C. S. Lakin Takes Us Into Reality Rather Than Fantasy in Innocent Little Crimes!

“Hi Dad,” she said, plunging into the abyss. “Hey, you look great. How ’bout I come in for a few minutes? I brought you some mementos from Hollywood. Mom, I know how much you love ‘Days of our Lives.’ ”
"Her father shoved his hand out, inches from her face. “You know you are not welcome in this home.” He cast an angry look around at the small clusters of his whispering neighbors who had suddenly appeared on the sidewalk in front of their homes. “I don’t want a spectacle here, so leave!”
 “Oh, come now, Dad. Aren’t you going to invite your own daughter in?” A stickiness spread in her armpits and sweat dripped down her sides. She shifted the bulky bouquet to her other arm.
“Young lady, I will remind you what Saint Paul said to the Romans: ‘And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct. They were filled with all manner of wickedness, evil, covetousness—’ ”
"Lila joined in sing-song with her father, “ ‘— malice. Full of envy, murder, strife . . .’ ”
"The Reverend waited for Lila to stop talking. Then he bellowed. “ ‘Disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless. They know God’s decree that those who do such things deserve to die.’ ” He shoved the words into Lila’s face. “We all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, young lady, ‘so that each one may receive good or evil according to what he has done in the body.’ I’m through listening to your blasphemy.” George Carmichael’s face and neck flushed red. His nostrils flared like an impatient horse. By this time, the crowd lining the sidewalk began to resemble a minor congregation, gathered around the small wooden podium of her father’s doorstep. Someone waved a sheet of paper in the air.
 “Hey, Lila, how about an autograph?”
Lila tried to focus. “Fine, Dad. I was only paying a friendly visit. But remember, your beloved apostle Paul in Hebrews said not to neglect showing hospitality, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
“How dare you quote Scripture to me, young lady. You use Scripture to fit your whim, like Satan when he tested our Lord Jesus . . .”
~~~

Innocent Little Crimes

By C. S. Lakin

After reading Lakin's fantasy series, this novel was quite a surprise--in a good way. There is one word driving the drama--revenge... It plays through the entire book to a somewhat climatic ending--somewhat, because the only difference for me was that I thought everybody was going to be killed! LOL

I'm not a fan of "fat jokes" as you might guess, but the sensitivity of one individual to being ridiculed for her weight may affect their entire life. That's what happened to Lila Carmichael...

She turned that ridicule into a comedy act that led to stardom for her--sorta like the Kathy Griffin type I gather from what was said... but looking more like Roseann Barr at various weights...Me? I sometimes enjoy Roseann's humor:

Roseanne Barr Quotes

“Women complain about PMS, but I think of it as the only time of the month when I can be myself.”

“Women should try to increase their size rather than decrease it, because I believe the bigger we are, the more space we'll take up, and the more we'll have to be reckoned with.”

“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.”

Main things about Lila was that she was intelligent, had a long memory, and was a great performer who made big bucks!

And she kept track of the people who "done her wrong... which included her father..."

The days passed endlessly. She stared at a picture of Jesus on her wall and asked him why it was taking so long to die. When her parents weren’t home, the only sound she heard was the clock ticking. Like waiting in limbo, or Purgatory. 
"One afternoon, her father lost his temper. “Get down on your knees, you Jezebel!” Shut up! she screamed inside her head. Standing at the window, her back to her ranting father, she made a fist. As her father raved in mid-sentence, she pummeled that fist through the glass, shattering the air with a loud crack and sending shards flying. Her father fell silent as he watched the rivulets of blood pour down Lila’s arm. That evening he put her in a straight jacket and fastened her to the bed. 
"Her mother wouldn’t even come into the room. George Carmichael left the gaping hole in the window uncovered, and the rain and wind blew in, soaking Lila’s curtains and floor. He turned off the heat in the house and left her in bed in the cold. He would force the devil out of her. Each night, in the dark, he sat at the foot of her bed and mumbled fervent prayers, working himself into a sweat. By then, Lila was so weak and malnourished that she lay without expression, staring into the blackness. How long this went on, she had no idea. 
"Only, one day she found her bindings loosened and the house empty. Dying was taking forever and this religious torment was a punishment in hell. Slowly she sat up, the first time in days. Kicking the bed pan off the night stand, she wobbled over to the broken window and looked out. Every muscle in her body ached from confinement. The glare from the bright sunlight hurt her eyes and the smell of cut grass filled her nostrils. Somehow, summer had arrived. 
"After removing the loosened straight jacket, she leaned her weight against the window sash and pushed. The window lifted easily. She found some old clothes in one of her dresser drawers and, in slow motion, put them on. They hung from her limbs. As she hobbled down the street, the world tilted around her. She knew if she just kept walking, she’d get somewhere. Hours later, the smell of pizza assaulted her nose. How long had it been since she tasted food? Suddenly, there she was, in front of Jo Mama’s. She hesitated a moment. What if she ran into someone she knew? But it was summer. Most students were home for the break. All her “friends” had graduated or left for the summer and had surely long forgotten the pathetic Lila Carmichael.

