Book Review - Bristol House - Beverly Swerling

Title: Bristol House 

Author: Beverly Swerling 

Review: On the surface this book was hitting all the things I like.  You have a wandering academic in England tracking down some small piece of history, only to get involved with some shadow organization and a much larger conspiracy.  So working through and against time can she piece together the clues and codes left by our historical heroes and save the day?  And if that wasn’t enough it had a nice romance layered on top of the whole thing.  What is not to love? 

Well unfortunately at no point did this book ever take hold of me and compel me to keep reading.  Instead I found I would go days in-between readings and couldn’t muster the excitement to dive back in.  I wasn’t really interested in the characters and the plot was a little too overblown.  Now overblown plots are to be expected in this sort of literature , but usually the author will make it seem a little more real in spite of it. 

Then we had the unrealistic stacking of coincidences like she gets hired by a wealthy business man to track down his pet historical interest.  Then just about the first person she meets (and future love interest) just happens to be a journalist with a major desire to prove said business man is out to destroy the world.  And this was just a chance meeting.  The book carries on like this with a lot of the double C’s (convenient coincidences); it is riddled with them. 

At the end of the day the story had a good heart and you could see where it wanted to go.  I would love to see how this author does after getting a few more thrillers under her belt so she could avoid all the clichés of the genre she fell for this time through.  A good outline of a story but not terribly well executed. 

Publisher: Viking 
ISBN: 978-0-670-02593-0 
Copyright: 2013 
Pages: 398 
Quick Review: 3 stars out of 5 
Why I Read It: Had a history mystery feel to it in the description (think Dan Brown) 
Where I Obtained the Book: Sent to me by the publisher for review. 

Synopsis: In the tradition of Kate Mosse, a swiftly-paced mystery that stretches from modern London to Tudor England 

In modern-day London, architectural historian and recovering alcoholic Annie Kendall hopes to turn her life around and restart her career by locating several long-missing pieces of ancient Judaica. Geoff Harris, an investigative reporter, is soon drawn into her quest, both by romantic interest and suspicions about the head of the Shalom Foundation, the organization sponsoring her work. He’s also a dead ringer for the ghost of a monk Annie believes she has seen at the flat she is subletting in Bristol House. 

In 1535, Tudor London is a very different city, one in which monks are being executed by Henry VIII and Jews are banished. In this treacherous environment of religious persecution, Dom Justin, a Carthusian monk, and a goldsmith known as the Jew of Holborn must navigate a shadowy world of intrigue involving Thomas Cromwell, Jewish treasure, and sexual secrets. Their struggles shed light on the mysteries Annie and Geoff aim to puzzle out—at their own peril. 

This riveting dual-period narrative seamlessly blends a haunting supernatural thriller with vivid historical fiction. Beverly Swerling, widely acclaimed for her City of Dreams series, delivers a bewitching and epic story of a historian and a monk, half a millennium apart, whose destinies are on a collision course. 

Author Biography:   I’m told that a number of critics who have said kind things about my books, have been less kind about the very brief bio on my book jackets. First, don’t blame Simon & Schuster; it’s my fault. Publishers use the data supplied by the author for this kind of thing, and I didn’t supply much. I guess because it seems that almost everything needs a long explanation. Which is probably me being egotistical. What do you care, right? You buy my books to be entertained (and very grateful I am), you don’t give two hoots about me.

But there are those picky critics…

Here then is a somewhat less abbreviated version.

I grew up in the Boston suburb of Revere, and while I won’t tell you when, I will say that it was very different from what it is today. The beach was, as it still is, one of the natural wonders of the state of Massachusetts, but the front was NOT lined with condo high-rises. It was a boardwalk with stands selling fried clams (Massachusetts has the world’s best fried clams – made from the Ipswich soft shells, they remain what I’d choose for my last meal on this earth) and French fries and soft ice cream that we called frozen custard. Plus there were all kinds of gambling games of the sort found at any fairground – pitch ‘til you win, folks! – and a Ferris wheel and a roller coaster and a tunnel of love.

