"Cynde's "Terrific-Tuesday" Book Review!"

I've been looking forward to posting this review of "BLOOD LINES", Kathryn Casey's second fiction novel, and the sequel to her blockbuster fiction debut entitled "SINGULARITY". In fact, I enjoyed this book so much that I read it twice before I even started to write the review, and I can tell you that I don't normally do that. So here goes:

The Synopsis:

"Readers loved Sarah Armstrong, the feisty and vulnerable profiler in Kathryn Casey's mystery, "Singularity". She's back in this second book in the series with her hands full with two cases at once: A persistent and potentially lethal stalker pursues pop mega-star Cassidy Collins, and a high-energy Houston businesswoman is found dead in her house.

Though the businesswoman's death is being called a suicide, when Sarah is shown photographs of the scene, something seems off. It looks too perfect, almost staged, and Billie Cox apparently had every reason to live. The victim's sister is convinced Billie was murdered and urges Sarah to take a closer look. During her investigation, Sarah uncovers a multimillion-dollar scam and traces a trail of greed to Billie's murderer.

Meanwhile, teenage idol Cassidy receives threatening e-mails and text messages and hears creepy whispers over her headset at performances. Cassie's next performance is at a Houston rodeo, for which her handlers request extra security. Sarah once again teams up with FBI agent David Garrity, and together they plot to outwit and capture the stalker, but at the concert the unthinkable happens. . ."




My Review:

It's always harder to begin a sequel than it is to begin a fresh series, in my opinion, because you have to be careful not to give away what happened in the prior novel, in case the reader hasn't read it, yet you also need to give enough background with the new novel to recap so that the two will flow together smoothly...and I believe that Kathryn has done that beautifully with "BLOOD LINES".

As you may recall, Sarah, her daughter, Maggie, and her mother, had a horrendous time in "SINGULARITY". They were all in danger and it was a hair-raising adventure for all of them. Sarah was also dating and embarking on what could be the beginning of a serious relationship with FBI profiler David Garrity and we had no idea where that would be going.

So when we start out with the opening of this story, Sarah has been on extended leave, and has been working from home, mostly half days. For some unknown reason, her relationship with David Garrity has totally cooled, but we don't know why, nor does she.

Her boss wants her to come back full-time, but she needs to make sure that Maggie and her mom are ready for that. And as usual, she will be working more than one case at a time, both of which are very high profile and will be time-consuming and difficult to solve (which makes it fun for us!) It looks as if everyone (well, almost everyone) is doing well, and they want to move on, because Sarah's mom is dating, (how cool is that!) and Maggie thinks her mom should go back to work full-time. The only thing we don't know is: what happened with David?

Now on to the cases that Sarah has to solve:

First there is Cassidy Collins, the pop super-star teenaged singer, who started out poor, living in a trailer and tried to run away from those meager beginnings. Now she has a stalker who feels that she must feel too good for him, and he wants to teach her a lesson, but what's the lesson?

Next, there is the rich businesswoman whose sister insists that she did not committ suicide, and she claims that her sister is trying to provide clues to her murder from beyond the grave by contacting her! Will the clues really lead to the killer and is she really contacting her sister from the afterlife?

And don't you want to know why David Garritty just up and stopped calling on Sarah when things were going so well?



My Rating:

I thought that this book was excellent! I enjoyed the action, the story line, the seamless way in which she incorporated the previous novel's information into the beginning, and it sure was a fun and exciting ride!

Kathryn Casey is without a doubt a master of fiction as well as non-fiction. She is just an excellent story-teller...period. So, go out and buy this book, fast. If you don't, you'll be missing out on a great story. I can't wait until the next one, entitled "THE KILLING STORM" comes out in the fall of this year.

If you want to learn more about Kathryn Casey, visit her website here.

Also...please be sure to watch for:
my interview with the Kathryn Casey coming tomorrow!



Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde



Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Cynde's "What's-Up-Wednesday" Book Review!"

The book that I have chosen to review for you this time is "THE HATE LIST" written by Jennifer Brown.

The synopsis reads:

"Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life."

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Jennifer was able to get into the inside of each of her characters' heads and present what I thought were authentic reactions to a very tragic situation.

Each of her characters were well-rounded, believable, likeable or sometimes hateable characters that you would definitely want to learn more about. I found myself getting very wrapped up in the story, remembering how it was when I was in high school and I watched some of the very same things happening around me. There are always bullies and snots that seem to be mean for no reason, and Jennifer was able to put herself in the shoes of everyone, no matter what side they were coming from.

