Exposure by Brandilyn Collins

Exposure
by Brandilyn Collins

Mystery/Suspense
272 pages, softcover
Target reader: Adult

Zondervan
978-0310561538
Release date: May 1, 2009



From the publisher:

When your worst fear comes true...

Someone is watching Kaycee Raye. But who will believe her? Everyone knows she's a little crazy. Kaycee's popular syndicated newspaper column pokes fun at her own paranoia and multiple fears. The police in her small town are well aware she makes money writing of her experiences. Worse yet, she has no proof of the threats. Pictures of a dead man mysteriously appear in her home—then vanish before police arrive. Multi-sensory images flood Kaycee's mind. Where is all this coming from?

Maybe she is going over the edge.

High action and psychological suspense collide in this story of terror, twists, and desperate faith. The startling questions surrounding Kaycee pile high. Her descent to answers may prove more than she can survive.

Read Chapter 1.

I was excited when DH gave me a Kindle for our anniversary. I sort of went crazy and downloaded a bunch of free or nearly free books. I found some good new authors I'd never heard of before. Brandilyn Collins is one of them.

Exposure is classic suspense with lots of thrills and chills but no swearing or immorality. I loved it!

Kaycee is phobic and someone is taking advantage. She's a bit of a whiner, but finds the courage to face her fears for the sake of someone she cares about. I really like that she prays for help. She's a woman of faith, but it's not preachy.

Most of the characterization is pretty good. A few of the secondary characters are light on depth, but the plot and the suspense more than makes up for it. There is something really cool about the plot twists—but I can't hint at it or it will ruin it for you. All I'll say is there was a point in the book where I thought the author/editors had made a mistake. When I discovered it was intentional, it made the book even better for me.

There is some violence—kidnappings, murders, beatings, bloody crime scenes. We get descriptions of the scenes and smells, but the visual gore is minimal and not over the top like some other authors I've read lately.

The only bad thing I can say is she really hits us over and over on the fear/phobia thing. I wanted to scream, "Yes! You're phobic! I get it!!!" And the epilogue was way too long. But other than that, I give Exposure 3.75 stars, almost a 4.

Plot:

Characters:

Ending:

Cover:



Content Ratings

Language:

Violence: Kidnapping, murder, attempted murder, beatings, some bloody crime scenes.

Drugs/Alcohol:

Immorality:

Values/Themes:

Age Appropriate: Okay for older teens.

Writing Mechanics: Just a few glitches, but not too bad.


© 2010 It's a Book Affair

Once Bitten by Kalayna Price

Once Bitten
by Kalayna Price

Urban Fantasy
272 pages, softcover
Target reader: Adult

Bell Bridge Books
978-0980245394
Release date: January 9, 2009



From the publisher:

For the past five years, Kita Nekai has faded into the background of the human world, but when a rogue shifter begins littering the city of Haven with bodies, Kita's illegal status lands her on the suspect list. During a confrontation with hunters that she can't win, rescue arrives in the form of the mysterious Nathanial Deaton. Kita soon wishes it hadn't when his method of saving her leaves her undead.

With only three nights to prove her innocence and a new liquid diet to worry about, Kita doesn't want to deal with her infuriating rescuer or the ghost from her past who is determined to drag her back home. But, she needs help if she's going to stand any chance of survival.

Read an excerpt.

I like Urban Fantasy. This one wasn't spectacular, but it wasn't too bad either. Kita is a shape-shifter who can turn into a cat. She's pretty street savvy, but gets caught up in a "raid"—Hunters looking for paranormals like her. To rescue her, Nathaniel turns her into a vampire—which has its own problems.

The premise is pretty good but the delivery needed work. At times the pacing slows to ponderous but at other times it's very fast and very good. I didn't like the violence, the swearing, and the strong sensuality. But I did like Kita's strength, and her struggle to trust others and make new friends.

Overall, I'm glad it was a freebie for my Kindle. I may or may not read book 2.

Plot:

Characters:

Ending:

Cover: They're getting better. I like this one much better than some of the previous covers.



Content Ratings

Language: Frequent swearing.

Violence: Beatings, animal attacks. Attempted murders.

Drugs/Alcohol: I think there was some drinking by adults in a bar, but I can't remember any other.

