Title: A Guarded Heart
Author: Jennifer Fulton
ISBN: 1-932300-37-6
Publisher: Regal Crest
Distributed by Starcrossed Productions (www.scp-inc.biz)
Price: $16.95
Pages: 212
Genre: Lesbian Romance/Fiction

Lauren Douglas is a star as Dr. Kate in a soap opera. Pat Roussel is an FBI agent, burnt out from long days and nights spent focused on finding the Kiddy Pageant Killer. Pat decides she needs to take a break from her job and Lauren needs protection after being shot by a deranged fan. These are the circumstances that throw the two women together and the combination proves both volatile and steamy.

Lauren is vulnerable after her brush with death, but struggles against having her freedom hindered. She finds herself falling in love with the aloof bodyguard that her father has hired, while Pat struggles to remain professional as Lauren's protector. However, complications abound when Pat finds Lauren's beauty irresistible. Lauren isn't the petulant, airhead actress that Pat thought she would be.

As the tension builds, these two draw close, and then pull back, over and over again. While Pat and Lauren struggle with their feelings for one another, Annabel and Cody are struggling with complications of a different nature.

In the midst of these personal struggles, a boat approaches Moon Island carrying a group of men. When they tell Annabel and Cody that one of the members of their treasure hunting party is ill and needs help, the women fly maritime archeologist, Penny Mercer, to the hospital located on the larger island of Rarotonga. As the women race against time to save the scientist's life, they learn about the sunken treasure that the treasure hunters are seeking. Once again, as in previous stories in the series, Annabel and Cody become concerned for the safety and sacredness of the island.

A character from the third Moon Island book is reprised in the fourth. Chris, the lawyer who had lost her partner, has returned to set up a business on the main island and she meets up with Annabel and Cody. When the women tell Chris of the recent events and of their concerns, the three of them hatch a plot to protect the island and help get Penny back as a member of the recovery team.

The fourth Moon Island offering is another wonderful story by a terrific author. Each new character is fully developed while recurring characters stay true to form and never get stale. New plots involving the people and the island and surrounding area continue to be interesting and intriguing. Start at the beginning of the series for the full history and effect. If you've already read the first three, you won't be disappointed in this, the fourth in the series.
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Reviewed by Anna Furtado

Blood Sisters Author: Mary Jacobsen ISBN-13: 978-1-56023-322-0 Publisher: Haworth Press Distributed by Haworth Press, Inc. www.haworthpress.com Price: $16.95 Pages: 296 Genre: Lesbian Fiction/Romance

Title: Chance Author: Grace Lennox ISBN: 1-933110-31-7 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Inc., www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com; StarCrossed Productions, www.scp-inc.biz Pages: 216 Price: $14.95 Genre: Romance

Chance Delaney becomes a celebrity practically overnight as often happens in the music industry. She is at the right place at the right time. Who would have thought that grooming dogs for the mother of a record industry mogul would lead to fame as the lead singer of Virgin Blessing? Certainly not Chance, who is naïve to the business but goes along for the ride. All the while, Chance is searching for what's most important in life—that someone special. Convinced she needs to change herself to attract the kind of woman she dreams of, Chance quits her job in a San Francisco gay and lesbian bookstore to work as a dog groomer before being catapulted into stardom by a twist of fate.

In Chance, Grace Lennox has created a realistic inner world centered on her character's quest for a meaningful relationship and her need to know who her birth mother is and why she gave her up. Is Chance desperate when she resorts to online dating and chatting in order to hook up with a suitable woman? Is she willing to settle for consoling the women her friend and fellow band partner, Luke, rejects?

Chance writes one of the funniest personal ads I ever read but you're not going to hear it from me. You have to read it and be prepared to crack up. After a tantalizing online friendship with a woman by the screen name Reverie, who refuses to get together for more than a quick cyber chat, Chance meets and ultimately falls in love with a stunning, elusive, yet irresistible songwriter named Layla. The two women clearly connect but secret pasts seem to get in the way.

Chance is refreshing because Lennox doesn't offer overwritten details in her prose. By not spoon-feeding information or overexposing the characters or plot, Lennox respects the intelligence of her readers. Every nuance is powerful and succinct. Grace Lennox, aka Jennifer Fulton and Rose Beecham, shows her muscle in the masterful way she knows her characters and stays true to their personalities. Chance is not a novel about the music industry; it is about a woman discovering herself as she muddles through all the trappings of fame. Chance underrates her own talents and charm and moves from low self-esteem to new self-respect in a first person narrative that is expertly done and flawless in the intimacy it creates between the character and the reader. Once you get inside Chance's head, Lennox makes sure you stay there and feel her myriad emotions.