~~~

Needless to say, Lila's (actually Delilah, as named by her mother even at her father's anger...)  father was a hell's fire type of minister. For one, he had wanted a boy to carry on his ministry. When that didn't happen, he started a regiment for Lila to memorize the Bible. When she failed, he withheld food...

At 18 she left, leaving a note, that was all...

She had tried for and got a scholarship and went on to college, mainly just to get away from home. Fortunately, she was placed in a room with Millie and they became friends. Both were overweight and could support each other...

“You know, I bet you’re wondering what
 happened that night. Why I blew my
big chance at stardom on the college
stage. Well, I’ll let you in on a little
 secret.” Lila leaned close in conspiracy.
 “I brought you all here this weekend to
 tell you the whole story. Not everyone
 from Thespians, but just this
 cozy group. Because each of you played
 your own important little part.”
~~~

Millie got involved with the Thespians, mainly to maybe meet a guy who would date her. When she found out how involved Lila was with movies, acting, she coaxed her to become involved. And she had the chance when the administrators decided to ensure students outside of the Thespians group could try out for lead roles.  She got the part to be the lead female, which Della would normally have played, with Davis playing the lead male

They were just about ready and having their last rehearsal. Lila was in seventh heaven. She had fallen in love with Davis during their many rehearsals which required kissing...and Davis seemed to love her too. But something happened that night as everybody was leaving.

They planned this to make sure
Della would play the lead—
the lead she wanted from
 the beginning. Lila’s eyelids grew
 heavy and her thoughts crumbled
 into pieces. She tried to imagine
 Della playing her part,
Davis holding Della in his arms.
~~~

Lila never showed up for the performance! And she was never seen by any of the Group after that, although they all knew she had become a success!

Fifteen years pass and readers learn about the present lives of each of the small group of friends within the Thespian group. At a crucial point in each of their lives, they get an invitation for a Reunion of the Thespians to be hosted by Lila...

It was Payback Time...

By now, readers of Lakin probably realize that there is a moral to most of her books...  She knows that all of us perform Innocent Little Crimes... Oh, ours might not be so visible, or we might not have them seen by others... But we open our mouths and say something we really don't mean by accident... Some say things by design, wanting to hurt or humiliate, while others say things as a joke or to win a bet. Davis, for instance, had won the bet... But the results were not what any expected...

When I had to take a medical leave from work due to job burnout, a woman said to me, "Come with me to church--you need to get right with the Lord..." Hey, it had not been me that had caused my burnout! I was OK with my Lord! Yet, some Christians say things that just don't make sense and come across as a voice of condemnation rather than of love and kindness. Fortunately, my pastor and his wife had already given loving guidance for me, but, still, that woman's comment remained with me...

