Things To Support

Got this earlier today and I thought I would post about this worthy endeavor here.....



M E D I A R E L E A S E
Contact: Lea Schizas E-Mail: museitupeditor@yahoo.ca
Website: http://musingourchildren.tripod.com/

The Muse Reading and Writing Appreciation Week is coming to a school near you in October.

The Muse Reading and Writing Appreciation Week is a new initiative intended to reach school-aged children and parents across the world. Our goal is to introduce parents and children to local writers and authors who are passionate about creative writing and reading.

Delve into the imagination and bring a child with you!

Scheduled for the week of October 15-19, Reading and Writing Appreciation Week will reach around the globe. Authors, writers, and volunteers will visit schools and offer free handouts and informationto anyone who would like to be involved in helping children and parents understand the value of reading and writing.

If you are interested in having a volunteer come to your classroom to read or to speak about writing during the week of Oct 15-19 please contact/email Lea Schizas at museitupeditor@yahoo.ca .

Teachers, parents, and writers can remain updated throughout the yearwith tips, ideas, and readers' thoughts and suggestions on how we, as a community, can ban together to help children understand the benefits of reading and writing via the Musing Our Children website:http://musingourchildren.tripod.com/

Share the love of reading with a child or student and watch theirworld blossom! Anyone interested in volunteering to read to children or talk to them about writing during the week of October 15, can contact/email Lea Schizas at museitupeditor@yahoo.ca or check out http://musingourchildren.tripod.com/ for more details.

"The Secret Of the Lonely Grave" by Albert A. Bell, Jr.

The age old issues of racism and slavery along with the current sensitivity to bullying are all tough topics for kids. Rarely are they handled so well with such sensitivity as they are in this novel.

The Secret Of The Lonely Grave
By Albert A. Bell, Jr.
Ingalls Publishing Group
http://www.ingallspublishinggroup.com
ISBN # 978-1-932158-79-3
Large Trade Paperback
159 Pages


The story opens in a small town in Western Kentucky where Steve and Kendra can hardly wait for school to be out for the summer in another week. Everyday as they walk up and down a hill on the way to the school bus, they pass an old cemetery. Kendra often stops at the grave marker for her sister Moniqa. They also stop and look at a grave for a child that is set far away from all the others. The two middle school aged children have nicknamed it "the lonely grave." A grave that someone has suddenly started placing fresh flowers on with no explanation.

As the school year ends, the kids realize that someone is placing the flowers on the grave in a regular cycle. They hatch a plan to find out who is doing it and why. Catching the person who is placing the flowers is relatively easy. The real question then becomes why is the grave so far away from the others?

What follows is an entertaining story written primarily for young teens that deals tactfully with divorce and bullying as well as slavery, racism and the legacy of this nation's history. Steve, who is white, and Kendra, who is African-American, are forced to confront what their ancestors may have done long before they were born as well as their relationship with each other in today's America. Both are also forced to deal with bullying and why some children bully. The result is an entertaining read that delves deep into the past while teaching compassion and caring.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2007

The Series Continues in "Invisible Prey"

Well, it is back to work for me. I recently had the pleasure of attending the Hardboiled Heroes & Cozy Cats conference in Dallas thanks to publicist extraordinaire, PJ Nunn. I got to meet her as well as her fantastic husband (who may be as twisted as I am in the humor department) along with a bunch of other great folks. I also got to tell that Texan wannabe Earl Staggs how to drive as he gave me a ride both days to the convention. I won't bore you with the details as I always find those gushing deals a bit off putting myself. Suffice it to say, I had an absolute blast and thank once again PJ Nunn for making it happen. You are the best!

