LDS Women's Book Review

Title: ImprintsRachel Nunes has been known for a long time as a great storyteller. Her last few books have been her most outstanding work. With the books Saving Madeline and Imprints, she has taken her writing to a whole new level of writing. Rachel has taken hard subjects of drug abuse kidnapping and murder and has boldly written wonderful stories with memorable characters.

In Imprints, she takes many of my favorite genres and blends them together; an intense romantic love triangle, an exciting and heart thumping mystery and the twist of the para-normal gift of the main character, Autumn. I really liked Autumn and her traits of being so honest and loyal to those she loves. She was a very likable character and so was one of her romantic interests, Jake.

One of the things I like most about Rachel's writing is that she knows so well how to use the technique of "showing not telling." Rachel knows how to make a story come to life by having the character experience things by using all five senses. Here is a great example of this...

"My euphoria dimmed sometime later as even my tough soles began to feel the pressure of the stabbing twigs and the occasional rock or rotting splinter of wood. Surely I had been walking much longer than necessary to get back to the outhouse path. At this rate I'd end up in the fields or the pastures. There seemed to be only slivers of moonlight seeping through the branches above, as though I had gone deeper into the forest instead of retracing my steps. Swallowing hard, I forced myself to stop and face the fact that I had no idea where I was."

I laughed a lot at Autumn saying that she was directionally challenged. I have the same problem!

I truly enjoyed reading Imprints. I enjoyed it so much, I lost track of time until I finished the book and saw that it was 5:00 in the morning. If you have read other books written by Rachel Nunes, this is one book that you will want to make sure and read. I will read it again to catch what I missed the first time. In fact, I would like to read another story with Autumn as the main character. With her gift of being able to read imprints, there are many stories still waiting to be told.

I am happy that Rachel is writing the sequel to Imprints.
Autumn Rain has a special gift. Although, sometimes, she thinks of it as a curse. She can read imprints. Through her touch she can feel impressions, feelings, thoughts, of the people who have touched something. Jewelry, flashlights, books, almost anything. Clothes are the hardest to read. Right at the start, a couple come in to Autumn's antique shop needing her help to find their missing daughter. Autumn has helped with cases in the past, but there are many who are suspicious of her ability.

Hey Kids!

Sorry I didn't get this up last week. As Shanda said, it was a nutsy week for the three of us. So, today I am going to chat with you about "Crossfire", Traci Hunter Abramson's new book.

I found out a a year or two back when we read "Undercurrents." After reading it I found that I really enjoyed Traci's style of writing, quality and likeability of the characters, and plus I have a crazy fascination with the secret service. I think it's cause it's a secret. What made her writing even more intriguing was the fact that she worked for the secret service, and because it's a secret. again:) It also didn't hurt that she threw in a group of Navy SEALS, which in my head and in her writing, are quite good looking. (What is it about a guy in uniform?)

Speaking of our hubba hubba SEALS, this one happens to be about Seth. If you've read "Lockdown" or "Freefall" you will know the stories of a couple of the "Saint Squad." Crossfire takes place in the Caribbean (I like to say it CaribBEan- how do you say it?) and it involves Vanessa Lauton, a CIA agent deep undercover with a powerful and dangerous crime family. She gets a bit of a surprise when her long ago love (Seth) resurfaces after a six year hiatus to help get her out of the country when things get a bit dangerous. Instead of a quick pull-out, they get pulled in deeper and as a result a whole lot of action and suspense ensues.

I love that the book is fast paces, action packed and has the romance. It has been a lot of fun reading the love stories of the "Saint Squad." I love how though the places and the circumstances are unlikely, Traci is successful in making the stories believeable, and entertaining all at once. I love the close calls the characters get into, and the quick thinking and intelligence that they all possess. I especially love that none of the main female characters are weak. They have weaknesses, just like anyone else, but they themselves are not weak. They keep up with the men and refuse to be left to be behind waiting to see what happens. LOVE THAT!

My favorite part of the book is that Vanessa had learned how to fly planes, just not land them. Can't help being reminded of one of my favorite action heroes, good ol' Indiana Jones.(If you remember "The Last Crusade"- one of my favorite movies of all time) As they are riding off into the sunset...

"I like being Indiana" (he says to his father)

"We named the dog Indiana" (father says)

"I've got a lot of fond memories of that dog" (Indiana says)


okay- enough of a tangent. If I were to give this book a down side, it would be that in some situations, the realistic factor does tread close to "would that really happen", but like I said, the way she writes it, even if I'm thinking that, I am quickly seeing the next turn. Overall, Traci hits another one out of the park with this book. I highly recommend it!




ftc-fyi- publisher produced copy

Hello Friends- Your favorite Hillary here- (You know it's true. There aren't a whole lot of Hillary's out there :)

Today I bring you- drum roll please- "Shadows of Eden" by Timothy Bone

The premise of this story is a Harvard scientist/researcher suddenly goes missing and a cop calls in a favor to Del Price P.I. Del is LDS (but not preachy), quick-witted (one of my favorite characteristics) and charming. Oh, and a good, honest P.I. He is hired to find this scientist and finds a sinister plot along the way.

This is Timothy Bone's first novel published by Cedar Fort just this last year. He hails from both BYU and Boston University. I haven't seen a new author write like this. Ever. Dorothy Keddington is close, but still not like this. To describe this book as eloquent would be an understatement. Usually I can finish a book within a few days. This one took me a full 7+ days to read. Not because it was boring, therefore hard, but because it was eloquent and I had to think/concentrate about what some of the words meant or else I got lost.

Now, when I say eloquent I mean a paragraph like this:

"Jared Timmerman was an anglophile and as with most such that meant Victoriana, in this case the scientific paraphernalia of that age mingled with small objets d'art and knickknacks. Shelves had been put up against two of the walls of his office to display the plethora of turned bronze apparatus, microscopes, and calipers for every occasion. On another wall in a gilt frame hung a small painting of bucolic sterility of the type that was attractive only in direct ration to the frame of the artist." (pg 34)

WOWZA. I still don't know what "bucolic" means.

I had to really slow down my reading to make sure I was following this guy. That being said, when I kept up, I laughed myself silly on lines like this:

"I find news from the BBC to be more trustworthy than it's state-side counterparts because it's delivered in a formal British accent." He (Del Price, the main character) goes on to say to himself "...How does one implement this linguistic uplift? Exclusive schools in Maryland? An upbringing by eccentric aunts? Certainly we shared the conviction that contemporary language has degenerated into a tired mush of imprecision, flabbiness, and profanity, a communication mudslide." (pg 35)

What I also found was that Del THOUGHT like this, but didn't necessarily talk like that. He talked "normal" (mostly) and acted "normal" just thought linguisticly uplifting:) (I don't think linguisticly is a word...)

Just to forewarn, there is some swearing in the book, not overly done, but it is there. There are no inappropriate actions, unless you count murder- but hey it's a murder/mystery in fact, Timothy- we need to talk about how to write a good kissing scene. I will not deny that this is in no way a romance, but "It was a good kiss and long enough" (pg 165) just doesn't cut it for the romantic in me :) Not that it needs to be drawn out, but c'mon!

Overall, I thought it was a great read, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery/suspense and a thoughtful, intelligent, unrushed style of writing. Just be prepared to have to think a bit more than usual. It felt more realistic to me than some P.I. books I've read because of the laid back/non-stressed nature of Del, and I liked that about this book. Seemed like a realistic process for solving a crime!

For those that don't know my husband- well that would be nearly everyone, he is actually reading this now too. He's self- allergic to books.

Well done Timothy! I look forward to future work!

FTC FYI- Library