Novella Review: A Whisper in Space by David C. Drizzit

While space stories aren't my usual fare, the book blurb for this one interested me and I thought it would be nice to read something different. Since it was available as a free Kindle download at the time, I also felt I didn't have much to lose.


This is a novella, which the author states is a primer intended to introduce the characters. The author also released a full-length novel featuring these characters last month. It appears by the novel's title, Big Damn Love Story, that romance will be more prominent in the novel than it is in the A Whisper in Space novella.


Many reviewers of A Whisper in Space by David C. Drizzit mention a resemblance to Firefly. The author also states in his note that this Josh Whedon's series, and the movie, Serenity inspired his work. Reviewers felt if you enjoyed Firefly, A Whisper in Space would be a good match. Perhaps it is because this novella is based upon a TV series that I found it lacking. They are different mediums and need to be crafted as such.

The novella opens with a Introduction told in first person by Captain Miles Knighton, a bounty hunter who is searching for a goon named Santagello. Along with Miles, the Spitfire crew includes Sutherlan, who has flown with him for almost 20 years, and Taro, a good for nothing mechanic who can't seem to fix anything. Retaining a navigator is a real issue for Miles, and he's hoping to find a good one soon, along with a doctor.

Because of the first person narrative, I assumed the entire novella would be presented this way. Instead, it is a mish-mash of first person and third person omniscient that sometimes confuses the reader. Typographical and grammar errors plague this five chapter novella; and while there is a good amount of action, there isn't a great deal of character development. Some characters, like Ah Lam, are quickly able to dissect the meaning of secret conversations and uncover deceits. While there are hints she has some secrets, she just appears too good to be true and always at the right place at the right time. There is humorous banter between Miles and Sutherlan, but much of the dialogue doesn't flow naturally, and situations this reader felt would be more developed, wither and die off. Resolutions come too quickly and easily.

A Whisper in Space has promise as an action-packed space adventure with a hint of romance. In the hands of a good editor, the weaker areas of the story could be worked out. The plot is great. It makes me think of Star Wars. I would consider more works by this author in the future.

File Size: 272 KB

Print Length: 87 pages

Publisher: Forward HR LLC (August 21, 2011)

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Language: English

ASIN: B005IGUN9Y

SRP: $.99 for Kindle

I downloaded a free copy of this book to my Kindle Fire. The author did not request a review of this book. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I received no monetary compensation of any kind.

First Chapter Review: After the Cross by Brandon Barr and Mike Lynch

Mike Lynch, co-author of After the Cross, contacted me for a review. While I couldn't work a full review into my schedule right now, I offered him a First Chapter Review. This is one of those books, however, I will admit up front I would love to fit into my schedule.

 BLURB: Colton Foster, once hailed as a renowned linguistics expert, had his career and self-respect in pieces until a team discovers an 800-year old letter in Istanbul and his life takes a pivotal turn. The job of translating the letter, purportedly revealing the hidden cross of Jesus, is his for the taking, and with it a chance to redeem himself.

Mallory Windom is a linguistics prodigy who eagerly accepts the chance to accompany Colton’s team, seeing it as a ticket to the legitimacy she craves.

Join Colton and Mallory as they hunt for Christianity’s most prized relic, mysterious forces seem bent on stopping them at every turn. In a race against time and hired mercenaries, they soon discover that the most important struggle of their lives is not around them, but from within, testing their beliefs, their ethics, and their growing love for one another.

COVER:  Love it. It captures the ancient relic adventure story within. The cross and the map are nice details.

FIRST CHAPTER:  Emel Dwayat and Hassam are at a Constantinople Library excavation site in Istanbul, Turkey, when they hear someone downstairs. After the dust has cleared, two dead men are dead, one of them carrying a shiny metal box with a piece of parchment inside.

The story then moves back in time to 30 A.D., during the Crucifixion and the days following, where Caiaphas makes a decision that he hopes will erase all traces of Yeshua.