Would Delilah have been different if she'd had a loving, kind, father that shared the grace of Jesus with her and his wife rather than a man who, for instance, forced his daughter to commit the Bible to memory or not get something to eat? Oh yes, I do think so. When she arrived at college, she was not prepared to understand that all may perform innocent little crimes, and deal with them as best as she could.  Instead, the crimes changed Lila...and the world paid her lots of money to ridicule...herself...so they could laugh at her...

Ok, OK, I probably shouldn't have said this in advance of your reading this... But, I do highly recommend it...Tell me you disagree! I'd love to argue about it with you... LOL


GABixlerReviews

About the Author   
C. S. Lakin writes novels in numerous genres, focusing mostly on contemporary psychological mysteries and allegorical fantasy. Her novel Someone to Blame (contemporary fiction) won the 2009 Zondervan First Novel competition 2009 (published October 2010). Lakin’s Gates of Heaven fantasy series for adults (AMG-Living Ink Publishers) features original full-length fairy tales in traditional style. Already in print are the first books in the series, The Wolf of Tebron, The Map across Time, and The Land of Darkness, with four more to follow. Her contemporary mystery Innocent Little Crimes made the top one hundred finalists in the 2009 Amazon Breakout Novel Award contest, earning her a Publisher’s Weekly review stated her book was “a page-turning thrill-ride that will have readers holding their breaths the whole way through.”   
Lakin grew up collating television scripts for her screenwriter mother. As an adult, Susanne assisted in developing series for television, and while raising two daughters and running a bed and breakfast inn in northern California wrote her first three novels and a cookbook. 
She currently works as a freelance copy editor and writing mentor, specializing in helping authors prepare their books for publication. She is a member of The Christian PEN (Proofreaders and Editors Network), CEN (Christian Editor Network), CAN (Christian Authors Network— regular blogger), ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), and two regional writers’ groups. She edits for individuals, small publishing companies, and literary agents.   
In addition to her mysteries and fantasy series, she has also written the first book in a Young Adult sci-fi adventure series: Time Sniffers. She recently completed Intended for Harm, a contemporary take-off on the biblical story of Jacob and Joseph and is developing a swashbuckling dog memoir in the style of Moby Dick entitled A Dog after God’s Own Heart. She lives in Santa Cruz, CA, with her husband Lee, a gigantic lab named Coaltrane, and three persnickety cats.

C. S. Lakin's Latest Is BRH Favorite--So Far!

The Crystal Scepter:
 The Gates of Heaven Series

http://monster.wikia.com/wiki/Basilisk

A Fairy Tale By
C. S. Lakin


The Crystal Scepter is a darker, heavier Tale than earlier editions, or so it seemed to me. And, an old legend of the Gorgon adds a sense of horror as well. You remember the Gorgon? the Woman who had snakes around her head and was so hideous that if you saw her, you would turn to stone?

http://monster.wikia.com/wiki/Basilisk
"He needed his nerve and made for a large group
of men huddled on the shore where the main ship
dock once stood. Not a piece of wood remained standing,
nor could Perth see any boats up and down the coastline,
although in the dark he could only see so far. Though,
the dozen or so torches held aloft revealed total
destruction of what had once been the seaport for
his village...
"Arnyl tore his glassy gaze from the door and found
his son. 'I ran to the harbor, looking for you, when
the first big wave swamped the village. I never saw it
coming, only heard loud crashing in the distance.
The force of the water knocked me against Rickard's
Dry Goods. I blacked out, but heaven be thanked--
Alyck chanced upon me and got me to my feet.
That's when I found I could barely walk. I think my
leg might be broke.' His pa drew in a long breath and
shuddered, as if his ribs ached from the motion. 
"Alyck and Gayla managed to get me home but I'm
afeared I won't be up and around for many a day..."
"His pa stared wistfully toward the window, where
the dark night encroached. "So many hurt, their
homes gone, swept away. What will happen to
Tolpuddle?"

