Reviewing A Guilty Mind

My apologies for being tardy with today's review.  After a late night power outage and a "you don't want to know what else happened" kinda day, I'm finally able to get logged back into the blog and write this belated review.  Forgive me, Kellie, for not being able to give a full day promotion of your great book. 

Sometimes life throws us a bit of a curve around which we must drive. 

That summary also applies to the contents of Kellie Larsen Murphy's A Guilty Mind.  Join me in exploring this intriguing psychological mystery!

Book Summary:
George Vandenberg is a broken man with a volatile temper, haunted by the memory of the young woman he once loved and "accidentally" killed.  Wrestling with the guilt and pushed by his psychiatrist to confess the circumstances of her death, he teeters on the edge of a nervous breakdown.  The past collides with the present when the doctor turns up dead, brutally stabbed to death in his office.  Stunned and confused, George emerges as the primary suspect even as he becomes a target himself.  To prove his innocence, George must face the police, his manipulative wife, and the past he's been unable to forget.  When the truth is finally divulged, no one, including George, is prepared for the collateral damage or the shocking identity of the killer.

My Review:
The opening scene immediately grabbed my attention and made me want to explore "who done it" even further.  Dr. Michael is on the cusp of a breakthrough in helping one of his most troubling patients, staying in his office late at night to review audio recordings of his recent sessions.  Then the unthinkable happens as someone the good doctor knows sneaks in and murders him.

Several patients are immediately suspect, and Detective Cancini has his work cut out for him - particularly when the widow points a finger toward those patients who transferred over to her husband's care after the "murder" of her psychiatrist brother a year earlier.

One man eventually makes the top of the suspect list - one George Vandenberg, a successful, wealthy family man on the surface.  Underneath is a dark and painful past he attempts to placate with booze.  His marriage to his controlling and pretentious wife is a sham, as he pines for his younger days and the only woman he ever really loved.

The one he killed.

I found this story to be an intriguing read.  Pacing is at times fast and then slows down as we get to know the players on the field, but it never feels bogged down.  The characters are well developed with back stories full of secrets that have shattered them into the jagged-edged people they've become.  It's at times heartbreaking.

There are plenty of red herrings in the story, so don't expect to be able to pin-point the perpetrator right away.  However, if you're paying close attention, you'll probably figure out the "who done it" before the end.

And what an end!

I'd pretty much figured things out by the time of the unveiling - but I was unprepared for the completely unexpected twist at the end.  I'm still not sure how I feel about that one, but it DID take me by surprise.

That's something rather difficult to do, in my experience.  But it's also something that makes me like a book even more.  I enjoy being surprised in the end because it doesn't happen very often.

And that's where I give this novel very high ratings indeed.  So if you're looking for a great Memorial weekend read, pick up a copy of Kellie Larsen Murphy's A Guilty Mind.

Author Bio:
Kellie Larsen Murphy is a freelance writer who has worked in both the banking and publishing industries. In recent years, she has written on a variety of subjects and been featured frequently in several mid-Atlantic magazines. Her debut novel, A Guilty Mind, is the first in a series featuring Detective Michael Cancini. The second in the series, Stay of Execution, will be available in 2013. Kellie lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband, four children, and two dogs. She would be happy to hear from readers through her website, www.kellielarsenmurphy.com. 

Amazon Kindle eBook $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/A-Guilty-Mind-ebook/dp/B0091HRXSK/ref=tmm_kin_title_0

Amazon Print $11.44
http://www.amazon.com/Guilty-Mind-Kellie-Larsen-Murphy/dp/1478239069/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368760869&sr=1-1&keywords=A+guilty+Mind 

EBook Versus Print - Why the Battle?

There's been ongoing discussion for years now in the publishing world concerning the validity of print books versus digital.  The debate continues and remains fluid, but I rather like my guest's viewpoint.  Why not enjoy a bit of both?  Please join me in welcoming to the blog author Kellie Larsen Murphy!