What I like best about Chance is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. Lennox's keen sense of humor is not only hilarious but her observations are a cause for reflection. Sometimes the obvious is the funniest, and Lennox's wit did not escape this reviewer's notice. Chance packs emotional punches when warranted and delivers an interesting plot where one could dream that an all-woman rock band could become an instant success. Lennox doesn't leave any stone unturned in this original, satisfying romance with surprising outcomes. The stone I am referring to is the sizzling sex that will leave you breathless and begging for an encore.

I thoroughly enjoyed Chance and look forward to future novels by this talented and accomplished author who can write exceedingly well in any genre. Author of twelve best-selling novels, Grace Lennox, writing under the pen names Jennifer Fulton and Rose Beecham, is up for four 2006 Golden Crown Literary Society Awards and has also been selected for the 2006 Alice B. Readers Appreciation Award. She defines high standards in lesbian fiction today.
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Reviewed by Cheri Rosenberg

Title: Christie and the Hellcat Author: Barbara Davies ISBN: 0-9759555-2-7 Publisher: Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company, www.bedazzledink.com Available From: Starcrossed Productions, www.scp-inc.biz Price: $18.95 Pages: 340 Genre: Alternative Fiction/Lesbian Romance

When the demure Christie Hayes meets Deputy Sheriff Zee Brodie, she is at first afraid of her, then she grows impatient with her, but all the while there is an undercurrent of fascination with her, and ultimately, a strong attraction to her. A deputy In the Old West, in the days when gunfights were still the order of the day for settling an argument, Zerelda (Zee) Brodie is someone to be feared and respected. Formerly called "the Hellcat," Zee got the name when she was a notorious outlaw. She did time in Yuma prison for her offenses and was pardoned by the governor, finally becoming a deputy in the town of Benson, Arizona.

Zee and Christie meet when Zee is escorting a captured outlaw to prison and her boss, Sheriff Hogan, tells her that the Hayes house is a safe place to wait for the Yuma train once she gets to Contention. Zee's outlaw charge tries to escape more than once and constantly tries to talk Zee into giving up her new life on the right side of the law and joining his gang. But it is Christie, not the outlaw, who is Zee's undoing. Christie surreptitiously informs the Wells Fargo agent in town that "the Hellcat" is in her house and that she is afraid for her life. The agent sends Christie home and, after a while, barges in and shoots Zee. When Christie finds out that Zee has been telling the truth about going straight and becoming a deputy, she is remorseful and helps Zee escort her prisoner to the train, where Christie saves Zee's life when the outlaw gang tries to rescue their leader. All this happens because Christie's brother, Blue, has been called away on business.

The aloof, untouchable Deputy Brodie is smitten with Christie Hayes, though, and returns to Contention eager to see her. However, when she arrives, she discovers Christie entertaining her beau, Fred Younger, a small man in more than just his physical appearance.

Disappointed, Zee returns to Benson, writing Christie off as someone who would never be interested in another woman. What she doesn't know is that Christie herself is very fascinated by Zee and finds it difficult to have any feelings whatsoever for Fred. But Christie's brother, Blue (Bluford), thinks the wealthy businessman, Fred Younger, will make Christie a good husband. Deciding to follow her head instead of her heart, Christie finally agrees to marry Fred.

When Fred sends Christie to Benson to get her trousseau sewn by the town seamstress, Christie discovers that Zee lives in the whorehouse in that town, and with some hesitation, she follows Zee, determined to talk to her again and to try to discover what her true feelings are for the tall, dark and handsome Deputy Brodie.

As Christie and the Hellcat progresses, Zee softens and Christie discovers what she really wants from life, but their lives are made more complicated by the ladies of the Temperance Union and one very closed-minded family. Fred and Blue have difficulties of their own that eventually create complications in everyone's lives, and it is Zee who must work to bring peace back to Contention. In order to do that, Zee must travel to an orphanage where she meets the notable Sister Florence. In Christie's own words, she tells us "She's certainly not your run-of-the-mill nun..." (page 341).