And now, back to the books with……


Invisible Prey
By John Sandford
http://www.johnsandford.org
G. P. Putnam's Sons
http://www.penguin.com
2008
ISBN #978-0-399-15421-8
Hardback
388 Pages

The latest installment of the "Prey" series written by John Sandford finds Lucas Davenport involved in the world of high value antiques. Early in "Invisible Prey" Lucas and his team are called to a home near Lucas' own home where two elderly women have been murdered. The mansion is in disarray in what appears to have been a simple robbery gone horribly wrong. However, Lucas with the help of others, begins to figure out it isn't and the chase for the clever killers is on in another enjoyable page turning read.

While Lucas and his team have no idea who the killers are, readers know from the beginning. It isn't long before their complete identities are known to the reader as well as most of their motivations for their crimes. As a result, this novel while enjoyable does not contain anywhere near the suspense found in other books in the long running series. Since Lucas almost always captures his suspects one way or another the only real question for readers is how he will do it. With characters long since fully formed there are no mysteries in that realm either.

The end result is a novel that is good, but not great. A novel that is enjoyable, but is one of the weaker ones in this strong series.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2007

Reviewing: "The Blade Itself: A Novel" by Marcus Sakey

This is a case where the basic premise has been done to death. Two young men living a life of crime when one is caught and serves jail time. He comes back home and expects things to resume where they left off. The other has been scared straight, as it were, and isn't interested in going back. Such is the case here. Yet, the execution of the story is how it works for the reader.


The Blade Itself: A Novel
By Marcus Sakey
St. Martin's Minotaur
www.minotaurbooks.com
ISBN #0-312-36031-2
Hardback
307 Pages

The years have passed and Danny has tried to forget the past which is never far away. Once Danny, Evan and Patrick among others were part of a gang of young toughs who considered themselves invincible. With instincts honed by working the streets, they moved from score to score taking what they wanted and not worrying about the consequences. Danny usually worked with Evan as he did that fateful night.

That one night cost Danny in ways he won't talk about and cost Evan a long term sentence in Statesville maximum security. While Danny still hangs around Patrick, Danny has become what they referred to as a "civilian." He has changed his ways and isn't about to go back and risk losing it all including the love of his life, Karen. Then, Evan returns and is looking for pay back and gratitude for Evans not talking to the cops. Danny's house of cards perfect life begins to teeter and Evan plans to bring it all down.

In what is billed as a debut novel and certainly does not read like one, author Marcus Sakey skillfully weaves a complex tale. A tale that is on first glance, stereotypical in the idea of the con coming back home and looking to be rewarded. And yet through back story, flashbacks, etc. The novel quickly becomes much more. Evan is portrayed as evil initially and yet overtime is seen to have an element, not exactly of goodness, but of something more positive. Danny, a flawed hero, is carried forward not only by the love of a good woman but by memories of what he caused as well as the life his father led.

If has become clichéd to believe and live up to the standards that our parents raised us to. That is exactly what happens in this novel. Forces set into motion in childhood rippled forward through their lives and ended in a violent climax in a Chicago construction yard. The past is never really past and everything influences our actions each and every day.

The result is a complex read that touches on social issues while at the same time providing a heck of a good tale, at a fast pace with deep characters. This is a good stuff and well worth your time.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2007

Mark Troy Needs YOUR Help!

I rarely post these sorts of things but being Mark Troy is not only a friend but one of the really good guys around, I figured I would. Take a look at his message below and see if you are interested.

************************************



I'm looking for reviews of Hawaiian mysteries to put on my web site, The Hawaiian Eye. http://metroy.blogspot.com. You can find a list of Hawaiian mysteries on the Left Coast Crime, 2009 web site. http://www.leftcoastcrime.org/2009/hawaii.html. 250 to 500 words. To sweeten the deal, I'll send you a copy of my book, PILIKIA IS MY BUSINESS. If you plan to review a book, contact me first to find out if someone else is already writing a review of it. Tell me what beach you'd be laying on to read it and what you'd be drinking while you read it.If you are an author of a Hawaiian mystery, please contact me. I'd like to interview you.

