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Showing posts with label Bell Bridge Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bell Bridge Books. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Book Review: Forged in Death by Jim Melvin

This is wonderful, action packed, storytelling!
Forged In Death, Book 1 of The Death Wizard Chronicles
by Jim Melvin

  • File Size: 644 KB
  • Print Length: 260 pages
  • Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (August 20, 2012)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0


Book Description
Publication Date: August 20, 2012
Enter the realm . . .
Book One, The Death Wizard Chronicles.
Only a Death-Knower can die. And live again.
Only a Death-Knower can return from death. And remember.
Only a Death-Knower can tell the world what he's seen. Not all care to listen.
For a thousand years, none have rivaled the power of Torg, the Death-Knower wizard, as he ruled his people and kept peace on Triken.
Now a new threat has suddenly arisen. The evil sorcerer Invictus is greater even than Torg, and his greed and ambition threaten to engulf the land in eternal darkness. When Invictus imprisons Torg in a horrifying pit bored into the solid rock of a frozen mountain, the fate of Triken hangs in the balance.
Torg becomes freedom's final hope, but first he must die to earn the victory.


Review:
Torg is a Death-Knower. You learn later in the book that he has lived for thousands of years... occasionally dying and returning, by force of will, to his body with more knowledge to continue his journeys and his battle of good over evil.

As this story begins Torg is captured by forces of the evil sorcerer Invictus. Torg and his desert warriors could battle the evil army but they would risk the lives of many innocents. Over the objections of his men, Torg trades himself as a hostage for the release of the innocent villagers and the safety and freedom of his own warriors.

Torg threatens death to any of his own who might break the agreement and try to follow him. Yet one brave, and impetuous, female warrior, Sobhana, dares to track him. She receives the unexpected help of a dragon, a mighty and powerful being who is one of the last of his kind. He is not under the mind control of Invictus and he has attempted to remain - or appear to be - neutral.

Torg is placed in isolation in painful torture and depravation. It is quite gruesome to read what Torg suffers. Sobhana schemes to rescue him before he dies, not realizing he can die and return with some strength to fight and escape.

Once Torg returns he has new insights and each day is a new adventure. There are many horrible creatures to fight,  strange new friends to help him recover and mystical powers to be gained from the earth and nature (trees). Torg is visited by a ghostly presence who he helps and who tells him glimpses of his future. Torg’s thousand years of celibacy is broken in trade for assistance and power.

I was consistently pulled by the imaginative fantasy of the characters and the metaphysical world created by Mr. Melvin. There are some harsh images of torture and some sexual scenes that make the story more appropriate for adult reading. This is fast paced with good action and always something new on the next page! If you are a fan of fantasy I recommend that you check this out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Torg is a warrior of integrity and good:
Torg believed that in order to combat Invictus he would need to perform an act of virtue that would help to even the scales between good and evil. Location 371.
Torg explains to another, but less powerful, Death-Knower who is frustrated by his lack of bravery and skill:
“You’re ashamed of your success as a gardener and your failure as a warrior. But what you don’t comprehend is that a gardener is the superior being. Nourishing life ranks among the highest states of wisdom, destroying life among the lowest.” Location 2881
I received this from Bell Bridge Books through NetGalley for my honest review.
I will add this to my New Author Challenge List.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Book Reviews: Desperate Housedogs and Get Fluffy by Sparkle Abbey

This is a light read and fun romp with the dogs.
by Sparkle Abbey
  • File Size: 513 KB
  • Print Length: 202 pages
  • Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (October 17, 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B005WZL0RK
Genre: Mystery
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Product Description
When Caro Lamont, former psychologist turned pet therapist makes a house call to help Kevin Blackstone with his two misbehaving German Shepherd dogs, she expects frantic dogs, she expects a frantic dog owner, she even expects frantic neighbors. What she doesn’t expect is that two hours later the police will find Kevin dead, his dogs impounded; and that as the last person to see Kevin alive (well, except for the killer) she is suddenly a person of interest, at least according to Homicide Detective Judd Malone. Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of two mystery authors (Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter). They are friends and neighbors as well as co-writers of the Pampered Pets Mystery Series. The pen name was created by combining the names of their rescue pets - Sparkle (Mary Lee’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog). They reside in central Iowa, but if they could write anywhere, you would find them on the beach with their laptops and depending on the time of day either an iced tea or a margarita.) 


Review:
Caro is a pet therapist and proprietor of Professional Animal Wellness Specialist (or PAWS) Clinic.  Caro deals with some high strung clientele in Laguna Beach, California - human, canine feline and occasionally other critters. Caro and her cousin, Melinda, are both former Texas beauty queens who escaped from their demanding mothers. They might be grand friends if they weren’t fighting over their grandmother’s ugly brooch which had been willed to “my favorite granddaughter.” Both claimed the brooch and part of these stories is the running theft of the brooch from one cousin and back again. It doesn’t matter if they have to break and enter or open safes...anything is fair game.

