Review: The Fight Within (The Good Fight #2) by Andrew Grey

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bryce Morton just suffered a major loss in his life and in his grief he has withdrawn into his work almost completely. His friends (and boss) Jerry Lincoln and his partner Akecheta (John) Black Raven are worried about him. They finally convince him to come camping with them on the Sioux reservation where John’s family lives and where Jerry’s company has been volunteering their time teaching computer skills to the tribe members. It is on the reservation that Bryce meets Paytah Stillwater, the owner and operator of the reservation’s trading post.

Paytah Stillwater’s life has been one of abuse and torment that he has managed to conceal from all around him. He tried speaking up as a child but no one believed him. Now Paytah lives as though he is alone with his store as his island, separated by choice and his past history from the very tribe he should be counting on for support. When Paytah attends one of the computer classes taught by Jerry, Akecheta, and Bryce, Bryce tries to help Paytah but is rejected. It is only when Bryce comes to the aid of a young Sioux child that Paytah starts to change his mind about white men on the reservation.

Before long, Bryce and Paytah realize that they care for one another and want to work towards a long term relationship but many obstacles are standing in their way. Then the man who abused Paytah returns to torment him and take advantage of other young Sioux children and their choice becomes clear, to put a stop to the abuse and help Paytah finally heal, something that can only be done if they do it together.

The Fight Within continues to follow the lives of the people introduced in The Good Fight and the plight of Sioux Indians on their reservations. Bryce Morton was one of the two men (the other being John Black Raven) that Jerry Lincoln hired when expanding his business. As a secondary character, we were made aware of parts of his life, including the fact that he had fallen deeply in love with a man called Percy. When The Fight Within opens up, three years have passed and Bryce is engaged and getting ready to marry his Percy. But tragedy strikes on his wedding day, plunging Bryce into depression and grief. I had liked Bryce immediately and was happy to see that Grey was giving him main character status0. By imbuing Bryce with a background that included a fresh knowledge of loss, the author is setting the stage perfectly for a confrontation with a character who has lived a life of loss, abuse, and pain. That would be Paytah Stillwater, a Sioux who owns and operates the trading post on the reservation.

With Paytah Stillwater, Andrew Grey once more revisits the ongoing plight of Native Americans in the US today. Many of the reservations around the country, but mostly out west, are outposts of poverty, where the abuse of alcohol and drugs are prolific, and depression and suicide are common. Paytah Stillwater and the Sioux on his reservation help to put a face on the tragedy that is occurring daily in many Native American lives. Jerry, Bryce and John whose real name is Akecheta are trying to help the reservation make its own way by donating computers and their time to teach computers skills to those interested. It is a fine line here that Andrew Grey walks with the type of assistance that the men offer in the story because at times it comes close to that old “white man patronage” avenue that is borderline offensive. But Grey manages to skirt around that issue (mostly) by bringing it up first, that Bryce realizing that it needs to be organized and maintained not by him but by the tribe itself. Still at times,Bryce ended by being uncomfortably close to the white man savior seen in the movies and other books. This is really my only qualm with this story.

Paytah Stillwater is a character whose history is nothing but episodes of secret abuse and the resultant shattered self image. I thought this character was especially well done. In fact, the author handles the entire subject matter of child abuse and its effects on the person as they grow into adulthood with sensitivity, and knowledgable insight. It is clear that Andrew Grey has done his research on the issues that plague Native Americans on the reservations these days and his compassion for their plight shines through these stories he has written about it.

Andrew Grey writes a tight, even flowing story with fleshed out characters that are easy to connect with. The subject matter of both stories highlight one of this nation’s most under reported national disgraces. I thought the manner in which Grey worked the details of the tribe’s lack of commerce and level of poverty into the story was well done without being strident. That must be a hard thing to accomplish as the real situation on the reservations makes one want to rant and pound things. Again my only issue here is that I was a little uncomfortable with the fact that it was Bryce bringing all these ideas to start commercial ventures to assist the tribe instead of a tribal member themselves. I kept thinking, surely, someone there would have thought of the buffalo herd idea before Bryce. But I am not sure how else the author was to get the points across in his story either. It is an easy obstacle to come across, and a less easy one to negotiate. I applaud Andrew Grey’s efforts on trying at any rate.

I absolutely recommend this book and the one that starts the series. Read them in the order they were written and settle down to enmesh yourself in the world of the Sioux and life as it is lived on the reservation, with all its cultural pride in its heritage, natural glory of the land and deep deprivation that is so unnecessary in our society.

Cover art by Anne Cain is just gorgeous any way you look at it.

The Good Fight (The Good Fight #1)

The Fight Within (The Good Fight #2)

Review: Highland Vampire Vengeance by J. P. Bowie

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Scottish vampire brothers Aeden and Lyall MacKay live in a world where vampires are accepted as part of society, although they both prefer to be discreet because of the small Scottish town they live in. Then their small town of Aberglen, Scotland, is threatened by marauding winged creatures, police inspector Alistair MacFarlane asks the brothers for help protect the townspeople who are dying with every attack. Alistair has another reason to ask for help, he is in love with Aeden MacKay and has been since they met. But Aeden isn’t sure about taking Alastair as a lover, seeing only hurt in their future.

As disaster after disaster levels the worlds governments, even the vampires find themselves under attack. Soon the remaining vampires and humans join forces to defeat the most powerful enemy the world has ever know. If they are not successful, it will be the end of the world as they know it, all humans dead and the vampires enslaved to the Ancients. Even as the battle looms ahead, Aeden and Alastair must decide to take a chance on love before it is too late.

