level it is a straightforward thriller complete with distrusting police, a deranged stalker, unsolved murders and a ticking clock that foreshadows a dramatic conclusion. At a deeper level this is also a study of the American church small and great. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Classic Parody, Humor

Publisher: Quirk Classic

Publication Date:  May 2011

Reviewed by Jennifer S. Roman

Derived from Franz Kafka’s classic, The Metamorphosis, The Meowmorphosis is a fun take on the story of a man being changed into a bug overnight.

Instead of being changed into a bug, Gregor Samsa is changed into a fluffy, cute kitten.  His sister is enamored with him and takes care of him as she would a beloved pet, but his parents are worried because until this transformation, Gregor has been the primary breadwinner for the family.  Now his parents and sister all have to find jobs.  Gregor, meanwhile, escapes the family apartment and explores the city with a new perspective.  While doing so, he discovers a whole new vein to his city.

The Meowmorphosis is a quick, fun read, much like the Metamorphosis is.  The writer uses a much lighter language than Kafka does and manages to maintain a less serious tone.  The situation is still dire for Gregor and his family, but it doesn’t seem to weigh as much on them as in the original.  Coleridge manages to make some references to Kafka’s work throughout the story, which makes for some laughs on the reader’s part.  Kafka wrote his story in a darker setting, while Coleridge ended up with a story relying on humor.  It was a fun read.

The Meowmorphosis relies on language and on poking fun at Kafka’s original, so it does not employ any violence or profanity.  It also is clean in the sense that there is no sex or other inappropriate themes.  There really is nothing offensive in this story, although at times some of the characters get a little philosophical.  While this is nothing offensive, it does make some of the reading a bit difficult to comprehend.  In general, the book is a quick and light read that people should enjoy.  Those who like fun versions of classics should have a good time with this one.

Review copy provided by publisher. 

Genre: YA, Mystery

Publisher: Random House 

Publication Date: August 2011

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

The Black Heart Crypt holds the bodies, and ghosts, of generations of Ickleby men – not a one of them a decent person.  Virginia, Sophie, and Hannah Jennings have sealed the ghosts in the crypt; the only way they can get out is if someone undoes the black stone heart puzzle used to seal the spell.  Zach Jennings is the nephew of the Jennings sisters; he can see ghosts, as could his father George before him, until the sisters helped George lose that particular gift.  They are ready to help Zack, if he wants them to.  Of course, the Ickleby’s may have something to say about all of this.

Zack’s friend Malik undoes the puzzle, thereby releasing the Ickleby’s.  He does this not knowing what solving the puzzle will do, although he and Azalea, Zach’s other good friend, soon find out.  Halloween is not a good time to be releasing ghosts; the veil between the natural world and the supernatural world is very thin at Halloween, and the Ickleby’s know this.  They try their best to continue their evil ways, although the Jennings sisters are fighting them at every turn.

Grabenstein has written mysteries for adults as well as the Zach Jennings series.  While his plots are pretty straightforward in the Zack books, his characters are just as well developed and subject to growth as those in his other series.  The series gives young male readers something that isn’t all that different from the world they know, and still it challenges their imaginations and reasoning abilities.  Readers can see, over the three books that Zach gets through things by thinking them through, by doing the right thing, and by enlisting help from his friends and family.  Zach grows up a little bit in each book.

Caveat Emptor: Minimal language issues, minor violence, definite references and acceptance of the supernatural world.

Review copy provided by the author.