Kara Lynn Conyer First in Trilogy Creates Exciting Beginning!

“We don’t.” Her voice is stiff, suppressing anger. “By the charts, we’re some 100 miles from the Cubbarros. But both global positioning systems put us much closer, somewhere in the middle of the blackout zone.” We’re exactly where the Commission doesn’t want us to be.
"Dirk cuts Candace off in a booming voice before he even enters the salon. “OK. I need everyone to stay inside until we straighten this thing out. The Commission knows why we’re here. It’s not our fault. It’s all good.”
Lacey throws me a look that practically screams, “See, I told you!” I hope he is right. The Commission doesn’t admit to it, but everyone knows they sink any ship that wanders into restricted waters near the Cubbarros Islands. A few years ago, a navy fleet disappeared out here, and the Commission said they had nothing to do with it. Of course, no one believes them. Navy fleets don’t just disappear. The only reason we have permission to be here at all is that Dr. Warren thinks there may be something here to help stop the Fouling.
~~~

Restricted Waters

By Kara Lynn Conyer

This is the first novel in a Trilogy--one I highly recommend for YA to Adults! I loved it for a number of reasons, including that the author spotlights information about a major world issue--oil spills. But, even more important, she very effectively has identified the issue of discrimination, without even using the word... So while this is an important book for those reasons, the major reason to buy it is that it's fun, entertaining, and has much potential for exploring a major world resource, our oceans...

He nearly rips off his shirt and yanks on the fins.
As he pulls his mask down over his eyes,
 I round the stern and swim as fast as I can toward
 the bow. Jake catches up quickly.
So, I suck in a big gulp of air and dive below.
Hand over hand, I pull myself down
 the anchor chain. The bottom looks
 to be about 40 feet below the boat.
In the distance, a drop-off leads into deeper water.
I’m about 20 feet down when Jake catches up.
He grabs my fin to stop me. But then,
he stops and pulls himself down the anchor chain
 to me. He sees it, too. Just past the drop-off
a massive, dark silhouette. It looks like it could be
 the bow of an enormous ship
 reaching straight up out of the deep.
Jake grabs my arm and pulls straight to the surface.
I can’t hold my breath any longer,
so I don’t put up a fight.
“Did you see that?” I say as soon as we break
 the surface. “Shhh, be quiet,” he says.
“Jake, it was huge.” “Alannis, we didn’t
 just see that. I told you,
we’re not supposed to be here.”
~~~
 

Alannis  (which I thought was a cool name, reminiscent of Atlantis) Summers is 16 when she smartly contacts the head of a research expedition into an area around the Cubbarros Islands  in the Caribbean Sea. A crucial key about her being able to go was that she had worked hard, had the appropriate training, certification and dives to be accepted!

She would be assisting Dr. Candace Warren, who was a leading expert on marine invasive species. And, wow, right now an unidentified species was creating a major world-wide problem. Simply referred to as The Fouling, it was a black crust which hardened on surfaces, such as the underside of boats, and literally ate them...  It also consumed oil, petroleum, plastic... you get the idea! 

Ships were being lost, seafood activities had been stopped, restaurants were closing...and people were being killed...

The area around Cubbarros was being explored to see if they could find any sign of the fouling and determine if it was the same that was spreading into the Atlantic Ocean up the U. S. east coast. 

Alannis, was a normal teen who had a tendency to get involved, to seek out adventures, to get answers...and to get herself in trouble. On her first dive, she spots something that looks like a ship and immediately goes to check it out! Jake, the Captain's son follows and manages to get her back on board, rather than do what she wanted to do...go back down! They kept everything a secret so they wouldn't get in trouble...

But it was there, on that first dive that she thought she saw someone, but didn't know that somebody began to follow her...

While the team boat went on to their next location, he started to follow her underwater...

And so routine set in as they explored, looking for the black crust... But somebody was watching everything they did!

The Ocean Security Commission (The Commission) now controlled the Atlantic Ocean. They monitored all shipping. They determined where people could and  could not go. And when the expedition team needed supplies they had to get them from The Commission, by stopping in an area that was guarded at all times...

There, Alannis was taken in for questioning--about her parents, what she was doing on the expedition, how she had gotten permission to be there... 

It seemed to Alannis that too much attention was being paid to her...

But then again, there was a very good reason and The Commission already seemed to know about...the one who followed her underwater...

This is a really exciting water adventure, including diving into caves, into secret waters that were all being carefully controlled... But nobody knew who had created The Commission..or why... Action and suspense and lots of fantasy characters! I'm looking forward to the next story, because The Commission has already debriefed Alannis and "suggested strongly" that she plan on working for them after her high school graduation...Wow! What a ending! And what a hook for the next book!

Don't miss this one... and check out the links to the Trilogy site to learn more about this tale!


GABixlerReviews

Kara Lynn Conyer graduated from Syracuse University with degrees in journalism and anthropology. After many years as a writer and a science diver for an international research center, she has learned a few things about what it's like to be on an expedition in the middle of the ocean. When she's not gathering the facts, she likes to imagine what secrets might lie beneath them. Restricted Waters is her first novel.

You can reach Kara Lynn at the official Restricted Waters trilogy website: restrictedwaters.com or by email at klconyer at gmail dot com

Natalia Dobzhanska's Fables For Today... For Always...

