Review of first three books of The Rhea Jensen Series

The Rhea Jensen Series is written by Sheralyn Pratt.  Rhea is pronounced Ray.

Rhea is a young woman living California.  Her mother died years earlier from cancer and got her daughter to agree to remain a virgin although the family is not very religious.  Her father still lives in the family home and is her biggest champion.  Her best friend Kay isn't sure why she choose the job she did, but a friend is a friend.

I have read the first three books in the series and there are more.  The first book was excellent and the writing made it easy to read and a quick read.  Her boyfriend dumps her, gets another girl pregnant and upset she won't sleep with him.  She meets a Mormon missionary and starts taking the lessons.  She works as a private eye and does a really good job at it.

Although this is geared towards the LDS/Mormon market, I think anyone would enjoy the first and second book.  To me, the third book seemed a little tired and old.  After reading the third one I decided I didn't want to read the other books.

The first two books get a 4 1/2 star review while the third book will only get a 3 star review from me.  I would definitely recommend the first two books to anyone who likes an adventure with a little romance included.  The third book would be up to you.  It just kind of went around and around and around.

Life gets in the way

oh boy...

Life has gotten into the way.  I got to do only an hour's worth of editing this morning because I am sewing 10 [yes 10] Little Orphan Annie dresses [ yes Little Orphan Annie dresses].  A friend works with the 8-10 year old girls at church and the Saturday before Fathers' Day the girls are taking their fathers to see Little Orphan Annie play in Draper.

But, I did get some editing done today and with brain storming with two friends I have finally got the hitch I need for my story, An English Summer.  Yes, I know I said it was finished, but that doesn't mean done.  There are at least two times you do the edit and sometimes more, depending on the story.  For me, it looks like maybe 5 or 6 edits.  Oh, I hope not.

Thanks for the help this morning Bici and Emily.  I really do appreciate it.

Review of Betsy Brannon Green's Murder by Design

Betsy Brannon Green has an easy style of writing and tells a great story.  Here heroine is a small town librarian named Kennedy Killingsworth and the story is set in Midway, Georgia.  She is divorced because she caught her husband cheating on her at the drive-in theater.

This book and the rest in the series fits into two categories.  First is romance and second is murder mystery.  Kennedy goes on an adventure trying to figure out who killed the victim and why.  Her ex-husband is a deputy and keeps getting in the way.  She's over him, but he's not over her.

Her ex isn't the only one she has to contend with.  There is also the library customer who complains if she is only one minute late, but she's the town's pest.  And there is also her mother who has been scandalized by her daughter's divorce, never mind the fact he was caught at the drive-in, in the back seat with another woman.

She catches some of the Southern ways in her story, but lacks in others.  This is the second in a series and you can enjoy it without having read the first book.  I did.  She has written another series and other books, but I have not read them.  It was a good read and I would give it four stars.

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Persuasion is my favorite novel by Jane Austen and ties for all time first place with To Kill A Mockingbird.

Here are a few quotes from Captain Wentworth to Anne Elliot.  Who would not want such sweet words said to them by the man that they love?

 “Dare not say that man forgets sooner than a woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you.” 

(Captain Wentworth - Persuasion)

"You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. 

Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever."

(Captain Wentworth - Persuasion)

Julie Wright Blog Repost

Good morning fellow bloggers and blog readers.  I found the following top ten reasons you should be an author on Julie Wright's blog.  She has given me permission to repost her blog here.  To see her original blog you can go to her website; www.juliewright.com.  There you can find out more about this author and her blog by clicking on the link at the top of her website.

Thank you Julie for allowing me to repost your blog.  My favorites are numbers 1 & 10.  If all I'm doing in a particular day is writing or editing what I've written I'm not getting dressed.  What's the point?  The cat doesn't care.

Top ten reasons you should be an author:

1. It’s one of the few jobs that can be done in your pajamas.

2. When your spouse comes homes and finds you lounging around on the couch with a book in your hand, you can always smile and say, “I’m studying my genre.”

3. No one gives you a second glance when you start talking to yourself, because that’s just what crazy writers do. It’s expected.

4. You can write off vacations from your taxes as research as long as you use the locations in your writing (I think my next character needs to hike Machu Picchu).

5. It’s one of the few jobs (besides being a lawyer or politician) where you get paid to make things up.

6. If you’re in a foul mood you can blame it on your characters misbehaving, or you can blame it on a cruel Goodreads review. No fair jury would convict you.

