Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Chemo Again Delayed

Not surprisingly after what Sandi has been through the last 48 hours they made the determination to hold off on the chemo. They took a very large amount of blood out of her to do blood cultures. The worry now is the strong possibility that she has contracted some sort of blood infection on top of everything else. The hope is that the fever and other issues are just related to the persistent viral croup and not another infection.

Since they are closed Friday for the upcoming holiday we go back Thursday and see where things stand. In the meantime, monitor all her symptoms and let them know immediately if anything seems to be getting worse.

Monday, June 29, 2015

Sandi Tonight

Sandi has had a very rough time of it the last two days. Her fever and chills are back with a vengeance. This is on top of the congestion, coughing, etc she has been dealing with the viral croup deal. Tonight she has full body aches as well and says that she feels like it is the flu. 

The doctor had planned to start chemo tomorrow morning and to do that she would be admitted to the hospital. Considering how weak and sick she has been the last couple of days I expect they will be admitting her to the hospital to treat this instead of the cancer. There is no question in my mind that things are going backwards and that Sandi is definitely way worse than she has been in recent days.

Gravity Lawsuit: Why I am giving up (Tess Gerritsen Blog)

Gravity Lawsuit: Why I am giving up (Tess Gerritsen Blog)

June 20 RTE Update

The June 27, 2015  issue of RTE is out and includes fifteen new reviews as well as a new interview:
http://www.reviewingtheevidence.com

Plus

Rita Mae Brown in the 'Sixty seconds with . . .' interview hot seat:

http://www.reviewingtheevidence.com/interviews.html?id=204


Reviews this week:

DISCLAIMER    Renée Knight        Reviewed by Yvonne Klein       
Catherine Ravenscroft idly opens a book she finds on her bedside table only to discover that it purports to be about her and a secret she has kept for twenty years.

THE FIXER    Joseph Finder    Reviewed by Anne Corey       
When down on his luck, journalist Rick Hoffman moves back to his rundown childhood home, where he discovers a hidden fortune and narrowly escapes death more than once as his search for its origin leads him into an underworld of crime and murder.

CAFÉ EUROPA    Ed Ifkovic    Reviewed by Christine Zibas       
Set during the prelude to World War I, Budapest is a hot bed of activity when writer Edna Ferber arrives. While there, she falls in love with the city, but two murders bring her heartache.

THE HARVEST MAN    Alex Grecian    Reviewed by Meredith Frazier   
Fourth in the series featuring Walter Day, Dr. Kingsley, and the new Murder Squad of Scotland Yard, THE HARVEST MAN once again sees London under threat by Jack the Ripper, but now, two more serial killers have joined Saucy Jack's ranks.

THE LAST BOOKANEER    Matthew Pearl    Reviewed by Ben Neal   
Literary thieves attempts to steal his final novel from an ailing Robert Louis Stevenson.

SIX AND A HALF DEADLY SINS Colin Cotterill    Reviewed by Barbara Fister
Someone has sent Dr. Siri an attractive woven skirt from the north of Laos, but the finger bone sewn into its hem points toward trouble.

INNOCENCE    Heda Margolius Kovály   Reviewed by Yvonne Klein            
In Soviet-controlled Prague, the police investigation into a murder of a small boy leads to revelations about the spying, informing, and secret lives of the employees of a cinema

THE ONLY WORDS THAT ARE WORTH REMEMBERING   Jeffrey Rotter   Reviewed by PJ Coldren                               
Rowan Van Zandt tells the story of his family and how they become part of a bizarre plan to put a rocket into space.

THE UNCANNY READER    Majorie Sandor (ed.)    Reviewed by Rebecca Nesvet   
A time-spanning, global anthology of 'uncanny' fiction, certain to captivate seasoned and new readers of this 'viral strain' of literature.

FOREST OF FORTUNE    Jim Ruland    Reviewed by Meredith Frazier   
Drug-addict, alcoholic copywriter Pemberton, epileptic Alice, and gambler Lupita try their luck at overcoming grim pasts and creating better lives at the haunted Thunderclap Casino.

BITTER CREEK    Peter Bowen    Reviewed by PJ Coldren       
Gabriel DuPre and friends try to find the site of a long ago massacre, and the reasons behind it.

THE RELUCTANT MATADOR    Mark Pryor     Reviewed by Sharon Mensing   
Marston travels to Spain to locate a friend's daughter and finds himself in the midst of a human trafficking ring.

EVERY FIFTEEN MINUTES (Audio)     Lisa Scottoline    Reviewed by Lourdes Venard   
In the midst of a divorce, Dr. Eric Parrish finds his week spiraling out of control as he's besieged by problems, the biggest being the target of a sociopath out to ruin him.

TAIL GAIT    Rita Mae Brown    Reviewed by Caryn St Clair       
A University of Virginia history professor is found dead on the golf course.  The solution to his murder reaches far back in Virginia history.

THE CORPSE WITH THE SAPPHIRE EYES    Cathy Ace   Reviewed by Diana Borse
Cait Morgan and Bud Anderson arrive at Castle Llwyd in Wales for a dream-come-true romantic wedding but all plans are thrown out in the face of an accidental death that quickly reveals itself as a murder and a horrific storm that traps everyone involved in the castle for days.

We post more than 900 new reviews a year -- all of them are archived on the site -- as well as a new interview with a top author every issue.

Yvonne Klein
Editor: ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com

Monday Markets for Writers: No Fees. Paying Gigs. (The Practicing Writer)

Monday Markets for Writers: No Fees. Paying Gigs. (The Practicing Writer)

Bookish events in Texas for the week of June 29 - July 5, 2015 (Texas Book Lover Blog)

Bookish events in Texas for the week of June 29 - July 5, 2015 (Texas Book Lover Blog)

Monday With Kaye: "The Life I Left Behind” by Colette McBeth (Reviewed by Kaye George)

Okay, so you have decided you don’t want to read a series for awhile. Kaye George has you covered this week with her review of The Life I Left Behind by Colette McBeth. Published last February by Minotaur Books it is currently available in hardback, audio, and e-book formats with a paperback version hitting the shelves in January.