I read recently that printed books are for people who love printed books and digital books are for people who love digital books. It was written as though it was an either or decision. I disagree with that idea. Wholeheartedly. Yes, I know a few people who have turned to digital exclusively. I also know people who have never read a digital book in their life and don't intend to. But I truly believe most people will and do read both.

However, with the steady growth in ebook sales, there is growing concern that the printed book will disappear.  While I don't know the exact numbers of ebooks sold by Amazon so far this year, I do know that there are well over a million available. I know this because Amazon tells me every time I'm looking at a print version of a book. For a company like Amazon, digitally delivering the product is clearly more profitable than packing and shipping a physical item. It's no wonder the ebook is a favorite product.

Out of curiosity, I recently went to the website of a large publisher to see how they packaged or sold their ebooks. It came as a surprise to me that they didn't sell ebooks at all. You could purchase the hardcover version directly from the publisher but if you wanted the ebook version, you were directed to a list of 8 or 9 sellers including Amazon. I just couldn't understand this. The costs (minimal as they were) of producing that ebook had already been incurred. Why send your customers elsewhere? I do know, however, this is not true with all major publishers.

As a self-published author, I recognize the ease of e-publishing. A writer can use KDP exclusively or use Smashwords or employ a service to format their book. Either way, the process is relatively painless and within minutes after publishing, the book is available for sale. For the reader, hitting the "buy" button means you have a new book to read in minutes or seconds. Who doesn't love that? Of course, the popularity of ebooks is growing among readers and here's why:

·        Instant gratification (mentioned above).

·        No storage issues. You won't be on Hoarders because you have too many books.

·        Lower costs. Even best sellers are significantly lower than their hardcover counterparts. I do find it more difficult to buy a $12.99 ebook, however, than to pay $23.95 for a hardcover I really want. Why is that?

·        Easy to transport. It's easier to pack one Kindle on vacation vs. 5 paperbacks.

As an author, producing a digital version of your book is obviously a no-brainer. Yet, self-published authors still grapple with whether or not to publish a print version. Because I believe print books are not going away (at least not during the remainder of my lifetime), it wasn't a difficult decision for me. I love books and that includes printed books. Of course, like many other writers, I have a mother who would not be satisfied with showing all her friends the digital version.

The truth is, however, there are many practical reasons to publish in print:

·        You can keep signed copies in your bag or car to distribute and expand your audience. Several friends read my book last year and then ordered copies for me to sign as gifts.

·        Having a printed book lets authors participate in more book gathering events. In May, I will be participating in a "Celebrate With a Book" event that draws almost two dozen writers. Printed books are often necessary for conferences, too.

·        Speaking at book clubs is a pleasure and while many readers will download your book, some book clubs prefer printed books.

·        A printed book with a gorgeous cover (and the author's name in big bold letters!) is beautiful.

·        Your local independent bookstore might be willing to let you launch your book or hold a book signing there. That counts as publicity.

·        Nobody wants to get sand all over their Kindle, iPad, phone, etc. Sometimes print is the best option.

Although it's true that some famous authors have taken to advertising about saving printed books, the death of reading is not an issue. I know parents who have told me the Kindle and Nook are the reason their child is reading. The youth of today live in a digital world. They play games digitally, produce schoolwork digitally, and network digitally. Reading in a digital format is natural to them. The important thing is they are reading. And for me, that is really the point as a writer. Surely no writer of the past laments the death of tablets, or scrolls, or quill pens, or even the typewriter. The tools and instruments of publishing are only that.

The future of publishing as it exists today may be unknown, but reading is here to stay.

Many thanks, Kellie, for your insight into the realm of publishing.  For additional information, please visit her website at www.kellielarsenmurphy.com  It will sure be interesting to be a part of what the next ten years holds for authors and readers alike. 

And speaking of readers, be sure and pick up a copy of Kellie Larsen Murphy's excellent book, A Guilty Mind.  I'll be posting a review of it in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned! 