7. Unlike reality, you have time to come up with smart remarks and clever comebacks so your characters can always sound brilliant even if you don’t.

8. You get to throw around words that make you sound important like, “My editor,” or, “My agent,” when you’re talking to people who were jerks to you in high school.

9. You can count the hours you spend messing around on Facebook as important marketing time.

10. If someone ticks you off you can write them dead in your next book.

5 Star Review for Josi S. Kilpack

Blackberry Crumble by Josi S. Kilpack

Modern Miss Marple: A Magnet for Murder? by Jane Seeley, feature reporter, The Denver Post

Local "celebrity" Sadie Hoffmiller had been involved in a number of unfortunate situations that have taken her to crimes from London, England to Miami, Florida and even in her own backyard of Garrison, Colorado.  But is she truly and unwitting bystander in all these investigations? Is she, perhaps, even the cause...?

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I agree with Seeley, as the story unfolds, the reader wonders if Sadie is the cause of the murder, the murderer, or just an innocent bystander.  It is worth reading to find out.

I love Kilpack's writing style and prose.  It is easy reading, the story is good and Sadie is not your typical heroine.  She is in her early 50s, rounder than most women and has two semi-grown adopted children; they're in college/working.  On top of that, her boyfriend is a police detective.

Blackberry Crumble is a culinary mystery that is the third in the series, but the first one I read.  It was fast moving and enjoyable.  You can read this book without reading books one and two of the series.  I strongly recommend this book if you love great adventure, a cozy murder and a sweet romance.  You could also start from the beginning if you love books that are done in a series.

Kilpack's website is: www.josiskilpack.com

Enjoy the adventure!

5* for Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden

I received Seeking Persephone for Christmas from a good friend of mine.  She asked me what I wanted and I asked for several different books and this was one of them.  It was a good request.

I absolutely enjoyed the story and was sad when it was over.  There is a sequel, and I will have to get it, but this story is over.  I do strongly suggest that you read it if you like Historical romance novels.

Persephone has several younger sisters and the family is in dire straits financially.  She declines and then accepts the offer of marriage from the Duke.  The castle is cold and forbidding and the Duke isn't any better.  There are wild dogs that roam outside the castle walls and they are a major problem.

Will Persephone be able to get through to the man she married without meeting, or will the vicious dogs win?  You must read to find out.

Blogosphere and Publishers

I was wondering about the blogosphere looking for more writers' blogs to follow.  I guess my computer thinks I speak Spanish as a lot of those came up.  The ones where you the internet asks if you want it translated into English.  There were about 9 or 10 blogs that were in a foreign language and all but one was in Spanish.  The odd one was in Korean.  How strange.  I guess it's just what comes up next.  I found no writers' blogs, only a lot of religious pages and pages in a foreign language.  Maybe another time.

I did a lot of editing this morning and got a lot accomplished, although it does not look like it.  I am down in word count, but that is okay.  My novel reads better and is much smoother.  The sentence structure is a lot cleaner too.  And that's what I need, a cleaner novel or no publisher will want it.

Now it comes to publishers.  I am writing a historical novel, but instead of Regency I am writing Victorian.  Does anyone have any suggestions of publishing houses I could just out and out send my manuscript to or a publishing house I could send a query to.  I am open to all.  Or, maybe you think I should send a query letter to a fantastic agent you know about.  Let me know.  I need all of the help I can get.

I love The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry.  It's a great story and series.  If you like murder mysteries with a little romance on the side then this is the book for you.  This book gets 5* from me.

Interview with Paul Yoder, author of The Covenant

Here is an interview with author Paul Yoder for his new book The Covenant.  I normally read romance and murder mysteries, but it never hurts to get out of our comfort zone and read something different.  This will be placed on my to read list.

The Covenant by Paul Yoder

What can you tell us about your book Paul?

Dr. Carver, who is the head of the English department at Stanford University, would not be the most likely of men to embark on a mission to save a group of kidnapped kids from devil-worshiping zealots in an underground facility, but after trailing a suspected colleague, and witnessing a kidnapping first hand, his pursuit quickly lands him in an underground bomb shelter, renovated as a secret monastery for a cult that calls themselves "The Bracken Covenant."