Mark Troy
Hawaiian Eye Bloghttp://metroy.blogspot.com/

Texas sized violence in "Baby Shark" by Robert Fate

From time to time for months now, I have been reading on various lists how great this book was and that it was a must read. Well, that was fine and all that, but my local library wasn't carrying it. Then, I was offered an opportunity to receive a review copy of this one as well as the planned sequel. I jumped at the chance and am very glad I did. For once, the hype matches the book.


Baby Shark
By Robert Fate
Capital Crime Press
http://www.capitalcrimepress.com
2006
ISBN # 0-9776276-9-1
Large Trade Paperback
270 Pages

Its October, 1952 as this often violent crime novel opens in Henry Chin's Poolroom situated in West Texas. Seventeen year old Kristin "Baby" Van Dijk is there with her father, a pool hustler. With her mom dead and her aunt living up in Oklahoma, it's pretty much her, her dad, and her dad's Coupe de Ville as they travel Texas with her dad playing pool for money and reading books for fun. That is until members of the "Lost Demons" motorcycle gang walk in.

When it's over, her dad is dead, Henry Chin's son is dead, a couple gang members are dead, and Kristin has been raped repeatedly and brutally beaten. Her jaw is broken, teeth are missing, ribs are cracked, her nose is broken and the list keeps going on and on. She was lucky she lived through it and waking up in the hospital in Abilene makes her almost wish she hadn't. Then she meets Detective Hansard and it is pretty much clear that the case is going to go nowhere. As Henry puts it, "No police justice. Henry knows more ways one skin cat." (Page 20)

Author Robert Fate launches the reader into a revenge tale that is so much more than simple revenge. Kristin who rehabs and follows her dad's career path as a pool hustler quickly earning the name "Baby Shark" is not a stereotypical vigilante. Yes, there are elements of that sort of thing in her character, but as he does with all the characters in this fast moving novel, author Robert Fate shows the other side of her. Revenge, retaliation, payback, call it what you will, it has consequences often in unexpected ways and he grippingly details that side of it for the reader.

In a torturous and violence filled path that goes back and forth across West Texas and reaches into Forth Worth and Dallas, author Robert Fate weaves a complex trail of not only revenge, but duplicity and mystery. While the opening may be cut and dried between the black hats and the white hats, it isn't long before nothing is that simple. The result is a powerful, often violent novel that does actually live up to the media hype.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2007

Past and present collide in "Arizona Dreams" by Jon Talton

If you haven't had the please of reading Jon Talton you are missing an author who combines history with mystery. This is an author who not only weaves excellent mystery tales in his novels but includes little pieces of history not only regarding Phoenix and Arizona but other areas as well. Each book is a treat and this one is no exception.

Arizona Dreams: A David Mapstone Mystery
By Jon Talton
http://www.jontalton.com
Poisoned Pen Press
http://poisonedpenpress.com
2006
Large Trade Paperback


In this release last year from Poisoned Pen Press, Historian Deputy David Mapstone returns in another strong novel. It opens quickly with a killing just down the block from his 1924 Spanish Colonial home located in Phoenix, Arizona. After a quick survey of the scene by David and his wife, Deputy Lindsey Faith Mapstone, the two county deputies are happy to turn everything over to the city police.

And while the victim was killed with an ice pick which is interesting, David is more interested in the sudden shocking news that Lindsey has a sister. A sister, Robin, that David Mapstone knew nothing about before they meet her in the street outside the crime scene and one that Lindsey certainly doesn't want to talk about and isn't happy to see. A sister that complicates his relationship with Lindsey and a sister that clearly hides a few dark secrets.

But, secrets have a way of coming to light. So do bodies in the desert especially when David is led to the body by a former student. The body in the grave has no easy answers and as David Mapstone's personal world wobbles on its axis, serves as another marker that violence is aimed Mapstone's way.

The latest installment in the series has little character development in regards to David Mapstone. His character is firmly established and as such, the development in this novel deals with his wife Lindsey. Though back story and current conflict readers are exposed to many new pieces of information that raise multiple questions. Some are answered but many more are not.