“The Life I Left Behind” by Colette McBeth


Very chilling stand-alone thriller! There are two main characters who very nearly meet the same fate. One was left for dead after being strangled, the second was successfully killed by the same hand.


The problem is, David, the man who was imprisoned for the first, unsuccessful, attack was probably not the guy who did it, in spite of the fact that, just after David is released after serving his nine year term, the second victim, Eve, dies. Eve appears in the novel as a ghost, but doesn’t interact with anyone except the reader. She’s a ghost who can’t comfort anyone and who exists in pain. She never thought this was what being dead would be like and she’s not quite certain why she’s hanging around.


Melody, the first victim, who didn’t die nine years ago, has nevertheless, not actually recovered. She is putting on the bravest face she can for her fiancé, Sam, and their friends, but she’s still suffering from the attack. She’s become obsessive about many things, which makes the sterile house she lives in with Sam neat and tidy. She’s also become a great cook. But this is all because she can’t bear to go outside alone any more and has to keep busy to keep from looking inside herself.


Eve was killed because she had figured out who really attacked Melody. She’s standing by, agonizing over whether or not Melody can figure it out in time to prevent the killer from coming back and finishing the job. You’ll be on the edge of your seat with this one.



Reviewed by Kaye George, Author of Eine Kleine Murder, for Suspense Magazine.

Saturday, June 27, 2015

KRL This Week Update

Up this morning in KRL a review & giveaway of "As Night Falls" by Jenny Milchman​ as well as info on her book event in August at Mysterious Galaxy​ in San Diego http://kingsriverlife.com/06/27/as-night-falls-by-jenny-milchman/

Also up reviews & giveaways of 5 more fun mysteries from Penguin & Kensington-"Bodice of Evidence" by Nancy J Parra, "Bushel Full of Murder" by Paige Shelton, "Fat Cat Spreads Out" by Janet Cantrell, "Scam Chowder" by Mary Corrigan and "Death By Coffee" by Alex Erickson http://kingsriverlife.com/06/27/wedding-food-coffee-mysteries-from-penguinkensington/

We also have the latest mystery Coming Attractions from Sunny Frazier​ along with a giveaway of books by Krista Davis​, Morgan St James​ and Velda Brotherton http://kingsriverlife.com/06/27/coming-attractions-fireworks-edition/

And we have a never before published mystery short story by Michael Guillebeau http://kingsriverlife.com/06/27/extra-a-mystery-short-story/

And a review & giveaway of "All Dressed Up and No Place to Haunt" by Rose Pressey​ http://kingsriverlife.com/06/27/all-dressed-up-and-no-place-to-haunt-by-rose-pressey/

We also have a review & giveaway of "Farmed and Dangerous" by Edith M. Maxwell​ along with a guest post from Edith about organic farming http://kingsriverlife.com/06/27/farmed-and-dangerous-by-edith-maxwell

For those who also enjoy fantasy, we have a review & giveaway of "The Nothing" by Kerry Schafter http://kingsriverlife.com/06/27/the-nothing-by-kerry-schafer/

And over on KRL Lite a review & giveaway of "Violent Departures" by FM Meredith aka Marilyn Meredith​ http://kingsriverlife.blogspot.com/2015/06/violent-departures-by-fm-meredith.html

Happy reading,
Lorie

--
KRL is now selling advertising & we have special discounts for
mystery authors & bookstores! Ask me about it!
Mystery section in Kings River Life http://KingsRiverLife.com
Check out my own blog at http://mysteryratscloset.blogspot.com/

SleuthSayers: Fee or Free?

SleuthSayers: Fee or Free?: by John M. Floyd I was talking to a beginning writer the other day (a writer of short stories, since most of what I do is the short stuff)...

Crime Watch: Review: DON'T LOSE HER by Jonathon King

Crime Watch: Review: DON'T LOSE HER by Jonathon King: DON'T LOSE HER by Jonathon King (Open Road Media, 2015) Reviewed by Craig Sisterson When a pregnant federal judge is abducted, for...

Crime Watch: How to write a bestseller and not get rich

Crime Watch: How to write a bestseller and not get rich: How to write a bestseller and not get rich More than a century before Fifty Shades of Grey , an Otago lawyer proved a self-published no...

‘HELLO’ FROM AMAZON – Big Brother style review censorship ( writerchristophfischer ~ Just another WordPress.com site)

‘HELLO’ FROM AMAZON – Big Brother style review censorship ( writerchristophfischer ~ Just another WordPress.com site)

Karma Is A Strange Thing (Libby Fischer Hellman)

Karma Is A Strange Thing (Libby Fischer Hellman)

Lateness of the Day

When you are getting about four hours of sleep every night and have been awake again today since 5 am, it really is amazing how late in the day 9 am seems. At least it was not quite as bad as yesterday when I woke up at 4:10 am again dreaming we were being evicted for non payment of rent.

A reality we face in a few days and one we could do without.

Review: "MURDER ON WHEELS (2015)" edited by Ramona DeFelice Long (Reviewed by Barry Ergang)

Barry is usually doing reviews for FFB, but today he takes a break from that to review the new MURDER ON WHEELS anthology. This book is also in my tbr pile which has suddenly gotten bigger in recent days due to a flood of books.



MURDER ON WHEELS (2015) edited by Ramona DeFelice Long

Reviewed by Barry Ergang

A product of the Austin Mystery Writers group, along with two invited guest authors, this is an anthology of, as stated on the cover, “11 tales of crime on the move.”