Highland Vampire Vengeance is a thrill ride of a vampire story from J. P. Bowie. There is much to enjoy about this story, starting with the Scottish vampire brothers themselves. There is Aeden the more serious and reserved of the brothers who is in love with Alistair MacFarlane, the human police inspector of their small town. While Alistair is doing everything he can to pursue his vampire, Aeden is doing everything he can to hold off the human’s advances. Since usually it is the vampire who is the pursuer I liked Bowie’s twist on the subject. Lyall is much more the party animal, with always a new lover in tow, never a serious relationship to his name. Of course, Lyall too finds his mate when he goes to the rescue of a man carried off by the winged creatures that have invaded the town. Bowie has given the brothers an interesting back history that I wish could have had its own story. When we meet them they are living in their ancestral castle in the town of Aberglen, Scotland when the hoards invade.

Bowie does a nice job with the action sequences, especially those when they are chasing after the creatures and when they hunt them down to their place of origin. The action is tight and the plot is developed nicely. But I did have some quibbles with the book. Some comes from the dialog in which a Scottish accent appears and then disappears with regularity. The brothers, although they are several hundred year old Scots, don’t appear to have a accent but Alastair does, or at least he does part of the time.

Here is an example. Aeden and Lyall are talking in their drawing room.

“Daydreaming, brother?” Aeden turned at the sound of the soft lilting voice behind him. “Nightdreaming, actually,” he replied, his smile still in place. “Now that you’re awake, would you care for a glass of Bordeaux?” “Thank you.” Lyall MacKay walked with a leisurely grace toward him, standing by his brother’s side as Aeden poured the wine from a decanter. Had there been a third person in the room there would have been no doubt in their mind that the two were brothers. Both were tall men, broad shouldered, dark haired and blue eyed. The only significant difference was that Aeden, being originally older by five years, had a more mature appearance than Lyall, who had retained his boyish features, despite the years that had passed. Lyall raised his glass briefly then drained it in one long swallow. “Very nice,” he said, licking his full lower lip. “I’ll have another.”

Speaking of which…” Lyall paused to sip his wine more slowly this time. “Did you watch the news last night?” “No, I try to avoid that lurid rubbish as much as I can. Why? Was there something of interest I should know about?” “Mmm… The local news reported that a young couple was found dead in a field by the farmer…”

Definitely not a conversation full of Scottish overtones. Then there is Alastair. This is how he sounds, some of the time:

“He’s having the residue analyzed and should have something for me tomorrow,” Alistair added. “Any ideas so far?” Aeden filled him in about the article he’d read. Alistair nodded. “We had a report of those attacks from Scotland Yard. Apparently, there have been sporadic similar incidents in London and Manchester. The police are trying to keep it low profile right now, not wanting to cause a panic, but from what I understand some reporter has an eyewitness account he’s dying to publish.

Fine, except that he will then apparently remembers he is Scottish and starts sounds like this:

“This is the worst case I’ve ever been faced with, Aeden. I just hope I’m up to solving it and making sure it doesna’ happen again.”

or this

“I canna’ deny that part of it is… Och, Aeden, of course I will be afraid.”

And then he is back sounding like a regular non specific British Isle constable again. There is just an odd lack of continuity as far as the dialog goes. As all the characters are Scottish, it would have been better to have gone in one direction or the other but not both, especially with the same character.

Another thing that stood out was some odd word usage in the story. At one point during a meeting it is said:

“I like the Inspector’s idea of alienating one or two then following them,” Dylan said.

Which to me is an odd use for the word alienating. Isolating certainly, separating them fine, but alienating? Not really. Another one that stood out for me was the use of lumbering as in:

“Do you know what you’re lumbering yourself with?”

I have always heard it used in a far different fashion, perhaps as in “you great lumbering git”. And in fact if you look it up in the dictionary, this is what you will find:

To move in a slow, heavy, awkward way : a truck filled his mirror and lumbered past | [as adj. ] ( lumbering) Bob was the big, lumbering, gentle sort | figurative a lumbering bureaucracy.

So I am not sure how this usage found its way into the story, all I know is that it stopped my reading when I smacked into that sentence. So between a elusive language format, one case of instant love, and odd words popping up here and there, my concentration on the story was as flighty as a vampire on the wind. There were also some problems with a group called the Druids, a race employed by the Ancients. The guidelines upon which this group operated on had their own moments of illogic where first they have been aligned with the Ancients for a long time, then act as though they have just been brought into the project. Sigh.

But underneath the issues I have with the story, is a fast paced plot, lively characters and a great dramatic ending that I loved. The issues I had with the story might be ones that bother you not at all. If so, you will find this a 4 star story but for me, it just comes shy of that rating. Still if vampires are your thing or you are a fan of J. P. Bowie, pick this one up. I mean really, that is one great title, Highland Vampire Vengeance, and one great cover. You have vampires, world wide destruction, doomsday machines and a villain called The Ancient. It almost cries out for its own SyFy movie of the week! Will someone let them know?

Cover art by Deana Jamroz. I love it, campy and dramatic, perfect for the title.

Review: The Good Fight by Andrew Grey

Rating: 4.75 stars

Jerry Lincoln moved back to Sioux Falls, SD to take care of his grandfather and stayed on after his death. It seemed the perfect place to live and work, especially since Jerry’s small IT consulting business is run out of his home. As Jerry’s business grew, his friend talked him into hiring additional help in the form of IT students from the local college. Of the two men Jerry hired, John Black Raven made Jerry’s thoughts turn to things other than computer code, something that hadn’t happened in a long time.

John Black Raven needs this job and for two very specific reasons, his nephew and niece currently caught up in the SD Child Services Agency and placed with a foster family. John has been trying to get them back since his sister died with little luck. Now that he has a good job, John is hoping to prevail in his fight to bring his nephew and niece home for good.

As John and Jerry get to know one another, they start to realize that the relationship being formed is one that will last the rest of their lives and John starts to accept that Jerry will stand by his side in his fight with Child Services. Jerry is shocked to find out that Native American children are seen as a source of income by SD Child Services , the agency caught up in politics, greed, and bigotry. It will take everything the men have got and more to fight the system and bring the children home.