And then we also met her spawn, who was not quite so ugly, but did have more going for him in size and weight...LOL You got it, I just had to have pictures of what I thought they looked like, even though the Gorgon was also a shape shifter, which I thought was way cool, since she had quite a number of men enchanted with her!

How did she do that? By stealing all the beauty from the King's three daughters! Who instantly became Trolls!

Ok, I'd better stop - I did try to find a picture of a troll, but nowadays they are all cute little girl trolls...So think of the older stories of trolls that lived under the bridge, etc., for your mental pictures...

These are your monsters for this event, although, once you get to know the trolls, even though they are thieves, who will steal anything nice or beautiful, you will find they are just silly princesses who were still spoiled even if no long beautiful...

Because they lived in Elysiel, a beautiful place that was under God's grace and which was kept secret because of evil enemies who wished to destroy the land and steal the magic held there.

But as always seems to occur among humans, word got out that the Kings of Elysiel possessed a Crystal Scepter that gave them extra long lives. This time, however, the King was killed, murdered, and the Scepter stolen!

It was another King, Pythius of Paladya, that had entered the secret Crystal Cave, killed the King and left, but not before he had touched one of the huge crystal stones and seen what his future might be...

He had been helped to enter Elysiel by Lady Vitrella, who was the gorgon in disguise and who then attacked Pythius when he left. Pythius had kept his sword handy and wounded her. Now he had another enemy... But Pythius was used to danger. When his father had fought to take over Paladya, he had been but a boy...

But old enough to lust after his father's power and he committed his first murder to ensure he became King!

His lust had also led to him taking a young woman who was visiting Paladya and she was now pregnant. But when he returned from Elysiel, his hand had been hurt, burned by and with the mark of the Scepter... Nothing seemed to help it get better until he started calling those with magical skills. The first seer explained: "As the son has done to the father, so shall be done to the son."

And so as another man once feared the birth of a child, Pythius determined to kill his son first! But his wife had been brave enough to send her servant to listen. When she came back and explained that the boy would be killed, they ran away. Pythius was so angry that he sent soldiers out to find them, finally ordering that all baby boys should be killed. Fear like none before spread as Pythius' anger grew--just as his body was racked with pain as the mark on his hand spread up his arm...pains shooting out through his body. What good was the scepter when he couldn't even touch it! But he would never give it up!

Years passed as readers read of the baby boy, safe, living in a small village, dreaming, waiting... until the ghost of the King of Elysiel came to him...

There is much more action and adventure in this latest book, as monsters from the waters attack villages so that the wastelands will once again take over... The author reviews some of earlier classic tales from which she gained inspiration and readers will glimpse a brief scene or two but the story of the land of crystal is like no other. Lakin is a truly masterful genius of imagination and creativity... Once I got past getting used to the strange, ancient spelling of names, I was being pulled in by various things, like the princess-turned trolls adding humor, and the story of the man who found the little boy and kept him as a son--and so much more. This just might be the best of the series! But, of course, I'll have to add until the next one comes out!

Consider this a contemporary classic--this series will undoubtedly continue on into the future! Fairy Tales do, because there is always something for us to learn, if we but allow ourselves to read the lines, and between them as well! Highly recommended for 14+ and all lovers of fantasy, especially ones which are inspirational as is this wonderful series!

GABixlerReviews

C. S. Lakin grew up in the Big Orange, when there were still orange groves in the Los Angeles basin. My first novel, A Rip in the Redwood Curtain, was picked up by the first agent who read it, Ben Kamsler -- Elmore Leonard's agent at the time.

While running a bed and breakfast inn, raising two daughters, and breeding dozens of pygmy goats, I wrote another two novels. One--Innocent Little Crimes--made the top 100 in the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest, with Publisher's Weekly calling it "a page-turning thrill-ride that will have readers holding their breaths the whole way through." In 2006  I wrote my first fantasy book, now published with AMG/Living Ink Publishers as part of a seven-book series. I have now written twelve novels, five of which have been contracted for publication and three more scheduled to write and publish.