The collection’s genesis is explained in an introduction by Kaye George, after which its engine starts (or should I say revs?) with “A Nice Set of Wheels,” by Kathy Waller. Young Rosemary, the story’s narrator, having been raised in an agrarian region by her Aunt Violet and over-protective store owner Uncle Harry, sees drifter Campbell Reed as a savior. Reed hopes to find enough work locally to buy a car to take him to California.    But when Wanda Patterson is murdered, the question arises as to whether Reed is savior or slayer.   

We learn from the narrator of  Reavis Z. Wortham’s “Family Business” about the history of generations of Lamar County’s Caissen family and how they went from basic farming to illegally distilling whiskey and later growing marijuana, and how a violent feud developed with their Red River County opposition.

The title of the next story, “Rota Fortunae,” means “wheel of fate.” It’s also the name of the ship bound from England to America that fourteen-year-old Tim has stowed away on. Unfortunately for Tim and the rest of the crew, Captain John Claymore makes Jack London’s Wolf Larsen look like a philanthropist by comparison. The particular wheel in V.P. Chandler’s absorbing story is quite unusual, and I won’t say anything more about it to avoid spoiling the surprise. My only quibbles concern what appears to be inadequate proofreading. We’re told in the opening sentence that Tim’s last name is Brooks, but Tim tells Claymore his surname is Preston. Later on, someone whose English is generally impeccable, relating events that happened in the past, says, “I thought the storm has returned….” Further along in the same paragraph he says “the wheel spinned” instead of spun. (Italics mine.)

Hired by the shapely green-eyed redhead to find her missing sister, Alice Wonderland, Hollywood P.I. Jake Grimm suspects that criminal mastermind Mome Rath has kidnapped her. But his investigation plunges him down a rabbit hole to a world of murder, deceit, and slithy toves. Framed for the murder of Joey Dormouse, can he acquit himself and find innocent, convent-raised Alice, or will Mome Rath outgrabe him? Gale Albright delivers a jabberwock of a hardboiled tale that gyres and gimbles in “Mome Rath, My Sweet.”

What should be a routine run from Knoxville to Washington, DC as “The Wheels On the Bus Go Round and Round” turns into the ride from Hell when one particular passenger’s unjustly rude and insulting behavior toward his fellow riders turns the atmosphere uncomfortable for them and, ultimately, fatal for him. Points she raises in the introduction make it obvious that this story by Kaye George was the impetus for this anthology. My only quibble with it is that the murder is solved a little too quickly and easily. 

The Murphy family is less than enchanted that their youngest daughter and sibling, Mary, has married Marco Campisi in Laura Oles’s “Buon Viaggio.” Marco is arrogant and rude toward the Murphys, feigns affection while revealing indifference toward his bride, and apparently intends to blackmail the family into letting him join the “family business” they restrict to blood members only. The Murphys own a successful pub, but also have this other “business” they hold sacred and which, by implication only, is criminal. We’re never told its actual nature. I hate having to cavil, but my inner editor has a problem with awkward and redundant sentences: “The conversation stopped as Marco returned to the kitchen, his plate showing most of the pasta remaining on his plate”; sentences which are missing words: “Kathleen retrieved a beer from inside door of the fridge and handed it to him”; and sentences which are grammatically incorrect: “Taking note of the patrons nearby, he leaned in, closing the space between he and Marco.”

Pork chop-loving Faye Lawton’s retired husband has become obsessed with bicycling, physical fitness, and healthy foods, and Faye gradually convinces herself there’s something sinister behind it all. When she meets one of the members of Fred’s cycling group, a blue-eyed blonde with a deep tan and “a nice tight butt,” and then learns Fred has been looking at condominiums, she decides it’s time for an “Aporkalypse Now” in a darkly comic tale by Gale Albright, making her second appearance in the collection. Have I yet another quibble? Yes, but only a minor one. Does Fred want to sell the house he and Faye have lived in since they were married, as Faye fears, or has he another reason for checking out condos? We aren’t told.     

Kaye George makes a second appearance with a story about Prissy and Trey, a couple married for nearly a year who have had to postpone their honeymoon, and Abigail, Trey’s possessive and interfering mother. Their work schedules finally in sync, Prissy and Trey hope to “Have a Nice Trip” to a Virgin Islands belated honeymoon. The only obstacle is the ever-demanding Mother Abigail, who will resort to subterfuge, if necessary, to keep her beloved son close to home. What’s to be done about Mother?

When his friend Lynn Ryan, who oversees the local school bus system, wakens Southlake’s police chief with the news that there’s a “Dead Man on a School Bus,” the former Fort Worth, Texas detective has to investigate the first homicide—and a pretty grisly one—the suburb has seen in ten years. The manner of the victim’s death is identical to one he’d seen two years earlier. When Lynn describes someone who has been seen around the parking lot for the past few days, the chief has a lead he wishes he didn’t have in a potent tale from Earl Staggs which is less whodunit than whydunit.

She used to be “Hell on Wheels,” but when Bonnie Lu Urquhart begins to show signs of dementia, some of which could land her in prison, her daughter Marva Lu calls a conference with her brothers Frank and Lonnie and sister Bonita, and suggests that it’s time to “put Mama out of her misery.” They balk at the idea until she reminds them of the money they’ll inherit while sparing Mama the indignities of full-blown dementia and, possibly, incarceration for the remainder of her life. She devises a scheme that involves the local magistrate, Judge Vardaman, who has always been sweet on Mama. Does everything proceed as planned in the entertaining black comedy Kathy Waller provides in her second appearance? Do I really have to ask savvy readers of crime fiction that question?

The anthology concludes with “Red’s White F-150 Blues” by Scott Montgomery, in which narrator Red Clark is asked by an old friend of dubious character, one Billy Ray Bryant, if he’ll garage as a favor Billy Ray’s F-150 truck for a couple of weeks. Knowing his wife Britney will disapprove, Red nevertheless agrees. Britney’s disapproval intensifies until she and Red see a news story which suggests that Billy Ray was involved in a bank robbery and murder and that they’re harboring a getaway vehicle. Then Britney has an idea of her own which propels Red into the presence of Tinker, who strongly identifies with Conan the Barbarian. Have fun reading this one, but with the caveat that it contains raunchy language which might offend some readers.