The same general technique is used with David's boss, Maricopa County Sheriff Peralta. Long time fans of the series will remember, which is once again explained in this novel, that Sheriff Peralta is now divorced and that his former wife, Sharon is now working on the west coast. Peralta, adrift with out Sharon who steadied him, seems to be faced with a bit of a professional crisis as he senses that his world is changing and he may no longer have a place in it.

That same concept has been an underlying theme throughout the series and it extends here. Progress has Phoenix firmly in its grip and the author, through David Mapstone primarily, makes the point that the past matters and that those in the present who fail to pay attention to history, are ultimately doomed.

The result is another entertaining mystery that moves the series forward while retaining the flavor of the first novel. Culturally rich with a complex tale, the read entertains while it enlightens and educates. The author's clear love for the desert county comes through loud and clear as does his on going ability to weave a good story.



Kevin R. Tipple © 2007

Warren Ritter is back!

If you are looking for a different kind of read, I would have to recommend this one. Not just in subject matter but in the author's enjoyable style of writing. While this could be read as a stand alone, I would suggest reading the earlier novels in the series. They are "Eight of Swords" and "High Priestess."


The Star: A Tarot Card Mystery
By David Skibbins
Thomas Dunne Books
February 2007
ISBN # 0-312-36193-9
ARC


Warren Ritter returns in this third mystery of the series. It's been a tough year and with a week to go before Christmas, all he wants is some money in his pocket and a little peace. His bi-polar daughter Fran is about to destroy any chance of peace and quiet.

Warren knows quite a bit about being bi-polar as he has it as well. And while he may have passed that genetic legacy on, he knows very little about Fran since he didn't even know she existed until a few months ago. Spending the majority of your life on the run, because of being part of the radical underground back in the day, kind of ruins familial relationships. Especially, when everyone thinks you were blown up by a bomb you were making in 1970.

Warren also knows a thing or two about being a murder suspect. With her estranged husband Orrin now dead and Fran on the run, Warren is left behind to try and take care of his baby grandson. Along with dealing with that, working to clear Fran's name, his annoyed sister, his girlfriend who tolerates him and a host of other issues, he is contacted by a friend of his father's who has one huge secret to tell.

Once again, Warren describes the weirdness of Berkeley and his life while taking readers on a rollercoaster ride through murder, mayhem and tarot readings. The tarot remains a theme in the series though of somewhat lesser importance than earlier novels. So too is the humor with less of an emphasis on laugh out loud moments.

That being said author David Skibbins once again creates a twisting read that steadily entertains the reader. Warren again journeys through life dealing with the concept of unintended consequences and the rippling effects of his past. At the same time, he confronts current problems in a goofy way and despite his own medical issues, manages to keep a fairly level head. This latest entry in the series is another good installment and one hopes that the next one isn't far off.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2007

Guest Reviewer EARL STAGGS on "Dance On His Grave"

Earl and I go wayback and I have been trying to bring him over to the darkside. Finally, he makes his debut appearance here. Earl keeps swearing off reviewing but I am hoping that this is the first of many appearances.

*****************************************************


Dance on His Grave
By Sylvia Dickey Smith
Published by: L&L Dreamspell
ISBN: 978-1-60318-006-1

Reviewed by Earl Staggs


Sidra “Sid” Smart bursts out of a tightly-wrapped cocoon when she divorces the man she married at the age of seventeen. After more than thirty years as the wife of a controlling Baptist preacher and being told what to do and think, how to dress and when to smile, she is determined to find out what kind of person she might have been.

First, however, she must travel from Houston to the east Texas town of Orange and dispose of the private investigation business willed to her by her brother, who was recently killed in a car accident.

