Irene Hannon brings back the romantic suspense with her Private Justice Series.
Vanished is the first of Hannon's new series, Private Justice. Moira Harrison has gotten herself lost in a torrential downpour. She can't see more than a few feet in front of her car and she doesn't know where she is. Suddenly someone is standing on the road in front of her. She slams on the brakes but it is too late. She is going to hit the woman in the road. When her car comes to a stop off the side of the road a man is there checking on her. He offers to call 911 and disappears to check on the woman in the road. An hour later Moira wakes up. There are no rescue vehicles, no police, no good Samaritan, and no body in the road.
The police attribute her confusion to a concussion so Moira takes her information to Private Investigator Cal Burke. Cal agrees to look into but can't seem to find any more evidence than the police did. He can't tell a Pulitzer Prize nominated reporter that she is crazy though.
Through determination the evidence begins to multiply. Cal and Moira piece together the information until they find the good Samaritan. Or is he?
Enjoy the beginnings of a new series. Hannon came out of the gate running with this one. I'm looking forward to the rest.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
The Heart of A Hero series
The Heart of a Hero series by Shelley Gray.
A Texan's Promise
A Texan's Honor
A Texan's Choice
I'm not really big into historical fiction books. It was a different culture back then and I'm a bit of free spirit and can't relate to woman who won't speak unless spoken to. I read A Texan's Promise and couldn't wait to dive into A Texan's Honor. Then I discovered A Texan's Choice was being published and I anticipated the third book. Gray's female characters aren't pushovers but they aren't brash women either. Her Texan Heroes are good men who sometimes have to do bad things. A former soldier, an undercover agent, and a gunslinger all have blood on their hands. Together though these men and the women they love are stronger together.
A Texan's Promise
Clay Proffitt is the foreman of the Circle Z Ranch. One night he discovers Vanessa Grant in the barn bruised from her stepfather. Determining he can't allow this to happen again he takes her away to leave with his sister. The problem? This means weeks on the trail alone together. Clay wanting to protect Vanessa as best he can marries her. It's Vanessa's dream come true. Clay worries he's only taken her from one bad situation to another. As Clay tends to Vanessa's physical wounds can she help him heal his internal wounds? A Texan's Promise takes us to the days of Cowboys. Clay has a good heart but will he surrender it to Vanessa?
A Texan's Honor
Jamie Ellis boarded a train intending to go live with her spinster aunts after her parent's death. Unfortunately that train was being robbed by the famous Walton Gang. Will McMillan and the famous gunslinger, Scout Proffitt, are in charge of the hostages. Things escalate quickly when the Gang's plan goes awry. Will removes Jamie before she can get caught in the crossfire between the Marshalls threatening to end the Walton Gang once and for all and the Walton Gang insistent upon living another day. Scout Proffitt is sent to kill Will and Jamie when they are discovered missing. Jamie trusts Will despite his apparent crooked ways. Can she forgive him after she hears the secret he's been keeping from her?
A Texan's Choice
At the end of A Texan's Honor, Scout Proffitt was looking for a clean start. He'd won a homestead in a game of poker and was ready to settle down. He wanted to hang up his gun belt and live his life in peace or as much peace as a former gunslinger could find. He didn't expect his homestead would come with a cast aside woman by the name of Rosemarie. When Rose's mother and sister find out that their deceased father gambled away the Circle C Ranch, Rose's mother takes the opportunity to unload her dreamer of a daughter. Rose abandoned offers to assist Scout in improving the neglected homestead until she can make other arrangements.Interfering neighbors soon descend and Scout and Rose find themselves married. No sooner are they married then Scout's skills with a gun are needed to stop a band of renegades terrorizing ranchers.
A Texan's Promise
A Texan's Honor
A Texan's Choice
I'm not really big into historical fiction books. It was a different culture back then and I'm a bit of free spirit and can't relate to woman who won't speak unless spoken to. I read A Texan's Promise and couldn't wait to dive into A Texan's Honor. Then I discovered A Texan's Choice was being published and I anticipated the third book. Gray's female characters aren't pushovers but they aren't brash women either. Her Texan Heroes are good men who sometimes have to do bad things. A former soldier, an undercover agent, and a gunslinger all have blood on their hands. Together though these men and the women they love are stronger together.
A Texan's Promise
Clay Proffitt is the foreman of the Circle Z Ranch. One night he discovers Vanessa Grant in the barn bruised from her stepfather. Determining he can't allow this to happen again he takes her away to leave with his sister. The problem? This means weeks on the trail alone together. Clay wanting to protect Vanessa as best he can marries her. It's Vanessa's dream come true. Clay worries he's only taken her from one bad situation to another. As Clay tends to Vanessa's physical wounds can she help him heal his internal wounds? A Texan's Promise takes us to the days of Cowboys. Clay has a good heart but will he surrender it to Vanessa?
A Texan's Honor
Jamie Ellis boarded a train intending to go live with her spinster aunts after her parent's death. Unfortunately that train was being robbed by the famous Walton Gang. Will McMillan and the famous gunslinger, Scout Proffitt, are in charge of the hostages. Things escalate quickly when the Gang's plan goes awry. Will removes Jamie before she can get caught in the crossfire between the Marshalls threatening to end the Walton Gang once and for all and the Walton Gang insistent upon living another day. Scout Proffitt is sent to kill Will and Jamie when they are discovered missing. Jamie trusts Will despite his apparent crooked ways. Can she forgive him after she hears the secret he's been keeping from her?