Although a few stories display, to my mind, a kind of hastiness, a rush to finish them prematurely when further development might have been in order, overall—my quibbles notwithstanding— the collection is a diverting read.

E-book provided by the publisher in return for my objective review.


© 2015 Barry Ergang

You can read Barry Ergang’s take on Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” here. Some of his other work can be found at Smashwords and Amazon.

Friday, June 26, 2015

BOOK BEAT BABES: Why the eReader Platform Matters

BOOK BEAT BABES: Why the eReader Platform Matters: I’ve been looking into the various “unlimited” reading options available to me as both a reader and a writer and one of the obstacles, ...

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Stardust by Neil Gaiman: Reviewed by Ambrea Tristran Thorn has entered the word of Faerie with a mission on his mind:  he is going to retrieve a fallen st...

Lesa's latest Contest--- Terrific Giveaway - Give me an H

I have a terrific giveaway this week - copies of Carolyn Hart's Don't Go Home and Anne Hillerman's Rock with Wings. Details on my blog, http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com. Entries from the U.S. only, please.


Lesa Holstine  

Chemo Delayed Again

Sandi remains way too sick for chemo so it has now been delayed till at least Tuesday. Today in the doctor's office she was running two degrees of fever and having other issues. Her blood work was okay though her kidneys are not cooperating very well again.

Because of the vomiting occurring each evening they have stopped one of the drugs that is designed to be helpful for her lungs. She is to drink plenty of fluids, rest and do nothing, so that hopefully things will finally start getting better.  As always, if she gets worse over the weekend we are to use the emergency contact deal.

We try all this again on Tuesday.

RIP Patrick Macnee (Welcome To Hell Blog by Glenn Walker)

RIP Patrick Macnee (Welcome To Hell Blog by Glenn Walker)

Friday Finds for Writers (The Practicing Writer)

Friday Finds for Writers (The Practicing Writer)

FFB Review: "BURN" by Jonathan Lyons

Friday means a lot of things including Friday’s Forgotten Books. I believe Patti will be doing the FFB links today at her blog. If not, I will fix this sometime later today when I am home as Sandi has an appointment down at Texas Oncology at Medical City Dallas Hospital. I have no idea when I will be home as Sandi was supposed to start chemo today and most likely will not as she remains very ill.

I first told you about BURN by Jonathan Lyons back in 2001. I told you again in a FFB post back in March of 2011. I am telling you again to read this book. Below is the original review written the first time around. Despite my hope for a sequel first expressed in this review in 2001 there has not been one near as I can tell.


Jonathan Lyons has crafted an intriguing mystery set on our world in a not too distant future. He has taken current events and extrapolated a logical futuristic setting from them while adding multi-dimensional characters. At the same time, he asks fundamental technology driven questions such as when does something totally technology based, achieve human status with feelings, emotions, and the like?



In this future world, giant corporations run the country. The effects of global warming have come to pass, raising the world's sea levels and destroying major cities. Permanent fogs of smog have rolled in causing a perpetual acidic rain. The well to do have managed to flee to where the sun still shines, artificial islands created in places like the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. Corporations caused it all to happen as they bought off the politicians and set themselves up to run everything. The biggest corporation around is Expedite, which among other things, is the corporate sponsor of Old New York's police force. The suits make the decisions about what gets investigated not the cops.

Cage used to be a cop and was a pretty good one. He annoyed the powers that be, by investigating the death of Joseph Fuhlber, an Expedite computer scientist. The doctor's partner was also killed and both were classified as suicide. Both deaths were clearly murder and when Cage wouldn't leave it alone, he was booted from the force, nearly destroying his life. Cage is surviving, financially and emotionally, but just barely.

Janice Gild, who wants her brother's death investigated, contacts him. The cops aren't doing anything to speak of and the dead brother has links back to Expedite. The man was incinerated in his own condo while in bed and amazingly, the rest of the condo did not burn. While vaguely interested and in need of money, Cage does not want to run afoul of Expedite again. He grudgingly agrees while at the same time warning her, that he won't fight Expedite if they don't want it investigated.

Soon, he discovers that the crime scene has been tampered with and Janice Gild's brother was only one of several to strangely die by incineration. If it wasn't spontaneous human combustion, a rare event, then what is happening? Bodies begin to pile up and Cage slowly figures out that the only help may come from the missing android domestic Jennifer Four. But, Jennifer Four is not what she once was and has developed her own agenda and Cage may be interference to be removed.

This debut novel (available in a variety of formats) is very good with plenty of action and multi-dimensional characters. Jonathan Lyons deftly mixes in back ground information and social commentary without sliding into preaching. He adds some downright funny parts, which I won't spoil by revealing. This is a very good book and I eagerly await Mr. Lyon's next project which this reviewer hopes just might be a sequel to this effort. Enjoy!


 

BURN
Jonathan Lyons
Donham Books
August, 2000
ISBN# 978-1583454428
Hardback (e-book available)
207 Pages


Material provided by the author in exchange for my objective review.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2001, 2011, 2015

Thursday, June 25, 2015

That Wild Man Gary Cartwright: The mad, mad, mad life of a Texas wordsmith (The Austin Chronicle)

That Wild Man Gary Cartwright: The mad, mad, mad life of a Texas wordsmith (The Austin Chronicle)

Almond Press Short Story Competition: Writing for "Exposure" (Writer Beware)

Almond Press Short Story Competition: Writing for "Exposure" (Writer Beware)

Celebrating Gunsmoke’s 60th Anniversary: “Mannon” by Edward A. Grainger (Criminal Element)

Celebrating Gunsmoke’s 60th Anniversary: “Mannon” by Edward A. Grainger  (Criminal Element)

Google is listening to you, Israeli tech-blogger reveals (The Times Of Isreal)

Review: "The Guns Of Vedauwoo (Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles Series Book Six) by Wayne D. Dundee

Having delivered prisoner Luther Hyatt back to Cheyenne, U. S. Deputy Marshal Cash Laramie is looking forward to some time off. After putting up with the foul piece of human garbage known as Luther Hyatt for three very long days on the trail, Cash has plans for a bath, food and booze, and quite possibly some time with Lenora Wilkes. Unfortunately, Chief Marshal Devon Penn has other plans for Cash.