KEEP READING:  A definite yes. This is an intriguing story that if it continues to remain as strong as this first chapter will provide tons of action, adventure and mystery. Floating between present day and the past, it provides a glimpse into the history that created the current discovery. The banter between Dwayat and Hassam adds a touch of humor. What I think is interesting is that the main characters mentioned in the blurb aren't part of the first chapter. I usually like to meet the main characters right away, but it seems like this first chapter serves like a prologue to what will unfold throughout the story. It works for this genre, but in some instances I don't care for it.

I hope I get a chance to read this entire book at some point. It sounds fascinating.

Paperback: 274 pages

Publisher: Ellechor Publishing House LLC; 1st edition (June 1, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0982624204

ISBN-13: 978-0982624203

Available in paperback and electronic formats

I received the first chapter of this novel from one of the co-authors in exchange for a First Chapter Review. I received no monetary compensation of any kind to provide my honest opinions.

First Chapter Review: Kicking Eternity by Ann Lee Miller

After promoting a giveaway for Ann Lee Miller's Kicking Eternity, the author kindly sent me a free electronic copy of the book. While I don't have time to offer a full review right now, she expressed interest in a First Chapter Review.

BLURB: Stuck in sleepy New Smyrna Beach one last summer, Raine socks away her camp pay checks, worries about her druggy brother, and ignores trouble: Cal Koomer. She’s a plane ticket away from teaching orphans in Africa, and not even Cal’s surfer six-pack and the chinks she spies in his rebel armor will derail her.

The artist in Cal begs to paint Raine’s ivory skin, high cheek bones, and internal sparklers behind her eyes, but falling for her would caterwaul him into his parents’ life. No thanks. The girl was self-righteous waiting to happen. Mom served sanctimony like vegetables, three servings a day, and he had a gut full.

Rec Director Drew taunts her with “Rainey” and calls her an enabler. He is so infernally there like a horsefly—till he buzzes back to his ex.

Raine’s brother tweaks. Her dream of Africa dies small deaths. Will she figure out what to fight for and what to free before it’s too late?


COVER: Nicely done. The warm colors are pleasing to the eye, and the relaxing, breezy feeling of the scene is a great contrast to the more forceful word "kicking" in the title. Not sure what the guitar has to do with the story, yet, but there is mention of one character playing the instrument in high school.

FIRST CHAPTER:  It is orientation day for the staff at Triple S Camp. Raine is feeling out of sorts when a guy she used to know from youth group--Drew--says hello. But it's Cal, who captures Raine's attention--even if a guy is the last thing she needs right now. Then there's her roommate, Aly. That girl has a huge chip on her shoulder about people of faith. Luckily, after camp is over, Raine will be on her way to Africa to teach in an orphanage.

KEEP READING: Yes sir. In one chapter, Miller creates a group of characters--some heard from, others merely mentioned--that you'll want to get to know. While the reader isn't certain why Raine is less than thrilled about working at Triple S Camp, she's definitely interested in finding out what is up with her. Having led a somewhat sheltered life--according to Cal--coming in as the Bible teacher creates some tension. Cal and Aly make their feelings freely known on how they feel about people of faith. Drew is someone who irritates Raine within moments, and it looks like he plans to be a pain in her backside.

This first chapter is told from Raine's and Cal's points of view, so we get to see things from both sides. I like that. I'm definitely curious to see how things evolve.

File Size: 484 KB
Print Length: 218 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B0082GF8CE
Currently $2.99 for Kindle


I received a free electronic copy of this book from the author as a gift. No review was required. I received no monetary compensation for this First Chapter Review.

First Chapter Review: Breakthrough by Stephen Tremp

Last month, author Stephen Tremp offered his book, Breakthrough: The Adventures of Chase Manhattan as a free download. I took advantage of it and read the first chapter this week while at the beach.

BLURB: The Information Age is moving at breakneck speed. Breakthroughs in areas of science that were once fodder for science fiction are now becoming part of our everyday life.