A Texan's Choice
At the end of A Texan's Honor, Scout Proffitt was looking for a clean start. He'd won a homestead in a game of poker and was ready to settle down. He wanted to hang up his gun belt and live his life in peace or as much peace as a former gunslinger could find. He didn't expect his homestead would come with a cast aside woman by the name of Rosemarie. When Rose's mother and sister find out that their deceased father gambled away the Circle C Ranch, Rose's mother takes the opportunity to unload her dreamer of a daughter. Rose abandoned offers to assist Scout in improving the neglected homestead until she can make other arrangements.Interfering neighbors soon descend and Scout and Rose find themselves married. No sooner are they married then Scout's skills with a gun are needed to stop a band of renegades terrorizing ranchers.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Self-Control? Gun-Control?
There is a lot of talk about gun control going on right now. The debate as to whether owning one is a right or a privilege. Can you control who owns a gun? Can you control who uses a gun? I don't believe this debate needs to be around gun control. The only one who controls a gun is the person who has their finger on the trigger. This is a self-control and respect issue. The first time I handled a gun I was approximately ten years old. Before I touched the gun, I was given rules and taught to respect the power of the gun. Since that first day I have enjoyed target practice and I prefer hand guns. From birth I was raised to respect people and take responsibility for my actions. This translates to a respect for the power of the gun but even more so a high value for other's lives. A gun is no more dangerous than a car, cigarette, knife, or cow manure. You can place a ban on guns all you want but until we learn to view each other with respect and kindness, we'll just find new ways to kill each other.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Safe Haven
Before the movie comes out, I read the book. A few thoughts.
Safe Haven is another typical Nicholas Sparks offering. He doesn't depart from his usual formula which makes Safe Haven an easy read on an afternoon when staying indoors is welcome.
Katie has arrived in Southport after a roundabout journey. She finds a job at the local eatery and keeps to herself. Slowly she becomes friends with Jo, her neighbor, and Alex, the owner of the local store. Jo, Alex, and Alex's two children draw her out from her self-imposed exile.
This is where I find fault with Sparks' writing. He often tells instead of showing us the growing relationship between the characters. Sparks uses dialogue as though he has a limited supply. Once we finally reach the point in which Katie is conversing with someone besides the customers the diner, dialogue dries up. I would have appreciated more moments between Alex and Katie as they pursued a relationship. We get glimpses into their respective thoughts on a relationship but they don't seem to talk it out. If they do converse it is over almost as quickly as it begun and it is resolved with a wave of the hand.
Eventually Katie opens up about how and why she arrived in Southport. We're introduced to Kevin, Katie's estranged husband. Kevin is perhaps the most interesting of the characters. We spend a lot of time in his head which is a fascinating journey as his drinking evolves.
Things come to a head when Kevin tracks Katie down in Southport. We learn her real name and the lengths Kevin will go to reconcile with his wife.
The reveal with Jo was probably the lowest point in the book. I didn't see it coming and when it did I was disappointed. It decimated for me a lot of Katie's growth.
Sparks as usual gives us some wonderful quotes on life and love. He always presents a fascinating point of view on the growing relationship between two people and where they are in life. I just wish he had given us a bit more content to connect with these characters more.
Safe Haven is another typical Nicholas Sparks offering. He doesn't depart from his usual formula which makes Safe Haven an easy read on an afternoon when staying indoors is welcome.
Katie has arrived in Southport after a roundabout journey. She finds a job at the local eatery and keeps to herself. Slowly she becomes friends with Jo, her neighbor, and Alex, the owner of the local store. Jo, Alex, and Alex's two children draw her out from her self-imposed exile.
This is where I find fault with Sparks' writing. He often tells instead of showing us the growing relationship between the characters. Sparks uses dialogue as though he has a limited supply. Once we finally reach the point in which Katie is conversing with someone besides the customers the diner, dialogue dries up. I would have appreciated more moments between Alex and Katie as they pursued a relationship. We get glimpses into their respective thoughts on a relationship but they don't seem to talk it out. If they do converse it is over almost as quickly as it begun and it is resolved with a wave of the hand.
Eventually Katie opens up about how and why she arrived in Southport. We're introduced to Kevin, Katie's estranged husband. Kevin is perhaps the most interesting of the characters. We spend a lot of time in his head which is a fascinating journey as his drinking evolves.
Things come to a head when Kevin tracks Katie down in Southport. We learn her real name and the lengths Kevin will go to reconcile with his wife.
The reveal with Jo was probably the lowest point in the book. I didn't see it coming and when it did I was disappointed. It decimated for me a lot of Katie's growth.
Sparks as usual gives us some wonderful quotes on life and love. He always presents a fascinating point of view on the growing relationship between two people and where they are in life. I just wish he had given us a bit more content to connect with these characters more.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
2013
Happy New Year!!!
2013 is here. I love the New Year. There are 365 days ahead in which to own this year. I am always filled with such hope and anticipation for what the new year will bring. I'm optimistic about the opportunities and grateful for new beginnings.
My wish is that you have a Happy New Year. Full of love and kindness. May this year you see your dreams come true. This year dig a little deeper. Look a little harder. Push a little further.
God bless!
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