Davies has given us easily likeable characters in Christie and Zee. Even Zee's darker side proves to be only a mask covering a soft, loving woman. There are a host of characters that work at the whorehouse, drink and gamble at the saloon and end up in Deputy Brodie's jail. These folks also entertain and enthrall us.

This first offering from new publisher Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company is an entertaining read and Barbara Davies is a master at dropping one-sentence morsels at the end of almost every chapter foreshadowing what is to come and tantalizing the reader to push on to read just one more.
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Reviewed by Anna Furtado

Title: Course of Action Author: Gun Brooke ISBN: 1-933110-22-8 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.scp-inc.biz; Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 Pages: 320 Genre: Fiction/Romance/Lesbian

Gun Brooke's Course of Action is not exactly the tale this reviewer expected from the title, but it is a story of deep caring and a wonderful romance.

Carolyn Black wants to be Diana Maddox, a lesbian character in a novel, whose portrayal in audio books has won the heterosexual Carolyn national acclaim and a huge following. Annelie Peterson, philanthropist, publisher, producer, lawyer and lottery winner is about to turn the first Diana Maddox novel into a movie and Carolyn wants the part.

At first, Carolyn and Annelie are at loggerheads about who should star in the role. Annelie, seeming to cave in under pressure from marketing people who think a young, lightweight actress should play the 40-something, poised lesbian main character, spurs Carolyn to extraordinary measures to prove that she is perfect for the role.

Carolyn has always had a reputation for going after what she wants, but she harbors secrets and insecurities that she never allows the public to see. Sometimes she even denies them herself, driving herself to ill-health and collapse. Annelie is an equally determined woman, who harbors her own hidden past and has a passion for her charities, as well as for the books she publishes, and now, the first movie she will produce. Yet no matter how much the women engage in a battle of wits, they find that they cannot resist attraction to one another.

Finally surrendering to their feelings, they still have to battle demons and external difficulties, like the precarious situation that Carolyn's sister is in and the appearance of Annelie's estranged and long-absent father.

Course of Action by Gun Brooke was a 2005 Lammy Debut Fiction Finalist and a 2006 GCLS "Goldie" Debut Author Finalist. These nominations point to an author whose tales are well worth adding to any lesbian reader's bookshelf.
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Reviewed by Anna Furtado

Title: Facing Evil Author: CL Hart ISBN: 0976566427 Publisher: Cavalier Press, www.cavalierpress.com Available From: Cavalier Press, www.cavalierpress.com; Bella Distribution, www.bellabooks.com Pages: 403 Price: $17.95 Genre: Mystery

Title: Forever Found Author: JLee Meyer ISBN: 1933110376 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Inc., www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, SCP-inc.biz and www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 Pages: 288 pages Genre: Lesbian Fiction/Romance

JLee Meyer is a first time author with a first rate romance. Forever Found is thoughtful, heartfelt and outstanding.

Dana Ryan and Keri Flemons are best friends as children until Dana's father picks up the family and moves without warning. Neither child knows why they cannot see each other anymore, leaving unresolved feelings for them. Twenty years later, Dana's career is abruptly ended after a tragic car accident kills her father and leaves her with a damaged and scarred leg. The driver is the very wealthy Keri Flemons who believes that money can resolve the situation. Dana, thoroughly disgusted at her former friend, storms out of the settlement talks. Fast forward to three years later when Keri needs an expert photographer, and Dana wants the opportunity to advance her new career. They reluctantly forge a business alliance, agreeing to an uneasy truce.

What impressed me most from this new author was the timing in Forever Found. Everything falls into place at just the right pace. She does not drop in subplots as after thoughts. Meyer introduces the reader to the past connection, then describes the defining event, and then takes us to the present day. The path is clear, concise and draws the reader completely into the plot. We immediately want to know what is going to happen next, and we are thoroughly invested in these characters.

Forever Found builds on strong characterization and explores the dynamics of all of the characters' interactions. Through past actions and the exposing of deeply rooted emotions, we learn why Keri and Dana are at odds. Their lost childhood love is laid out succinctly for the reader. When Dana and Keri see each other for the first time in 20 years at the settlement talks, Dana remembers a very different Keri than the one sitting next to her. Now Keri is an unlikable woman who is spoiled, rich and self-centered. As the story moves forward, we are treated to subtle changes. After Keri's father dies suddenly, she takes over the family business where she is forced to deal with some difficult employees. She slowly grows into a more mature woman because of this. With the day to day working relationship, Dana and Keri's buried past emerges with pent up feelings of regret, anger and sadness. The discovery of these feelings happens at different times for the two women, which causes some strife and angst and keeps the tension flowing for the reader.