Another feature of Revere back then was that it was almost entirely either Jewish or Italian (my own family is a mixture of both) and because the town had a dog track – Wonderland - and a horse track – Suffolk Downs – there was a lot of what is politely called off-track betting. Which wasn’t legal then, and for all I know still is not. Nonetheless, any number of family members rented rooms to bookies – the chief requirement being that these gentlemen of the turf had to be able to see one or the other of the tote boards with binoculars, (a world without cell phones, remember) and know how much they were liable to pay out, which in turn affected what odds they could offer on the next race.

I went from that upstanding childhood to a small Catholic girls college in the Midwest, then a job in New York as a file clerk to support my writing – all non-fiction at first – until I was able to earn my way as a free lance journalist.

For a time after that I lived in Europe.

Where I got married for a brief and unpleasant period, then came home and wrote more non-fiction. And got married again.

And went back to Europe.

And started writing fiction, and – hallelujah! – selling it.

And came back to New York with my by now long time husband, and began writing City of Dreams…

Which just about catches you up. Except for the bits I’ve left out.

And, oh yes, one other important part of my life and my work: On that so brief bio on the S&S book jacket it mentions that I’m a consultant. Many people have asked me what kind.

Happens that my husband – who has his own website at www.agentresearch.com – runs the world’s number one consultancy for authors looking for new (or sometimes a first) agents. It’s called Agent Research and Evaluation, Inc. and I do some work for some of his clients. I also occasionally mentor new writers – and some who are not so new. What they all have in common is a passion for what they’re writing, so working with them gives me great joy, and most have found it helpful. (Admittedly not all. I set the bar high.) Some of what I have to share about the hows and the whys of this wonderful but very tough business of writing can be found at The Business of Writing page. At other parts of the site you’ll find more about my books, including excerpts from some not yet published work, such as City of Glory, which continues the story of the Turners and the Devreys of City of Dreams. City of Glory will be out in January. We’ve also put up an excerpt from the next book in that series, still little more than a gleam in my eye.

Other Reviews: 
 Teri Harmon
West Metro Mommy Reads
Bookshelf Bombshell

Book Feature - The Spirit of Lost Angels - Liza Perrat

Title:  The Spirit of Lost Angels

Author:  Liza Perrat

Publisher:  Published June 2nd 2012 by Perrat Publishing

ISBN:  9782954168104

Pages:  378

Synopsis:  Her mother executed for witchcraft, her father dead at the hand of a noble, Victoire Charpentier vows to rise above her poor peasant roots.

Forced to leave her village of Lucie-sur-Vionne for domestic work in Paris, Victoire suffers gruesome abuse under the ancien régime. Can she muster the bravery and skill to join the revolutionary force gripping France, and overthrow the corrupt, diabolical aristocracy?

Spirit of Lost Angels traces the journey of a bone angel talisman passed down through generations. The women of L’Auberge des Anges face tragedy and betrayal in a world where their gift can be their curse.

Amidst the tumult of revolutionary France, this is a story of courage, hope and love.

 

Author Bio:  Liza grew up in Wollongong, Australia, where she worked as a general nurse and midwife for fifteen years.

When she met her French husband on a Bangkok bus, she moved to France, where she has been living with her husband and three children for twenty years. She works part-time as a French-English medical translator.

Since completing a Creative Writing course ten years ago, several of her short stories have won awards, notably the Writers Bureau annual competition of 2004 and her stories have been published widely in anthologies and small press magazines. Her articles on French culture and tradition have been published in international magazines such as France Magazine and France Today.

She has completed four novels and one short-story collection, and is represented by Judith Murdoch of the Judith Murdoch Literary Agency.

Spirit of Lost Angels is the first in a historical series set against a backdrop of rural France.

