Book Reviews - June, 2006

Abduction
Wanda Dyson

Lock the doors and get under the covers. Once you open this book, you won't be able to put it down. And yes, the subject matter is scary. I liked the characters enough to keep reading in spite of my heart pounding. My husband makes fun of me when I read a book like this because I hold it far away from me with my eyes slightly averted like a monster is going to rise up out of the pages and consume me. This book was definitely a thriller and a chiller. I finished it very quickly which is usually how I rate a book. Quick reading means I couldn't stop reading. Of course, that also means I get nothing done around the house but a good book makes life worth living. I enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters. The action was fast-paced. I enjoyed the suspense. And I was surprised by the ending—something that usually doesn't happen to me. I will be reading Wanda's next books in this series as soon as I can get my hands on them. I met Wanda at Write His Answer. She was a sweetheart. She blessed me by her very presence.

And Baby Makes Five
Debra Clopton

I really enjoyed this story. The characters almost jump out of the pages and into your lap as you read. Lilly was a riot. Her character was very well done. I felt drawn into this story rooting for Lilly and Cort to put aside their differences and get together. And Samantha, Lilly's donkey, was a riot! I was laughing at all the hysterical situations these two went through. I'm looking forward to reading more of Debra's books. She has such a great style about her writing.

Pieces of Silver
Maureen Lang

Liesel Bonner has a choice but it is the most horrific choice she's ever had to make. Because of her nationality, she's been let go from the job she loves. She is pressured by her next employer to apply under a false name which makes her the target of an FBI investigation that doesn't just involve her but the man she loves and her entire family. I read Pieces of Silver by my wonderful friend, Maureen Lang, with bated breath. I joined Maureen's writing group after she'd already written this one so I had no prior knowledge of the book but I knew Maureen's writing was excellent. I wasn't disappointed. The story moved me. I won't forget the characters Maureen so vividly brought to life. I won't forget their turmoil or their struggles or the events she brings forward that so scarily mimics our own time. I know Pieces of Silver is just the beginning of a long and illustrious writing career for Maureen.

The Father's Voice
Joanna Bradford

Brenda is a successful lawyer, something her father has always wanted her to do. But when she reacquaints herself with Russell, who is a janitor, she's surprised by the choice she has to make. She is immediately attracted to Russell and when she sees that he heads up a center for inner city youth, she is drawn to his spirituality and strength. But then she struggles with the thought of "dating down" and hates herself for it. But wasn't working as an attorney her dream as well as her father's? As she grows closer to Russell, she sees that she needs to listen to another voice, the voice of her Heavenly Father. I was drawn into Joanna's book as I read. I could picture her characters and feel their struggles. Joanna is a talented writer and the world I read about came to life for me. I loved the story and enjoyed all the characters. I've been privileged to know Joanna for a while and she is a wonderful person. I know Joanna listened to her Heavenly Father's voice when writing this book and I can't wait to read more of her books.

Sahm I Am
Steeple Hill Café
Meredith Efkin

One of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time. Since I’m a Mom who works outside the home, I thought maybe I wouldn’t be able to identify with this book. So not true! I laughed till I cried all the way through it. The characters were so real, I’ve wished I could join the email loop myself at times. I know I’ve met Rosalyn the super spiritual topic of the week person. Probably every woman has a Rosalyn in her life. Did I meet her when I met my neighbor who ground her own wheat for whole wheat bread or when another acquaintance showed me her perfectly manicured nails in spite of the fact she ‘d just deep cleaned her house on a lark over the weekend and kept her nails looking great the whole time! How is that possible? I want to know. Based on the emails in an email support loop, it took me a few pages to completely figure out who everyone was, but once I did, found nonstop fun. Need a book that will make you look up at the ceiling and say, “I know these people.” Then read this book.

 

The First Five Pages,
A Writer’s Guide to Staying out of the Rejection Pile
By Noah Lukeman
Simon and Shuster

This book was short and sweet (good for those of us who are attention challenged) and contains much commonsense advice. Advice that I should already know, I might add, but somehow this knowledge stays in my head and doesn’t often flow to my fingers when I’m writing. Talks about how a good editor knows within the first five pages (actually according to Lukeman, the first five sentences) whether the writing is good or not. To new editors he advises reading the first five pages, the middle five, and the last five, which was nice of him since I’m sure most of us writers hate the thought that we really are judged the first five pages of our work. Of course, when I read other people’s work, I can usually tell something of the writer’s talent in the first five lines or so, but I still hate to think that my own work is judged that way. Now let’s hope Lukeman’s advice takes for me and my work really does stay out of the rejection pile. I’ll let you know.

 

Getting Into Character
Brandilyn Collins
John Wiley and Sons

This title is definitely for a writer or an actor because I made the mistake of saying to one of my friends that I’d read a book called “Getting Into Character” and my dear friend who shall remain nameless said, “And that’s something you need to learn?” I said, “The book is talking about characters in a novel not being a character.” She nodded so I’m not sure what that means. Loved this book especially about how to bring up emotions we feel so we can transfer them to our real life characters. After four novels, I am finally beginning to understand the importance of characterization (okay, I’m a slow learner) so this book has great advice for any writer trying to make their books multi-dimensional and full of people the reader won’t forget.