I know I can always count on a well written story with characters of substance from Andrew Grey, but this book surpassed my expectations and then some. The serious subject matter at the heart of this story was one I was unaware of just as Jerry Lincoln is at the beginning of the book. I have to admit it sent me on a search for more information, and I was horrified to find out that the situation explored by Andrew Grey in this story was actually far worse in detail. It is a heartbreaking case and one that Andrew Grey brings to life realistically and poignantly in The Good Fight. I won’t go into additional details here but will say that you should look up the situation on your own. It will shock and appall you that things of this nature are still able to occur now with the government’s casual oversight and approval. When reading this book, I thought surely Grey is overstating the issue, and I should have known better. If anything he used Jerry (as the mouthpiece for the reader) to voice the amazement and horror we would feel over discovering such a misplacement of judgement and child abuse at the hands of government officials. Any channel that helps to make people aware of the plight of South Dakota’s Native Americans fight to reclaim their youth should be applauded. And The Good Fight brings this issue to the reader with heart, immediacy, and a well researched story. Kudos to Andrew Grey for every aspect of this remarkable story.

Now normally i would talk about characters first, but the subject matter just begged to be put first. The characters of Jerry Lincoln and John Black Raven are well crafted, full of the flaws and layers I have come to expect from this author. I liked Jerry, a person still caught up in his grief over the loss of his grandfather, the family member who understood and supported him throughout his life. Jerry is caught up in his IT world, leaving his house only at his friend’s invitation or to shop for personal needs, like food. Only the growth of his business forces Jerry to interact with others, this time his employees to a wonderful result. I loved not only Jerry, but his friends, Peter and Leonard, a couple who have taken Jerry into their hearts. Through their interactions with Jerry, we actually learn more about Jerry’s past, his grandfather and his current situation.

John Black Raven, a terrific character on his own, is also used to inform the reader about the plight of Native Americans, not only with regard to the deplorable situation with their children and Child Services, but with the bigotry and racism that is evident not only in South Dakota but elsewhere in the United States. That is a heavy weight to put on one character but John Black Raven, as written by Andrew Grey, is certainly up to the task.

Finally, there is Bryce Morgan, the other man Jerry employes. Bryce is a character easy to connect with, so I was thrilled to hear that the sequel to The Good Fight, moves Bryce up from a secondary character to a main one. It is a position he deserves.

If I have any issues with this book, it is that I wished for more resolution for the problems with SD Child Services than what occurs at the end of the book. I am just not sure I should lay that at Andrew Grey’s doorstep. While he did resolve the case of John’s niece and nephew, the problems of disappearing children, well over 700, have yet to be put to rights in almost every way. So that frustration lingered after the book was over and maybe that is as it should be. Like a burr too close to the skin, a little irritation can move people to action, even if only to sign a petition. So pick up The Good Fight, you get a wonderful, heartwarming story along with a shocking tale of modern injustice that needs to move into the media mainstream. And there is a sequel to be read next, The Fight Within. I can’t wait. But start here first and check back with me on the latter. Again kudos to Andrew Grey, for a remarkable story that is big enough to encompass a love affair while shedding light on the ongoing plight of Native Americans out west. It does justice to both.

Cover art by Anne Cain. While I loved that Native American man in the background, the character in front is not my idea of Jerry Lincoln, a misstep in an otherwise gorgeous cover.

Review: Fire For Effect (The Recon Diaries #2) by Kendall McKenna

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

It is two years after reuniting in Afghanistan, Kellan Reynolds and First Sergeant Jonah Carver find themselves back in the States, albeit on opposite ends of the country, trying to make their long distance relationship work. Kellan is still the CEO of Keystone Consulting. Jonah is stationed at Camp Pendleton, and looking to make changes in his career path in the Army, one to put him on course to be a Sergeant Major. A speaking engagement in California reunites the men after another 6 months separation and a question posed to both Kellan and Jonah stirs up their curiosity and plunges them both into an investigation. The question asked at the conference concerns the repeated denial of Medal of Honors to Marines killed in action in the recent wars. The pursuing investigation into those charges will lead Kellan and Jonah back to Afghanistan and changes the course of their lives.

Fire For Effect is the sequel to Brothers In Arms and the second book in what I hope will be a long and satisfying series. The foundation of this book and series is Kendall McKenna’s superb knowledge of the military in all its aspects. When Kellan (former Captain in the Army) and Jonah speak or move forward into action, they do so with an innate authority that would come from their history serving together as well as separately in various engagements throughout Iraq and Afghanistan. The reader never once questions anything about the combat troops movements, their gear, arms, and even how the troops would spend their downtime overseas because it feels absolutely authentic in every detail.

In fact for this reader, the book really sings when Kellan and Jonah are engaged in military action, finding themselves once more under fire. Here is an example:

The paths between camp facilities were all hard-packed and well-worn from the passing of many booted feet. Everything around them was coated in a layer of fine, powder-like dust, the same pale beige as the endless sands that surrounded them.

“Damn moon dust gets into everything,” Corporal Ruhl muttered.

“Excuse me?” Kellan asked, not quite hearing what the corporal had said.

“The top most layer of sand is this fine, powdery stuff we call moon dust,” Ruhl said. “It gets picked up easy by the wind and gets into everything. We can’t keep anything clean for very long.”

“Yeah, I remember,” Kellan replied. He was brushing that sand off and out of things for almost a year after he’d returned home.

And here is another excerpt with the men accompanying a company in Afghanistan during their investigation:

The translator expressed all of their farewells to Wasim and the Marines climbed back into their victors. Their next stop was at a combat post, which was nothing more than a platoon of Marines dug into a flat patch of dirt and rock. Even now, Marines were squaring walls of trenches with e-tools and stacking sandbags.