Dr. Carver and the group of kidnapped kids struggle to survive the horrors of the elaborate underground cultist den. Outnumbered and vulnerable, with the kids being easy targets for not just the demonic zealots, but the wretched, feral animal experiments that the zealots keep underground, Dr. Carver has to lead the kids through trial after trial of both man and beast to escape before the covenant can cave in the underground passages, trapping them inside a den of evil—doomed to share the same fate as the hundreds of tortured spirits that reside there.

Genre: occult/suspense fiction

On Amazon for $2.99

Where did the idea for the story came from?

The idea for the story came from a dream I had, as with most of my books. I actually wrote a short story from this dream (the foundation story for what would later become Tome of Victims) for a grad school application. The program only accepted 10 students per year, and I didn't get in, so I had this pretty good short story on my hands. I worked it into a novella length story and saw potential in perhaps making it the beginnings of a series. After publishing Tome of Victims earlier this year, I made a goal to publish the first novel-length book in the series before the year was through. I wrote it in half that time (a little less than three months to be exact). I really got taken up with the story I guess.

What made writing this book different than writing your last book(novella)?

Novellas are interesting forms of writing. I guess I view them as a hybrid of a short story and novels. Open endings that make your reader think are acceptable in short stories, not so much in novels, and so with my novella, I left the ending quite open, mainly to set the stage for the following books. I didn't leave curtains open with the ending of this book though. The actors take a bow and the curtains shut, giving the reader a sense of completion. That’s hard to do—making a coherent and satisfying ending I mean. Even though there will be another book in the series after The Covenant, I feel that a reader could read this book without touching the other books in the series and still be satisfied with the read, not feeling like they’re missing something.

Is there anything else you would like readers to know about The Covenant?

I discuss religion moderately throughout the book (due to the setting being mostly in a devil-worshiping cultist hideout), and there are some violent set pieces—but I don’t think that should scare anyone off. I treat both subjects respectably. I don’t feel the violence is overdone, and as far as discussing religion goes, I understand that everyone looks at religion in a different light, and I worked very hard to make sure I don’t offend anyone’s sensibilities on the subject.

The story, in the end, is really about two people dealing with the world around them, and figuring it out for themselves—each coming to their own conclusions about life.

What can you tell me about you the author, Paul Yoder?

As a teenager, I knew what I wanted to be: a writer. I was dissuaded a bit by adults who told me that writing wouldn't get me anywhere in life though, and it took me quite a few years to really start writing seriously. I’m finally getting some books out into the world, and though it’s been tough, financially, emotionally, testing my dedication and ego, I’m slowly building up a penned library of books, from “City of Town” to “Tome of Victims” to “The Covenant,” and I already have another book done (unpublished currently) in a new series that I’ll be writing.

I hope to reach a lot of people out there with my writing. Growing up, reading shaped who I am today. It helped me to become a better person: more understanding, patient, and thoughtful. What precious gifts books can bestow us with. If I can provide that to others, my goal will have been achieved.

I love Clive Cussler's writing.  I have read his novels for more than 30 years yet he has been writing since 1973.  If you love adventure, danger, history and a great ending, then this is the author you need to read.

This is Emily Tippetts first novel. Maybe you will want to start from here. Come check it out and then continue reading with the rest of her books. Enjoy yourself.

E.M. Tippetts new book is now available on Amazon.


Emily is a writer of romance, sci-fi and fantasy novels. She publishes both traditionally and self-publish. She is originally from New Mexico, USA but is presently living in London, England with her husband and children. So, if you want something good to read, please come andcheck out one of her newest books. You will be delighted by what you read.

Brenda Birch Gallaher: Please go to the following link to get a copy of E...

Brenda Birch Gallaher: Please go to the following link to get a copy of E...: Please go to the following link to get a copy of Emily tippetts novel Caslte on the Sand http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008ZGNMDS/ref=as_...

Brenda Birch Gallaher: As I go through my writing journey I have learned ...

Brenda Birch Gallaher: As I go through my writing journey I have learned ...: As I go through my writing journey I have learned several things.  Things that I will need throughout my writing career. One: Do your best...

As I go through my writing journey I have learned several things.  Things that I will need throughout my writing career.

One: Do your best to write in the correct tense in the beginning.  That way it is something that does not need to be edited when you come to that process.  It is already done.  Of course, there will be times when you forget, but that's caught in the editing process.