Moses in the ark (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Leave it… His human soul, a child’s soul, 
did not yet realize that separation is 
inevitable,
it always exists… 
And no matter with whom or with what –a
 human being will have to get used to parting,
each time anew – with or without sorrow… 
The boy left the spoiled toy as if it were a
betrayed friend – to him it was alive… 
but not any more, the bird was dead. 
His father made him more and more paper
 birds,  and then he taught him to make
 the birds himself. The boy grew up,
 but his fascination with birds
 remained, he still longed to watch birds
 in flight…
and his angel’s yearning for flight did not
 pass… His peers regarded this no longer
 small boy’s passion for paper birds as unforgivably freakish. At that age they had proceeded from toy tanks, pistols and guns 
to the real weapons –  fishing rods, their 
fathers’ hunting guns, and then 
hunting for girls; 
so toying with paper birds was regarded
 as a serious deviation from the norm.
And it caused the expected reaction. 
“Hey, look – the white bird is flying!” 
the boys mocked and teased him. And 
they never missed an opportunity to destroy his paper creatures. Eventually
 it grew into a mania, and lads from all over the district hunted for his toys, enjoying 
it as an entertainment, and, at the same time, as a way to assert themselves at somebody else’s expense! “Hey, fool! 
Give us your white hen –
let it fly here, we’ll pluck off its feathers!” “And we’ll gut it, too!” It went as far as a dead pigeon thrown into his yard… shot with a father’s gun. The dead bird’s blood-stained feathers symbolized to his human, but still child’s soul, the end of 
flight, the broken wings of his dream…
“Do not be crestfallen, it is not real yet, for you will need your wings,” the angel part of his soul said,  knocking. But it knocked in vain. The silver thread blocked the contact like a thick concrete wall… 
But the night came, and the passions abated, 
and he fell asleep. And the angels came to support him, and embraced him tenderly with their fluffy golden wings, to make his repose gentle and serene. And God Himself came and cradled him... 
~~~

Not so long ago there lived people 
in the foothills
 who remembered a story told by their 
ancestors,  the legend of an iron tower.
It stood as a lonely guard on the very
 edge of the kingdom of the peaceful.
With the black pupils of its hollow loopholes
 it peered into the distance.
And it alone knew what its eyes saw:
 the past or the future, the near or the far-away…
   But everyone who,
having lost his way by some misfortune
 approached the iron tower,
felt his heart race in panic,
his tongue stick to his palate,
his hair stand on end,
and bloody visions appeared before him…
 Some made the sign of the cross
 and whispered prayers while walking past,
 but most turned headlong
 and ran as fast as their feet could carry them
 – to be as far as possible from it,
 this source of fear…
 Nobody remembered who built it, 
or when…
   ~~~

Legend of an Iron Tower: And Other Fables

Natalia Dobzhanska and Alan Knight (Translator)

All of us at one time or another have either read or told a "Once upon a time" story, oftentimes to children, especially as they are put to bed. Many stories come down through our heritage... But, for most of us at this time in the world, most have probably read them 
in books, or seen them on TV or in movies.

I wondered, as I read Natalia Dobzhanska's stories why I would not know  of at least one "God" story. Did no one in our family have a creative imagination? Perhaps they were taught that the Bible stories were those that we should know about, but no other? Then I came upon the story of "RE-LIG… (ANGEL INCARNATE)" 

And it seemed so real to me...and I wondered--what did the author mean to tell in this fable, in this story? For me, it was a story that made me think of Jesus (though it was really an Angel) coming into the present days...and how much "garbage" he'd had to 

tempt him... 

Each night this man would fall asleep and the angels would minister to him and he would sit with God and in His arms he would find peace and love and contentment and would be able to start a new day.

And then, like many of us here on earth, there came a time when he couldn't get a good night's sleep...The title story is very dramatic and you will never guess what happened...

Let's just say that those that believe guns do not kill people as the reason we should have weapons have never seen or heard of the Iron Tower...This simple fable in itself is worth the acquisition of this book...if we but allow the simple stories to make a difference

in our thinking...

I've known a few people I've called two-faced, but Natalia tells us about the man who had no face of his own...Perhaps we all need to read this one?

A fable about the doors we may choose to go through to find happiness is about a man who is alone on a deserted island. He reasons one day that there might be more like him, rather than just the birds flying by... But will one door lead him to happiness, or the next one...

I think the one that I enjoyed most, though, was about the little cloud who loved the sun...And in that simple tale, we learn about the weather! How cool is that?!

The author is from Russia; however, she and Alan Knight have done an excellent job in translation for all of us to enjoy!

Highly recommended...just to enjoy and ponder...and hopefully learn!


GABixlerReviews

New Mate Bernie Dowling Brings Aussie Music, Racing With...Murder!