Amazon link:  http://www.amazon.com/a-guilty-mind-ebook/dp/B0091HRXSK/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&quid=1367268751&sr=8-1&keywords=a+guilty 

Assured Destruction - Or Has It?

It's time to trip back to high school with today's review.  This YA novel has twists, turns, and plenty of intrigue to garner your average teenager's attention.  So buckle up, grab your key, and let's go for a ride with Michael Stewart's novel Assured Destruction.  Oh, and don't forget to sign up for an Amazon gift card at the end!

Book Summary:
Sixteen-year-old Jan Rose knows that nothing is ever truly deleted. At least, not from the hard drives she scours to create the online identities she calls the Shadownet.

Hobby? Art form? Sad, pathetic plea to garner friendship, even virtually? Sure, Jan is guilty on all counts. Maybe she’s even addicted to it. It’s an exploration. Everyone has something to hide. The Shadownet’s hard drives are Jan’s secrets. They're stolen from her family’s computer recycling business Assured Destruction. If the police found out, Jan’s family would lose their livelihood.

When the real people behind Shadownet’s hard drives endure vicious cyber attacks, Jan realizes she is responsible. She doesn’t know who is targeting these people or why but as her life collapses Jan must use all her tech savvy to bring the perpetrators to justice before she becomes the next victim.

My Review:
I found this novel to be a delightful read once I got into the storyline.  Being very techno-challenged, I was quite lost within the scope of the earlier chapters, but soon found myself engrossed in the story and wanting to know for sure how Jan was going to get herself out of the predicament she waltzed right into.

Jan has no personal life.  After her dad left a few years before when her mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Jan has to rush home from school every day to help keep the family business afloat.  Being tied to her family means she doesn't have time when a cute guy asks her on a date.  Her only company consists of her "friends", hard drives she's stolen from the computers that should have been destroyed.  These she sets up around her command center console with personalities she creates.  They become her surrogate family.

Plus she's too smart for her own good.  She runs rings around her computer science instructor, who regularly flunks her assignments because she just can't bring herself to keep it simple.  Bogged down with too much responsibility (and that her free time is regularly spent around her console), she's pretty much struggling in all of her classes - and with that come threats from her ill mother to take away the only thing that keeps her sane.

One day the cyber world Jan has created comes crashing down.  All of the people related to the stolen hard drives begin having terrible things happen to them, from child pornography charges of a classmate to home robbery.  The cops soon come knocking on Jan's door.

If the police find out about what Jan's been up to with the hard drives, her mother's struggling business could be lost.  Then to Jan's dismay, her mom decides to begin a crash course in online dating.  Couple that with Jan becoming the target of one mean and nasty smear campaign - and it might include smearing out her life.  Complications ramp up as two completely different guys begin vying for her attentions.

But are all of these new people in Jan's life who they seem to be or are one of them the culprit setting her up for a dive?

There are plenty of red herrings in the story, but it was fun to see which one ultimately ends up being the bad guy.  Pretty much from the beginning, I was pretty sure I knew, but it was still intriguing how she was going to clear the air with everything going wrong.

Formatting and grammar was fairly clear - and the cover was really cool.  Overall a good read that should keep the YA audience guessing. 

Michael F. Stewart's Bio:

After crewing ships in the Antarctic and the Baltic Sea and some fun in venture capital, Michael anchored himself (happily) to a marriage and a boatload of kids. Now he injects his adventurous spirit into his writing with brief respites for research into the jungles of Sumatra and Guatemala, the ruins of Egypt and Tik’al, paddling the Zambezi and diving whatever cave or ocean reef will have him. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers and SF Canada, and the author of the Assured Destruction series, 24 Bones, The Sand Dragon, Hurakan, Ruination and several award winning graphic novels for young adults.  Visit his website at http://www.michaelfstewart.com/

Amazon paperback ($8.99)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/098126994X?tag=tributebooks-20

Kindle ($2.99)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BXRUYO6?tag=tributebooks-20

Follow the Tribute Books blog tour:

http://assureddestruction.blogspot.com/

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A Measure of Grace from "The Grace Painter"

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to author Mark Romang's novel, The Grace Painter.  It is a beautiful story of tragedy followed with that silver lining called grace.  I think I'll let the story speak for itself.  Onto the summary.