“Ammo restock, looks like,” Jonah mused. “MREs, too,” Kellan said, as he watched crates and cartons get tossed and stacked. Their stop was brief and they were oscar-mike again. Kellan was sure his spine was permanently compressed by the time they reached the combat post that was Gunnery Sergeant Galen Foster’s current billet. As soon as the compound gate secured behind them and the Marines began to exit their victors, Kellan carefully stepped out and stretched his aching muscles.

This COP was in what appeared to be some sort of ancient fortification. Tall walls made of mud brick encircled the entire compound. Two single-story structures stood side-by side, also made of mud brick. The original wooden roof had been reinforced with more secure metals, not unlike the hillbilly armor of the Humvees. It was primitive and austere, only slightly less spartan than the first COP they had visited. Activity buzzed around them. Marines wearing Under Armor shirts unloaded trucks, cleaned weapons, and worked under the hoods of vehicles. Kellan heard laughter and swearing, dirty jokes and most of all, complaining. Marines loved to complain.

Just by those passages alone, you get the feel of what it must be like to be in country, fighting the gritty, dusty sand, the extreme heat and cold, amidst a civilian population that just might be a hotbed of insurgents. Everything from the language to the terminology speaks of the reality of being in the Army in Afghanistan. Really, it’s just perfect.

McKenna’s characters are as authentic as the rest of her story. Kellan and Jonah are such perfectly realized characters that it is easy to believe in them. Jonah, with his cautious reserve and military respect for his uniform and traditions is still the surfer who loves to spend his time catching waves. And Kellan, for all that he is now the CEO of a security consultant firm, is still very much the Army Captain in the carriage and attitude that he presents to others that they instinctively call him “sir”. But together that reserve melts under the flames of their passion for each other once they are alone. The relationship that McKenna has created between Jonah and Kellan is just as real and human as the rest of the book. These man have communication issues and their tentative outreaches to each other speaks of their separation over long distances. Yet you can feel the deep love Jonah and Kellan have for each other through their conversations and body language, so intimate an affair that the reader almost feels like an eavesdropper.

And lastly there is the subject matter of their investigation. You can look it up your self, there were questions raised and investigations launched over the fact that fewer medals of honor were handed out to soldiers in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars than there were to soldiers in previous wars. Some pointed the finger at the racial component (more races can be counted in the volunteer Army than in the conscripted ones of the previous wars) or to the fact that women (and gays) were now serving in higher numbers as well. In Fire For Effect, Kendall McKenna has put her own spin to these questions and come out with a remarkable story that brings to light some not so savory conclusions about the actions of the Congress and Brass on this subject matter.

All of the above combined, the genuine respect and love for the Marines, the outstanding characters and the “ripped from the headlines” subject matter make Fire For Effect a truly compelling read. The only thing lacking was the length. I felt that it was too short to fully develop the investigation and its resolution. I really wanted more of the story after their return from Afghanistan and more insight into what’s next in their relationship. I expect that a third book will hold some answers for us, I hope so. At any rate, that is all that kept Fire For Effect from a 5 star rating. I do suggest that if you are new to the Recon Diaries, that you start at the beginning, with Brothers In Arms. In fact pick them both up and read them in one session. You will love being able to read one after the other. I can’t wait for the next one to follow. This pair has me hooked. I think you will feel the same.

The Recon Diaries in the order they were written and should be read:

Brothers in Arms

Fire For Effect

And don’t miss out on one of my favorites of this year, Kendall McKenna’s Strength of the Pack as well as her Nights In Canaan.

Cover art by Jared Rackler. Beautiful cover, very hot although I am not sure that it address the subject of the book.

Sunday, Glorious Sunday and the Week Ahead in Reviews

Finally, our weather seems to have evened out into a semblance of spring and the day is truly glorious. The sun is shining, the day is warming up and a slight breeze is ruffling the remaining cherry blossom petals on the trees that line the streets of my neighborhood. My hostas are now at least 4 inches above the ground, my early azaleas are starting to bloom, and the trees all around are raising almost single handedly the pollen count for the entire Metropolitan area. In fact all my gardens are shaking off their winter doldrums, waking up to the warm spring sunlight and recent nourishing rains.

I love this time of year, the season of rebirth and new growth. For me, spring is something I also internalize, a time for changes inside as well as out. I look at the house and think “time to spruce up a bit, hmmmm, new paint job for the living room?” or maybe just the time to start donating or throwing away those unused or rarely used things around the shed, in the basement or in my closet, definitely my closet. Time to buck up and get rid of those size 8 jeans that have not seen the light of day since my late twenties or those gaucho pants I so dearly loved in my 30’s. And what do you know? Jumpsuits are back, but maybe not in that military green and Pointer Sisters style. I know all trends come back around in time, but really, I doubt I will ever see that size again no matter what Weight Watchers tells me! Why have I kept a bike helmet when I don’t ride a bike? And what did I think I was going to do with that broken hand turned coffee grinder? Wait until it was an antique? In that case, my basement is full of antiques to be, just waiting for their time in the sun. Kind of like me. I do admit to looking in the mirror and thinking that perhaps a swath of purple would look amazing in my hair and that maybe a visit to the new tattoo parlor that just opened up might just be the thing to add to my calendar.

Hey, its spring and the possibilities are endless, promise of new growth, any type of growth, is everywhere. Why not just go with the flow and see what’s new around you? New places to explore, new people to meet and always new authors and new books to take along with you on your journey. Here are some books you might want to consider:

This is what our week ahead in reviews looks like:

Monday, April 15: Fire for Effect by Kendall McKenna

Tuesday, April 16: The Good Fight by Andrew Grey

Wed., April 17: The Fight Within by Andrew Grey

Thursday, April 18: Highland Vampire Vengeance by J.P. Bowie

Friday< April 19: Loving Hector by John Inman

Sat, April 20: Into This River I Drown by T.J. Klune

That’s the plan at any rate. I think I have gotten over my snit fit with Into This River I Drown, at least enough to offer a reasonably objective review. We will see on that one, rarely does a book make me want to cheer and smash things as that one did. And thanks, Lynn, for the recommendation of the John Inman book, that was great. If any one out there has a book they think I have missed out on, please send me the titles, authors and publishing house. I make no promises but I am always looking for something new to read.