"I drank too much coffee and studied lots of form,
for about two hours. Most punters have given up
studying the form closely, with so many race
meetings to choose from. Big mistake. A punter
should study the form of every horse in every race
they are likely to bet on. If I followed my own
golden rule, I might have been rich. Knowing
what's good for you is a lot easier than doing
what's good for you...
"I knocked on the glass-and-aluminum door of
Unit 4, but got no answer for my trouble. I half-
turned to go back to the car, but found the door
handle slid across easily in my hand. And so I
found myself standing in the office of Caulfield
Jones, turfologist...
"It was a little untidy. A glass was upturned near
a wet spot in the carpet. A cigarette had burned
a hole in the same carpet. White ash encircled
the cigarette stuf. And a man who I took to be
Caulfield Jones was stretched out on the floor.
"Except that I knew him as Marcus Georgio..."
~~~

Iraqi Icicle

By Bernie Dowling


Probably most of you, including myself, have wondered about the title of this novel... I'm a literalist, so to start writing my review, I immediately started searching for this rose... I searched until I found the interview where Bernie Dowling says it doesn't exist--that it is a metaphor and we were to figure out what it represented...Say What...?

Now, what's a person like me to do...yeah, I decided to think the author was a bit of a romantic, in some strange way, and forget about it! LOL After all, the novel is full of quips, sarcasm and Aussie slang that I also didn't truly understand sometime...at least until I got into the swing of the book and Steele Hill's personality...

he's weird...and check out the author pic...no wonder his character is...weird...LOL!

Well, for me, somebody who is a part-time bookie, who works diligently to receive unemployment because he's been banned from all race courses in the country, and is intelligent enough to figure out just how to do that, is indeed weird...LOL OK, maybe not for some of you potential readers, but for the rest of us "working stiffs...." I also know nothing about horse racing...nor the music of the period in which Steele Hill lived (so I found a lead group to play and learn while like I did--I enjoyed them, why about you?!)

But none of that stopped me from having fun with the book, enjoying meeting this character and watching his reaction to...

The bodies that kept piling up for him to discover...

"Brisbane, summer, 1989
"When Bub's fellow first-year acting student
Suzanne Lu dropped dead in a La Boite production
of Waiting for Godot, I thought it was in the script.
Even when Jane screamed, it seemed to fit. More
astute theatrical punters near me in the first rows
picked up on the discordant vibes and a Mexican
scream started, washing out behind us...
"Only a tiny grimace at the corner of her mouth
gave any hint that Suzanne Lu was disappointed
at her passing. Overall, her unlined face looked
serene..."

Steele's "cucumber" Natalie and her sister live in his apartment house where Natalie doesn't know he's enjoyed both sisters a time or two...

But then, Natalie gets him involved with her sister's acting career and school activities, so maybe that's fair? In Australia? In any event, that first murder was discovered while he had attended a play her sister was in...

Now, there's a couple issues about this book--it's divided into "books" and most of the characters, except for the victims of course, appear throughout each book which seems in someways like short stories.

And then there's the fact that the various books don't seem to be in order... but, if you are working to solve the mystery killings, you simply must pay attention on just about every page...well, maybe not every page, but clues that Steele doesn't "use" to figure out what is going on until much later may have been simply a part of the narrative... So that's your only warning because the author is not giving you any!

Two cops make many appearances--all to blame Steele for the latest murder. Sure, he happens to be in the vicinity, such as when he attended a school play, but you got to figure that these cops are a bit screwy???

And while all these murders are taking place, Steele gets involved in fixing a race! Actually, he's only the money guy but did make the contact to find an unidentifiable "go-fast" for the horse. And a horse is not the only one into drugs... Of course that contact later turns up dead... Honestly, you just have to go with it, because when you read a paragraph like"

A bag of fruit is walking down the street with his nose inside a plastic folder. He glances over its top edge, then pretends to be lost, backtracking down the concrete path and into a side street. That is what you call going out of your way for the unfortunate.

you just have to keep on reading, and hoping, that you'll be able to figure out how a "bag of fruit" walks...

Seriously, at one time I had dreams of going to Australia. Thinking they spoke English... But the bloke who wrote this novel kept me turning each page until the latest gig Steele was asked to get involved with made him run in the opposite direction. I think Steele is the only one who really knows who committed all of the murders 'cause I lost track! ! I told you Steele was weird, and so's the author...

I like weird...


GABixlerReviews

From the Author

If you enjoy the works of Chandler and Hammett, my neo-noir novel could be your swig of whiskey.

As an Australian journalist, I have worked in  reporting rounds such as arts and entertainment, crime, politics, human interest and sports. I  published a weekly humor column for 11 years and travelled extensively across my home State. I have drawn on all these diverse strands of his working and social life to produce Iraqi Icicle, a highly original detective thriller which is my first novel after publishing non-fiction and short stories. I present you Iraqi Icicle.

About the Author

Bernie Dowling is an Australian journalist who lives  in the  Pine Rivers district, just north of the Queensland State Capital of Brisbane.
Dowling grew up and lived in Brisbane most of his life though he has lived in or frequently visited provincial and coastal towns across south-east Queensland.
He has worked in many reporting rounds, including arts and entertainment, crime, politics, human interest and sports. He  published a weekly humor column for 11 years.
Dowling has drawn on all these diverse strands of his working and social life to produce Iraqi Icicle, a highly original detective thriller which is his first novel.
The author lives with his wife and son in Lawnton, a Pine Rivers suburb.

Fun Look Inside Publishing--Read My Review; Find Kate Mitchell's Site to Learn More!

Check Out Kate Mitchell's Site!

"You had a run-in with Bernie; I saw you in his office when I got here and
figured you could use a friend."
Suddenly Mac's ability to know exactly what she needed was starting to
bug the hell out of her.
"It doesn't matter." She waved a hand, hoping it would all go away, "I
just need to be alone."
"It does matter, Kate. I know how important your career is to you and had
this gone south it could have meant, well, we both know what it could have
meant." Mac slid into one of her leather chairs.  Kate wished he would
leave. Nothing he was saying was making her feel any better.
"Bernie will accept responsibility for nothing. Not ever. The sooner you
learn that, the better off you'll be."
"Not only did he not accept responsibility, but he also blew off the whole
freaking incident, like he's forgotten an event poster instead of the one
reason people were there: the books."
"Kate, I'm not trying to diminish this, believe me I'm not, but the quicker
you move past it, the better you'll be. People like Bernie get to these
positions by God-knows-what means. Maybe he's Edward's bastard son, I
don't know. The point is if you push this, you won't win. He will..."
~~~