The Grace Painter Book Summary:
Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is the one reflecting back at you from inside a mirror. Matthew London can attest to this difficult truth. Ever since the former NYPD hostage negotiator changed his identity and fled New York City for the backwaters of Louisiana, regret has ruled his life.

For eight years London has lived like a hermit in a declining plantation house. Only his talent for painting Renaissance-style murals and paintings keeps the inner-demons from totally destroying him. Each day the disgraced hostage negotiator longs for a chance at redemption, never expecting it to actually happen. But then a down-on-her-luck FBI agent shows up on his doorstep one evening. It turns out Jean-Paul and Sebastian Boudreaux, two local brothers famous for lawlessness have inadvertently kidnapped a little girl.

London is quickly thrust into the starring role of a daring rescue attempt. But before he can rescue the child from the dangerous Boudreaux brothers, he first must find a way to forgive himself for a past misstep, a blunder that forever altered his once promising life. But in the Atchafalaya Basin swampland, nothing is promised. Grace cannot be purchased or earned. It can only be given.

My Review:
After witnessing the gruesome murder/suicide of his former partner and family, New York police negotiator, Matthew London, has nothing left.  Taking on the name of Jon Rafter, London escapes New York and lives off the grid as a Louisiana crawfisherman in a dilapidated southern plantation house.  All hours of the day and night he paints murals on the walls and ceilings by candlelight like a modern day Michelangelo in his own Sistine Chapel.  His world may be full of darkness, but his painting reflects the growing light of his tortured soul.

Annie Crawford is one tough, kick-butt FBI agent - but she also has a past that is rapidly catching up to her.  A little girl has been kidnapped by the notorious Boudreaux brothers, and everyone in the Atchafalaya Basin knows the Boudreaux clan is one dastardly family with whom they don't want to cross paths.  Annie's worst nightmares are rekindled as she sets off to rescue the girl from a fate she barely survived herself. 

And all as Hurricane Vera sets its eye upon the Louisiana coast.

When Annie's badly beaten body is left practically on Jon's doorstep, their paths are set together to do what they can to infiltrate the Basin and find the cabin where the Boudreaux's have taken their hostage.  That is IF they survive the triple-digit windforce, storm surge, and spawned tornadoes from Hurricane Vera.

The opening scene of this novel was heartbreaking to read.  You could immediately appreciate why Matthew/Jon goes underground to escape his pain.  As we jump ahead eight years to Louisiana, we see how people each have a right and wrong choice to make and how those with whom they surround themselves can easily lead them toward and over the cliff.  The action ratchets up and doesn't stop, with layer after layer of problems and bad choices presenting themselves in the midst of dangerous circumstances.

I'm really trying not to tell you too much!

The story moves very quickly all through the approaching hurricane and leading into its impact.  The hurricane's presence really upp'ed the tension and the stakes for all of the players in the game.

Speaking of players, the main complaint I had with The Grace Painter was the presence of too many cast members.  At times it got rather jumbled with so many varying characters who didn't seem to have a whole lot to do with the main storyline.  And this leads me to my only other complaint.

After the hurricane and aftermath of tying up all of the circumstances, it really got bogged down in the minutia.  The main character of Matthew/Jon was absent for about the last third of the book until the very end.  What happened to him was really pretty unbelievable, but miracles do happen.  Then it all felt at times very dragged out and then too rushed, like important scenes were merely skipped over then referenced later on in the push to just finish the book.  It made what had been a very enjoyable read up to that point a little disappointing.

That said, I would still recommend The Grace Painter.  It read pretty quickly and kept my pulse going through the majority of it.  As far as I remember too, it didn't contain offensive language, which is sometimes hard to come by in a good thriller/suspense.  I feel comfortable recommending for teens and adults.

