Review of The Nanny Song by Misty Mount

I had a hard time reading about these characters. They were all so...flawed and at times seriously unlikeable. They were so well drawn that I felt a lot of discomfort in the beginning - like watching someone have a meltdown in a restaurant or something. I felt bad for Mallory, having to deal with those challenging children, and I felt embarrassed for the whole Colt family that the fallout from their failure to deal with their grief was on such public display. And even Mallory did some things that had me shaking my head, wanting to shake her - especially when she'd drift off into la la land at the most inopportune moments. 

That being said, reading about realistic - and flawed - characters gives me a look at a world I don't normally see, and makes me appreciate what I have in my life: No kids, no drama. There is definitely a place for that in fiction.

The further I got into the story, the more I was drawn in, and I actually stayed up pretty late a few nights, reading more than I had intended. I had to see what was going to happen next - how would Mallory deal with the next crisis, and would she get caught snooping around her employer's house? And most importantly, would any of them grow out of their poor behaviors? (Spoiler - they do! Which makes it totally worth all the cringe-inducing moments.) 

I found the story arc believable, the characterizations solid, and the character growth timed to perfection. The characters - with the possible exception of the mother - were totally redeemed in my opinion. Their poor behavior lasted no longer (nor shorter) than necessary to be believable and compelling, and there was just cause for every turn and bump in their interrelationships. (Any faster and it would have been too easy. Any longer, and a sane person would have given up.) 

So why not 5 stars? Well, the ending was quite abrupt. We weren't given a real sense of what the future would really hold for everyone. I did like the building relationship between Mallory and Brendan, but I questioned their declaration of love for each other at the end. I could definitely see it building toward that end, but I didn't quite think she had enough to go on to love him. Of course he would love her, but since he was a jerk for most of the book, I'd prefer to see her waiting to see that he was really mending his ways. I also had a bit of trouble with...not their age difference, per se, but the way Mallory is so often described as a "girl." It just made it hard to see her as a potential love interest for Brendan when so often it felt like she and Meela were being described as though they were sisters. And finally there were a few style choices that I found jarring. Not really errors, just small things that jarred me out of the story a few times. So, I'll have to leave it at 4. Maybe 4.5 

As for content, this is a sweet, clean story. Probably PG, but only for some references when Mallory and Rashelle are talking to each other. There's no swearing, no hanky-panky, and no major violence - although there are references to a rough childhood for Mallory, a couple run-ins with the schoolyard bully, and some speculation as to what really happened to Brendan's wife. Don't take that to mean the story is dull, though. There are a couple exciting scenes, and plenty of drama. 

All in all, I recommend The Nanny Song as a fine clean read.

Review of Casting the First Stone by Lisa Lawmaster Hess

I won this is in a Facebook giveaway, and while it is not something I would necessarily choose to read, I thoroughly enjoyed Casting the First Stone.

It's a bit uncomfortable in the beginning, because the reader is a fly on the wall during a custody mediation that doesn't go well, and those kinds of confrontations always distress me. But the story is so compelling and well written that I was hooked. Usually I like lots of action and suspense in my reads, but despite this being "tame" by my "usual" standards, I was held in suspense wondering how it was all going to work out. 

The characters were well drawn and believable, and the conflict so well depicted, I felt fully invested in seeing things work out for these two disparate women, and for Charli, the "prize" they all were fighting for.  I found Angel to be sweet and brave, and Marita to be charming. Charli was perfect as the tween just starting to stretch her wings of rebellion. I though Jim was a jerk, and I hoped fervently that he would figure things out without hurting those around him too much.

Finally, I'm not a big fan of being preached at in books, and while the theme of church and faith was strong, it was deftly handled so that I never once felt like this was a lecture disguised as a novel. Very well done.

If you enjoy a clean, character driven read with just the right amount of angst and interpersonal struggle, you'll enjoy Casting the First Stone.

Review of Becalmed, by Normandie Fischer

Oh my. This one had me glued to the tablet to finish. 5 Stars, easy.

I have read so much indie work that has great story, but not always the best execution. There are notable exceptions, and Becalmed by Normandie Fischer is one of those.