So, that’s it. There are gardens calling and color samples waiting to be pondered over. The terriers are gazing longingly out the windows, telling me its time to head outside. I totally agree with them. See you all later.

Review: Brute by Kim Fielding

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Orphaned at an early age when his father was hanged and his mother committed suicide, Brute is further isolated by those around him by his unusual size. A giant by any standards, Brute knows that others look at him as though he were little more than a dumb animal, good for nothing more than moving large rocks and trees. But inside of his monstrous frame, the real Brute is gentle and kind with a heart equal to his size. Then one day Brute’s world changes. Brute’s job is to move rocks on a bridge project being built outside of his village and one day the palace sends the youngest prince to check on the progress. When the prince falls off the edge of the cliff, Brute rescues him but at the cost of his arm. Now maimed, Brute wonders how he will live when the prince sends for him and gives him a job. His new job is caretaker to a imprisoned traitor, one with a special gift.

The prisoner, Gray Leynham, hates his gift, he can see the deaths of others in his dreams. Gray Laynham is blind, chained, and nearly mute from his misery. Where others see a wretched traitor, Brute sees a person in need of kindness and a friend. Palace life gives Brute a new perspective on life and his own self worth. As his friendship with Gray progresses into that of lovers, Brute is faced with several life changing decisions. Brute has always believed in doing the right thing, no matter the cost. But this time, Brute must decide what is the right thing to do and it might cost him everything he has finally achieved, friends, home, lover and even his own life.

Brute is a lovely story, a tale of a gentle giant with magical overtones. Kim Fielding does a nice job of creating a universe where magic or to be more exact, certain gifts like the ability to heal or prescience, the ability to foresee the future, are acknowledged and valued amongst a society existing at a medieval level. When we meet up with Brute (not his real name), he is grown and working as a day laborer. Brute exists at the bottom rung of his villages social strata, earning a pittance wage, taken advantage of, abused and generally treated as an idiot. And it is all mostly due to his extreme size, well over 7 feet tall and 300 pounds in weight. But the author also gives us a glimpse of a happy childhood that came to an abrupt end and we feel for the poor little boy left all alone to fend for himself. Brute is such a gentle, sweet soul that it is easy to empathize with his physically and emotionally barren life he is living. And all the changes that happen to him during the course of his arrival at the palace are revealed in such a way that we get to experience it first hand as Brute does, marveling at everything from his new boots to the food he gets to eat.

And then there is Gray Leynham, rumored witch, traitor, and blind prisoner at the palace. Again Fielding lets us feel how Brute perceives the prisoner and then watch as the relationship is forged between Brute and Gray, stemming from Brute’s compassionate nature and sense of right and wrong. I liked that Gray is flawed and actually at fault for the position he is in, something I did not expect but should have considering the author behind the pen. Kim Fielding always puts her own twists on story elements we have seen before, turning them into her own creations and Brute does that again and again. Every time I thought the story might sail into fairylandia, Kim Fielding brings it back down to the ground with a brush or more of reality. Brute is not some overgrown child adult but someone who sees the consequences of his and everyone else’s actions, someone who accepts responsibilities and the painful truths that life delivers. Fielding consistently brings a grittiness to her stories that gives them an authenticity I appreciate.

Fielding does an excellent job with layering her characters, making them so accessible in their personalities and actions that we are engaged in the storyline and their futures immediately. You can count on realistically drawn characters, speaking dialog that matches their stations and personalities whose actions mesh perfectly within the parameters the author has set for them. Specifically, Fielding deals realistically with Brute’s disability. Brute had his hand amputated and in the story, Fielding addresses the fact that his clothes need to be altered so Brute can put them on easily with one hand. I find this type of authenticity one I have come to expect from Fielding’s writings, just another way she brings her story and characters fully to life. Do not be surprised to find yourself so emotionally connected to these people that the tears flow on their behalf.

My only quibble with Brute concerns the ending. I wished that the author had left us with a little more idea of what the future holds for Brute. Not to imply that I was unhappy with the ending, I was satisfied but just wanted that little bit more. There were several characters that I also connected with, including the cook Alys and her brother, Warin, especially Warin who I loved. And I wanted to know what happened to them as much as I did the main characters. But that qualm aside, I can recommend Brute as a wonderful fantasy story that will warm your heart and leave you smiling once the story is finished.

Cover: Paul Richmond is perfect for the story in tone and graphics.

Book Details: Brute by Kim Fielding,ebook, 270 pages

Published December 3rd 2012 by Dreamspinner Press

Buy Link

urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3443

Review: The General and the Horse-Lord by Sarah Black

Rating: 5 stars

General John Mitchel has recently retired after serving 25 memorable years in the Army. By his side for all those years was helicopter pilot Sgt. Gabriel Sanchez. Together across five continents John and Gabriel counted on each other to have their backs as they fought in every American engagement. Over 25 years of honorable service, putting the mission and the safety of the nation first. Renowned, even idolized by the troops who serviced with them, both men carried a secret with them all through those years in the Army and into retirement. And that was that they loved one another deeply and had almost since the first time they met.

The General and the Horse-Lord as Gabriel was called (due to the fact that he flew Apache helicopters) served in the Army at the time when even the hint of homosexuality was cause for dismissal. Both John and Gabriel knew that their special skills were necessary on the battlegrounds and so their own need for love and companionship were secondary to the mission. But now both are retired and finding said retirement and their lives lacking in almost every way. The General misses the comradeship and the sense of purpose, but most importantly, he misses Gabriel. Gabriel too finds retirement and his personal life hollow in some respects. Gabriel had made some decisions while in the Army that he now regrets, but his love for John has always been a certainty in his life. Now with both John and Gabriel retired, the men start thinking that perhaps finally they might have their chance at the happiness they have long denied themselves. Life has never been easy for the General and the Horse-Lord and their long awaited path to happiness still has obstacles they have to overcome before they can finally be together. What will it cost them before they can take that last step together?

