Linda Reads: Deadline by Sandra Brown

October 15, 2013August 27, 2014 / Linda / Leave a comment

Sandra Brown

Sandra Brown is an award winning author of romance novels and suspense thrillers of which sixty have made it to the New York Times bestsellers list.

She is a lifelong Texan and attended Texas Christian University where she majored in English. In 1968, she married her husband, Michael Brown, a former television news anchor. Before starting her writing career in 1981, she worked as a model, did TV weather casting and was a feature reporter on “PM Magazine”. Her episode on truTV’s “Murder by the Book” premiered the series in 2008 and she helped launch Investigation Discovery’s new series, “Hardcover Mysteries”.

Ms. Brown recently received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was name Thriller Master for 2008 – the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. She also received the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Deadlineis a mystery/thriller/romance that is well-written with a lot of twists and turns that keeps you thoroughly entertained.

Dawson Scott is a well-respected journalist recently returned from Afghanistan. Haunted by everything he experienced, he’s privately suffering from battle fatigue which is a threat to every aspect of his life. But then he gets a call from a source within the FBI. A new development has come to light in a story that began 40 years ago. It could be the BIG story of Dawson’s career one in which he has a vested interest.

Soon, Dawson is covering the disappearance and presumed murder of former Marine Jeremy Wesson, the biological son of the pair of terrorists who remain on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. As Dawson delves into the story, he finds himself developing feelings for Wesson’s ex-wife, Amelia, and her two young sons. But when Amelia’s nanny turns up dead, the case takes a stunning new turn, with Dawson himself becoming a suspect. Haunted by his own demons, Dawson takes up the chase for the notorious outlaws. . .and the secret, startling truth about himself.

A stimulating multi-layered story with great characters, sharp dialogue and a few surprises thrown in!

Back to the Drawing Board? Charlie Hunnam Drops out of “Fifty Shades” Movie

October 13, 2013October 13, 2013 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Actor Charlie Hunnam is no longer on board to play Christian Grey in the highly anticipated movie adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey. Mere weeks after announcing Hunnam’s casting in the role, the studios behind the film, Universal Pictures and Focus Features, have released this statement:

“The filmmakers of “Fifty Shades of Grey” and Charlie Hunnam have agreed to find another male lead given Hunnam’s immersive TV schedule, which is not allowing him time to adequately prepare for the role of Christian Grey.” Hunnam is best know for his role on the FX drama “Sons of Anarchy“. No word yet on whether this will affect the casting of Dakota Johnson as the female lead, Anastasia Steele.

Sharon Reads: Splintered by A.G. Howard

October 12, 2013July 16, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Splintered

Splintered by A.G. Howard is a young adult novel that blends a girl’s search for herself, redemption for her mother, and the Alice in Wonderland story. Alyssa Gardner is said to share a curse of madness with her mother. This is because they are descendants of Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The curse has put her mother in a psychiatric facility with declining health, and Alyssa now shares some of the symptoms. Alyssa comes to believe that Wonderland is real, and that she must fix her ancestor’s mistakes in order to free herself and her mother from the curse. Alyssa will face betrayal, tests of affection and memory, and her own belief in herself as she works to save her mother. Will she find love as she searches for the truth, or will she get lost in the dark and twisted world she only knows from childhood dreams.

Splintered is much more than a retelling of Lewis Carroll’s stories about Wonderland. It is an emotionally deep look at a girl lost in her efforts to turn away from a part of herself she wants to ignore. Alyssa has channeled all that she wants to ignore about herself into her art and skating, to things that her best friend, Jeb, and her father understand and support. She worries for her mother, and that she will end up just like her. Even teens with parents that seem perfectly normal to outsiders often have these fears. The family curse, and Alyssa’s discovery of its root origin, and he efforts to free her family are tightly woven with a mentor from Alyssa’s childhood dreams. Jeb’s accidental journey to join Alyssa could be a blessing or a curse, cementing their friendship to something more or destroying them both. Morpheus could be her greatest ally, a treacherous foe, out for only himself, or possibly all of the above. The journey through a Wonderland we might recognize from Carroll’s tales, is twisted and darker than expected, as are the characters we met. The character development and the story itself are fast paced, often take unexpected turns, and were perfectly explored.

I highly recommend Splintered to readers that want something that shakes up the preconceived notions we have about classic stories, and the worlds they involve. Readers that enjoy deep looks at the emotional state and development of characters facing huge problems on top of the normal stresses of school, social life, and family will also find great value in this book. The world of Wonderland is not rehashed, rather it goes beyond anything that readers might expect, as do the characters that enter its borders. the sequel, Unhinged, is scheduled for release in January of 2014. I gave this book a full 5 stars on Goodreads.

This review was previously published on Sharon the Librarian.

5 Erotic Romance Novels Better Than Fifty Shades of Grey

October 10, 2013December 27, 2024 / Linda / 1 Comment

While you’re waiting for the movie version of Fifty Shades of Grey to come out, here are a few highly recommended erotic titles to keep you entertained.

Bared to You by Sylvia Day – This is book one of a trilogy that focuses on the complicated relationship between Eva and Gideon who were both abused and are looking to find true love.

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice (under pseudonym A.N. Roquelaure) retells the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty with an erotic twist.

Sweet Addiction by Maya Banks – The story of two lovers who seem to be living the ultimate love story, but end up separating and then meeting years later.