Be prepared for a gripping and sensitive look at how people would react to a senseless act of violence in a school full of teenagers. This is a thoughtful ficticious account of the reactions of the children that were there, the friends left behind, the widow of a teacher that was killed, the parents of the dead and many more.

The book travels from the present, then back to the day of the shooting, then back again, several times, so that it can keep a running account of each person's reaction. Trust me...the story is done tastefully and the ending is a pleasant surprise. I highly recommend that you read this book.








Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde



Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Announcing: The $5,000 LuShae Sweepstakes!"

Enter the online sweepstakes competition for the chance to win $5,000 cash (to spend anywhere you like). Simply display one of the jewelry badges that they have for you to select from on your blog, website or social profile page and be automatically entered each and every month. The sweepstake giveaway is open to all countries. They will also draw one $200 monthly random winner.


Every entrant will also receive a 15% discount off the entire LuShae Jewelry range!





Find the rest of the sweepstakes information
and
enter the sweepstakes here.





Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde



Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Upcoming Events at Cynde's "Write Stuff" Blog!"

So far, we've had a great start for 2010. The winner of our first contest, for a FREE, AUTOGRAPHED, Advanced Review Copy (ARC) of "BLOOD LINES" written by Kathryn Casey, was Pamela MacLean.






The following are the things you can expect to see in my blog in the near future:

• A book review of "BLOOD LINES" written by Kathryn Casey.


• An interview with guest author, Kathryn Casey, who wrote "BLOOD LINES", the gripping sequel to the amazing book, "SINGULARITY".
  
  
• A book review of "Cynthia's Attic: The Missing Locket" written by Mary Cunningham.


• A book review of "Cynthia's Attic: The Magic Medallion" written by Mary Cunningham.


• A book review of "Cynthia's Attic: Curse of the Bayou" written by Mary Cunningham.


• A book review of "Cynthia's Attic: The Magician's Castle" written by Mary Cunningham.


• An interview with Mary Cunningham, who wrote the delightful "CYNTHIA'S ATTIC SERIES".
  
  
• An interview with guest author, Allan Mayer, who wrote the amazing book, "TASTING THE WIND".

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde



Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Announcing The Winner of the Contest to Win A FREE Autographed (ARC) Advanced Review Copy of: BLOOD LINES by Kathryn Casey"

"Announcing the
Contest Winner"
of the FREE, AUTOGRAGHED
Advanced Review Copy (ARC) of:
"BLOOD LINES"
by Kathryn Casey

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

The Winner Is:
Pamela MacLean

"Congratulations,
Pam!"

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

~NOTE~
To win, you must have answered the following question correctly:
"What is the title to the sequel of "BLOOD LINES" by Kathyn Casey, that is scheduled for Fall 2010?"
The Correct Answer Is:
"THE KILLING
STORM"

"Please VOTE for/COMMENT on this CONTEST that I entered!"

ATTENTION FRIENDS/FOLLOWERS:

I have entered the "Tinsel Tales Flash Fiction Contest" which ends on 31 December 2009. I am asking anyone that has a spare moment, to please visit the site and vote for/comment on the stories that you like. Hopefully, my story will be included in the ones you like. I would really appreciate your support on this. There are some really cute stories (much better than mine) and I just want to see how I do. Will you please support me?




DIRECTIONS:

1. Comment in the comment section of this blog if you're going to be able to support me, OK? Thank you for your support. It means the world to me! (You don't have to do this one—I would just like you to, for my own information, that's all.)


2. Click where it says "here" under the "Tinsel Tales" image, below) and it will take you to the "Tinsel Tales" site.


3. When you get to the "Tinsel Tales" site, it will list all the stories, one right after the other. Just vote for the ones you like and make comments, if you feel like it. There are lots of cute little stories. Happy voting and God bless you!

Please visit the site here to vote/comment. Thank you so much for your support!



Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

CONTEST: "Your Chance To Win A FREE Autographed (ARC) Advanced Review Copy of: BLOOD LINES by Kathryn Casey"

~CONTEST~

For your chance to win a FREE, AUTOGRAPHED Advanced Review Copy (ARC) of:

BLOOD LINES by Kathryn Casey



To win your chance
for the FREE, AUTOGRAPHED
Advanced Review Copy (ARC),
all you need to do
is answer the following
question CORRECTLY:



"What is the title
of the sequel to
BLOOD LINES
by Kathryn Casey,
that is scheduled
for Fall 2010?"