I think The General and the Horse-Lord may be my all time favorite book of Sarah Black’s yet. As a retired Naval Officer herself, her military characters always rang true to the military code they honored and served under, but never more so than with General John Mitchel and Gabriel Sanchez, his pilot. Black’s characters are human warriors so full of life that I often expect them to stride off the page. These two have remained talking to me in my dreams a week after I put down their story. John and Gabriel, their honor and their unhappiness in retirement, got to me. Here is John reflecting on the past:

They had made their choices a long time ago, and he thought Gabriel, just like himself, was happy for the grace notes in his life, the few hours they could be themselves, with all their public masks removed, a few gentle and intimate hours between friends. Wasn’t that the best one could ask for? A life of service to others, with the occasional grace note? So why did he still feel so lonely? Why had so much of this last year been spent feeling an ache for something he couldn’t describe even to himself?

You can just feel the puzzlement of a warrior lost when his mission has moved forward without him. Sarah Black’s dialog is perfection. You can just hear the military tone and inflection in everything they say. Being a warrior is part of them, like the blood flowing in their veins. Here they are at a baseball game, talking about Juan, Gabriel’s 14 year old son:

Gabriel speaking: “She said we have to support him and let him make his own choices. Really? I don’t think so, not at fourteen. He’s like one of those soft-shell crabs in the middle of molting. Not ready to make choices about anything. Absolutely at risk from any passing predator. Dumb as a fucking stone. That’s why he’s not speaking to me. I told him he can’t be a video game tester, and then he says why don’t I know he hates seafood?”

“You shared with him the soft-shell crab analogy?”

Gabriel nodded. “That was probably a mistake.”

These men are exactly who they say they are. Straight forward, honorable and somewhat adrift in modern civilian life. Both are at home making difficult decisions but now are faced with one that they have been avoiding for years because they never thought it would be possible – that they might have a life together in a society much changed from the one they were familiar with.

I know immediately that some people will have a problem with the fact that Gabriel is and has been married for 15 years, albeit a troubled one. This is an issue that is treated seriously from every aspect. The men remind several other characters (and themselves) that the 70’s were a far cry from the open mindedness of today and that if one wanted to have a family, getting married was the only option, again not a decision or commitment that was made lightly. Both John and Gabriel take responsibility and their actions with the gravity one would expect from such men. And we see and feel what each decision cost them along the way. Perhaps it is easier to accept when you realize John and Gabriel had one focus for much of their life and that was their service in the Army, everything else, including their feelings about each other, came second.

But John and Gabriel don’t exist in a vacuum any more than we do and Sarah Black has surrounded these men with an array of characters that I not only connected with immediately but came to care for as much as John and Gabriel themselves. There is Kim, John’s adopted nephew, who know lives with him. Kim is young, artistic, gay and adores John and Gabriel. Kim is the victim of an attack and the men decide they will accompany him to a bar that night as protectors:

You bring me in, then how I deal with him is no longer your concern, Kim.” “Yes, it is my concern, and I don’t want to be responsible….” John held up a hand to stop him. “You don’t have any kids, so don’t tell me how I need to follow your Greenpeace PETA pacifist butt into a gay bar to not take care of an asshole who only understands one thing.” He held up a clenched fist. “Now how about you fetch us some more of that coffee?” Gabriel held out his empty cup without a word, and they watched Kim flounce out the door.

What Kim does with that statement later just cracked me up. One great fully realized character after another comes into the picture as the events of the book unfold, including ex bull riders and their sons. So many joys in this book, from the sparkling and tight dialog to the events that bring old pain and new hurts to the surface to be examined and dealt with by two warriors trying to find their way together as lovers in a civilian world.

This is one of the author’s longer books to my delight. At 200 pages, the story comes to a lovely conclusion without me feeling that more is due. Would I have loved to have been given a few more glimpses of John and Gabriel’s future? Certainly but I am very happy with the way I left them. Of course, it helps to know that Sarah Black is currently writing a sequel to The General and the Horse-Lord, so that certainly figured into my current state of bliss.

I will leave you all with Gabriel’s playlist as compiled by Sarah Black, a wonderful thing for dancing by yourself or with a man you have waited 25 years for:

Gabriel’s Playlist- Music for Some Quiet Dance Time in the Garage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYHxGB… SUPER FREAK!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcATvu… ADDICTED TO LOVE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK2HAN… LA BAMBA!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk-W_i… SHAKEDOWN! (talk about a silver fox!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv6tuz… WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN!

Now go out and grab this book. It will be on my Best of 2013 list, that you can count on. Let me know what you think, ok?

Cover art by Paul Richmond. I love this cover, perfect for John and the Horse-Lord, perfect for the story in every way.

Review: Touch & Geaux (Cut & Run #7) by Abigail Roux

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

FBI Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett have been relegated to desk and PR duties after their last case made them too high profile for undercover work. With 20 years on the job, Zane is considering retiring and other major life changing decisions when Ty gets a call from one of his old friends who is in jail in New Orleans. His friend needs Ty’s help and fast. New Orleans is the last place Ty should be considering going because of the time he spent there undercover as well as all the memories it holds and not just for him. For Zane, New Orleans is a city rife with echos from their past. But for Ty, loyalty is everything and both men set out to rescue Ty’s friend.

From the moment Ty and Zane land in New Orleans, the bodies start to pile up and danger hunts them at every street corner. Once more Ty’s past has come back to haunt him and now it threatens to kill not just him but all he cares for, including Zane. But the threat Ty and Zane face in New Orleans is not just physical, but an emotional threat to the heart of their relationship and the trust they hold for each other.