Mark Romang's Bio:

I was born in 1967. Avid reader, suspense novelist, faithful husband, baffled father, factory worker, reformed head-banger, failed musician, contact sports lover, MMA enthusiast, distressed KC sports fan, Lord of the Rings geek, workout fiend, dog owner, nature lover, proud American, disgruntled voter, pistachio addict, caffeine-riddled, screw-up saved by grace, sojourner. This is me in a nutshell.

You can find Mark at http://www.markromangbooks.com/.  Follow the Tribute Books blog tour at:


http://thegracepainter.blogspot.com/

Price/Format: $0.99 ebook
Pages: 303
Publisher: self-published
Release: November 26, 2012

Kindle buy link ($0.99):
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ADWZ4M4?tag=tributebooks-20

Nook buy link ($0.99):
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-grace-painter-mark-romang/1113848026?ean=2940015785463

Smashwords ($0.99):
http://www.smashwords.com/b/259249

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Follow My June Blog Tour

Hello dear readers!  Today there's a couple of items I'd like to discuss with you. 

Many of you have been patiently awaiting the sequel to The Study.  Sorry to say the wait will be a bit longer.  This is the first time I've attempted writing from fan requests, and I have to say the attempt has been more difficult than initially imagined.

Ideas come to me in many forms - driving down the highway, dreams/nightmares, things others say, etc. - it's all a very organic process.  The germination, however, either begins and takes root quickly or slowly over time.

The Search is going to be something better developed slowly over time.  Thus far, what I've written doesn't "feel" quite right to me, and I hesitate to just dump something out into the eBook universe without giving it the proper attention it deserves.  What you, my dear readers, deserve and have come to expect from me.

Rest assured, I will get back to the sequel in time.  That I promise you.

So in the meantime, I'm going to get back into the Deepest Darkness series and move forward with the third and final book Rising from the Darkness.  It will be an explosion to write!

Then coming in June, please follow along on my very first ever blog tour at http://runningintothedarkness.blogspot.com and get set to revisit the first book in the Deepest Darkness series, Running into the Darkness.  Thanks to Nicole and the gang over at Tribute Books!

And don't forget to leave your comments as we probe into the recesses of my psyche.  Yeah, it's pretty scary, but you might find yourself a winner of a $25 Amazon gift card.


http://runningintothedarkness.blogspot.com



Reviewing a Short Story Collection

Well hello dear readers!  After spending the day with my son digging out from one snowstorm after another, recovering our front door access and attempting to find our cars buried under the enormous heaps of fluffy winter wonder, I am finally able to bring another book review to you.  Not that I'm complaining, mind you.  Snow always brings out the kid in me.  So let's get onto that review - better late than never, eh?

Book Summary:
Murders, Bikers, and a Meteor is a collection of four dark tales ranging in genre from crime drama to science fiction and horror.  Join a young couple in the 1950's as they investigate a mysterious meteor crash in Arizona's Sonora desert, and an extraterrestrial encounter leaves one of the kids with a whole different view of life and death.  Or take a ride with a notorious motorcycle gang as their path crosses with an unsuspecting small town sheriff on a hot and humid Ozark Mountain day.  See what happens when an innocent man answers his phone and finds himself thrust into the dysfunctional world of his drug addict roommate, and a prostitute.  Take a late night road trip under a full moon with a high school student down a desolate highway that his parents had warned him not to take ... He should have listened to his mom and dad.

My Review:
I have to say from the get-go that little in this collection of short stories interested me.  All four stories stories encompassed less than a hundred pages in PDF format and really jumped all over the place.

The first story is about Ronnie, a drug addicted kid from the 60's who likes nothing more than to spend his days smoking weed and getting high.  To avoid the cops after leaving work high one night, Ronnie takes a side road home - and has an encounter he will never forget. 

The second story shifts forward into modern times (without a hint until well into the story) and is about Kurt, a worthless excuse for a man.  Kurt gets himself involved with a prostitute who steals his car, only to return later in the morning to suffer at the hands of Kurt's murderous wrath.  Axl, Kurt's best friend, takes him too and fro when the car is stolen, only to internally whine about being taken advantage of by his supposed "friend" and then to be beaten about by this same so-called "friend" and left as an accomplice to a murder.