Two: After you finish your novel you are NOT done.  Not by a long shot.

Three: Do an edit for structural errors.  Do you have commas where a period should be an vice verse.  Are you using a colon instead of semi-colon.  All of this is important.  If there are too many errors the publisher will dismiss it.  They want a polished manuscript, or one with very little errors in it.

Four: Find a beta reader.  This person will be someone who reads and/or writes in the same genre as you do.
Five: While your manuscript is at the beta reader you will do another edit.  This time, you will read your story out loud as you edit.  Does it sound right?  Does it read smoothly or are there bumps along the way?  As you read out loud you will make more changes.

Six: Listen to what your beta reader says.  You may not agree with everything they have to say and you may not make all of the changes they suggest, but you have asked them for their advice so please listen to what they have to say.

Seven: After all of your edits, including the one from the beta reader, get another beta reader.  They may catch something or have a different point of view than the first one.  And again listen to what they have to say.

Brenda Birch Gallaher: My novel has been completed for several weeks now ...

Brenda Birch Gallaher: My novel has been completed for several weeks now ...: My novel has been completed for several weeks now and I have finally come up with a title for it.  And I do mean finally.  I've been try...

Brenda Birch Gallaher: I just got from our first critique group meeting. ...

Brenda Birch Gallaher: I just got from our first critique group meeting. ...: I just got from our first critique group meeting.  There are five of us in the group and three of us showed up.  It was a very productive ni...

Brenda Birch Gallaher: iWriteNetwork: Grammar Tip: "Try and" vs. "Try to"...

Brenda Birch Gallaher: iWriteNetwork: Grammar Tip: "Try and" vs. "Try to"...: iWriteNetwork: Grammar Tip: "Try and" vs. "Try to" : by Donna K. Weaver Our own Laura Josephsen caught me on this one...

Brenda Birch Gallaher: Now that I have a little time I am going to do som...

Brenda Birch Gallaher: Now that I have a little time I am going to do som...: Now that I have a little time I am going to do some book reviews.  Talk about books that I love and would definitely recommend to others for...

Brenda Birch Gallaher: Since my first review was a book to read, this rev...

Brenda Birch Gallaher: Since my first review was a book to read, this rev...: Since my first review was a book to read, this review is a book not to read.  I found A River In The Sky by Elizabeth Peters to be boring a...

Brenda Birch Gallaher: I'm writing reviews of books I've read in the last...

Brenda Birch Gallaher: I'm writing reviews of books I've read in the last...: I'm writing reviews of books I've read in the last year or so and sort of in the order that they were read. I would like to sugges...

Brenda Birch Gallaher: Today has been very productive, although some may ...

Brenda Birch Gallaher: Today has been very productive, although some may ...: Today has been very productive, although some may not think so.  This morning while editing I dumped 189 words.  I'm sure there would ha...

Today has been very productive, although some may not think so.  This morning while editing I dumped 189 words.  I'm sure there would have been more lost, but I also added words.

Then, this afternoon, after conferring with my beta reader I did some more dumping and adding and ended up with an additional 104 words.

I want to thank both E.M. Tippetts and Cindy Whitney for their help today.  Emily has been helping for quite some time.  Cindy is my beta reader and she has been helping me with POV and voice.  It may seem like an easy thing to catch onto, but it isn't so I am grateful to Cindy's help.

I have edited the first 4 chapters for a second time and they read much more smoother now.  I'm not saying they are perfect, just that they are so much better than when I started the novel.

An English Summer is coming along a lot better than last week.

Thank you for the help ladies!

I'm writing reviews of books I've read in the last year or so and sort of in the order that they were read.

I would like to suggest N.C. Allen's The Pharaoh's Daughter.  I love History and Egypt and love stories and this book is all three rolled into one.  While you read you feel as if you are on the ship or in the market or actually stuck in the cave.  She writes to make you feel as if you are part of the group of people she is writing about and that is good.  You forget that you are actually reading and you feel that you are part of the story.  This is the second in a series and there are more.  I have not read them yet, but they are on my to-read list.  I think N.C. Allen's books should also be on your to-read list.

Since my first review was a book to read, this review is a book not to read.  I found A River In The Sky by Elizabeth Peters to be boring and I did not have any affinity for the characters.  I actually did not care if any of the good people in the story survived their journey or not.  In fact, I disliked it so much I didn't bother to continue to read after the middle of the second chapter.  I just couldn't force myself to continue to reading.  The writing was okay, but I just did not like the people in the story.