Chief Penn is very concerned about a possible Indian uprising based on a movement, some would call it a religion, in the area. While that idea is a bit vague, it is clear there was a recent prison break down at Castle Rock Prison located south of Denver. One of the escapees is a guy named Vilo Creed known as “Creed the Breed.” He might be headed towards “Vedauwoo Rocks” also known as “Skull Rocks” to some. He also might have gotten ahold of 100 Springfield Model 1873 carbines that were stolen several years ago.

Creed is half Indian as he is Lakota Sioux and has familial connection to Kicking Bear who is trying to spark the uprising. If Creed has the guns and gets them to Kicking Bear the chances of an uprising of some sort rise dramatically. Chief Penn knows Cash knows the Vedauwoo better than most since he spent some of his time as a child moving around the Vedauwoo. He wants Cash to get there and stop Creed by any means. Recovering the guns would be a nice bonus, but the main mission is to get Creed before he can get anything going in the area. Once again Cash is being sent to deal with a major problem without any backup. It is not the first time and won’t be the last.

Like many of the books in this western series, there is a mystery at the heart of the tale. Such is the case here in a tale that works on multiple levels. Richness of detail, characters with multiple motivations and agendas, and plenty of action make this another very good read in a compelling series. Billed as the sixth book of the Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles Series this could easily be read first if you are not familiar with this series.


The Guns Of Vedauwoo (Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles Series Book Six)
Wayne D. Dundee
Beat To A Pulp
September 2012
ASIN: B009FLOLY6
E-book (print also available)
142 Pages      
$1.49

I picked this up quite some time using funds in my Amazon Associate account in order to read and review it.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2015

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

The First Time I Read Hemingway: Welcome Earl Staggs (Birds and Books Blog)

The First Time I Read Hemingway: Welcome Earl Staggs (Birds and Books Blog)

Why Any Writer Worth Her Salt Should Welcome Amazon’s Pay-Per-Page Initiative (The Militant Writer)

Why Any Writer Worth Her Salt Should Welcome Amazon’s Pay-Per-Page Initiative (The Militant Writer)

"Modern-Day Quick Draw" by BJ Bourg (Hendon Media Group Article Archives)

"Modern-Day Quick Draw" by BJ Bourg (Hendon Media Group Article Archives)

Pierce’s Picks (The Rap Sheet)

Pierce’s Picks (The Rap Sheet)

A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: DID YOU STUDY? HERE'S A QUIZ

A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: DID YOU STUDY? HERE'S A QUIZ: Friends and I met this week to have what we call our “techie day” where we discuss new trends in marketing.  Readers not associated...

HISTORY’S RICH WITH MYSTERIES with Earl Staggs --- WHO WAS ETTA PLACE?

Please welcome back award winning Texas author Earl Staggs with his latest installment of his History’s Rich With Mysteries series. After taking a look at Billy The Kid last time, this installment he considers the question, who was Etta Place?

When I look at the past, I find stories about people which fascinate me, particularly those in which there is a curious mixture of fact, legend, and mysterious uncertainty.  In this series of articles, I want to explore some of those stories.  I think of them as mysteries swaddled in legend.  While truth is always desired in most things, truth easily becomes staid and boring. Legend, on the other hand, forever holds a hint of romanticism and an aura of excitement borne of adventure, imagination and, of course, mystery.

HISTORY’S RICH WITH MYSTERIES
By Earl Staggs

WHO WAS ETTA PLACE?

Everyone remembers the beautiful young woman portrayed by Katherine Ross in the 1969 movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  Butch and Sundance rode and robbed their way into legend as members of the infamous outlaw gang known as The Wild Bunch, and she became a legend of her own by hanging out with them. She even shared space with them on Pinkerton’s Most Wanted List where she was described as having, "classic good looks, 27 or 28 years old, 5'4" to 5'5" in height, weighing between 110 lb and 115 lb, with a medium build and brown hair." When the Butch and Sundance fled to South America, she went with them.  

She has come down to us through history as the best known female outlaw of that period and some say, the most beautiful. And the most mysterious. No one is certain where she came from before she hooked up with Butch and Sundance or where she went after the boys allegedly died in Bolivia. Many researchers and historians have offered glimpses into who and what she was. Some have said she was a refined, well-educated, and musically-trained woman born and reared somewhere in the northeast. Or possibly in Colorado or Oregon. Others claimed she was a married schoolteacher who deserted her husband and two children to become an outlaw. Another concluded she was a prostitute in Fort Worth and San Antonio brothels and the mistress of Butch Cassidy (real name Robert Leroy Parker) before she moved over to The Sundance Kid. Some even feel she died in South America alongside Butch and Sundance.
 

 
Claims and conclusions aside, no one knows anything certain about her life before or after her adventures with two of the most infamous men of American history.


Mysterious?  Definitely.  Legendary?  Absolutely.


Her real name is still an unsolved mystery, but there is an interesting story about how she became Etta Place. It’s unclear if she and Sundance ever married, but they often traveled as husband and wife. Sundance’s real name was Harry Alonzo Longabaugh. His mother’s maiden name was “Place,” and he sometimes used the alias “Harry Place.” When our mysterious lady traveled with him, she is known to have signed her name as “Mrs. Ethel Place.” When she moved to South America, the Spanish-speaking natives had trouble pronouncing “Ethel” and it came out as “Etta.” The Pinkertons, who had referred to her as "Ethel", "Ethal", "Eva" and "Rita" at various times, finally setted on "Etta Place" for their wanted posters, and that name came to us via history and legend as hers.