When Sid visits her brother’s deserted office to plan how to get rid of it, a distraught young woman shows up. Jewell Stone has recurring nightmares and flashes of memory from thirty years ago when she was a child. She and her sister saw a woman being tortured and killed. The murderer also physically and sexually abused Jewell’s sister. The man was their father, Roy Manly, and both sisters live in mortal fear he will find them and silence them, even after all this time. Jewell hired Sid’s brother to find proof of his guilt and have him tried and convicted so she and her sister could live without fear of him and their terrifying nightmares would end.

Sid explains that her brother is dead and refers Jewell to another PI in the area. She may not be sure what she wants to do with the rest of her reclaimed life, but she is certain it will not be running a PI business, something she knows nothing about. The other PI, George Leger, a colorful bear of a man who speaks with a thick Cajun accent when it suits him, not only refuses to take over Jewell’s case, but convinces Sid to give the business a try under his tutelage.

The author did an excellent job of showing Sid as a woman balancing her desire to break away from the shackles of her previous life with a determination to see long overdue justice done. But it’s not only an internal struggle. Smith provides plenty of action, adventure and suspense along the way. In search of evidence against Roy Manly, she sends Sid traveling not only across Texas and to the island of Trinidad, but into the depths of an alligator-ridden swamp in search of a Cajun psychic. The search becomes more complicated when there are attempts on her life, and she uncovers evidence of other crimes involving someone in her ex-husband’s parsonage. Even the supposed accidental death of her brother becomes suspicious.

Smith has also surrounded Sid with an interesting and intriguing cast of characters. One is the local Police Chief who salivates at the thought of solving a thirty-year-old murder. Another is Sid’s wacky Aunt Annie, who arrives wearing a raspberry beret, a bright green pantsuit and gaudy costume jewelry with a large metallic-gold purse slung over one shoulder and a huge tabby cat named Chesterfield over the other.

The local DA is also highly interested, not only in the old murder, but in Sid personally. The attraction between them frightens Sid with feelings she doesn’t want. She is convinced all men want to control women, and she has to remind herself she can never let that happen to her again.

Author Sylvia Dickey Smith has skillfully woven a story of a woman driven to begin a new life on her own with a chilling tale of mystery and suspense. You’ll find yourself drawn to Sid Smart and cheering for her to succeed against past and present obstacles all the way to the knuckle-whitening climax. You’ll also find yourself, like me, wanting to see more of Sid in future novels.


Earl Staggs © 2007

Dreams are not a good thing in "Bad Thoughts" by David Zeltserman

In the interests of fair disclosure it should be known that I consider David Zeltserman a good friend. Beyond providing a consoling e-mail from time to time concerning my Texas Rangers (the baseball team) David had me working for him a few years ago. For a number of issues of Hardluck, I did book reviews and interviews of authors as well as some fiction. Well, the fiction never was accepted but everything else was. A decent batting average all things considered.

Bad Thoughts
By David Zeltserman
www.hardluckstories.com
Five Star
Scheduled Release Date: July 18, 2007
ISBN# 1-59414-540-7
ARC


It is early November, 1997 as this complex and intriguing novel opens Billy Shannon awakens from a nightmare. His fingers on his right hand, the two that were mangled so badly nearly 20 years ago, are pulsing with pain while the rest of him is covered in sweat. The clock is ticking on another nightmare season and for Billy the bad news is that it is starting earlier this time.

As the anniversary of his mother's murder approaches, Billy Shannon continues as best as he can to work his job as a police officer at the Cambridge Central Square police Station. While his wife works in a law office in South Boston as a legal secretary Billy works homicide. Cases that begin to appear more and more like the way his mother died all those years ago.

The weeks pass and as the bodies begin to stack up the nightmares increase. What begins as a police procedural read turns into a psychological thriller bordering on a horror novel. Billy Shannon's world begins to unravel and readers are taken on a roller coaster ride through the increasing wreckage of his life. Not only is his mental stability at question, his very survivability as a human being is at stake in a conclusion that packs a powerful punch.