Book Information:

Spirit of Lost Angels is on three “Best of 2012” lists:

http://darleneelizabethwilliamsauthor.com/blog/2012-top-10-historical-fiction-novels/

http://darleneelizabethwilliamsauthor.com/blog/2012-top-10-historical-fiction-novels/

http://thequeensquillreview.com/2012/12/10/holiday-picks-from-the-queens-quill/

Spirit of Lost Angels has been nominated in two categories for the 2013 EFestival of Words Awards:

Best Novel category: http://www.efestivalofwords.com/2013-festival-nominee-bookstore-t358.html

Best Historical Fiction category: http://www.efestivalofwords.com/2013-festival-nominee-bookstore-t358.html

Spirit of Lost Angels is one of the books from the author’s collective: Triskele Books (www.triskelebooks.co.uk)

Other Reviews:  

Historical Novel Review

Silvers Review 

A Book Addicts Musing

Book Review - The Love Song of Jonny Valentine - Teddy Wayne

Title: The Love Song of Jonny Valentine 

Author: Teddy Wayne 

Review: The modern appetite for news and information has gotten out of control.  Every bus crash, windstorm, and flu outbreak is available to us in an instant through the internet.  When everything becomes instant news, then the flow of information coming to us can never end.  The side effect of this is all aspects of someone’s life, no matter how remotely famous, becomes open to the public.  Discover three kidnapped women and the next day we all have access to your previous arrest records; and you were the hero in the story. 

Thus the nature of fame, at least fame in our modern interpretation of it, is slowly exposed in this insightful novel by Teddy Wayne.  Our hero, young Jonny Valentine got exposure through some cute Youtube videos that demonstrated his singing abilities.   Within a few short years he has become an entertainment package, going on tour and heading for Madison Square Garden. 

The reality of this book is it shows that for every story of fame there is a tremendous tale of cost right behind the scene.  Jonny ceases to be an 11 year old kid who can carry a tune, instead he is reduced to a brand.  A brand that can be manipulated and abused to give the world what it demands.  Need to grow him up, make him more sexual to his fan base who are also growing up.  Easy, set him up on a fake date with another prepackaged tween star who , bonus, is Hispanic (expand your demographic).  Yet when he actually tries to sex himself up with a fan, well that falls flat because reality is not a requirement for the young star. They have sacrificed the kid to create a polished product they can sell. 

And the real fault lies with us, the consumers.  We are so desperate for more and more news; more celebrity, more frivolous in our life that we pay people to make this product.  We buy the music, we read the magazines, and in the end we trample them underfoot when we have used them up.  It is no wonder so many of these child stars end up on the drug abuse trash heap later in life.  We have drained all the life out of them to vicariously enrich our simple lives; and then we enjoy kicking them down again when that becomes en vogue to make ourselves feel better. 

The Love Song of Jonny Valentine is a wonderful tale of modern celebrity and should serve as a warning to us all.  We do it to ourselves.  (Note this is a work of fiction but you will get a Justin Beibery vibe from the book). 

Publisher: Free Press 
ISBN: 978-1-4767-0585-9
Copyright: 2013 
Pages: 285
Quick Review: 4 stars out of 5 
Where I Obtained the Book: Sent to me by the publisher for review. 

Synopsis:   Megastar Jonny Valentine, eleven-year-old icon of bubblegum pop, knows that the fans don’t love him for who he is. The talented singer’s image, voice, and even hairdo have been relentlessly packaged—by his L.A. label and his hard-partying manager-mother, Jane—into bite-size pabulum. But within the marketing machine, somewhere, Jonny is still a vulnerable little boy, perplexed by his budding sexuality and his heartthrob status, dependent on Jane, and endlessly searching for his absent father in Internet fan sites, lonely emails, and the crowds of faceless fans.

Poignant, brilliant, and viciously funny, told through the eyes of one of the most unforgettable child narrators, this literary masterpiece explores with devastating insight and empathy the underbelly of success in 21st-century America. The Love Song of Jonny Valentine is a tour de force by a standout voice of his generation.