This story is simple but beautiful, the characters are well-rounded and believable - Jilly especially was adorable - the setting gorgeous, and the sailing scenes made me want to get back out there. The description of riding out the hurricane made me feel like I was right there. (I'd never considered that being in a boarded up house when the lights go out would mean not knowing whether it was day or night outside.) All in all, the "world" was built so well it easily transported me into the story. The final 50 pages or so I totally shirked my schedule of things to do in order to finish.

The editing was superb. I didn't make any notes, which almost never happens with me. So either there were no errors, or I was too caught up in the story to mark them. Either way, well done!

My only quibbles that keep this from being a full 5 stars is the bad guy. I guess I didn't quite buy Alex's motivation? Something about him didn't sit right with me. I mean, I get it that he is going through a divorce, but why does he decide he wants Tadie? I didn't gather that information from the narrative. Why become stalker-ish on her? And why would he ever think that what he ended up doing was a good way to win her back? (Trying not to give a spoiler, here. I didn't quite believe the escalation. The other quibble I had with the end action was Tadie's response to it. I'm pretty sure if that happened to me, I'd either be way more angry, or way more freaked out. Especially in her circumstance. Not sure I could joke about it quite as quickly as she does. But maybe she's a stronger woman than I. And it is a minor quibble, really - all things considered.

The final quibble would be a spoiler if I spelled it out, so if you don't like vague spoilers, don't read this paragraph. I did think things moved rather quickly in the romance at the end, considering how much time they spent apart. Then again, they're in their 30s, they should know their hearts by now, right?

If you like a well written, sweet love story (I'd give it a PG-17 rating, for the end action) the you will be more than happy with Becalmed.

Review of The Cloud Seeker, by Jayne Lockwood

What a fantastic story. The characters are well drawn and very complex. The hero is by turn likeable and so messed up that I almost want to hate him. I rode that roller coaster right along with the heroine. Their relationship was definitely rocky and there was one point where I wasn't sure they would reconcile. The story unfolds with beautiful symmetry, revealing each character's history with well-paced precision, at a tempo which--while not fast--nevertheless kept me turning pages. To the point What a fantastic story. The characters are well drawn and very complex. The hero is by turn likable and so messed up that I almost want to hate him. I rode that roller coaster right along with the heroine. Their relationship was definitely rocky and there was one point where I wasn't sure they would reconcile. The story unfolds with beautiful symmetry, revealing each character's history with well-paced precision, at a tempo which--while not fast--nevertheless kept me turning pages. To the point that I was reading it exclusively, when I usually have one book going on each of my two devices. The Cloud Seeker deals with some messed up experiences and people who are damaged by them. I don't want to give much away, but the author fearlessly deals with the aftereffects of one character surviving one of the most notorious events in recent history, and she does it with aplomb. The truth, when it comes out, has been built up so well that I thought "Of course that's what it was!" but I hadn't quite put it together myself. The only quibble--and it is a very minor quibble--is that the characters from the US occasionally have speech mannerisms that are, in my opinion, not very American. But I was only aware of this on the periphery. It slipped me to the edge of 'the bubble' every so often, but not really enough to pop it for me. I could almost believe it was east coast vs my west coast colloquialisms. Read the Cloud Seeker. You won't be sorry.

New Facebook group = What makes a Strong Woman?

I had something of an epiphany while I was at my sister’s house, after the Writer’s Conference. At the conference, I learned that I need to interact with people in my genre more, but I didn’t want it to be just about me, you know? I was trying to figure out how to encourage more interactions with people who, like me, enjoy a good suspenseful read with a strong female lead. Then it hit me: I could start a Facebook group for and about Strong Women in Suspense. 

It’s off to a pretty good start. We’re already up above 25 members (which was my 3 month goal) and having some lively discussions about what makes a strong woman, in life and in fiction. We’ve shared some inspiring stories of current and historical strong women. We’ve shared inspirational memes and held each other up to the light.

We’ve even shared a blog post from a man who is suggesting tips for dating strong women. After all, the group shouldn’t just be limited to women. There are men out there who encourage, support, and inspire strong women, and it was never my intention to be a hen party of women bashing men. (So by all means, if you know a man who wouldn’t be threatened by this group and would, in fact, contribute, invite him!)