The Publicist

By Christina George


Yes, I wanted to read The Publicist purely on the basis of the title since I do spend quite a lot of my time with books...LOL What I didn't want to do, however, was to be awake at 1 AM finishing the book, reading the few pages of Book 2 and wanting to call this dear lady and scream "Where the H is the next book!...or words to that effect...

Some writers have the ability of writing as if they are just talking to you, or at least it seems like that because the story sounds so real, so convincing that you feel like you actually know the new character who has been created... The back cover states: "The story only an insider could tell..." Indeed this is Kate Mitchell's story and what's more, you'll quickly find out that Kate is doing her own publicity for her book...so don't bother looking for Christine George, whoever she is...LOL I've already sent a Facebook "close friend" request for Kate, am following her on Twitter demanding to know about Book 2, and, well, you get the idea... My readers know that I hate to be kept hanging!

Kate Mitchell is a publicist in a major NY company...but, everybody should quickly know, that any female working these days will find herself in similar situations on the job...

You know what I mean...there's men there...and some of them are married...

In fact, many single women will find that there are few straight men surrounding her on the job...

But that just means that we must be even more professional, normally a more effective employee than most, and spend a lot of your own time working long hours trying to be recognized and move up... Kate is a woman with whom I would be friends and would "do lunch" with, going over the various problems we face respectively in our jobs, and gaining the sympathy and sometimes good guidance to help us through it.

And believe me, Kate gets into some fantastic situations, like being called to come "talk a suicidal writer" down from the ledge when she demands that her publicist be contacted!

Or how about the diva who absolutely must be on Oprah, or interviewed by The Talk--or whichever is the latest top TV talk program... Actually, Kate loved her job and did very well in dealing with any situation that she had to face...

including terminating the long-term contract with an author with whom she had become friends...

Of course, it was the boss who was looking at the bottom line and knew they were friends, so assigned what would normally be his job to Kate to handle... but that led to an entirely new issue which was the cause of my frustration...because it's to be in Book 2...

There was also another long-term author, who had lots of fans, but her books were not the tough, edgy, sex-filled novels that the boss wanted to have for the future. But Kate had accidentally heard about that upcoming cancellation...and, wow, you wouldn't believe how she handled that situation--I loved it! Reminded me of something I would do, but just not so dramatically...

So Kate was flying pretty high, gaining a reputation, moving toward handling top authors... There was just that one issue, you know--the one man to whom she was attracted was unavailable...

And he was attracted to Kate and had the power to ensure professional interaction increased...

Oh yeah, there's lots for any women out there who have faced similar situations to enjoy...and, men--the author included Mac's [MacDermott Ellis] viewpoint and feelings as well...so it definitely is a novel that is contemporary professional life that is anywhere and everywhere...It's meant, I think, to be a fun book and it is! It's meant, I think, to show the publishing world (and others) from an insider's perspective, and it succeeds! But, in the end, it also shares those deep personal internal thoughts that we all have when confronted with personal relationships within and without our business organization. And, after all, those are what affects our heads and our hearts the most...

Personally, this was a must-read type of book--and you'll know who you are if it is for you too... Enjoy!


GABixlerReviews

About Kate Mitchell

Only an insider could tell a tale like this. As a workaholic publicist with a big New York house, Kate finds herself at the mercy of a broken system—including books that don’t sell, and author egos as big as the island of Manhattan.


I'm a book publicist at a New York publishing house. Books are my life. Put that remote control down and pick up a book. The world would be a better place. Lives in New York, New York Born on August 22

About the Author

I've worked in publishing for twenty years (give or take). Here's what this book isn't. It's not a slam against publishing (though it is broken) and it's not a slam against authors (though some of them are crazy). This book is not autobiographical though many of the stories are true. No you won't know which ones, hell it's more fun to guess, right? I continue to work in publicity and help authors because at the end of the day I do love books, I love publishing, and I love authors. I hope you'll enjoy this romp through Kate's world as much as I enjoyed creating it. Find our more at: thepublicistnovel.com

Reggie Ridgway's Horror Introduces Readers to Scorched Earth Protocol...