Author Biography:   Teddy Wayne is the author of the novels "The Love Song of Jonny Valentine" (Free Press, Feb. 2013) and "Kapitoil" (Harper Perennial) and is the recipient of a 2011 Whiting Writers' Award, an NEA Creative Writing Fellowship, the 2011 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize runner-up, and a finalist for the 2011 New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award finalist and the 2011 Dayton Literary Peace Prize. He is a graduate of Harvard and Washington University in St. Louis, where he taught fiction and creative nonfiction writing. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, the New York Times, Vanity Fair, McSweeney's, the Wall Street Journal, and elsewhere. He lives in New York.

Other Reviews: 

NY TIMES

Vice

Just a Couple More Pages

Book Review - The Typewriter Girl - Alison Atlee

Title: The Typewriter Girl 

Author: Alison Atlee 

Review: If you are willing to put logical flaws aside and just take this book at face value, as a story about a girl who meets a guy, then it is okay.  The writing stands up and the author is more than capable to put a plot together in a coherent manner.  So if you are willing to stay in the shallow end you will thoroughly enjoy The Type Writer girl. 

In Victorian England there were only so many jobs available to women, even the educated.  This was due to the general misogyny of the era and was prevalent just about everywhere.  So our heroine starts out as a maid for a well to do household, but soon runs into trouble by falling in love with the young master.  Of course this just won’t work and he stands aside as his family dispose of her.  So she moves on to another acceptable job for the mildly educated young woman (as in she can read and write) and becomes a typewriter girl.  In the days before printers and copiers all formal correspondence had to be typed.  So companies maintained large pools of women that would type up the letters all day. 

It is in these circumstances she first becomes involved in a sexual relationship with a man from her office.  It is this openness that attracts another less desirable gentleman, one who has power over her (what we would call sexual harassment in today’s times).  She rebuffs him severely because she has found yet another, better job outside the city.  She has a no nonsense attitude and the force of personality to stand up to the powers that be. 

Thus we find ourselves to the main part of the story.  Her power of conviction has landed her into a job normally reserved for men, which she is more than adept at; and her battling the misogynists who are trying to hold her down.  Through all this she finds a champion who stands by her and eventually leads to love and happiness.  Awwwww. 

So on the surface it is a pleasant enough love story of a young woman who was done wrong, but yet she manages to overcome and win at the end.  But I did find a few things that didn’t work for me.  It seems the author took umbrage with the crap treatment of women in the Victorian times and created a very modern kick butt heroine who could go back in time and set those a-holes straight.  Now while I agree that the prevailing attitudes of the time were despicable, this wasn’t a sci-fy time travel book, so as exciting it was to see this character right the wrongs, it was just not realistic; especially not time and again.  She might win a battle here and there, but she definitely would have lost the war.  I mean I get it, we all know women are intelligent, forceful, sexual beings in charge of their own destinies, but that would not have worked in the day.  That is what makes today better. 

Plus the above premise is gutted by the overall plot of the story.  True happiness for our heroine at the end of the day comes from the love of a man.  She overcomes when a man rescues her; from the train station, from her ex-lover, from the office in London, her current bosses, and so on.  And until she gets that ring, all she has accomplished is just not enough.  So we are getting two stories that do not agree; the modern woman setting the record straight, and the Victorian lady looking for a sense of self in a man.  A little too schizophrenic for me. 

At the end of the day if you do not think too much about the incongruencies in the plot, it is a pleasant story well told.  A good freshman effort. 


Publisher: Gallery Books 
ISBN: 978-1-4516-7325-8 
Copyright: 2013 
Pages: 367 
Quick Review: 3 stars out of 5 
Why I Read It: Enjoy a good English story. 
Where I Obtained the Book: Sent to me by the publisher for review. 

Synopsis: A passionate historical debut novel about a young woman in turn-of-the-century England who finds love and independence at a seashore resort.