Immorality: There is an orgy room which was very disturbing, and the #1 reason why the stars are low and why I may not read book 2.

Values/Themes: No really strong positive values or themes.

Age Appropriate: There are teens reading this. I call it adult only.

Writing Mechanics: Inconsistent. Some plot holes, some slow pacing.


© 2010 It's a Book Affair

2010 Reading List

This year, I'm keeping track as I read. YAY!! Links go to my reviews.

1. 33 Habits of a Really Good Man — Yvonne Swinson (4.5)
2. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter — Seth Grahame-Smith (3.5)
3. Alcatraz vs the Knights of Crystallia —Brandon Sanderson (4.5)
4. Alma — H.B. Moore (4)
5. Altared Plans — Rebecca Talley
6. Band of Sisters — Annette Lyon (4)
7. Betrayed (House of Night, 2)—PC & Kristen Cast (3)
8. Bright Blue Miracle — Becca Wilhite (4)
9. By the Light of the Moon — Dean Koontz (4)
10. Catching Fire — Suzanne Collins (5)
11. Chill Factor (Weather Warden #3) — Rachel Caine (3)
12. Chosen One, The — Carol Lynch Williams (4.5)
13. Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book 1) — Cassandra Clare (4)
14. Cold as Ice — Stephanie Black (4)
15. Counting the Cost — Liz Adair (4.5)
16. Courting Miss Lancaster —Sarah M. Eden (4.5)
17. Dangerous Connections —Julie Coulter Bellon (3.5)
18. Dark Divine, The — Bree Despain (4.5)
19. Dark Pursuit — Brandilyn Collins (2)
20. Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows 1) — Kim Harrison (4)
21. Demon Lexicon, The — Sarah Rees Brennan (4)
22. Devil's Food Cake — Josi S. Kilpack (4.5)
23. Enchantment Emporium, The —Tanya Huff (3)
24. Every Which Way But Loose (The Hollows 3) — Kim Harrison (3.5)
25. Exposure — Brandilyn Collins (4)
26. Fablehaven 4: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary —Brandon Mull (4)
27. Fablehaven 5: Keys of the Demon Prison —Brandon Mull (4.5)
28. Fade Out (Morganville Vampires, 7) — Rachel Caine (4)
29. Fallen — Lauren Kate (4)
30. Farworld: Land Keep —J. Scott Savage (4)
31. Fistful of Charms, A (The Hollows 4) — Kim Harrison (3.5)
32. For a Few Demons More (The Hollows 5) — Kim Harrison (3.5)
33. Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Nielson (5)
34. Fourth Nephite, The — Jeffrey S. Savage (4.5)
35. Good, The Bad and the Undead, The (The Hollows 2) — Kim Harrison (4)
36. Ghost Town (Morganville Vampires #9) by Rachel Caine
    
37. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo —Stieg Larsson (2)
38. Grave Peril —Jim Butcher (3)
39. Grave Surprise — Charlaine Harris (4)
40. Gravity vs the Girl —Riley Noehren (4.5)
41. Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake #1) —Laurell K Hamilton (3.5)
42. Heat Stroke (Weather Warden #2) — Rachel Caine (4)
43. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet — Jamie Ford (4)
44. Hunger Games, The — Suzanne Collins (4.5)
45. Hush, Hush — Becca Fitzpatrick (3)
46. Icebound — Dean Koontz (3)
47. Ice Cold Grave, An (Harper Connelly #3) by Charlaine Harris
    