I like to write my female characters as strong women. Maybe they won’t always start out as strong women, but by the end of their story arc, they will be. My stories may even have more strong women than weak, or I like the word undeveloped better. 

In my latest novel, I had two beta readers (out of four) say the teenage girls didn’t react realistically to the situation they were in. Part of me rebelled. How was the story supposed to move forward if all they did was scream and huddle together? Then I realized I was having a knee-jerk reaction to the perceived suggestion that my females were too strong, and I took a step back to look at it objectively.

I knew my girls were strong, especially the heroine, so what the beta readers were really telling me was that I hadn’t convinced them by showing why and how they could be so strong. Which led me to consider the kinds of things that make us strong.

First and foremost, education. In my book, Kylie is the daughter of a veterinarian, and her (single) mother brought her along when she’d go to special trainings, like disaster preparedness. In a small town where there isn’t a big hospital and most of the emergency crews are volunteer, it made sense to me that a vet, who has a base of medical training anyway, would want to be ready in the event of a tornado or a wreck on the highway. Janie isn’t the sort to just let Kylie sit in the car and wait. She was exposed to these clinics, and learned alongside her mother how to handle a crisis.

Second, I think, would be a loving and supportive family. Kylie’s dad only recently came back on the scene, but her mother was always there for her, as were her grandparents. She always had someone to look up to and receive love from. They encouraged her to be her own person, and even let her make her mistakes, but they were always there to love her.

This third element isn’t something every woman has access to, but Kylie grew up around animals that were larger than her. She learned to respect that size, but also not to let her fear of it control her. She gained confidence through the knowledge that she could work with a creature who outweighed her by hundreds of pounds, and bend it to her will. She learned that to give in to fear was to get trampled, hurt, thrown, and broken, and she learned to control her fear—not to say she never felt it, she just never let it control her.

I guess that could break down to learning about fear in general. I had a friend once who told me there are two kinds of people in the world. Those who are afraid and shut down, and those who are afraid and do it anyway. She and I were in the latter category, and so is Kylie.

What do you think makes women—or anyone—strong? What experiences have made you strong?

On Suddenly Being a Stepmom

So I met my husband 10 years ago this month. We got married just over a year later, and have gone about living our lives in a very simple way.

We work, we live, we run a business together. Well, okay, maybe it isn't always simple. But we knew right away that we weren't going to have kids together.

While I knew he had 3 sons from an earlier marriage, it was a difficult divorce and their stepfather had adopted the boys and their mother made it impossible for my hubby to see them. So even though it was very hard on him, when I met him he hadn't seen his kids in years.

Even though he is not big on social media, he started a facebook profile on the off chance that his boys might want to contact him. And last year, they finally did.

It was so wonderful to see him reconnect with them, all grown men living their own lives. The oldest just turned 27, while the middle son is 25, and the youngest is 23.

And I am a stepmom, at least in the literal sense. I don't feel like a mom. I don't have some desire to mother them or meddle in their lives. They are great kids, and I enjoy spending time with them.

Now Jeremy, the oldest, is moving 1100 miles away to Wyoming for a job, and his dad wanted to give him a pistol and a hunting rifle as a congratulatory gift. Today we took the pistol to a gun range and shot up a few boxes of ammo, and then I took him shopping for some road-food. And I got just a small taste of what it might be like to have a son of my own.

No, I'm not feeling wistful and my biological clock isn't trying to shake off cobwebs so it can start ticking. I do not want kids of my own. But today, when I wrote it out in a letter that I was gifting these firearms to my stepson, (to make sure no one thinks he stole them) it was weird to me. I think it was weird for him, too.

I mean, I was married to my husband for 8 years without ever even having met his boys, and now I am a stepmom. With two of them getting married this year, there's a very real possibility I could be a step-grandmother in the near future. Holy shit. Just writing that out is freaky.

I just don't know how I feel about it. I'm not worried about anything, just kind of amazed at how things can change in the blink of an eye. In a way, it's like the old joke: if I had known how much fun grandchildren were, I would have had them first. That's me, or surely will be in a year or three. Now I'm starting to feel like a genius.

Has anyone else out there been in a similar situation? Not asking for advice - just want to hear your story if you have one.