Meyer adds depth to Keri and Dana's story by developing solid secondary characters. With the unsavory Thomas Concannon, Keri's inherited right-hand man, Meyer includes another dimension to the story that provides us with some powerful action scenes. The reader ascertains that he is evil and underhanded, but the author plays out his role brilliantly, building the suspense through most of the book. Meyer deftly peels back the layers of scars between Keri and her estranged mother, Carolyn, thus carrying the theme of physical and emotional scarring throughout the book.

Forever Found succeeds in giving the reader a thoroughly enjoyable romance filled with tension and longing from the first pages. I highly recommend this first effort from this talented new author.
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Reviewed by Kathi Isserman

Title: Have Gun We'll Travel Author: Lori L. Lake ISBN: 1-932300-33-3 Publisher: Regal Crest Enterprises, www.regalcrest.biz Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.scp-inc.biz Price: $ 18.95 Pages: 267 Genre: Thriller/Action Adventure

Title: In Too Deep Author: Ronica Black ISBN: 1-933110-17-1 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com and StarCrossed Productions, www.scp-inc.biz Price: $15.95 Pages: 329 Genre: Lesbian Crime/Romance

Just when you think you know who the good guys are in Ronica Black's In Too Deep, everything shifts. Flawed white hats, black hats with underlying goodness, people who have been hurt and used and abused abound in this story and everyone's just trying to find some peace—and maybe a little love—in their lives.

When Detective Erin McKinsey (Mac) is assigned to go undercover to get information on a suspected serial killer, Elizabeth Adams, the beautiful, tough-as-nails owner of La Femme nightclub, she gets more than she bargained for in the process. Soon to be divorced from her philandering husband, with whom she has never experienced any kind of deep relationship, Erin finds herself irresistibly drawn to Liz Adams while risking her life trying to find out if the nightclub owner is the killer of a string of men who have been shot and mutilated.

There is no lack of suspects, and some characters that are introduced and shrugged off as minor players in this dangerous game early on, come back to haunt the main characters again and again. Even a cop's motives begin to be suspect, but in the end, all we want is for Erin to find herself and find true love. Oh, yes, and finding the real killer would be nice, too.

In Too Deep is one of the 2006 GCLS "Goldie" finalists in the Mystery / Action / Adventure / Thriller category. It is a page-turner of the highest magnitude. Black doesn't disappoint in this well written, exciting story.
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Reviewed by Anna Furtado

Title: Josie and Rebecca: The Western Chronicles Authors: Vada Foster and BL Miller ISBN: 1933119983 Publisher: Intaglio Publications, www.intagliopub.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, SCP-inc.biz Price: $18.99 Pages: 408 pages Genre: Lesbian Historical Fiction/Romance

Women are often marginalized in history especially in stories about the Old West. BL Miller and Vada Foster have changed that by rewriting history, if only in fiction, with Josie and Rebecca: The Western Chronicles. Women are front and center throughout the pages in this stimulating and inspiring tale of two women finding each other as well as themselves while they forge new trails.

Josie Hunter becomes an outlaw after she is accused of killing her best friend Genie. While on the run, she dispenses her own kind of justice, skirting the "law" quite often. It is during one of these times that she rescues Rebecca Cameron from a gang of men trying to rape the young woman. After this encounter, Rebecca becomes Josie's traveling partner. While unwilling to totally accept this spirited woman, Josie reluctantly lets her tag along.

The authors have invented a truly heroic character with Josie. While it may seem that Josie recklessly breaks the law every chance she gets, in actuality, on the frontier, the law was localized and very arbitrary. Being half Cherokee makes Josie's situation much more complicated. Although deeply flawed and displaying a brusque exterior, she risks her life more than once to save those who can't help themselves. Her compassion for others shows in all of her actions. Rebecca's character complements Josie, offering us innocence as well as a quiet strength. It is her belief in Josie's goodness that draws out the tough outlaw's deep feelings.