48. Ill Wind (Weather Warden #1) — Rachel Caine (4)
49. Impossible —Nancy Welin (4)
50. In the Company of Angels by David Farland (3.5)
51. In Their Footsteps — Tess Gerritsen (4)
52. Iron King, The – Julie Kagawa (3)
53. Key Lime Pie — Josi S. Kilpack (5)
54. Kiss of Death (Morganville Vampires, 8) — Rachel Caine (4)
55. Last Waltz, The — G.G. Vandagriff (4.5)
56. Life Expectancy —Dean Koontz (4)
57. Lightning Thief, The —Rick Riordan (4)
58. Limit, The – Kristen Landon
59. Marked (House of Night, 1) —PC & Kristen Cast (3.5)
60. Mockingjay — Suzanne Collins (5)
61. Mormon Mishaps & Mischief – D.N. Giles & C.L. Beck (4)
62. Mr. Monster —Dan Wells (4.5)
63. Murder by the Book — Betsy Brannon Green (3.5)
64. My Fair Godmother — Janette Rallison (4)
65. My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers, 1) — Rachel Vincent (4.5)
66. My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers, 2) — Rachel Vincent (4.5)
67. No Going Back —Jonathan Langford (3.5)
68. Once Bitten — Kalayna Price (2)
69. Outlaw Demon Wails, The (The Hollows 6) — Kim Harrison (3.5)
70. Paranormalcy — Kiersten White (5)
71. Pillage — Obert Skye (4)
72. Previously Engaged — Elodia Strain (3)
73. Princess of Glass — Jessica Day George (4)
74. Road Show, The — Braden Bell (4)
75. Route, The — Gale Sears (4)
76. Santa Maybe by Aubrey Mace (3.5)
77. Sapphire Flute, The — Karen E. Hoover (3.5)
78. Secret Sisters —Tristi Pinkston (4.5)
79. Servant of a Dark God — John Brown (4.5)
80. Shadow and Smoke —Tanya Huff (2)
81. Sharp Edge of a Knife, The — D.N. Giles
82. Shiver —Maggie Stiefvater (3)
83. Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, The — Stephenie Meyer (3)
84. Shudder — Jennie Hansen (3.5)
85. Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, 5) — Patricia Briggs (4)
86. Soul Identity —Dennis Batchelder (4)
87. Soul Intent —Dennis Batchelder (4)
88. Sole Survivor — Dean Koontz (4)
89. Summer in Paris —Michele Ashman Bell (3/4)
90. Thief of Hearts — Tess Gerritsen (4)
91. Thorn, The — Daron D. Fraley (3)
92. Time to Die, A — Jeffrey S. Savage (4)
93. Tombs of Terror —T Lynn Adams (4)
94. Tribunal — Sandra Grey (4)
95. Wicked Lovely —Melissa Marr (4)
96. Windfall (Weather Warden #4) — Rachel Caine (4)
97. Women of the Book of Mormon — Heather B. Moore (4)
98. Wrong Number —Rachelle J Christensen (3.5)
99. Undaunted, The by Gerald Lund (3.5)
100. 
     

© 2010 It's a Book Affair

Murder Takes the Cake by Gayle Trent

Murder Takes the Cake (Daphne Martin #1)
by Gayle Trent

Culinary Mystery
260 pages, softcover
Target reader: Adult women

Bell Bridge Books
978-0980245363
September 30, 2008



From the publisher:

Yodel Watson was dead. And some people blamed my spice cake.

When the meanest gossip in Brea Ridge dies mysteriously, suspicions turn to cake decorator Daphne Martin. But all Daphne did was deliver a spice cake with cream cheese frosting–and find Yodel’s body. Now Daphne’s got to help solve the murder and clear her good name. Problem is, her Virginia hometown is brimming with people who had good reason to kill Yodel, and Daphne’s whole family is among them.

I got this as a free book from Kindle. You have to watch out for those free books—sometimes they're good and sometimes not so much. But this was a culinary cozy, and I like those, so even though I'd never heard of Gayle Trent I thought I'd give it a try. What did I have to lose?

Well, the ebook formatting was kind of sloppy, but the story was wonderful! I loved it! It was clean, a fast and easy read, there were lots of red herrings to throw me off, and I didn't guess the real killer until the very end.

Daphne Martin is divorced with no kids. Her ex-husband is in jail. She moves to a small town where her sister lives and starts a cake decorating business. When she takes a cake over to Yodel Watson, the town gossip, she finds her dead. Poisoned. Turns out a lot of people aren't that fond of Yodel and several have good motive to kill her.

Daphne has a cute personality, and like the heroines of all culinary cozies, she can't help but get in the middle of the murder investigation. With the help of Ben, an attractive and single news reporter, Daphne starts to look for clues. Along the way, she begins to suspect that her mother may have had an affair and that she may have a half brother. There are secrets buried under secrets in this little town, and they're all starting to unravel around Daphne.

I recommend this book to everyone who likes culinary mysteries.