Shift back in time to the 50's for the third story about Glen and Sharon, two high-school teenagers making out in the Arizona desert one night and finding themselves witnesses to a strange meteor crash that leaves behind a trail of dripping molten fire.  Upon closer inspection, Glen is struck momentarily blind as he suffers through periodic seizures over the next hour or so.  During these spasms, he sees images of people he knows suffering through crashes, old age, and death.

The final story encompasses three guys from a gang leaving a bar after several days of swimming in alcohol and meth.  They carry a bag full of cash, possibly from a big drug sale (it's never really explained) and drive through a small Arkansas town, where Luther, the local sheriff, spends his days taking care of widows and their dogs.  Lives are lost by the arrival of Johnny and the gang to this small town.

Through all four stories, we find misspellings, punctuation errors, tense shifts, and a lot of point-of-view shifts.  The style and presentation were very stilted and rather adolescent - though I wouldn't recommend adolescents reading the stories because of the drug usage, prostitution, and murder references.  At no time did I feel empathy for or connections to the characters. 

About the only character that elicited any sympathy from me was Virgil-the-dog.  A couple of references were interesting, such as a character getting up off of the "man-eating couch".  Then also I felt a twinge of concern for Ronnie as the alien character was chasing him through the cornfield and rooted for him to escape.  Other than these, there was little here that would have kept me reading, subjectivity being what it is.  However, if you find anything in the descriptions that pique your interest, pick up a copy of K. J. Klimasz's Murders, Bikers, and a Meteor.

Author Bio:
K. J. Klimasz lives with his wife and their three kids in the same small town both he and his wife grew up in about thirty miles away from St. Paul, Minnesota.  K. J.'s favorite sport is hockey and he volunteers as a goalie coach for the youth hockey program in his hometown.  He also enjoys fly fishing.  Bass and Musky are his local favorites, but Bonefish and Tarpon off the coast of Belize are his all-time favorites.  Family vacations are important to K. J. and his wife, and they try to take family vacations twice a year but usually settle for one.

K. J. has worked as a machinist, a carpenter, and is currently working as a toolmaker building and repairing plastic injection molds.  Visit his website at www.kjklimasz.com

Return to Germany for World War II

It's history week here at the blog.  Yesterday we visited the Civil War, and today we visit a very traumatic time in our not-too-distant history - World War II.  The Nazi era was rife with danger, intrigue, and just plain horror.  But we cannot forget the honor that the destruction of the Third Reich brought to our brave men, even though the price paid was far too high.  That's what we see today in the review of Echoes from the Infantry.

Book Summary:
Echoes From The Infantry is the tale of one Long Island World War II veteran, the misery of combat, and the powerful emotional bonds that brought him home to Rockaway Beach and the love of his life, Madeline Brandt. It is about a father and son, and their ultimately redeeming struggle to understand each other's worlds - one a world at war, the other shaped by its veterans. Nappi moves artfully between the present and past, weaving a fictionalized tale of this Long Islander's struggle to reconcile with the demons from long ago and his family's neverending battle with many of the intangible burdens caused by the private life of a man they never really knew. He touches our hearts with a story of courage and perseverance...a story of men who faced the greatest challenge of their generation.

My Review:
This novel was a powerful, yet emotionally painful read.  At times I teared up and other times got angry.  When a story draws out my emotions, I can usually look past the flaws and appreciate the depth of the tale.

John, Matthew, and Paul are the three sons of James and Madeline McCleary.  We open the prologue with the three sons gathering in their old family home to decide what to do with their father after their mother's passing.  There's a great deal of bitterness brewing under the surface, especially on the part of John, the oldest.  The three grown men had to put up with a distant, angry father all of their lives - none affected more than John.  As soon as John was old enough, he swept the dust of Rockaway Beach from his feet and moved all the way across the country to California.  Now he has a week to clear out the house, deal with his father, and sell the family home in order to get back to his own life.