I currently work as a freelance copy editor and writing coach, and also teach workshops on writing at conferences. I belong to numerous writing and editing groups, and often guest blog and contribute articles on websites that focus on the craft of writing. My website Live Write Thrive is dedicated to helping writers learn the craft of writing with tips on how to thrive and prosper through understanding changing publishing trends.

C. S. Lakin spends her time divided between developing new book ideas and helping writers polish theirs. She is the author of six contemporary novels and six in the fantasy/sci-fi genre. Whether she is exploring the depths of the human psyche and pushing her characters to the edge of desperation, or embellishing an imaginary world replete with talking pigs and ancient magical curses, she is doing what she loves best – using her creativity and skills to inspire and affect her readers.

In all her books she seeks to journey to the heart of human motivation, to uncover unmet needs, and show the ath to healing and grace.

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http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2012/04/no-words-to-say-write-or-read-oh-my.html

A "New" Classic Fairy Tale Series Becomes Must-Read For Me!

The Land of Darkness:


A Fairy Tale By
C. S. Lakin




Have any of you been watching "Once Upon A Time" or "Grimm" on television? I am enjoying both of them, especially watching how pieces of the original stories as I knew them are used as the basic story, while the creators have taken much liberty in taking the concepts and moving on to an entirely different tale! C. S. Lakin has done something similar--as her latest novel opens we meet a young girl with two sisters and a mother who hates her new daughter...sound familiar as Cinderella? But almost immediately you will forget the touch of that fairy tale and move into a new world, one you will never have heard of--The Land of Darkness!

"It is not the land that is dangerous, Callen. The danger lies in your heart. Others have lost their lives searching for the bridge. Are you certain that you are prepared to pay that price?"

And you must travel through that Land to find The Bridge...

"Now, his mind raced with a dozen warnings, but they came too late. For he was a stranger to this part of the world. He had never heard of the tales whispered in dark corners over mugs of ale, or told as harsh threats to badly behaved children. He had set out as many do, to find his fortune. But now he would find only misfortune, for fate or carelessness or stupidity--it didn't matter which--had led him to the Land of Darkness...He stepped into the maw of blackness as if he had been swallowed whole; he left no footprint behind...No one who entered that bewitched land ever came back out."

We meet Callen first, a young carpenter apprentice. But his skill was especially in creating those marvelous  engravings, those designs that a talented individual would carve into what once was a piece of plain wood. Beren, his mentor and the man for whom he worked had allowed him to work on beyond his other apprentices, finding designs in the shop and copying them so that they appeared just as originally sketched...

But one day he found a very old sketch that Beren had told him he must have picked up in his youth. It was a bridge, one that had been carved just as he would carve a chest or table--it had to be made of wood, but how could a bridge be made of wood? Then he noticed that there was nothing under the bridge for support. Rather, it was suspended from above... Callen became obsessed as he studied the drawing--he had to find that bridge!

While nearby a little girl, Jadiel, was alone with her father, Ka'rel, after her mother had died.But then he met Huldah, an outsider who was not known in the community and Ka'rel had changed, as if he were bewitched. Although he loved Jadiel so much, as soon as Huldah drew him near, he would forget anything else and seemed under her spell. Jadiel was old enough to realize that Huldah did just that every time Ka'rel was going to talk or sit down with Jadiel.

But then Jadiel noticed something about her stepmother and began looking at her strangely. Huldah noticed her studying her and immediately realized what was happening! Jadiel had to go! She began to send her out on dangerous trips to bring something back for her stepmother. The latest one would require her to be gone for a long time and she had no guidance where she could find the tree that had been requested. At that point, Huldah made it quite clear that if she didn't return with the tree leaves, Huldah would kill her father!

It doesn't take long for Jadiel to meet dangerous men. Fortunately for her, Callen had chosen to begin his search in the same direction and he saved her! Then discovers they have a connection and decide to do their search together...

And then the adventure begins!