Moon Shadow

USAMRIID Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The soldiers on board the C130 knew their lives were in danger when they joined the service. Pepper felt a tinge of regret for allowing his men to be in harm’s way; after all, he had trained them, knew their families, ate meals and even gone to church with some of them. They were more then soldiers, they were like members of his family. It was their sworn duty to sacrifice their lives for their country. It was, in effect, friendly fire, if he should do what he knew he had to do. And he did feel deep regret for the deed, but he also felt pride welling up. He was, at least in his mind, saving the world from a potential pandemic. 

“Once more into the breech,” he whispered. He made the call at precisely 3 PM. He walked to the railing along the deck, looking around covertly before he dropped the burner phone overboard. If somehow it was ever found, it could never be traced back to him. Burner phones were good for that. If it was somehow recovered, the fingerprints and DNA would have long ago washed away. 

The escort jet reported back to its headquarters that the Hercules C130 cargo plane exploded suddenly and burst into flames at exactly 3PM, and that tiny bits of burning wreckage was strewn for several miles across the uninhabited and desolate desert floor. No survivors were reported seen by the pilot in the escort jet. The C130 was annihilated.

The escort jet was ordered back to base and a search party was hastily deployed was made up of soldiers dressed in protective HAZMAT gear. When they arrived on scene, they reported they found no human remains, but placed every item they found carefully into a pile which was later incinerated and reduced to ash. No physical evidence remained of the Hercules C130, any of its crew, or passengers.   The fire ball in the air consumed almost everything anyway. Fire was the only way.

By Reggie Ridgway



Mariah had taken the cruise to get away for awhile, never imaging that she would leave the ship in Alaska, get married...and die there...

She had been married by the Captain of the ship, believing the man she had met on shore would be giving her a good life. But as soon as he had her home, he changed, regularly abusing her, beating her... The only things that kept her going was her dog, Rusty, and her garden...

Ironically, it had been something in her garden that led to her death... But, it did give her, for a short time, the strength to kill her husband...


The neighbors had heard the fight and discovered what had happened, taking Mariah to the small local clinic. Unfortunately, there was no reason to look for the small prick of her finger that had happened in the garden when she found "it..."

Trevor Bentley was the local doctor, having a nurse to help and, later, a visiting biologist to whom Trevor had given space for research, studying the potential environmental impact of the installation of a new oil line.

While taking blood from Mariah, who had been unconscious since she was brought in, the nurse broke a vial and then cut her finger...that was all it took. Whatever had infected Mariah was now flowing through the bloodstream of the nurse.









Neither Bentley, nor any of those who became involved, could identify the cause of death--but they knew it could easily spread...and did...as more and more of the local people started to become ill...

And then a major twist of focus! CDC had no way to identify what had been found in the blood samples. The USAMRIID, a special group that had been put together to handle biological warfare was now in charge.

But what happens when the leader of this group sees the "disease" as the enemy? And people as containers of that disease...

Ridgeway definitely put together a multi-genre novel that focuses on biological terrorism--part romance, part thriller and lots of horror! The story line is unique, the main characters, Trevor and Jodie Gibson, the biologist, quite enjoyable as a couple who find attraction moving toward something else, at the same time, they are trying to stop an epidemic, and then later forced to fight for their own lives when the Army arrives...

There are some rough spots of TMI--too much information provided which forced readers to slow their pace, which should have been edited out, and one major omission, although that could be because a sequel is coming as suggested at the end, but...somewhere in Alaska, a large black stone with a gem pointed out could be the cause of...more deaths...starting with birds...

The book was strangely compelling, especially when spreading of the disease became all important--and only fire would ensure safety--the Scorched Earth Protocol... I think many of you will enjoy this, if you don't mind the need for a little editing...I know I did...


GABixlerReviews

Author Bio


Reggie Ridgway is a full time writer and is the published author of two successful thrillers which have earned great reviews. He was a finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Author contest. He is a member of International Thriller Writers. He enjoys blogging and uses social networking to promote his work and hone his writing skills. He is married and lives in Southern California. He earned a BA from National University Vista in Computer Science. He is a Viet Nam War vet and retired after forty years in the medical field as an x-ray technologist and sonographer.http://characterswellmet.blogspot.com/

Debut Novel From A. E. Fairfield Great Start for Mystery Series!

Please note that this video was added by BRH, illustrating work being done--there is no relationship of the name of the company to the book being reviewed. But it does show the importance and potential tragedy that could and did happen in

 The Polaris Effect!

The Polaris Effect:
A Capelli and Ford Mystery


By A. E. Fairfield


From the front cover, through 375 pages of twists, turns, and diverse settings, I enjoyed this new writer and her story. Other than the few typos that happens in any book, Fairfield has begun a new mystery series with a pair of fun partners in crime, who also prove to be kick-ass agents in the field, especially Kate Capelli! She has the guts and glory, but Danny Ford has the ability to keep the entire case in sight and start putting things together where they can fit. As a team, I can't wait to meet them again in the future!

Watch this author...Unless I'm way off base, I think you'll be seeing this young woman move fast into the limelight for mysteries with a solid thriller story and a team of characters that works hard to solve the case, faster than the reader can... There were enough clues, but I have to admit, I didn't pick some up quickly enough...while at other times, I wanted to pick up a phone and call to remind Ford about this or that...