As a reader I have found that well written historical fiction is hard to find. Either the authors give too little detail, or they get bogged down in facts that do not move the story along. There is no balance, thus the true historical events detract from the plot. This is not the case with Josie and Rebecca: The Western Chronicles. It is interspersed with actual events that give the readers a flavor for the times. The setting is detailed and accurate. Josie and Rebecca's travels are full of action and variety that keep the book interesting throughout. Foster and Miller realistically portray the women in the story, the choices they must make and the way they are generally treated. The authors also deal with Josie being part Cherokee and the prejudice that Native Americans endured during those times. The authors never preach but let these crucial bits of overlooked history reach us through superb storytelling.

Josie and Rebecca: The Western Chronicles is enjoyable and thorough without dragging. It will surely become as legendary as the great Westerns that have preceded it. I highly recommend this extraordinary account of our forgotten history as told through the fictional characters of Josie and Rebecca.
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Reviewed by Kathi Isserman

Title: Maybe Next Time Author: Karin Kallmaker ISBN: 1-931513-25-0 Publisher: Bella Books, Inc., www.bellabooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $ 12.95 Pages: 245 Genre: Romance

Title: Promising Hearts Author: Radclyffe ISBN: 1933110449 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Inc., www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, SCP-inc.biz and www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 Pages: 264 pages Genre: Lesbian Fiction/Romance

Time after time, Radclyffe's books touch the heart and fill our imaginations. Promising Hearts is no exception, and that is what makes this book one of her most compelling and exciting to date.

Set at the end of the bloodiest war on American soil, Promising Hearts by Radclyffe gives the reader what she craves most, an inspiring romance filled with more than one heroine. It picks up immediately where Innocent Hearts leaves off. It is 1866 in the Montana territory, and Kate Beecher is now living with Jessie Forbes on her ranch outside of New Hope. Mae is still the town's madam, attending to her girls. Dr. Vance Phelps is added to this trio, having just arrived from Philadelphia after spending three of the last four years on the front lines of the Civil War.

Radclyffe's prose persuades the reader to believe in her characters. It doesn't matter whether it is 1866 Montana or 2006 Philadelphia, their stories are realistic, fascinating, and have us hanging onto every word. She has an intuitive sense of who her characters are and does not hesitate to share that with us. In Promising Hearts, Vance is battle weary, aloof and broken. She watched her best friend and colleague die on the battlefield during the last days of the war and could not save him because of her own injuries. She travels to Montana to forget the destruction and to possibly salvage her career. She surely does not expect to find much more until she meets the town's madam, Mae, a woman with integrity and a heart of gold. This brave and honorable woman is also alone, fighting the day to day battles of a frontier brothel, until Vance steps into her life. The two seem an unlikely coupling, but through Radclyffe's astute storytelling, we come to understand their similarities and what makes them kindred spirits.

With many romances to choose from each month, Promising Hearts is an easy choice. Radclyffe grasps the language of love, its subtleties as well as its potency. With minimal words and a clear strong voice, she captures the emotions of her characters perfectly, and we can imagine the moment. Her restraint fuels the story's passion. The language is authentic; the dialogue revealing. Without the detailed display of the physical aspects of lovemaking, these scenes are tender and filled with devotion and desire. A powerful exchange of love fills the pages of this story.

Promising Hearts is more than a western. It is more than a love story. It is a celebration of our history through fiction, making us proud that these are our stories as well.
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Reviewed by Kathi Isserman

Title: Punk Like Me, 2nd Ed. Author: JD Glass ISBN: 1933110406 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Inc., www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, SCP-inc.biz, and Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 Pages: 300 pages Genre: Lesbian Contemporary Fiction/Romance

Title: Punk Like Me, 2nd Ed. Author: JD Glass ISBN: 1933110406 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Inc., www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, SCP-inc.biz, and Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 Pages: 300 pages Genre: Lesbian Contemporary Fiction/Romance

Nina Boyd, a slick twenty-one-year-old New York City singer/songwriter for a rock band, recounts her experiences of coming to terms with being a lesbian in an intolerant world. JD Glass' Punk Like Me is reminiscent of J. D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. Both novels can be considered American Bildungsromans, where the main protagonists are nonconformists dealing with their moral development and attitudes in the face of adversity. Like Holden Caulfield, Nina tries to make sense of her life. What makes Nina "punk" by her peers' standards is that she doesn't compromise her values and fall into conformity and mediocrity just to get by. Powerfully written by a gifted author in the first person point of view, Punk Like Me is an intimate glimpse inside a cool "dude's" head.