According to researchers, in February 1901, Etta, Butch and Sundance left the Wild West and traveled to New York City, and from there, moved to Argentina to evade the army of lawmen  hot on their trail.  While in New York, Etta and Sundance posed for a portrait. It is one of only two known images of her.  
 

In 1904, the pair again visited the US. The Pinkertons tracked them to Fort Worth and to the St. Louis World Fair, but were one step behind them and they returned to Argentina. Early in 1905, Butch, Sundance, and Etta took part in a bank robbery in Villa Mercedes, 400 miles west of Buenos Aires.

In June 1906, Etta and Sundance traveled to San Francisco. Tired of living as an outlaw, she decided to remain there. Sundance returned to South America, and there is no evidence they ever saw each other again.

There is also no conclusive evidence telling us where she went after that, under what name, or where she eventually died. There are, however, reports that in 1909, a year after Butch and
Sundance reportedly died, a woman fitting Etta’s description attempted to obtain a certificate of Sundance’s death.  She was unsuccessful since his remains were never positively identified. 

Over the years, a number of women have been suggested as being Etta Place. Among them are Eunice Gray, who died in a fire in Fort Worth in 1962, and Madeline Wilson, who is known to have worked as a prostitute in Texas. The most likely, however, was Ann Bassett.

Ann Bassett was a well-known cattle rustler in Utah until she traveled to Texas, arriving about the same time Etta Place showed up there. In Texas, she met Butch and Sundance and is said to have traveled with them. Records indicate she also used the alias, “Etta Place” at different times. She eventually returned to Utah and died there in 1956. 

Doris Karren Burton, a writer who investigated the lives of Etta and Ann and published a book in 1992, sent photographs of both women to Dr. Thomas G. Kyle of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Dr. Kyle performed a computer comparison of the two women and concluded they were the same person. 



Was he right? Was Ann Bassett (left) really Etta Place (right) a few years and a few pounds later?


We’ll never know for sure, but one fact is irrefutably clear. Except for the few years she  traveled with Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, there are no definitive records of her.

Whoever she was, wherever she came from, and whatever happened to her, in the short period of time she appeared in history, she became one of the most intriguing, endearing, and mysterious legends of the Old West.


Earl Staggs ©2015

Earl Staggs earned a long list of Five Star reviews for his novels MEMORY OF A MURDER and JUSTIFIED ACTION and has twice received a Derringer Award for Best Short Story of the Year. He served as Managing Editor of Futures Mystery Magazine, as President of the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars. 

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Writing Secrets of a Bestselling Author: Lee Child (The Graveyard Shift)

 Writing Secrets of a Bestselling Author: Lee Child (The Graveyard Shift)

A Sandi Update

We are back home and she is here and sound asleep. Going to the doctor was a major effort for her today and it took a lot out of her.

The viral croup is not getting better. While she has no fever, she is again throwing up due to excessive coughing. Her lungs sound worse. So, in her very weakened and very state, chemo is far too dangerous for her right now. Everything that was scheduled for today has been rescheduled for Friday in the hope she is well enough then to do chemo. In all likelihood we have a better chance of seeing unicorns prancing in the streets under skies full of flying pigs and hostile drones.

The blood work was okay--not good--- and that was another indication things have to wait. We are told that further delaying the chemo won't matter much as to how it does or does not impact the cancer. The far bigger issue right now is her inability to get over this and the high risk she is at for more issues either directly due to this or getting sick with something else on top of what she already has.

Review: "See Also Murder: A Marjorie Trumaine Mystery" by Larry D. Sweazy

Living on a farm in Stark County, North Dakota in July of 1964 is hard, but it isn’t winter and that helps a little bit. Things are harder for Marjorie Trumaine than most because she is trying to manage it all pretty much by herself. It has been that way since her husband, Hank, had his hunting accident that left him blind and paralyzed. He spends his days, except for a rare trip away from home, lying in their bed unable to care for himself or the farm they both love.

The Knudsens on the next farm over were there for Hank and Marjorie long after everyone else in the small community got on with their lives and forgot about them. Erik, the father, supervised his sons, Peter and Jaeger, while they did chores on the place after they had finished work on their own farm. Lida, their mom and Erik’s wife, brought food for months while Marjorie and Hank slowly adjusted to the catastrophic change in their lives. Over time that help as well as Marjorie’s ongoing job as a freelance indexer has allowed them to survive in their new normal post-accident reality.

The news that Sheriff Hilo Jenkins brings Marjorie this July morning is hard to deal with on any level, but especially now after everything that has happened in recent months. Erik and Lida have been brutally murdered while they slept in their bed. Their sons, Erik and Jaeger, are physically fine as they slept through the murders in their home. Sheriff Jenkins does not believe the boys had anything to do with it though he does intend to question them about the murders. He does believe an amulet found in Erik’s dead hand plays some role in the case.

Marjorie has a reputation, one that she has tried hard to control and stifle, as being the smartest person around. She can’t help using words that many in the area don’t know or understand. Her love of books and knowledge has only increased the last several years as she has built a career of freelance work of writing indexes and meeting deadlines. What began as a source of extra income is now her sole escape from reality as well as the primary source of income  for the family. Sheriff Jenkins wants Marjorie to figure out what the amulet means so that he might figure out who killed Erik and Lida. It is his only real clue and he wants her role in the case kept secret. She reluctantly agrees to help it is the least she can do for the Knudsens – the living and the dead.

What follows is a very complex and highly atmospheric mystery by award winning author Larry D. Sweazy. The North Dakota landscape is a constant character presence in this novel that blends history and lore, a mystery full of twists and turns, and the role of family (by birth and other means) into a read that quickly pulls the reader into a different time and place far from home. Recently published by Seventh Street Books, See Also Murder: A Marjorie Trumaine Mystery is a highly addictive read that will keep you reading far past your bedtime. It is very much well worth your time.  