While some have compared it to "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" such comparisons are not applicable. A key component of "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" is humor and that novel pushes humor throughout the work. Dave Zeltsman's book hardly has a trace of humor. The basic theme of "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" is that some folks do need to be removed because they are a threat to society. That threat is uncontrollable and as such, since he has to kill anyway, he should use his twisted needs in a way to do the world good and kill those folks. That also isn't the case here. I could go on, but the point is clear.

This book is an often graphic and intense read that delves deep into the psychology of evil and sanity. It isn't lighthearted in any way as it deals with evil at a base level. At the same time, the author never forgets there is a mystery driving events and makes sure to keep the reader pulled y into solving the crimes. The result is a very good read from disturbing start to disturbing finish.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2007

The Return of MOE PRAGER in "SOUL PATCH"

It is 1989 as this novel, fourth in the series, opens and Moe remains haunted by his own actions in the police force years ago as well as in his dealings with his father-in-law. Moe still isn’t happy with the wine business that his brother Aaron and Moe run which began as a way for Moe to do something after his knee injury which ended his police career. Always a man with a rather cynical philosophy regarding himself and the world, Moe is aware not only time is passing him by but that he is also bored to the very fiber of his being. Nothing is the way he expected things to turn out and he isn't happy.

His general malaise is unshaken by the intrusion of Larry McDonald, a friend and fellow officer from his police days who is now the NYPD Chief of Detectives. Larry comes to a party celebrating the grand opening of the third liquor store run by Aaron and Moe. Larry, always a political animal before anything else, has come looking for Moe and hoping to make use of a friendship that isn’t as strong these days. Past transgressions have always been a major theme in Coleman’s work and the theme is strongly prevalent here as well as Larry has an audio tape with sinister implications. All he said he wanted was for Moe to listen to the tape but that was just the start of a tragic chain of events rooted deep in a shared history.

Moe has always been deeply philosophical, more of a thinking man’s detective who stumbles along in search of a truth he can live with for the moment. That is certainly true here as this book becomes part current case and part remembrance of things past. Those detailed remembrances bring to mind earlier books in the series for readers versed with the series and may dissuade new readers who may see them as telling all there is to know about the earlier novels.

Such readers would be sadly mistaken. As is Moe who spends an inordinate amount of time considering the past. Moe finds himself at a cross roads in many areas and one wonders how, and if it will, the series will continue. With so much mental contemplation, the action while violent at times, is limited and yet, provides a read that is fairly consistent with earlier books in the series.

Once again 1972 rears an ugly head for Moe and takes readers back in time. The read is dark and moving and ultimately, while not as satisfying as earlier books in the series, still a pretty good ride.

Soul Patch: A Moe Prager Mystery
By Reed Farrel Coleman
2007
Bleak House Books
www.bleakhousebooks.com
ISBN# 978-1-932557-35-0
ARC


Kevin R. Tipple © 2007

MFOB Update

BJ Bourg is sending out the following message and I thought I would pass it on here.....

As we're wrapping up the June 2007 Issue of Mouth Full of Bullets, I'm already looking ahead to the September Issue. While all the slots for original (never before published) shorts, flashes, and poems have been filled, I'm still open to reprint submissions. So, if you have a reprint sitting around and you'd like to get a few more web miles out of it, just send it over and I'd be happy to consider it.

Before submitting, please visit the guidelines page here: http://www.mouthfullofbullets.com/submissions_guidelines.htm

Send all submissions to editor@mouthfullofbullets.com

Many thanks to all those who submit work to MFOB.

bjb
http://www.mouthfullofbullets.com

http://www.bjbourg.com


That is all he wrote, folks and as always direct all questions to BJ.

Kevin

"Map Of Murder" Update

Back in the middle of January I told you the anthology "Map of Murder" was a good one. Over the next few weeks I heard from a lot of readers of this blog and my reviews elsewhere that they agreed. They weren't the only ones. As one of the authors involved wrote elsewhere today:

"The Red Coyote Press anthology "Map of Murder" has won the short story fiction category in the National Indie Excellence 2007 Book Awards."