Glass captures the essence of Nina, a product of Catholic school, who is smart, honest, kind, and generous to a fault. Even though she tests the nuns' authority at times and comes across as tough or "punk," this street-wise kid is a hero. Her only crimes are that she is gay, she has the wrong parents, and she lives in a society with skewed values. Her parents don't understand or appreciate her. They tell her lying is wrong but when she wants to tell the truth about herself, will they really want her to be truthful?

Self-discovery is not a new concept, but Glass makes it fresh, makes it real, and gets to the heart of the matter where there is nothing left but truth. Nina's voice is authentic for a young woman who grows up in a difficult environment where she is not a stranger to physical and psychological abuse. Glass tells Nina's poignant story and succeeds in convincing us that Nina is speaking, that Nina is telling it her way. This reader wants to comfort Nina as she struggles with being a lesbian in a straight world, to love her unconditionally, and to see her prevail over the injustices in her world.

There are books that make you laugh, books that merely entertain, books that make you think, books that make you cry, and books that send a message, and of course, books that have great sex. Believe me when I tell you that Punk Like Me is a book that has all of these and more. True love begins with the love of oneself. In that respect, Punk Like Me is truly a romance. Despite the pain and torture Nina may endure, there is much joy, laughter, friendship, and even love in her life, and most importantly, the reader wants to see if she ends up stronger than ever and hopes to rejoice in her triumph. In another comparison, Punk Like Me may be considered a modern day Ruby Fruit Jungle. Like Molly Bolt, Nina has to deal with discrimination but decides not to apologize for being a lesbian. Like Rita Mae Brown, JD Glass has a strong voice that mixes humor with sorrow, pain, and happiness in a realistic setting with genuine characters.

Punk Like Me speaks to lesbians of any age but straights will love Nina too. This important novel should be required reading in high schools across the country, especially religious schools, since teaching tolerance should be on every curriculum. This is not a young adult novel, although adolescents will love it, but a mature account of an admirable woman who stands up for herself. It is inspiring. Order it today; you will be glad you did. I can't wait for Glass' forthcoming sequel, Punk And Zen.
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Reviewed by Cheri Rosenberg

Title: Stepping Out: Short Stories Author: Lori L. Lake ISBN: 1-932300-16-3 Publisher: Regal Crest Enterprises, www.regalcrest.biz Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.scp-inc.biz Pages: 153 Price: $13.95 Genre: Lesbian Fiction

By Guest Reviewer, Therese Szymanski

Having read several of Lori L. Lake's mysteries, I began Stepping Out, her collection of short stories, with a bit of a preconception as to what I'd soon be experiencing.

I am pleased to say I was wrong.

Well, I was right in that I enjoyed these 14 diverse tales—but that's about where the rightness ended.

To begin with, Lake's writing has developed since her earlier books, like Gun Shy and Under the Gun. Now she writes with greater confidence, and has rid her work of the somewhat clumsy mechanics that marked her earlier creations. This more economical phraseology and greater surety of style make for a more dynamic and flowing storytelling.

Adding to the overall enjoyment and pleasant surprise were the tales themselves. This was definitely not your standard collection of lesbian tales—these stories were written with an overall vision (not of the horny variety), as well as a certain gentleness, respect and love for the players in these stories.

As I read, I was overcome with the passion Lake has for her characters—gay, straight, male, female, young, old… no matter the details, Lake catches those moments that most clearly tell her tale. Sometimes a good story will capture characters just when their lives are in flux. These tales will start in medias res—the middle of things—capturing the time of change.

One could argue that Lake sometimes captures things right when they go all kerflooey—right when a life changes. That even in these real stories of real people, she has occasionally discovered the moments that alter the courses of lives. For instance, in "Strange Inclinations," the narrator chooses her new path while immersed, not pleasantly, in a bathtub full of water. That is, she decides on some major life changes if she lives to do so.

But in reality, Lake's strength in this collection is that she discovers the truth in the everyday. Instead of finding the moment that everything changes in a great big flash, she finds more subtle times and truths. In "Mouse," Irene loses both her lover and her life when her lover's family tosses her to the street with nothing. Yet through this, Irene finds those worse off then she, and even as she counts down the days to when she might get off the cold streets, she tries to make a new friend.

Some writers write stories and have fun. In this collection, Lake fell in love with her characters. She cared for and nurtured them, making this not so much a collection of stories as an anthology of characters.