With criminals and the law closing in on Ty and Zane, all the last secrets that had been deeply buried come out. Will both men be able to withstand the resulting emotional and physical explosions or will they see everything they have worked so hard for destroyed.

I fell in love with this series in 2008 with the first release of Cut & Run (Cut & Run #1), then written by Madeline Urban and Abigail Roux. From the moment we are introduced to Ty Grady and Zane Garrett, the reader knows that here are two characters so complicated, so weighed down with their past and inability to trust anyone other than themselves that if they were ever to get together the resulting fireworks would be memorable and glorious. It would also take loads of work, painful work to make it happen which is how it occurred over the course of the next several books. And for every step forward, the authors had our heros take two steps back. And this intricate ballet happens while Ty and Zane are engaged in various cases that often threaten not just national security but their lives as well.

After the last book, Stars & Stripes, in which we found the pair mostly happy with their relationship and coming out to their families, I knew that such a happy time would be short lived. There was just too much still happening around them, too many unresolved issues that had been glossed over and now we know why. Abigail Roux has always struck me as a meticulous planner and researcher. When her characters go on location, you can bet Abigail Roux has spent some time there visiting the various locales, jotting down names of bars, streets, and other places her characters have spent time. Now if she does that for just one book, what sort of planning would she do for a series? For me, the answer is that the series would see the same attention to detail but on a much larger scale and with the end of the series already in place. In Touch & Geaux, I see elements that demonstrate, at least to me, that some of the events here have been in motion for some time.

It is hard to go into details without giving anything away, but the revelations that explode in this book caught me totally by surprise. I never would have guessed them in a million years but now that I am thinking about them, the basis for these surprising disclosures start back in Cut & Run and pop up through every subsequent book in the series. Things I maybe gave less attention to than I should have are now imbued with a deeper, darker meaning, their true purpose clear. And it all points to some masterful planning by Abigail Roux.

If you are a true fan of Ty and Zane as I am, than just be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster, worthy of at least several boxes of tissues and then some. If you are truthful with yourself, than you have to admit you knew this was coming. Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are complicated men with dark, secretive pasts. Both are very good at keeping secrets, even from each other and the ones Ty has been keeping from Zane will go right to the heart of each others issues. Issues of trust, truth and self knowledge – it doesn’t get any more powerful than that. All those things have haunted both men from the very first time they met each other, and have continued to do so for all the two years they have been partnered. Actually their relationship in all its gritty,slow, painful, and complex glory has always struck me as one of the most realistic things about this series. I liked that the slow climb to a romantic partnership was equal in complexity to the men themselves and that a HEA is always in question.

There are things here that might make one scoff or at least pull back in disbelief. LIke a motor bike ride from hell or a magazine shoot that seems unlikely for the FBI in Washington, DC or Baltimore even, but again we have seen Zane ride like that before, think back to another wild Zane ride to the National Aquarium. And maybe even the FBI can loosen up enough to put out a calendar. Who knows in these times? But the real meat and bones of this story are Ty and Zane and their relationship, everything else is almost superfluous. Or enough it seems for me to overlook it on my way to the heart of these men and the status of their lives at any given point.

One of the things I often hear mentioned about the Cut & Run series is the switching POV that happens repeatedly throughout the books. I know that each author wrote one character, right up until Abigail Roux took over writing the series by herself. That fact most likely explains the POV changes in the series. And once that pattern was set for the series it made perfect sense to me that Roux continued to write the books in the same manner in which they were started. I actually love hearing the thoughts of each man and it has contributed to the intimate connection I feel with both Ty and Zane that I might not otherwise have achieved. And that connection is a strong one, attained through outstanding characterization, snappy, memorable dialog, and scenes that have me howling in laughter or in tears, sometimes both at the same time.

This is perhaps the finest book of the series yet, it was certainly a return to the darker, tumultuous times when Ty and Zane were on unstable ground in almost every way. This book is necessary because it brings back home to us that so much still had to come out, that there was still so much that Ty and Zane had to work through for a real partnership to succeed. As it was for them, this path is a painful one for us too. But what a journey we are all on together. I can’t wait for the next book to arrive.

I believe I read somewhere that Abigail Roux has 9 books planned for the series, perhaps 10. You can go and preorder Cut & Run #8 right now as I have already done. Considering how I felt, still feel, about the end of Touch & Geaux, I needed that promise of a resolution hopefully to come for all involved, including the readers. So I think I will pass the time by going back to the beginning and rereading the books in order. I think that with the knowledge I now possess many events will take on an entirely new look and context. I can’t wait to see what I will find. In the meantime, here is the buy link for Cut & Run #8. It is available at a discounted price until April 14, 2013.

The cover by LC Chase is another is a great branding style, the voodoo doll figures prominently in the story. Great job.

Here are the books in the order they were written and should be read:

Touch & Geaux (Cut & Run #7)

Stars & Stripes (Cut & Run #6)

Armed & Dangerous , #5 – by Abigail Roux

Divide & Conquer #4, Fish & Chips #3, Sticks & Stones #2, Cut & Run #1 – all of these written by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

And a big congratulations to Stars & Stripes and Abigail Roux. DABWAHA Champions. Stars & Stripes just became the first ever M/M romance to win the DABWAHA tournament!

It’s Here! Riptide Publishing’s Web Hunt for Touch & Geaux!

Happy Monday everyone! Today Scattered Thoughts is participating in Riptide Publishing’s Web Hunt for Abigail Roux’s book Touch & Geaux (Cut & Run #7), one of Scattered Thoughts Best Series of…well you name the year and this series will still be at the top of my list. Scattered Thoughts will be joining the party along with many of your favorite book blogs by posting about the book and including one of my favorite quotes (so hard) from any book in the Cut & Run series. Readers who collect each quote and submit their findings to marketing@riptidepublishing.com will be eligible to win one of two runner-up prizes and one grand prize. And oh, what a prize it is!!! But I’m not telling, at least not yet!