In Victorian London, there’s only so far an unmarried woman can go, and Betsey Dobson has relied on her wits and cunning to take herself as far as she can—to a position as a typewriter girl. But still, Betsey yearns for something more…so when she’s offered a position as the excursions manager at a seaside resort, she knows this is her chance for security, for independence, for an identity forged by her own work and not a man’s opinion. Underqualified for the job and on the wrong side of the aristocratic resort owner, Betsey struggles to prove herself and looks to the one person who can support her new venture: Mr. Jones, the ambitious Welshman building the resort’s pleasure fair. As she and Mr. Jones grow ever closer, Betsey begins to dream that she might finally have found her place in the world—but when her past returns to haunt her, she must fight for what she’s worked so hard…or risk losing everything.

This eloquent debut novel displays firm propriety barely restraining seething passion—a sizzling combination reminiscent of Downton Abbey.

Author Biography: Alison Atlee spent her childhood re-enacting Little Women and trying to fashion 19th century wardrobes for her Barbie dolls. Happily, these activities turned out to be good preparation for writing historical novels. She now lives in Kentucky.

Other Reviews: 

Reading the Past

Amused by Books

Dear Author

Book Feature - Reality Boulevard - Melissa Jo Peltier

REALITY BOULEVARD BY MELISSA JO PELTIER

New York Times bestseller Melissa Jo Peltier turns her attention to the brilliant, back-stabbing world of prime-time television in this wickedly funny new novel.

• Get your copy of this brilliant satirical novel here: http://apostrophebooks.com/books/realityboulevard/
• Find Reality Boulevard on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17364636-reality-boulevard
• Find Reality Boulevard on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/apostrophebooks/reality-boulevard-by-melissa-jo-peltier/

Peltier has worked in entertainment for more than 20 years, making the darkly funny Reality Boulevard a true insider’s view of Hollywood and some of America’s biggest shows.

In it, we see Oscar-winning producer Marty Maltzman and his staff out of a job – and out on the streets – when long-running docu-series Lights and Sirens is unexpectedly axed. But the Hollywood the team now faces is full of Kardashiansand Real Housewives, and they need to survive in a world where it’s very hard to tell what’s true and what isn’t – both on and off screen.

Oscar and Emmy winning documentarian and veteran reality producer (Big Brother, Rescue 911) Arnold Shapiro called the novel “the best satirical look behind the scenes of reality television ever written”, adding: “It contains more truth than you would believe.”

Todd Milliner, producer of Grimm and Hot in Cleveland, said: “During her 20-plus years in the business, Melissa Jo Peltier had a front-row seat, watching it all unfold. In this novel, she puts her dry wit and storytelling ability to good use, pulling back the curtain to reveal what really goes on.”

REVIEWS FROM TV INDUSTRY INSIDERS:

• “Once I started reading Reality Boulevard, I could not stop. It is that compelling, that entertaining, and that amazing and amusing — filled with unexpected plot twists and characters more colorful than the clearest rainbow. This is the best satirical look behind-the-scenes of “reality television” ever written. Despite being satiric fiction, it contains more truth than you would believe. You will forever watch your favorite reality shows with new “insider” knowledge and awareness.” - Arnold Shapiro: Academy Award & 16-time Emmy Award-winner / Producer of film, TV documentaries and reality series (Big Brother, Rescue 911, Scared Straight and more)
• “Melissa Jo Peltier has spent over 20 years in the trenches of documentary, non-fiction and reality TV and there’s practically nothing she hasn’t seen or done. She lived it so you can laugh about it in this novel.” - Sean Hayes: Actor/ Producer
• “Reality TV has cannibalized the airwaves, and during her 20 plus years in the business, Melissa Jo Peltier had a front row seat, watching it all unfold. In this novel, she puts her dry wit and storytelling ability to good use, pulling back the curtain to reveal what really goes on.” - Todd Milliner: Executive Producer, Grimm, Hot in Cleveland
• “I’ve worked with Melissa for almost 20 years on many programs on several networks. She’s the real deal. As a network executive, I can safely say that Melissa knows the territory, and most important of all, has captivating insights that are worth sharing with a wide audience.” – Michael Cascio: SVP, National Geographic Channel (Formerly SVP A&E, Animal Planet)
• “Emmy award winner, New York Times bestselling author, and executive producer of the long-running phenomenon Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, Melissa Jo Peltier started out in television at the tender age of 20 and has had an unprecedented insider’s view of reality TV’s strange evolution. If there’s anyone out there qualified to fictionalize what really goes on behind the scenes, it’s Melissa.” – Cori Wellins: Partner, William Morris Endeavor