Years ago I saw a movie that I left thinking, "What was that about?" It was pretty much a slice-of-life piece that got major play due to a big-name star. But it was just a piece of life, without real focus or purpose. Lake may not define a particular moment of change for each entry, but each entry does have a reason—a focus—a purpose. Even though each tale may bring the reader down briefly, each one also gives a shot at redemption and a brighter future. For instance, in "Propane," Della, a lesbian in an abusive relationship, decides to leave. Then Kerry, her lover, accidentally sets herself on fire. Some writers might use huge melodrama, such as having Kerry die, but in Lake's reality, Della takes care of Kerry, smothering the fire, calling an ambulance (against Kerry's will), and seeing her off.

But then Della leaves nonetheless.

This is Lake's talent and what she gives us. Rather like Jane Martin's Talking With… done fictionally, she gives us defining pieces and moments. Not the great broad sweeps, but the depths of the darker colors, which bring forth the highlights further.

I have to admit, overall my favorite tale was "Busybody," which had police, a possible abduction, love and loss. It made me laugh, cry, and feel, and it was told with a subtle poignancy. But again, although I didn't appreciate "Jumping Over My Head" as much, as someone who used to high jump, I appreciated Lake's attention to details. When I read things, facts, details, that are right on, it makes me trust a writer further—allowing her to take me deeper into her world.

That a normally genre-loving reader like me enjoyed (most) of this collection is high marks indeed. I'm looking forward to what Lake has to offer as she further develops her talents, and I do recommend Stepping Out to those who wish to get an inner happy due to just what people can do.
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Therese Szymanski is the Lammy-nominated author of the Brett Higgins' Mysteries/Motor City Thrillers, editor of Back to Basics: A Butch/Femme Anthology and Call Of The Dark: Erotic Lesbian Tales Of The Supernatural, a couple of anthologies, contributor to about a dozen anthologies, and an all-round maniac-about-town.

Title: The Exile and the Sorcerer: Lyremouth Chronicles–Book One Author: Jane Fletcher ISBN: 1933110325 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Pages: 320 Price: $15.95 Genre: Lesbian Fantasy

Tevi is the oldest daughter of Red, who in turn is the daughter of the Queen of Storenseg. In this matrilineal society, the women are the warriors and the men are small, weak, and serve in roles as housekeepers, babysitters, and servants. Tevi does not belong. She is awkward—not good with a sword or any type of weapon—and the leaders of Storenseg do not believe she possesses any useful leadership skills. Her younger sister, Laff, is far better suited for power and ruling. Unfortunately, Tevi makes the mistake of revealing feelings for a woman, and in this profoundly heterosexist society, that is cause for death or exile. Like the ugly duckling, Tevi is a disgrace in the eyes of all her people.

Rather than sentence her own granddaughter to death, the Queen sends Tevi on an impossible mission to recover a chalice stolen under odd circumstances. In anguish, the 19-year-old woman embarks upon a journey to other lands. In classic Quest form, Tevi goes out in the world and this is when the fun starts. While learning new skills and finding talents she didn't know she had, she encounters wayfarers, sorcerers, enchanted castles, witches, wild animals, dwarves, and magic—and Jemeryl, who is a young Sorceress who not only saves Tevi from a terrible fate, but also proves critical in formulating a search for the stolen chalice. As it turns out, Tevi's quest has much further reaching ramifications than anyone back in Storenseg ever imagined.

Originally published as Parts One and Two of Lorimal's Chalice, this new incarnation leads off a series that will include a second book, The Traitor and the Chalice (June 2006), which comprises Parts Three and Four of Lorimal's Chalice, and the all-new third book, The Empress and the Acolyte (October 2006).

The Exile and the Sorcerer is a mesmerizing read, a tour-de-force packed with adventure, ordeals, complex twists and turns, and the internal introspection of appealing characters. The author writes effortlessly, handling the size and scope of the book with ease. Not since the fantasy works of Elizabeth Moon and Lynn Flewelling have I been so thoroughly engrossed in a tale. This is knockout fiction, tantalizingly told, and beautifully packaged. It receives my very highest recommendation.
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Reviewed by Lori L. Lake

Title: The Killing Room Author: Gerri Hill ISBN: 1594930503; $13.95 Publisher: Bella Books Available from: Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com and StarCrossed Productions, www.scp-inc.biz Pages: 385 Cost: $13.95 Genre: Romance/Mystery

There are writers whose books you know you're going to enjoy before you ever open the covers. From previous experience, you know that the author is adept at storytelling, creating interesting characters and unique plot points. Gerri Hill is one of the authors you can add to that list, if you haven't put her there already.