Caro visits Kevin in his private community to help calm his two distressed German Shepherds, Zeus and Tommy Boy. A few hours later Kevin is discovered dead and Caro is being interrogated by Homicide Detective Judd Malone. Malone is sexy in a macho, leather-clad, cop sort of way and he is rather serious and solemn. He is quickly irritated by cheery Caro doing amateur sleuthing as she continues the rounds of client visits seeking information while dodging nosy and gossipy neighbors. But of course Caro is intent on proving her own innocence.

The characters are nicely, if not deeply, developed. Their basic temperaments and quirks are covered, for owners and pets, adding humor to the story.  The story is told in first person by Caro and it is light and fast paced. There are lots of good descriptions of settings, fashion and pets. There are numerous animal references - like the “Fur Ball”, a “cough-up some cash” black tie affair - which I thought were great fun.

There are several possible suspects and the mystery has a few good twists before being clearly revealed.  Caro’s actions are a bit zany and Detective Malone is a bit annoyed. I enjoyed the interaction and wonder what might occur in future stories between Caro and Malone or between Caro and her new date, the mysterious, handsome stranger, Sam.

This isn’t high brow mystery or thriller material but it is a fun, entertaining romp. If you would like a quick, light comedic mystery this works well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some dog influenced passages:
The next day was another day, another dog. L963.
The ACT gallery was packed with people and their pets. It was a veritable zoo of diamonds, furs and designer togs. The diamonds were on the people, the fur on the pets, the Prad and Chanel on both. Location 1583.
*****************************************
This is another fun sleuth romp with the dogs.
by Sparkle Abbey
  • File Size: 503 KB
  • Print Length: 196 pages
  • Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (March 30, 2012)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B007RPT76E
Genre: Mystery
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0


Product Description
“A mystery worth barking about.” – Linda O. Johnson, author of THE MORE THE TERRIER, Berkley Prime Crime Disgraced Texas beauty queen, Melinda (Mel) Langston, owns Laguna Beach’s Bow Wow Boutique. Mona Michaels, Mel’s most despised client, owns a star dog, Fluffy, who's worth millions. When Mona is found whacked in the head with Fluffy’s Daytime Emmy, everyone wants Fluffy. And someone won't stop at murder to get the pooch. Secrets. Blackmail. Mel tackles the case like a dog with a bone. But can she dig up the truth before the killer buries her? I stumbled through the doorway into a mini-palace fit for a movie star. Fluffy’s palace. A white sheepskin rug in front of her personal fireplace, a king-sized sleigh bed and a dressing screen (why a dog needed a dressing screen was beyond me). Fresh, filtered water dripped into her Wedgewood doggie bowl.The room looked like it had been ransacked.Mona was sprawled on the floor as if posing for a men’s magazine. It was almost picture-perfect, except for the blood matting her five-hundred-dollar haircut and the gold statue stuck in her head. I hesitantly moved closer. Fluffy nuzzled Mona’s cheek. When she didn’t move, Fluffy pawed her shoulder, still whining. “I don’t think she’s getting up, girl,” I said softly.Mona was deader than a stuffed poodle. Sparkle Abbey is the writing team of Anita Carter and Mary Lee Woods. Visit the authors at http://sparkleabbey.com

Review:
This is book two of the Pampered Pets Mystery Series. This story came paired with Desperate Housedogs for a NetGalley review special.  I hope for the sake of the authors and publisher that this wasn’t the final release version as there were more than a few noticeable typo errors.

Melinda is the wilder cousin of Caro, the heroine amateur sleuth in Desperate Housedogs. The ongoing battle of the brooch, with each cousin stealing the brooch from the other, continues in the background of this tale.  Melinda is the owner of the Bow Wow Boutique in Laguna Beach and her own bulldog, Missy, comes complete with dog drool and other not so pleasant doggy habits. There are quite a few “hoity-toity” women in Laguna Beach and one of the snobbiest is former actress, Mona Michaels. Even her dog, Fluffy, an afghan hound, is a pampered Emmy winning star.

Mona and Melinda aren’t friends and they have a very public and humiliating tif at the fund raising Fur Ball. The argument continues the next day and that evening Melinda is the one to find Mona dead when she attempts to return Fluffy.  When Mel realizes that her best friend Darby may be the primary suspect, Mel sets out to find the real murderer. Mel is warned off by not only her on again/off again fiancĂ©, Grey, but by the stern Homicide Detective, Judd Malone, who is already unhappy with cousin Cora.