Also on the agenda for today, is Riptide Publishing’s first ever live chat, with Abi Roux, happening at 12pm EST on April 10, with the RSVP link https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/107747069078430869043/events/crbhmnugf1hbokmj86anv4vaesc?authkey=CLPsidKGwKnvBQ. I love Abigail Roux (although I will admit I am currently hunting her down with a nerf bat with Ty and Zane’s names on it). Abigail Roux is a meticulous researcher for her novels, master of memorable dialog, and currently holder of the Evil Queen title, mostly due to Touch & Geaux. Grab the book, read the reviews (yeah, yeah, I know, reverse order but it works for Touch & Geaux), pick up your pitch forks and torches and join me in Scattered Thoughts own hunt. Those of you who have read the book will understand totally, a toss up between lobbing jewels at Roux’s head or cow plops. Don’t be left out of the know, you need this book and here is your chance for prizes too!

For those of you on the hunt, here is the quote I chose:

“Cameron found himself smiling as he thought about the two tough, acerbic FBI agents. “It’s so cute. They’re in love.”
“It’s like watching two kittens fight with machetes,” Julian muttered.
“Julian.”
“What? Its weird!”
“No its not. They’re perfect for each other. Poor Zane though,” Cameron murmured. “In love with Ty Grady.” He couldn’t imagine how frustrating that would be. Then Julian inhaled, and Cameron chuckled slightly. Yeah, he could actually.”
― Abigail Roux, Armed & Dangerous

The thing about the Cut & Run series is that there are literally hundreds of quotes that I could have chosen. Choosing one is like asking which is your favorite child, almost impossible to do. I did go with funny because to choose the ones where Ty and Zane are emotionally vulnerable is just too close at the moment, more about that later. I will say that Touch & Geaux is the best of a quality series that keeps improving with each new release. How that is possible is due to Abigail Roux. Has she sold her soul? I know many are wondering…..hmmmmm…how tiny can those horns be?

Later today I wlll blogging about some of my favorite moments from Cut & Run. Moments that made me laugh like in Fish & Chips (Cut & Run #3) when Ty Grady had to impersonate arm candy Del Porter. When Ty stepped out after being waxed and bleached, well, my sides hurt just thinking about it. And then there are the moments that had me in tears…so many moments…..starting from the beginning in Cut & Run (book 1) when we first meet the two men that I have come to care for and follow through tumultuous event in their lives in every book that has been released since. Touch & Geaux is a milestone among milestones in this series.

Tomorrow I will be posting my review of Touch & Geaux. You can also find reviews for the all books in the series included in the links provided in the review or just look them up. All the books can be found here.

And now for even better news. You can preorder Cut & Run #8 now at Riptide Publishing. Here is what Riptide Publishing has to say:

The as-yet-untitled Book 8 of the Cut & Run series, availabe to pre-order for 25% off in ebook and paperback or 30% off in print and ebook combo for one week only as our thank-you to the fans for taking Stars & Stripes into the DABWAHA finals!

Please note that the release date is approximate and subject to change.

On Sunday, April 14, 2013, this page will be taken down. When it returns again in late 2013 or early 2014 for new pre-orders, the ebook will be full price again, so take advantage now of our special DABWAHA celebratory sale!

So those are the details, now let’s get hunting!!! Touch & Geaux is a “must read, must have” for Scattered Thoughts and you don’t want to be left out in the cold. Read my review tomorrow and stay tuned for Scattered Thoughts Most Fav Cut & Run moments…..who knew Monday could be so fun?

Here is the buy link for Touch & Geaux http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/touch-geaux

Glorious Books, A Web Hunt and Glorious Weather Too! What A Week It’s Going To Be!

The weather is perfection today so I am getting ready to pull on the gardening gloves, turn the water for the outside faucets back on and prepare to spend the day getting down and dirty. I have ferns, some grasses and even an English Daisy or two to plant and weeds to uproot. To say the least, I am grinning like crazy in anticipation.

Also this week I am reviewing some books that are not only on Scattered Thoughts “Must Read” lists, they have made my Best of 2013 List as well. Among them are Sarah Black’s The General and the Horse-Lord, T.J. Klune’s Into This River I Drown, Abigail Roux’s Touch & Geaux and Jay Kirkpatrick’s Freedom. I can’t remember when I had so many wonderful books to read and recommend that released almost at the same time. A surfeit of riches for us all to enjoy time and time again.

And on Monday, Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is participating along with many other websites in Riptide Publishing’s Web Hunt for Abigail Roux’s Touch & Geaux, book 7 in the amazing Cut & Run series. On April 8, 2013, all participating book blogs will be joining the party by posting about the book and including one of their favorite quotes from any book in the Cut & Run series. Readers who collect each quote and submit their findings to marketing@riptidepublishing.com will be eligible to win one of two runner-up prizes and one grand prize. More about this Cut & Run fun will be posted tomorrow along with my blog of Cut & Run favorite moments in the afternoon.

What a week! So here is the full schedule, don’t miss a day!

Monday, April 8: Riptide Publishing’s Web Hunt for Touch & Geaux,

Scattered Thoughts Favorite Cut & Run Moments

Tuesday, April 9: Touch & Geaux (Cut & Run #7) by Abigail Roux

Wed., April 10: Freedom by Jay Kirkpatrick

Thursday, April 11: The General and the Horse-Lord by Sarah Black

Friday, April 12: Brute by Kim Fielding

Saturday, April 13: Into This River I Drown by T.J. Klune

Really, just turn this week’s lineup into a shopping list because you won’t want to miss a single one. Now the flowers and worms are calling me, really I can hear them right now. So off I go or should I say Geaux in keeping with the books this week. Have a wonderful Sunday everyone and I will see you right here on Monday.

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