Plot:

Characters:

Ending:

Cover:



Content Ratings

Language:

Violence: Some threatening remarks, but no physical violence—unless you count the murder.

Drugs/Alcohol:

Immorality: References to two affairs—her mother and the owner of the local pet shop. No description at all.

Values/Themes:

Age Appropriate:

Writing Mechanics: The cake decorating descriptions go on a little long for my taste. Could use a little more tension.

© 2010 It's a Book Affair

Am I Not a Man by Mark L. Shurtleff

Am I Not a Man: The Dred Scott Story
by Mark L. Shurtleff

Historical
534 pages, hardcover
Target Reader: Adult

Valor Publishing Group
978-1935546009
Release Date: November 3, 2009



From the publisher:

An illiterate slave, Dred Scott trusted in an all-white, slave-owning jury to declare him free. But after briefly experiencing the glory of freedom and manhood, a new state Supreme Court ordered the cold steel of the shackles to be closed again around his wrists and ankles. Falling to his knees, Dred cried, "Ain't I a man?" Dred answered his own question by rising and taking his fight to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dred ultimately lost his epic battle when the Chief Justice declared that a black man was so inferior that he had "no rights a white man was bound to respect."

Dred died not knowing that his undying courage led directly to the election of President Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation.

Download the first two chapters HERE.

I do a lot of work for a private school near me—editing and typesetting their textbooks. I especially love working on their history books. So the story of Dred Scott is not new to me. If you're unfamiliar with the history, this book covers the story of Dred Scott and his fight for freedom.

What is new is this fictionalized account of Dred Scott's life, and the lives of those who helped and supported him. I've always been touched and inspired by this man and his fight for freedom. When Valor Publishing asked if I wanted to be part of their book tour, I gave them a very loud YES!

Written by Mark L. Shurtleff, who obviously researched this book very well, this is the only fictionalization of Scott of this scope and magnitude that I am aware of. (This is a big book at 534 pages!)

I want to say that I enjoyed this book but that might be a little misleading. In places, it's very hard to read because of the brutal mistreatment of Scott and his family, as well as the other slaves. Shurtleff doesn't sugar-coat it at all and it hurt my heart. But I was once again impressed and inspired by the people who faced all odds to do what was right and who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

Shurtleff's treatment the Dred Scott story jumps around a bit and it might be a little hard for some readers to follow. It starts with Scott as an adult, then goes back to his childhood, then back to adult, then back to another time in his past. It also follows the story of the white families who helped him and what led them to be the type of people they were—again jumping from the current story to history and back.

It's also a tad confusing because many of the characters were named after family members, which was common for that time in our history. There's not much the author could do about that, but I wish a timeline and family trees had been included at the back of the book to help us keep the characters and events straight. (Perhaps in a future printing?)

The writing itself varies from fascinating, when Shurtleff is actually telling the story and creating a scene, to a little long-winded when we're getting a review of history. Some scenes seemed to be inserted into the book simply to give us the history of the time, and these drag a bit. However, the scenes focusing on Dred are captivatingly wonderful and realistic, and the descriptive language is often quite beautiful and touching.

Even with the slower spots and the sometimes confusing timelines, I recommend this uniquely American story to everyone. It's an important leg of our journey toward equal rights for all men and women. I believe that everyone over the age of 14 should be very familiar with the Dred Scott case and Am I Not a Man is a good way to bring that history to life.

Plot: Some parts are absolutely wonderful! Some of it is slow and feels like a history lesson.

Characters: Most of the characters, especially Dred and his family are wonderful, as are those who help him. However, some of the characters seem to be inserted merely for their ability to rehearse history.

Cover:



Content Ratings

Language: Some swearing, typical for that time period or historically accurate from various recorded accounts of the events.

Violence: This is a volatile time in American history and racial tension ran high. The mistreatment of slaves is horrendous and accurately described.

Drugs/Alcohol: Some drinking, as per historical accounts.

Immorality: Some immorality, as per historical accounts.

Values/Themes: A strong voice against slavery, prejudice and injustice.

Age Appropriate: For adults.

Writing Mechanics: Inconsistent. As mentioned before, when it's good, it's very, very good. When it's not, it's...not.

*ARC provided for review by publisher.


© 2010 It's a Book Affair