HINT: Visit Kathryn Casey's site here!



The contest ends at midnight on Sunday, 03 January 2010. The WINNING NAME will be selected from all the correct entries received. (Please be sure to include your email address or the url for your blog with your entry, so that we can get in contact with you in the event that you are the winner.) Best Wishes to you all!

Please submit your entries here




IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

CONTEST ENDS at midnight on
Sunday, 03 January 2009.
(contest limited to U.S. participants only.)




Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde



Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"One Lovely Blog Award!"

I would like to thank Pamela Maclean of From Barbies to Words for presenting me with a very special award for my blog. It is the:

"One Lovely Blog Award!"





According to the rules of the award, I am now supposed to identify fifteen (15) blogs whom I think are worthy of receiving this wonderful award, then I am supposed to post the nominees on my site, and then notify each of them individually.

Fifteen seems like so many for me to be giving this award out to, when I believe the whole point is to identify the "few" that stand out in my mind. Furthermore, I want to make sure that my nominees know that I am absolving them of the responsibility of having to select that many, because that means a potential total of 225 more nominees being generated on top of the 15 that I would have had to select. As you can see, a thing like this could get way out of hand in no time at all, especially when there is more than one award going around, and I want this to be a blessing to my nominees, and not a burden. So I am giving my nominees permission to nominate only five (5) of their most deserving blogs for the "One Lovely Blog Award!"






And here are the blogs and blog owners that I have chosen to become the recipients of the "One Lovely Blog Award!" :

1. Author 101 et al from A Book Inside—How to Write and Publish a Book


2. Carma Dutra from A LOOK AT CHILDREN'S WRITING through Carma's Window


3. Diana Black et al from Bookland Heights


4. Mayra Calvani from Mayra's Secret Bookcase


5. Michelle McLean from Michelle McLean's Writer Rambings

Congratulations to my nominees and I hope you realize what an inspiration your blogs have been to me. It was a really tough decision to have to narrow it down to only the five (5) selections this time, but I think that it made me truly evaluate their sites closely and think about what I had learned from them. It was fun!




Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde



Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Cynde's "Sunday Sensation" Book Review!"

It was not originally on my schedule of "Upcoming Events" to review the book that I'm reviewing today, but when I read an excerpt of it following "meeting" the author on Facebook, I was compelled to do so.

The book to which I am referring is, "SINGULARITY", written by Kathryn Casey.

Kathryn is a former magazine reporter, the author of five highly acclaimed true-crime books and this was her first attempt at a fiction novel. She has been featured on numerous radio interviews and has also appeared on such shows as: Oprah Winfrey, Nancy Grace, Montel Williams, A&E and Court TV. She and her husband reside in Houston, Texas with their schnauzer, "Max".



The story centers around protagonist Sarah Armstrong, a Texas Ranger profiler who is one of the few female rangers in Texas. Not only does she have to work twice as hard to prove herself, but she is also a newly-widowed, single mom to a growing eleven-year-old daughter who was having a hard time adjusting to the death of her father.

When Sarah is called in to profile a case, she is met with opposition from some of the "good ole boys". While they go off on a tangent of their own, she is in a race for time to prove that her theory is correct--all before they convict whom she thinks is an innocent women and a serial killer is allowed to run loose, killing over and over again.

Meantime, the psycopath committing the murders and then posing the bodies in grotesque ways, decides to set his sights on Sarah and all she holds dear.



The characters in this thriller are full-bodied, three-dimentional, likable, and believable. I found myself genuinely caring about some of them and downright hating a few of the others, and that's the mark of a really good book.

In some sections of this book I was literally on the edge of my seat, skipping over entire paragraphs, hoping to find answers, but I quickly dragged myself back to where I had left off so that I wouldn't miss a single word.

There were a couple spots in the story that were a tiny bit predictable, but that's what added to the charm of this book, because life is predictable, too. By contrast, right after I thought I had the thing all figured out, it took a turn, and things were not at all as they seemed.

Kathryn's writing style is very pleasant. Her eloquent use of descriptive phrases and words made me forget I was reading while I lost myself in the story, being carried away as if I were a character within it myself.



In summary, I would say that this is an excellent book and I loved it. It's an easy read, I enjoyed it and I am so glad that there will be another Sarah Armstrong mystery. I would recommend this book to anyone who also loves Patricia Cornwell books, like I do.

If you would like to learn more about Kathryn Casey, please visit her website here.



Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde



Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!