See Also Murder: A Marjorie Trumaine Mystery
Larry D. Sweazy
Seventh Street Books
May 2015
ISBN# 978-1-63388-006-1
Paperback
$15.95
253 Pages


Material supplied for my use by the good people of the Plano Public Library System.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2015

Monday, June 22, 2015

Bookish events in Texas for the week of June 22 - 28, 2015 (Texas Book Lover)

Bookish events in Texas for the week of June 22 - 28, 2015 (Texas Book Lover)

Monday With Kaye: "“The Cat, the Devil, the Last Escape” by Shirley Rousseau and Pat J. J. Murphy (Reviewed by Kaye George)

In between doing author things as Janet Cantrell for Fat Cat Spreads Out, Kaye George came on by with her latest installment for “Mondays With Kaye.” Good thing too or I would have had to run Mondays With Maury instead. I was not looking forward to doing that as it does not have the same ring to it for one thing. I would also have to find somebody who writes as Maury to contribute for another. I am a little worried about Kaye though…..she do seem to like the books with supernatural elements a little too much.



“The Cat, the Devil, the Last Escape” by Shirley Rousseau and Pat J. J. Murphy

Don’t think that, just because there’s a cat on the cover, this will be a light, cozy book. It’s pretty gritty for a book with a talking cat. Misto is a ghost cat, though, so that’s different.



 There’s a lot that is different about this series. Rousseau writes a cozy series, the Joe Grey series, as well as books for all ages of child, plus fantasy, but when she teams up with her husband, the books gets darker. Murphy is a retired probation officer, which is probably why the prison scenes seem to ring with authenticity. Lee Fontana makes his second appearance with Misto, this time locked up for a robbery. Lee’s grandpappy, a train robber, instilled the love of robbing trains into his grandson. The old man also carried a curse that has been handed down to Lee.


Misto became a ghost cat when he died while he was living with a little girl named Sammie. Sammie has a special gift, dreams that portend the future and some that connect with other people in the present. Misto splits his time between Lee and Sammie because he has a mission: to bring about justice for Sammie’s falsely accused father. Several characters acting on behalf of the Devil are determined to get in the way and continue the curse, but Lee, Sammie, and Misto are just as determined to get the best of Satan.


In spite of the various supernatural factors, the characters seemed very real. I was drawn to them and read avidly, caring about what would happen to them at the end of the book.


Reviewed by Kaye George, Author of Eine Kleine Murder for Suspense Magazine
 

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Bill Crider Talks About "How The West Was Written--Volume 3 Glossary" By Ron Scheer

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: PimPage: An Occasional Feature in which I Call Att...: How the West Was Written: Glossary - Kindle edition by Ron Scheer, Richard S. Wheeler. Reference Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.   Here's my...

What If Authors Were Paid Every Time Someone Turned a Page? (The Atlantic)


Includes annoying and stupid pop up ad along with still more ads buried in the piece.

Euro Crime Update

Here are nine reviews which have been added to the Euro Crime website today, five have appeared on the blog since last time, and four are completely new.

NB. You can keep up to date with Euro Crime by following the blog and/or liking the Euro Crime Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/eurocrimewebsite).

New Reviews

I review Nancy Atherton's 'Aunt Dimity and the Wishing Well', the nineteenth in the Aunt Dimity series set in the Cotswolds;

Ewa Sherman reviews Quentin Bates' 'Summerchill', in which we catch up with Icelandic police officer Gunna;

Susan White reviews 'Cold Revenge' by Alex Howard, which is the second outing for DCI Hanlon;

Mark Bailey reviews Paul Johnston's 'Heads or Hearts': the return of Quint Dalrymple;

Geoff Jones reviews J Sydney Jones' Cold War thriller, 'Basic Law';

Laura Root reviews 'Disclaimer by Renee Knight, her debut;

Terry Halligan reviews Adrian Magson's 'Close Quarters', the second Marc Portman thriller;

Lynn Harvey reviews 'The Whispering City' by Sara Moliner tr. Mara Faye Letham

and Michelle Peckham reviews 'What She Left' by T R Richmond, also a debut.

http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/review_list.html or via the blog: http://eurocrime.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/new-reviews-atherton-bates-howard.html.

Previous reviews can be found in the review archive (http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/review_list.html)

Forthcoming titles can be found by author or date or by category, here (http://eurocrime.co.uk/future_releases.html) along with releases by year.

best wishes,
Karen M
@eurocrime

Mystery Fanfare: Father's Day Mysteries//Fathers and Sons in Crime ...

Mystery Fanfare: Father's Day Mysteries//Fathers and Sons in Crime ...: Me and My Dad..1990 Father's Day. My father passed away 12 years ago, but I still think about him every day. He encouraged and su...

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there.......




















REVIEW: "INHERENT VICE" (2014) STARRING JOAQUIN PHOENIX AND JOSH BROLIN; BLU-RAY RELEASE (CinemaRetro)

REVIEW: "INHERENT VICE" (2014) STARRING JOAQUIN PHOENIX AND JOSH BROLIN; BLU-RAY RELEASE (CinamaRetro)

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Lesa's Latest Contest-- Giveaway of Kate White's The Wrong Man

This week, I'm giving away 3 copies of Kate White's suspense novel, The Wrong Man. Readers from the U.S. and Canada are eligible. Details on my blog at http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com.


Lesa Holstine  

Mystery Fanfare: Cartoon of the Day: Twitter Novel

Made me laugh......

Mystery Fanfare: Cartoon of the Day: Twitter Novel

LRHallBooks: Summer on the Water, Mark Troy, Season 2, Episode ...

LRHallBooks: Summer on the Water, Mark Troy, Season 2, Episode ...: Welcome Mark to this third Friday in June! I hope it's sunny where you are.  It certainly looks sunny in your picture. I think a...