"I hate the burial beat. It seems so invasive," Capelli
muttered, her eyes fixed beyond the steady whoosh
of the windshield wipers.
"So is a colonoscopy. But you gotta do it now and then."
"Ford was washing down his fried egg and cheese wrap
with lukewarm deli coffee. He was pissed at Capelli.
She'd insisted that he order a wrap--sore up and down
that it's be just as good as his usual butter croissant.
Of course, she'd been wrong and now he was sitting
in a car waiting for Old Man Thorpe to go six feet
under with a shitty breakfast as consolation. When
he wanted to measure 34-24-34, he'd listen to her.
Till then, he'd do breakfast his way...
~~~

Like Dr. Luc Turner... I enjoyed him very much as a doctor serving in Somalia for Doctors Without Borders and he and I were already putting two and two together... But Capelli and Ford were in New York, so didn't know what was already happening (like readers did, LOL).

Dr. Turner had done much to bring good health back to the area of Jowhar, Somalia where he practiced. Food, basic meds, and extra vitamins had brought many of the children to the point where they once again laughed and played.

But now something had been contracted, beginning something like a flu, but spreading fast and escalating with different symptoms for different people.

TB had been one of the early possibilities considered, but then it didn't proceed as normal. There were so many deaths that they could no longer take the time to bury those they lost, given the need for all staff to keep trying to figure out what was the basis for this strain, that could not be identified.

Finally they heard that at the Shatoy Chechnya site the same type of outbreak had occurred and 20 children had all died.

As the doctors compared everything Dr. Turner realized that it may be the meds that had been used...and followed the trail to the company where a friend of his, helping, was also murdered...

In fact, back in New York, Capelli and Ford were being pressured to solve the murder of a major officer in a leading pharmaceutical corporation... Then when another officer in the Prague office was murdered in the same way, the potential for terrorism - or should it be said - potential for great amounts of money to be made by whoever was behind this, soon raised flags for Interpol and other agencies to become involved!

Tracking down the people responsible was just a part of the murder mystery however, because Dr. Turner and all other medical personnel very quickly realized that this new formula could, and probably already was, being disseminated across the world!

One fantastic event in the book occurs when Kate Capelli is kidnapped by one of those behind the murders. I love her "MacGyver"-type methods of freeing herself and turning the tables on...one horrible dude! Certainly a highlight that will catch everybody's attention, while standard whodunit procedural investigation actually solved the crime...  Lots in this book to keep mystery and even thriller fans happy! Highly recommended!


GABixlerReviews

http://www.aefairfield.com/
A.E. Fairfield was raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. After attending New York University she remained in New York to pursue a career in writing. She's excited that the first book of the Capelli & Ford mystery series, The Polaris Effect, is now available on Amazon.

Penny Sansevieri: Always Has Something I Can Use Too!

The Silent Treatment: Why No News May Be Good News in Your Campaign

I have had several calls recently with authors who have been marketing on their own and are really concerned about the deafening silence they've been getting in response to the work they're doing. Are you feeling this way? If you're nodding your head you aren't alone. Marketing is tough, silence is tougher.

Last year I launched a book under a pseudonym, not at all connected with me or AME. Why did I do that? Because I wanted to test the system -- I wanted to see first-hand how tough it was to be out there. Often authors say "Well, but you're a marketing person and people know you." True that. So now with this book I'm not. I'm just another author, out there trying to get noticed and you know what I found? The silence is hell. 

Please Hop Over to Read This Important Message!

But First...

There's Always Lots of Activity Here at Book Readers Heaven...

But there's Just No Way I Can Keep Up!!!!

You don't hear from me because I'm inundated with earlier commitments and trying to respond to new requests...and still it is too much...

My Silence Is Not Because I Don't Want to Read Your Book...

Please know that I continue to be months behind, especially on ebooks and pdf files that require special equipment and a specific location to read! Kindle died last year and I'm still trying to catch up...

I've had to place reading above email... I will get back to you ASAP...

PLEASE write me at GABixlerReviews ONLY! Mail via LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, et.al., may not be read in a timely fashion...

Oops and look what just happ...

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David Lender's Novel Spotlights 1979 Siege/Occupation of Mosque in Mecca!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahdi
"As he sat down, Nibmar said to Ali, "We'll be leaving as
soon as our other two men return." Then to Khalid, "Do
with her what you wish, but please make certain she
doesn't survive until morning.
"Sasha fought back a wave of hopelessness by gritting
her teeth and summoning her hatred of Nibmar. She said,
"You're a traitor to Saudi Arabia, to your husband and to
your religion. No matter what happens you'll die a dried-up,
lonely old hag with--
"Nibmar sprang at her and slapped her again, then started
throwing wild punches. "Infidel whore! How dare you talk
to me about my religion!"
~~~

Arab Summer

By David Lender


Sasha Del Mira was sold at the age of 15 to a royal named Prince Yassar, the Finance and Economy Minister of Saudi Arabia as a concubine for his oldest son, Ibrahim. He came to be the loving father she had never had...

Saif Ibn Mohammed al-Aziz  was a recent university graduate when he met Sasha and they fell in love... but he could not quite get over her being a
whore, a concubine...

Much had happened since then...

One of the reasons Saif had fallen for Sasha was that she was not only beautiful but she acted independently to embrace and support her beliefs...