My sincere congratulations to Frank Zafiro, Beth Groundwater and all the others involved in the project. Excellent work created an excellent read.

Kevin R. Tipple (c) 2007

February 2007 Senior News Column

A HECKUVA JOB: MORE OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION IN RHYME
By Calvin Trillin
Random House
ISBN# 1-4000-6556-9

In the sequel to his 2004 bestseller “Obliviously On He Sails” Author Calvin Trillin once again turns his sights onto the Bush Administration. Following an introduction where the author makes it abundantly clear how much he liked and respected his father, there are eleven short chapters of poetry and prose primarily covering the war in Iraq and the various anti terror programs. Combining cutting poetry as well as equally cutting commentary, the author delightfully skewers various areas while putting it all into his perspective. At 116 pages, this small hardback is a very quick read that will please many readers and annoy just as many with few in the middle ground.

RED HAT SOCIETY PLAYFUL PAPER PROJECTS & PARTY IDEAS
By Ruby Redhat
Sterling Publishing Co.
ISBN# 1-4027-3204-X

Entertaining certainly does not have to be hard and this book offers many different ideas for those times when the same old thing just will not do anymore. After a quick and colorful introduction, there are eight chapters detailing all sorts of various invitations, placemats, gift tags, and other items sure to please any hostess as well as any recipients. These chapters are about setting the mood for the party before, during and after and each chapter features clear and concise instructions as well as large pictures of the finished products. A glossary of terms, an index as well as several pages of templates used in the numerous designs bring this colorful 143 page book to a close. While not a cookbook, it is a party guide filled with easy to use ideas to make your next gathering a very special one.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2007

Back in the Key West with Keely Moreno

Cold Case Killer: A Keely Moreno Mystery
By Dorothy Francis
www.dorothyfrancis.com
Five Star Publishing
April 2007
ISBN #1-5944-485-0

Professional foot reflexologist Keely Moreno returns in yet another enjoyable cozy style mystery. Her business in Key West continues as does her relationship with Punt Ashford. Punt continues looking for a more serious commitment from Keely. However, Keely's past history of bad relationships still haunts her dreams and makes her a bit skittish, justifiably so.

Despite her best intentions to stay out of the mystery solving business she begins to get threats regarding the Randy Jackson case. Randy Jackson was convicted of murder twenty years ago and was recently release from prison after DNA evidence finally proved his innocence. His mother, Maxine had asked for Keely's help a week ago and Keely didn't know where to begin. She also wanted no part of it. But the threats change things and before long once Punt knows, he throws the resources of his detective agency into the case.

What follows is another cozy style read where Keely and her boyfriend Punt search for clues and the future of their relationship. Old friends such as Consuela make another return engagement and foot reflexology is described in detail. Character development remains nearly stagnant as the past has a tight grip on Keely despite her occasional flashes of independence. While change is alluded to by the end of the novel, one can't say the character has actually grown or changed based on a couple of pages at the end of the book despite what you may read elsewhere.

This is another lightweight cozy style mystery heavy on the romance and slow in the mystery that provides another overall enjoyable read. Predictable in spots and with no real surprises, the read is primarily atmospheric in nature where the reader is once again carried away into the sights and sounds of the Keys.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2007

WLT--Dallas Chapter

The next meeting is Monday, April 16th at 7:00 PM Richardson Public Library basement meeting room. The speaker is Janet Harris, Ph.D who is currently editor for Brown Books. Her topic is: "Storytelling: The Path to Publication."

March Senior News Book Review Column

For those outside of Texas or folks who just could not find a copy in state, here is my column for last month in Senior News. Enjoy!