But then, in the midst of cleaning out the packed, dusty attic, he finds the letters - and begins to read.

James and Madeline loved each other from the first moment they met at the A&P where James worked.  After James headed off to stop the Nazi advance in Europe, they wrote to one another every chance they had and dreamed of the day they would be reunited, married, and settle down to a life they'd planned.  But war has a way of changing everything - and everybody.

The story jumps back and forth in time.  For the most part, the transitions between the present and past were clearly delineated and didn't create a problem in reading.  The references to specific events James experienced as a young man at war were the most satisfying components of the story, the camaraderie between the soldiers, the scouting marches, the interactions with locals both in France and as the Battle of the Bulge took them into German territory, and when James was taken as a POW.  However, it was very difficult to read the recent past, the harshness with which James treated his oldest son, John, as he was growing up.  John wanted nothing more than to have his dad interact with him, to talk to him, play a game of catch, and simply to hug him.  But from John's point-of-view, none of this ever occurred.  Their emotional distance as adults is palpable.

But as John reads the letters between his mother and father, he begins to see a different man in his dad.  Something happened to James that made him a shell of the vibrant, young man he'd once been.  It is clear James still suffers from elements of PTSD.  In reading through these lines, John remembers back to several points in his own childhood where his interactions with his dad were both good and bad, such as when they vacationed as a family and then when John showed James his first grandchild.

However, there were times when the story spoke of the happy moments being set back just by John walking into the room - and it felt so illogical to read.  When James offered the old crib to John for their first child and John graciously refused because they had already purchased a crib, James clams up and gets mad.  We never find out if there is a back story to this crib and why it was so important to James.  Then when one of James' old battle buddies comes to visit and they are in the kitchen looking at pictures, laughing and reminiscing (much to John's surprise, since he's rarely heard his dad laugh, much less smile), John walks into the kitchen and James immediately glares at him and shuts down until John leaves the room.  The reasoning behind this treatment of his son is never explained either.

All along, I thought maybe John reminded James of someone from his past, perhaps an interaction with a young German soldier.  The story spoke many times of instances where someone reminded James of someone else throughout his travels in Europe as well as when he returned home and couldn't shake off the war.  This would have made sense, but by the time we get to the end of the story and find out what really happened to James, it is rushed through, not fully fleshed out, and then the story ends - very unsatisfying.  It made the lifetime of pain the two had experienced seem so calloused, not on John's part but James', and I don't think that was the intention.  It really felt like there was much more here to be said, but the way it ended left it too open, with too many loose ends, and too many unanswered questions.

Even so, I liked Echoes from the Infantry all the way up until the end.  It would be nice to see a revised edition with the ending drawn out just a bit and clarified to make it a truly satisfying read.

To read an excerpt of Echoes from the Infantry click this link http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/304983-excerpt-from-echoes-from-the-infantry

Follow the Tribute Books blog tour:

http://echoesfromtheinfantry.blogspot.com/

Frank Nappi's Bio:
Frank Nappi has taught high school English and Creative Writing for over twenty years. His debut novel, Echoes From The Infantry, received national attention, including MWSA's silver medal for outstanding fiction. His follow-up novel, The Legend of Mickey Tussler, garnered rave reviews as well, including a movie adaptation of the touching story "A Mile in His Shoes" starring Dean Cain and Luke Schroder. Frank continues to produce quality work, including Sophomore Campaign, the intriguing sequel to the much heralded original story and the just released thriller, Nobody Has to Know, which received an endorsement from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille. Frank is presently at work on a third installment of his Mickey Tussler series and his next thriller. He lives on Long Island with his wife Julia and their two sons, Nicholas and Anthony.  Visit his website at http://www.franknappi.com/

Price/Format: $3.99, ebook
Pages: 256
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release: October 13, 2005

Kindle buy link ($3.99):
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008BTN8EW?tag=tributebooks-20