Crime Review Update

In our new edition of Crime Review (www.crimereview.co.uk) this week we
have 16 reviews, together with Robert Olen Butler in the Countdown
interview hot seat:
Crime Review can be followed on Twitter: @CrimeReviewUK
Linda Wilson can be followed on Twitter: @CrimeReviewer
Sharon Wheeler can be followed on Twitter: @lartonmedia

This week’s reviews are:
THE CELLAR by Minette Walters, reviewed by Linda Wilson
Muna was bought from an orphanage at the age of eight by Mr and Mrs Songoli
and has been forced into a life of domestic slavery. But she is a survivor …

THIN AIR by Ann Cleeves, reviewed by Arnold Taylor
Three old university friends, Caroline, Eleanor and Polly, leave London for
the Shetland Isles where they are to celebrate Caroline’s recent marriage
to a Shetlander. Almost immediately after the party, one of them disappears
and her body is found in a loch.

SLEEPING DOGS by Thomas Mogford, reviewed by Chris Roberts
Lawyer Spike Sanguinetti takes a holiday in Corfu but finds himself
involved in a murder, followed by a very dangerous trip to Albania.

LAST RESORT by Quintin Jardine, reviewed by Linda Wilson
Bob Skinner, on holiday in Spain, is asked to help out an old friend and
find a missing man.

THE STRINGS OF MURDER by Oscar de Muriel, reviewed by John Cleal
Victorian Inspectors Ian Frey and ‘Nine Nails’ McGray must solve the
gruesome killing of an Edinburgh violin virtuoso. Their inquiries take them
into a world of music, madness and devil worship.

RESISTANT by Michael Palmer, reviewed by Sylvia Wilson
An aggressive new infection is sweeping America’s hospitals, the product of
a shadowy terrorist organisation. When Dr Lou Welcome’s friend succumbs,
can he find the cure, find the terrorists and save his friend’s life?

NOTHING SACRED by David Thorne, reviewed by Chris Roberts
Lawyer Daniel Connell helps out an old girlfriend and finds himself landed
with a new client, one who won’t take no for an answer.

ROBERT B PARKER’S CHEAP SHOT by Ace Atkins, reviewed by Linda Wilson
Spenser is hired to find a nine-year-old kidnap victim amidst gang violence
in downtown Boston.

INQUEST by Paul Carson, reviewed by John Cleal
Coroner Dr Mike Wilson is dragged into a morass of corruption and killing
as he conducts an inquest into the apparent suicide of the drug-addicted
son of a government minister.

DEAD CERTAINTY by Glenis Wilson, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler
Jump jockey Harry Radcliffe is out of action after a fall – but
ghost-writing an autobiography for a veteran trainer turns out to be even
more dangerous.

THE FIRST HORSEMAN by DK Wilson, reviewed by John Cleal
House of Commons member Robert Packington became the first man in London to
be murdered with a pistol when he was shot dead while walking to Mass.
Thomas Treviot, a close family friend, sets out to investigate his killing
amid the corruption and conspiracies of Henry VIII’s court.

DEATH UNDER A TUSCAN SUN by Michele Giutarri, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan
Chief Superintendent Ferrara is dismayed to hear that two dangerous
prisoners have escaped from jail in Pisa. Later, a well-known lawyer and
his wife are found murdered in their gated community a few miles from
Florence.

FOR THE DEAD by Timothy Hallinan, reviewed by Chris Roberts
The purchase of a used phone exposes Poke Rafferty and his family to danger
from a man with very powerful connections.

THE MAN WHO LOVED DOGS by Leonardo Padura, reviewed by John Cleal
A Cuban writer meets a man with two Russian wolfhounds while walking on a
beach. He gradually learns the man’s story – he is the exiled killer of
Leon Trotsky.

TRUTH OR DARE by Tania Carver, reviewed by Linda Wilson
A kidnapped man is given a choice: save his life or that of his girlfriend
and baby. What decision will he make?

KICKBACK by Damien Boyd, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler
A soldier returning from Afghanistan holds his family hostage in an attempt
to persuade police to investigate the death of his stable lad brother – and
DI Nick Dixon is soon in the thick of the action

Best wishes

Sharon

KRL This Week Update

Up this morning in KRL the winner of our Father's Day Mystery short story contest, "The Alaskan Adventure" by Elaine Faber​ http://kingsriverlife.com/06/20/the-alaskan-adventure-fathers-day-mystery-short-story-winner/

Also up, a review & giveaway of "Ripped from the Pages" by Kate Carlisle​ http://kingsriverlife.com/06/20/ripped-from-the-pages-by-kate-carlisle/

Also up, a review & giveaway of "Superfluous Women" by Carola Dunn​ http://kingsriverlife.com/06/20/superfluous-women-by-carola-dunn/

We also have some more Penguin and Kensington mysteries for your summer reading-"Death of a Cupcake Queen" By Lee Hollis​, "Privy to the Dead" by Sheila Connolly​, and "Purl Up and Die" by Maggie Sefton​ http://kingsriverlife.com/06/20/more-fun-summer-mystery-reading-from-penguinkensington/

We also have an article about some of the great shows featuring older actors these days, and in the past, including some great mystery ones like "Blue Bloods" http://kingsriverlife.com/06/20/tv-wrinkles-new-and-old/

And for our readers who also enjoy fantasy,  a review & giveaway of "Pocket Apocalypse" by Seanan McGuire​ http://kingsriverlife.com/06/20/pocket-apocalypse-by-seanan-mcguire/

Over on KRL Lite, a review & giveaway of "Cantua Crossing" by Mary Marin Benton
Happy reading, Lorie

--
KRL is now selling advertising & we have special discounts for
mystery authors & bookstores! Ask me about it!
Mystery section in Kings River Life http://KingsRiverLife.com
Check out my own blog at http://mysteryratscloset.blogspot.com/