A group of graduate students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology has stolen a breakthrough in opening and stabilizing Einstein-Rosen Bridges, commonly known as wormholes, that allows them to instantly transport people from one location to another. Their goal is to assassinate any powerful politician and executive controlling the world’s banking system that would use this technology for their own greedy gain rather than the advancement of mankind.

In south Orange County, California, young Chase Manhattan, part of a new breed of modern-day discovery seekers, seeks to leave behind his life of danger and adventure and settle down as an associate professor of physics at University of California-Irvine. He also desires to build a lasting relationship with a beautiful woman he has not seen since high school.

His idyllic plan is postponed when he soon uncovers the diabolical scheme on the other side of the country. He realizes he is the one person who can prevent more murders from happening and either control or destroy the technology. Once the M.I.T. group understands Chase and his friends have the ability and motivation to not only take the technology from them, but also thwart more killings, Chase finds himself in their crosshairs, the top-of-the-list target on their assassination agenda.

As the death toll mounts, Chase and his friends must battle this group of misled zealots from M.I.T. on both coasts and in cyberspace in a thrilling, desperate race to determine the outcome of this monumental, once in a millennium discovery that will drastically change life as we know it—for better or worse.
COVER: Superb. This cover captures the setting and the plot in one fell swoop. Love the "Do Not Enter" sign next to the wormhole.

FIRST CHAPTER:  Chase Manhattan is in Las Vegas, having been hired to retrieve a flash drive outlining how to build a new technology. With the flash drive in his possession, he attempts to leave the motel. Three thugs are soon in hot pursuit. Someone is willing to pay millions of dollars for that flash drive, and they don't want to give it up.

KEEP READING: Yes. While science and technology aren't high on my list of reading materials, Tremp has created an action-packed opening chapter that begs the reader to keep going. The action is a bit predictable. The bad guys pursue the hero; they catch up; there's some fighting and tossing around of nasty threats; lots of chaos and destruction; Chase is able to put greater distance between them; then repeat. There is some bad guy banter between the smarter villain (Stockton) and the not so bright villain (Webhead). This helps lighten the intensity a bit, but not much. There's tons of tension here and it will propel you right into the next chapter.

File Size: 661 KB

Print Length: 416 pages

Publisher: Amazon.com (July 20, 2010)

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services

Language: English

ASIN: B003WQBFV2

Currently available for $1.99

I download a free copy of this book from Amazon. I received no monetary compensation for this first chapter review.

Book Review: Executive Treason by Gary Grossman

Executive Treason by Gary Grossman is the thrilling, suspense-filled sequel to Executive Actions.


Scott Roarke is back in action in when a White House staffer is mugged and murdered while jogging. What soon comes to light, however, is that the deadly assassin who slipped through Roarke's hands during the presidential campaign is at work again. A deadly plot to destabilize the United States government, led by the terrorist organization Roarke has been trying to take down, brings him to a killer bent on revenge.

Grossman has once again created an action-packed thriller featuring an elaborate plot to bring America to its knees. In this sequel to Executive Actions, readers meet many of the characters from the first book, in addition to several newbies. The author develops his recurring characters nicely. The lives of Scott Roarke, his girlfriend, Katie Kessler, New York Times reporter Michael O'Connell, and the current administration intersect in a way that keeps the reader riveted. Despite the numerous typographical errors and lengthy, unnecessary detail, she wants to keep turning the pages to see if Roarke gets his assassin and saves the day.

Though the events in this one are a bit far-fetched, they are believable enough that the reader isn't disappointed. With a kicker surprise ending that will leave the reader eager for the next book in the series, fans of this genre will enjoy Executive Treason by Gary Grossman.