What a creative genius! C. S. Lakin's Series, in my opinion, will ultimately be included in what we refer to as Classic...I haven't had a chance to read the first two, but The Land of Darkness is timeless, has a moral to share for all readers, no matter their background and no matter their age. At a time when Fairy Tales are "big in literature, tv, and movies, C. S. Lakin has to be considered one of the top writers in the field.The entire series will be a must-read for me...Highly recommended for your consideration!

C. S. Lakin is novelist and writing coach who spends her time divided between developing new book ideas and helping writers polish theirs. She is the author of eleven novels – six contemporary novels and five in the fantasy/sci-fi genre. Whether she is exploring the depths of the human psyche and pushing her characters to the edge of desperation, or embellishing an imaginary world replete with talking pigs and ancient magical curses, she is doing what she loves best – using her creativity and skills to inspire and affect her readers.

In all her books she seeks to journey to the heart of human motivation, to uncover unmet needs, and show the path to healing and grace.

My fantasy series, The Gates of Heaven (AMG/Living Ink), debuted with the July 2010 release of The Wolf of Tebron, followed by The Map Across Time (March 2010) and  The Land of Darkness (September 2011).

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• The Land of Darkness by C. S. Lakin - Review Coming Soon! (gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com)

The Land of Darkness by C. S. Lakin - Review Coming Soon!

A new fairy tale in the Gates of Heaven series 
explores the heart of darkness
Book three in Lakin's series for adults delves deep into mystery as her characters hunt for clues to a mystical bridge, a rare tree with leaves for healing, and an enigmatic promise...

Already highly acclaimed and taking the forefront in allegorical fantasy, The Gates of Heaven series, written by prolific author and copyeditor C. S. Lakin, weaves a rich, compelling fantasy world in which characters embark on dark troubled journeys both outward and inward.

Lakin continues her collection of Fairy tales with The Land of Darkness which follows the story of two characters--Jadiel, a twelve-year-old girl sent out under threat by her wicked stepmother to find leaves of an elusive tree, and Callen, a woodworking apprentice obsessed with finding a strange, evocative bridge with odd lettering scrolled upon it. They join in their quests, as their objectives overlap, unknowingly beginning a perilous and mystifying undertaking that leads them to the forbidden Land of Darkness, where they must face the greatest dangers of all--what lies in their hearts.

"Fairy tales have long taught us concepts like right and wrong, good and evil," Lakin, the author of eleven books says. "But I want to explore a bit deeper, search out the darker corners of our hearts to face our fears and conquer--which has always been the task of fairy tales."

Each book in the series tells a unique fairy tale in a different locale and featuring different characters, although people and places overlap. Each of the seven proposed novels feature a different "sacred site"--a gate of heaven that was established ages ago to prevent evil from gaining a stronghold in the world of men. The sites, though, have been desecrated, abandoned, and have fallen into disrepair, allowing evil to flourish. The overarching story weaves through all the books to culminate in the final novel, which will draw in characters from all six prior 

books.

Check out More on the Gates of Heaven Series!

About the Author

I grew up in the Big Orange, when there were still orange groves in the Los Angeles basin. My first novel, A Rip in the Redwood Curtain, was picked up by the first agent who read it, Ben Kamsler -- Elmor Leonard's agent at the time.

While running a bed and breakfast inn, raising two daughters, and breeding dozens of pygmy goats, I wrote another two novels. One--Innocent Little Crimes--made the top 100 in the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest, with Publisher's Weekly calling it "a page-turning thrill-ride that will have readers holding their breaths the whole way through." Ten years later, I decided to start writing novels again, and in 2006 wrote my first fantasy book, now published with AMG/Living Ink Publishers. I has since written seven more novels, five of which have been contracted for publication.

I currently work as a freelance copyeditor and writing coach, and also teach workshops on writing at confereces. I belong to numerous writing and editing groups, and occasionally guest blog and contribute articles on websites that focus on the craft of writing.