Now that I have a little time I am going to do some book reviews.  Talk about books that I love and would definitely recommend to others for their reading pleasure.

My favorite all time romance novel is by Jane Austen.  It is Persuasion.  I love Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth.

The story that Jane Austen tells is of two lovers separated by a nosy busybody neighbor who thinks she knows everything.  It has everything that is needed for a good story; love, separation, a dishonest man, meddling, disagreement, a near tragedy and a good friend for Anne.  A good friend who tells her what she needs to know to protect herself.

I like Jane Austen's writing style.  It is easy to read and flows well.  It helps make one get invested into the characters that are presented.

So, if you want a good read, choose Persuasion by Jane Austen.

iWriteNetwork: Grammar Tip: "Try and" vs. "Try to"

iWriteNetwork: Grammar Tip: "Try and" vs. "Try to": by Donna K. Weaver Our own Laura Josephsen caught me on this one when she was reading my book, A Change of Plans . It's one of those ...

I just got from our first critique group meeting.  There are five of us in the group and three of us showed up.  It was a very productive night and I learned a lot.  the story isn't as bad as I thought, but I knew there were things that needed to be fixed.  At least I thought some things did.  I was right on a few things and wrong on a few others.  So I feel better.  Thanks Michelle and Ben for the critiques. I appreciate your input.

I am so excited.  I just got a beta reader.  I am progressing in this process.  Thanks for the help Cindy.

My novel has been completed for several weeks now and I have finally come up with a title for it.  And I do mean finally.  I've been trying to figure out a title for the book since Chapter 2.  I have 31 chapters so it's been awhile that I've pondered on it.  so here it is"

An English Summer

        by

Brenda Birch Gallaher

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kuer/events.eventsmain?action=showEvent&eventID=1347316

This is a free writing coaching at Salt Lake Community College.  Check it out and see if it will be of help to you.


http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kuer/events.eventsmain?action=showEvent&eventID=1347316

I have done a lot of editing today, but still have plenty to do.  I now have 62,231 words on my novel.  Not bad, but still needs the work done on it.

I took a break today.  I didn't do any editing.  I was so busy do so many other things.  But I will be back to work tomorrow.

I have done a lot of work today on my editing.  I dumped about 200 words so that I could make scenes read better and more smoothly.  The good part is, I also added another 1,079 words.  All important words until an editor reads it and says dump this or that.  Oh, I hope not.  I am more than half-way through my first edit. Yippee...

Aspen, the mean girl in the story is wrecking havoc on a nice picnic.  She's calling her cousin fat and slapped another girl's hand when she offered her sliced cucumbers.  

What will happen to Aspen in the end?  Who knows?  Oh, I guess that would be me since I've already finished the story and I'm now editing. lol...

I have been editing this morning. I'm very busy trying to get this done so it becomes publish ready. And of course, as a writer, we never think we are publish ready. We just have to figure when to let our baby go and send her off. My editing is going well. Thanks to all of my friends who have supported me while I write.

Long Ago Love

Long Ago Love  This is another Historical Romance blog.

Living Authors

Okay, have you met any living authors?  Who are they?  Have you met them in person or online?  Do you like what they write?  Who are they and why do you like their writing?  What do they write?

I have met in person both Clive Cussler and Prudence Bice.

I am sure that everyone knows who Clive Cussler is.  He's been on the NY Times Best Sellers list since the 70s.  I love his books and still have a few to finish before I can buy the more current ones he has out.

On the internet I have met and talked with E.M. Tippetts and David Handler.

Now I know what you're thinking.  These four authors are so diverse how could I possibly like them?  It's easy.  They are all great writers and tell a good story.  So, if you get a chance and haven't read any of them, pick up one of their books and enjoy some ME time.

It's new

I really should have done this post first, but couldn't resist in announcing that my book is done.  But this is my writing blog and I just started it today.  Please, leave me a note, join my blog and say a prayer my book will be accepted by the publisher once I send it off.  Thanks for stopping by.

It's finished!!!

Finally, my historical romance novel is finished.  I finished it on Saturday, May 4, 2013.  Oh boy...this is exciting.  I am now in the editing process.  Can this get any better.