Latest reviews:

·         “When I began reading the novel, I knew it would be good. After all, Melissa is the co-author of seven non-fiction books, five of which made the New York Times Bestseller list … Her characterizations and descriptions, in particular, are original and visceral, and the book is simply a fun and engaging read.”  Reel Life with Jane

·         “a very funny and intriguing book ... It’ll make you think, it’ll make you laugh.” The Jordan Rich Show on WBZ / CBS Boston

·         “Notable neighbor: Reality is Nyack author’s expertise … a satire that’s packed with unbelievable, behind-the-scenes industry information” Lower Hudson Journal

·         “Your body of work is so amazing … Let’s talk about this exciting new novel!” Celebrity blogger Clara 54

·          “There are so many truths in this fictional story that make it extremely powerful … Melissa is brutally honest here, and this is not so far from fiction” The Best People We Know Show

 Peltier is a New Yorker these days, born a New Englander who made a 20-year detour through Hollywood after graduating Phi Beta Kappa and cum laude from Pomona College in Claremont, CA. Most recently, she is the author of the darkly comic Hollywood novel, "Reality Boulevard". She is also the co-author of six non-fiction works: "The Mommy Docs Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy and Birth"; plus five books with 'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan, all of which were New York Times Best Sellers.

A two-time Emmy Award-winning writer and producer, Ms. Peltier won her first Emmy for educational programming at the age of 23. Since then, she has accumulated over 50 national and international awards and accolades for her work as a producer, writer and editor of both documentary and dramatic television and film productions. Ms. Peltier is best known for her work as director and co-writer of the primetime documentary special, "Scared Silent: Exposing and Ending Child Abuse", hosted by Oprah Winfrey. This multi-network simulcast was hailed as television’s most watched documentary ever, and earned Ms. Peltier the coveted Humanitas Prize. Following closely on its heels was the Peabody Award-winning "Break the Silence: Kids Against Child Abuse", which Ms. Peltier also wrote and directed. In 1994, she was producer-director-writer of A&E’s four-hour special, "Titanic: Death of a Dream" and "Titanic: The Legend Lives On", then the highest-rated program ever aired on A&E, which won two Emmy Awards, including an award to Ms. Peltier for outstanding documentary writing. Three more Writer’s Guild of America nominations for documentary feature writing followed in subsequent year, as well as three primetime Emmy Nominations for Best Reality Show as an Executive Producer of National Geographic Channel’s "Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan". "Dog Whisperer" also won the People's Choice Award in 2010. Peltier is a co-founder, partner and executive producer at the Burbank-based production company MPH Entertainment, which has created over 350 hours of orginal documentary and reality television programming, dozens of which she produced, wrote or directed.

Peltier’s dramatic TV and feature credits include writing the Lifetime movie "Nightwaves" starring Sherilyn Fenn, and the story, "The Collector", for the hit CBS series, "Ghost Whisperer". With her MPH partners, she served as producer of the film "Men Seeking Women" (starring Will Farrell) and co-executive producer of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," one of the most popular and profitable indie films of all time. Most recently, she produced the multi-festival-winning indie feature, "White Irish Drinkers", for Ovington Avenue Productions, of which she is also a principal with her husband, film/TV writer/director John Gray. 

She is represented by Scott Miller at the Trident Media Group.