Once again there are several suspects and a weaving trail to the true villain. Melinda is a character a little over the edge for me, making such a public scene and then plunging into the investigation after being told repeatedly not too. Really, if Malone weren’t such a nice guy underneath he could have thrown both cousins in jail for obstructing justice and being reckless in their sleuthing. Ah well, it’s all in the cause of fun reading.

Each of the two books I read in this series could be read alone but I think they were fun together. I am still interested in how things will move forward for Cora and hope something develops in future stories.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome to the fancy Fur Ball:
Breezy air kisses and alcohol flowed freely, while we all pretended to be best friends. Trust me, we were one society catfight away from a hell of an entertaining evening.  Location 2645
Description of another community customer:
TV teen star and her dog, Babycakes, a Chinese Crested:
They were both so tiny they could be mistaken for keychain charms. Pooch and human were decked out in hot pink. Location 5076
Conditions:
It was partly cloudy with a chance of clearing Darby’s name.
I received these books as a pair from Bell Bridge through NetGalley.
These were set in Laguna Beach, CA and I will add theseto my ARC, New Author and Mystery Challenge Lists.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Book Review: Beyond the Misty Shore by Vicki Hinze

I like this author and enjoyed this 'haunting' story. 
by Vicki Hinze

  • File Size: 665 KB
  • Print Length: 266 pages
  • Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (October 17, 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B005WECDJA
Genre: Paranormal Romance
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0


Product Description“[A}clever fusion of humor, mystery, and romance.” – Publishers Weekly“Powerful and uplifting.” – Literary TimesWhimsy. Serenity. And a Touch of Magic. The Seascape Inn.Marketing executive Maggie Wright and artist T.J. MacGregor are linked by a mysterious car accident that killed Maggie’s cousin, Carolyn, T.J.’s fiancĂ©e. When Maggie arrives on the Maine coast determined to get answers from T.J., she discovers a tortured man who is bound to the Seascape Inn by supernatural forces. Despite the tragedy that stands between them, Maggie and T.J. begin to fall in love, seeking answers and a healing spirit they may never achieve. Vicki Hinze is the award-winning author of 24 novels, 4 nonfiction books and hundreds of articles, published in as many as sixty-three countries. She is recognized by Who’s Who in the World as an author and as an educator. Visit her at http://www.vickihinze.com.
 

Review:  This is an engaging “ghost” tale.
Maggie sets out to determine if there was foul play in the death of her cousin, Caroline.  In tracking Caroline and her former fiance, T. J. MacGregor, Maggie sees a remarkable painting that draws her to Seascape Inn in Maine.  She travels to the Inn before continuing her search but unexpectedly finds MacGregor there on the island.  She doesn’t reveal her connection to Caroline as she begins to develop a sparring relationship with this handsome but rude and aloof man.  Something repeatedly causes Maggie to feel empathy for him, encouraging her to try to help him even as he pushes her away.

T.J. MacGregor has been stuck at the Seascape Inn for nine months - literally. He may as well be a prisoner because each time he tries to move beyond the boundaries he passes out. He was originally drawn to the healing powers of the Inn to recover from grief at the loss of his parents. Now he has returned after Caroline’s accidental death but he has not been able to recover the healing peace this time. He has given up on his art because he believes his work caused the death of his parents and Caroline.

Slowly Maggie discovers the stories of the prior owners of the Inn and their great love for one another. There is a second couple too who committed their hearts to each other but were never able to share their lives as one of them died young. Maggie is enchanted by the stories but doesn’t believe in love herself having seen how her parents’ marriage was full of strife before her father walked away. She doesn’t expect any marriage in her future.

T.J. has tried to push Maggie away before he can hurt her too. Yet he doesn’t want to give her up and maybe -- if they can believe -- there could be miracles to change their lives.

Ms. Hinze weaves a tale of love that reaches beyond physical boundaries to pull Maggie and T.J. together.  Can they get past their secrets, lies and fears to share such a great love?

I really liked this author’s wonderful use of senses: smell (warm pie), sound ([chair] scrapped against the floor; the fire ... snapped) and sight (a shower of sparks, visual image, eyes sparkling).  Although there is a build up of sensual haze, the couple comes together in an act of loving, not merely in lust. I enjoyed the reluctant tug between the characters and the ghostly mystery.  Although I preferred some of Ms. Hinze’s wonderful suspense novels more, this is still a satisfactory and engaging read.
Here are some passages to give a feel for the story:
He’d once experienced Seascape’s light, its healing magic–the object. Now, he experienced its dark side, its curse–its shadows.
Location 53.

She wanted him, and she feared wanting him or anyone else because she’d seen what wanting her father had done to her mother.
Location 2069.

Changed forever.  Life-altering....Was that what was supposed to happen here? Change?
Location 2701

Read for the Publisher through NetGalley.
This is set in Sea Haven Village, Maine for my Where Are You Reading Challenge.

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