 He had learned and he had made his choices since then. His father had lost his business to the royals, the government who had seen when a business was profitable and created their own business, then threatened customers to buy from them, forcing the owners of the independent businesses to suffer.

"Saif walked across the courtyard,
half his men and the group still
 surrounding Qahtani following him,
and the other half
of his men taking positions near the main
gate or climbing the steps to position
themselves near the top of the walls of the
mosque overlooking Mecca. The throngs
of pilgrims in the courtyard parted and
cowered from him and his men. He entered
the main prayer hall,
then strode through it,
more pilgrims screaming in fear...

Saif was now actively leading the al-Mujari, a Muslim terrorist group. They were working toward the takeover of the government! The Shiek was now being tested, questioned, to prove he was the coming Mahdi. They would announce his coming during the Hajj!

But deep inside, Saif was merely playing a role. He idolized Alan Rickman and would take on parts that Rickman had played. Even more dangerous was that he believed Sasha would be...his leading  lady! And to get her back to Saudi, he had had her husband

murdered!


Now she had lost her husband, the only man who she had really loved and had kept her safe. Sasha had deeply loved her husband, as he loved her--he was the only one with whom she felt safe, and  now he had been taken from her. So as she killed the man who had committed the murder, she asked why before he died. He was only too happy to whisper the name--Saif!

Almost immediately she retreated and spent time with her Swami
until she felt she could return to some type of life. But before that could truly happen, she must have revenge...

Surprisingly, the CIA was quite willing to discuss her options with her since they had already discovered that Saif and his group were
growing larger and were believed to have joined with other groups,

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File
:Young_Saudi_Arabian_woman_
in_Abha.jpg

planning something big.

Going in undercover would
put her mostly on her own and, even though Yassar still considered her somewhat of a daughter, he may not be willing to welcome her into his home once again...

It was then that she admitted to her CIA handler that there had been more to the message from Saif:

"I want my Western Orchid [Sasha] by my side..."

Sasha went in to get close to his side...
   and use the knife or gun that would be hidden under her Abaya...

I enjoyed this book, learning more about countries I shall never have the opportunity to visit. There are a couple of scenes questionable that are questionable as to whether they could actually occur in reality, such as when Sasha is imprisoned, however, they were minor to the overall story line, which spotlighted, as the author included in his after-note, the actual occupation of Mecca's Mosque during the annual Hajj. The seige lasted two weeks and was ended by Saudi security forces, the Saudi National Guard and Army, as well as enlisting the aid of the GIGN unit of the French military. The efforts to retake the mosque included assaults through the underground catacombs, as illustrated in the exciting ending scenes of this novel.

If you enjoy fiction novels based upon actual historical events, I think you may find this one of interest...


GABixler

David Lender writes thrillers set in the financial sector based on his over 25-year career as a Wall Street investment banker. He draws on an insider's knowledge from his career in mergers and acquisitions with Merrill Lynch, Rothschild and Bank of America for the international settings, obsessively driven personalities and real-world financial intrigues of his novels. His characters range from David Baldacci-like corporate power brokers to Elmore Leonard-esque misfits and scam artists. His plots reveal the egos and ruthlessness that motivate the players in the business world, as well as the inner workings of the most powerful of our financial institutions and corporations.

David began writing novels over ten years ago. At one point a friend sent his first novel to a prominent New York literary agent, whose reaction was, "Not bad for somebody who doesn't know what he's doing yet." She introduced David to a seasoned thriller editor and publisher who had edited Robert Ludlum's first nine thrillers; David spent the next 18 months working with him to learn his craft.

More background on David and his writing can be found at www.davidlender.net.

Ben Coulter Takes Readers Into London Drug Scene...

The four men came bowling down the middle of the road towards them, Tommy in front, the biggest and meanest, Frosty behind him, weighing in at around 16 stone of muscle himself, and Mickey and Freddy bringing up the rear.

 “Get in the car, Billy!” Charlie shouted as he saw Mickey pull out a long, shiny blade from inside his jacket; his already drug-battered face distorted further with venomous hate.

 “Fuck that!” replied Billy defiantly through gritted teeth. “Not here, Billy, not now. Just get in the fucking car, mate!” Charlie commanded, exerting his full authority. Billy backed down and opened his door as Charlie did the same, the four angry gangsters almost upon them. Billy revved the engine into life, still fuming with anger. 

The Dunns and their new accomplice stopped just short of the car, laughing and jeering at the retreat. Billy hammered the car into first and wheel-spun off, but not before Freddy Dunn had time to pick up rather large piece of broken concrete curb and launch it at Billy’s rear door, causing a huge crashing sound. “Fucking Aleister cunts!” Billy screamed with fury, punching the dashboard, his face exploding with a red rage as they sped out of the estate. He wasn’t designed for retreating. “We should of fucking done ‘em, Charlie, then and there. We let ‘em beat us!” 

“What the two of us, against a couple of steroid mountains, one who we know has a gun, and two nutty little cunts, one who clearly had a massive fuck-off knife on him?” Charlie shouted back, unimpressed by Billy’s reckless bravado. 

“Fuck their guns and their knives; I’ll stick them all up their fucking shit-fuck arses!” he thundered back, still assaulting his own dashboard with all his might. 