“Work Hard, Study….and Keep Out of Politics!”
By James A. Baker, III with Steve Fiffer
G. P. Putnam’s Sons
ISBN# 0-399-15377-2

Subtitled “Adventures and Lessons from an Unexpected Public Life” Texan James Baker recounts how he eventually ignored his grandfather’s advice and by the mid seventies was actively involved in politics. Through eighteen extensive chapters and over 460 pages, the author with the help of Steve Fiffer describes a life spent in service to his country at home and abroad. That wasn’t the plan and yet as he explains in detail the family history; it becomes clear that things couldn’t have happened any other way. While there aren’t any real surprises here as most of it has been reported on in one way or another over the years, the photographs as well as the behind the scenes details bring alive the nuances of the political process and create an interesting read.

My Father My President
By Doro Bush Koch
Warner Books
ISBN# 0-446-57990-4

The same theme of service to his country describes this book with the subtitle “A Personal Account Of The Life of George H. W. Bush.” Doro Bush Koch writes of the man she knows as her father first and president second in great detail. For those events that she was not present for, she relies on an extensive network of friends to fill in the gaps. The result is a moving and overall powerfully positive portrait of the man commonly referred to in the media as “Bush 41” and how he continues to serve his country today in various ways. Like Baker’s book, much of what is recounted here is already known and yet because of whom she is, the author is able to shed light on behind the scenes details throughout this heavily detailed and sourced 586 page read.

Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2007

CALL for the MUSES POETRY FESTIVAL

Saw this online today at my Poetry and Book Reviews group and thought I would share with you......



Wanted: Speakers
I. Do you want to be a speaker in Muses Poetry Festival?

1. Submit your topic of interest (related to poetry, publishing poetry, poetry techniques, etc.)
2. State in your resume if you want to be a volunteer speaker or a paid speaker.
3. Submit your resume, topic of interest to andrew@musesreview.org
4. Deadline of submission of resume/topics: June 30, 2007.
Note: If you are not a selected speaker, you can still be a speaker in future poetry festivals.

II. Do you want to read your poems in Muses Poetry Festival?
1. Submit the titles of your poem you want to read.
2. Explain the background of your poems. (max of 200 words)
3. Don't submit your poems yet.
4. Submit the titles of your poem and poem background to andrew@musesreview.org
5. Poems may either be published in your poetrybooks or not yet published.
5. Deadline of submission of title of poems and explanation of poems: June 30, 2007.6.
Take note: You don't have to submit your poems yet. I will contact the person who has the best explanation of their unsubmitted poems.7. Winners of past Muses Prize - Poetry are encouraged to join and to read their poems in the future Muses Poetry Festival.

AL Blanchard Short Crime Fiction Contest

I saw the below posted on a couple of lists so I am posting the message here as well for readers. Good luck!
**********************************************

IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO SUBMIT to the AL BLANCHARD SHORT CRIME FICTION CONTEST. The deadline is April 30, 2007, and right now we have only received twenty-some submissions, so the field is wide open! The story must be a crime story by a New England author OR be set in New England. It must also be previously unpublished (in print or electronically) and not more than 5,000 words. Story sub-genres include mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, and horror but with no torture or killing of children or animals. First prize is $100 plus publication in Level Best Books' 5th anthology of short crime fiction. The winner will be a guest of the Committee at the November 2007 New England Crime Bake, where the award will be presented.If we receive enough submissions, we will also award honorable mentions with plaques, as was done last year. If not yet published, you may submit the same story again; you may also submit more than one story, but no more than two, please. For submission guidelines, visit contest@crimebake.org. This is a blind contest and there is no entry fee, so you have nothing to lose, but everything to gain!

"I'm Back" (I think)

At least I hope I am. The great switch took me out for quite some time but things are working today. Could it be that I will be able to write here again? I hope so. Time will tell.

And more importantly, do you remember me?

And do you believe everything you read about me?

I have left a couple of lists in the last few days because of utter nonsense--on and offlist. Its time to work more on projects that I have to do and very much want to do and less on dealing with stuff that does not matter.


Kevin R. Tipple (c) 2007