File Size: 941 KB

Print Length: 384 pages

Publisher: Diversion Books (January 11, 2012)

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services

Language: English

ASIN: B006WOEUDQ

SRP: $2.99 for Kindle (Also available for Nook and directly from the publisher)

I received a free electronic version of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation for this review.
This is the 33rd book I've read for the following challenge:

It is the 10th and final book I've read for the following challenge:

It is the 20th book I've read for the following challenge:

It is the 8th book I've read for the following challenge:



Happy Birthday America!

Today we spent the afternoon in Manteo to celebrate America's birthday. They always put on a great show with music, games, and an awesome fireworks display. This year, they also paid tribute to TV legend Andy Griffith, who passed away this week. Griffith was born in NC, and at the time of his death was living at his coastal home in Manteo.

God bless America! I hope you had a nice Fourth of July.

Summer Reading

Summer means summer reading. Here are a few books I'm excited about.

For Ava Whalen, a new marriage and a move to St. Simons Island means a new beginning. But what she doesn’t realize is that her marriage will take her on an unexpected journey into the deep recesses of her past that will transform her forever…

For as long as she can remember, Ava Whalen has struggled with a sense of not belonging, and now, at thirty-four, she still feels stymied by her family. Then she meets child psychologist Matthew Frazier, and thinks her days of loneliness are behind her. After a whirlwind romance, they impulsively elope, and Ava moves to Matthew’s ancestral home on St. Simons Island off the coast of Georgia.

But after the initial excitement, Ava is surprised to discover that true happiness continues to elude her. There is much she doesn’t know about Matthew, including the mysterious circumstances surrounding his first wife’s death. And her new home seems to hold as many mysteries and secrets as her new husband. Feeling adrift, Ava throws herself into uncovering Matthew’s family history and that of the island, not realizing that she has a connection of her own to this place—or that her obsession with the past could very well destroy her future.

No one believed I was destined for greatness.

So begins Isabella’s story, in this evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of history’s most famous and controversial queens—the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a New World. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner envisages the turbulent early years of a woman whose mythic rise to power would go on to transform a monarchy, a nation, and the world.

Young Isabella is barely a teenager when she and her brother are taken from their mother’s home to live under the watchful eye of their half-brother, King Enrique, and his sultry, conniving queen. There, Isabella is thrust into danger when she becomes an unwitting pawn in a plot to dethrone Enrique. Suspected of treason and held captive, she treads a perilous path, torn between loyalties, until at age seventeen she suddenly finds herself heiress of Castile, the largest kingdom in Spain. Plunged into a deadly conflict to secure her crown, she is determined to wed the one man she loves yet who is forbidden to her—Fernando, prince of Aragon.

As they unite their two realms under “one crown, one country, one faith,” Isabella and Fernando face an impoverished Spain beset by enemies. With the future of her throne at stake, Isabella resists the zealous demands of the inquisitor Torquemada even as she is seduced by the dreams of an enigmatic navigator named Columbus. But when the Moors of the southern domain of Granada declare war, a violent, treacherous battle against an ancient adversary erupts, one that will test all of Isabella’s resolve, her courage, and her tenacious belief in her destiny.

From the glorious palaces of Segovia to the battlefields of Granada and the intrigue-laden gardens of Seville, The Queen’s Vow sweeps us into the tumultuous forging of a nation and the complex, fascinating heart of the woman who overcame all odds to become Isabella of Castile.

When Julia’s brother announces that his dude ranch is haunted, she believes that someone is trying to sabotage his place and force him to sell. The mysterious happenings have to do with Superstition Mountain, the lost Dutchman’s goldmine, and the great Thunder God. Is it possible that the legend of the Thunder God is actually true? After a terrible thunderstorm, everyone begins to wonder. John and Julia quickly head to Mesa, Arizona and discover a few mysterious events. Will they find out who is behind these disasters before Uncle Kelly’s dude ranch is ruined? While Julia’s daughters, Sharlene and Faith, are busy helping their uncle save the ranch, April and Matthew are planning their wedding but everything seems to go wrong.

What books are you looking forward to reading this summer?