“Listen, Billy. They’ll get it all right, but not before we’re fucking ready, and not when we’re outnumbered. But they will get it, mark my words.” Charlie attempted to reassure the livid Billy, although he himself was not convinced. Taking on the Dunns was not part of his plan, and never had been. For him it was all about the money, the turf war didn’t interest him, just as it hadn’t at Tottenham when Leon had got him into a few scrapes with other football firms. He didn’t see the point of it all. He understood the use of violence if he needed to protect his money and his business, but he didn’t see the Dunns as a threat. Their drugs were worse, they didn’t steal his customers, they didn’t owe him money; he just needed to keep them at bay, which was the whole reason for getting the gun from Leon in the first place. He wanted no part of unnecessary violence; it didn’t sit well with his admittedly black morality.

Poisoned Saints:

 The Street is Always Watching

By Ben Coulter

For those like myself who have never been tempted to participate in taking drugs, it is hard to imagine, and accept, how many of our young take that chance to get "high." Coulter's story is set in Stambro, about 20 miles from London--but it could have been set anywhere, including the United States. The accent for the characters may be a little different, but that's about the only difference...

His phone unexpectedly lit up with a text message,
launching him to another reality all together:
one that included other people,
and not just him and his shattered ego.
 Alice.
He quickly snapped out of his coke-fuelled angst,
 as her dazzling hazel eyes smashed
 their way into his grey, freezing heart,
he opened the message.
 ‘Hey Charlie, hope we’re still on 4 2night?..
Quite excited ;)’

Coulter does not spare readers from the reality of it all, so if you are not willing to openly enter that world, please don't buy this book and then give it a low rating. This writer deserves to be recognized for creating a revealing piece into the addiction, the subsequent emotional and physical changes of drugs, the loss of control, and, worse, the subsequent violent acts into which this life will lead... In fact, his short bio notes "using the regretful foundation of experience," is how he was able to write this story so effectively! Thank God he got out when he did!

Charlie wasn't so fortunate...

“Yeah, whatever Harry.
So where are you?”
Charlie replied sarcastically,
knowing all too well Harry was
 in fact a major league cokehead.
A dealer himself, he worked under
Charlie, and because of this,
had a spiralling debt which had been
 raging out of control. 

He had been a star athlete until his knee went out... Finding out work brought little money, he turned to what everybody was using and he started selling. His supplier, Leon, was from London and brought "good stuff" so that he soon became noticed in his small town and a rival began with those who also were selling.

Charlie had a vision to get enough money and then leave. Especially when he met Alice and fell hard... But then one of his boys found out the truth--she was a half-sister to one of the other gang...

That really set him off, because he was already in trouble with the law for a big one--they thought he had murdered another dealer! Yeah, he was supposed to meet him but when he got there, he was already dead. Charlie tried to save him, and then later called "999." Would the cops accept the truth?

“I’ll see you tomorrow though, yeah? Come back round at night?”

 “I wouldn’t miss it for all the,” he was about to use his line of all the coke in Columbia, but thought back to what Hayley had revealed to him. “I’m sorry for doing bag in front of you and that, Hayley.” 

“What do you mean?” she laughed sleepily.

 “Well, you must have been, you know, after Frosty doing it that…” 

She cut in, firmly, before he could continue. “Charlie, when I said I never wanna talk about it again, I meant it! I knew this would happen if I told you,”

~~~

But it all turned bad, when Charlie learned what really had happened to Alice...

Alice had introduced Charlie into Buddhism which she had learned about many years ago and he found himself remembering a lot of what she had said, making decisions, based on his new way of thinking.  But as I closed the book, I found an old phrase from my own religion coming to mind...you know, the one about those that live by the sword, dying by the sword... 

The phrase is found in the Christian Book of Revelation, 13:10: "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." (Rev.13:10 KJV) Commonly, the expression is understood to mean, "You can expect to become a victim of whatever means you use to get what you want."^[1] A proverb in the Gospel of Matthew, verse 26:52, describes a disciple (identified in the Gospel of John as Simon Peter) drawing a sword to defend against the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, but is rebuked by Jesus, who tells him to sheath the weapon: Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword (Matthew 26:52, King James Version) 

I don't have the experience to know whether this writer over-dramatized the story, nor do I care because I found it believable, given what, news, TV, etc., shares... I think the writer wanted to share what he'd personally learned through experience and pinpoint the potential results. I believe he succeeded...

This is not a great ending type of story. Many have had the personal experience of what can happened to those who do drugs... The message is clear in Ben Coulter's book--Get out, while you still can! The key thing for me was that this boy was an athlete in school, proud of his accomplishments and looking toward a career. Why do we allow academic achievement to fall below that of athletic stardom? Obviously, the money... How I wish Charlie had had similar success in his academic life and gone on to a successful career, far away from using and dealing.

Many should consider this a must-read! You???

GABixlerReviews

About this author

Ben Coulter was born in 1980 and raised in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, England.

He has been writing 'as long as he can remember' in one form or another. The aim with his debut novel Poisoned Saints, was to portray to the reader an authentic criminal lifestyle through the art of fiction, whilst using the regretful foundation of experience.

Poisoned Saints was released at the end of last year to a pleasing on-line response. He is currently working on the follow up books to Poisoned Saints 'Keep on Running' and 'When The Saint Comes Marching Home' which will both be released in 2013.