The Killing Room is a murder mystery about two women who come from different worlds and philosophies. Jake McCoy is a police officer from Denver who has retreated to her mountain cabin to recover from wounds she sustained when she tried to keep a man from killing a child…and failed. She has come to the mountains with her dog Cheyenne to escape from the nightmares that haunt her and to decide if she still has what it takes to be a police officer. She would rather be alone than anything until one day when a stranger discovers her soaking in a nearby hot spring. Jake invites the woman to join her and events lead to a night of exquisite passion. When Jake wakes up in the morning though, the woman is gone without a trace or any indication of her identity.

Jake assumes this is a relationship that wasn't meant to be and returns to Denver to resume duty. She is immediately embroiled in the hunt for a serial killer who is preying on abused women. As she and her partner begin to piece the clues together, the only thing the victims have in common is a therapist they have all seen who specializes in these cases. The surprise waiting for Jake is that Dr. Nicole Westbrooke is her mystery woman from the hot spring and that Nicole is deeply closeted and not quite certain she is happy to be found.

Nicole associates with a group of lesbians who are all professionals and highly successful, including one predatory character who plans to run for mayor. They keep their relationships within the group and protect the truth about their sexual orientation rigorously. Her friends disapprove of Nicole's interest in Jake on more than level. Jake doesn't hide her preferences and they are afraid her relationship with Nicole will call attention to the rest of them, possibly ruining their careers. More disturbing though is the snobbishness that the group exhibits because Jake just isn't "one of their kind" since she isn't a college degreed professional and earns much less money than they do. Unfortunately, Nicole seems to buy into their attitude, but she has to be in contact with Jake because it soon becomes clear that the killer's real target is her. He's just using her clients to shake her up before he makes his final kill, Nicole. Two stories then develop. Can Jake penetrate layers of secrecy within the police department and identify the killer before he reaches Nicole? Can Nicole overcome her fears about exposure and rejection by her friends to allow her relationship with Jake to grow? Throw in a terrific twist in the crimes and you have a very entertaining book.

Gerri Hill is not pretentious in her storytelling. She develops her characters so well that you feel as if you know the people. She wraps them in a storyline that is so engaging that it's easy to lose track of time as you turn page after page to discover what is going to happen; then you regret that the book is over because you want to visit longer with her creation. Hill is definitely a writer who delivers a consistent and quality product, always worth reading.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: The Meadowlark Sings Author: Helen Ruth Schwartz ISBN: 1-56023-575-6 Publisher: Harrington Park Press Available From: Haworth Press, www.haworthpress.com Price: $14.95 Pages: 189 Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/Romance/Lesbian

The Meadowlark Sings by Helen Ruth Schwartz is a refreshingly different tale. Fantasy and romance blend together with just a dash of sci-fi as we peer into the possibility of a future where lesbians and gays have their own country and the United States expatriates their homosexual children to this country by the age of three. The reader must first suspend any knowledge of what the experts say can never happen in California—that, in the greatest earthquake the state has ever seen, the entire state is ripped from the mainland in an immense catastrophic rift. However, if the reader allows herself to enter into the fantasy of "what if…," Schwartz has given us a truly wonderful story.

Because of the stated history of the United States from 2010 to 2055 (the year in which the story takes place), the country of Cali, formerly California, is now the place where all homosexuals from the US are deported within the first three years of their lives, once they test positive for the gay gene, the Scarpetti gene. Cara Romero is one of those people who came to Cali as a toddler and was adopted by two women who cherish her. She has grown up to become the Director of the Office for the Aging in Cali. She runs an innovative program started by her predecessor where retirement centers are only built in conjunction with universities and are also related to child care facilities. The result has been a dramatic increase in quality of life and life span for Cali's elderly. Because of Cara's expertise, the Prime Minister of Cali, Miriam Ekstrom, decides to lift the travel ban imposed on Calian citizens for their own safety, and allows Cara to attend the World Conference on Aging in New York in order to present Cali's revolutionary program for the elderly to the world.

The prospect of traveling to the US excites Cara, in spite of the fact that she will have to travel with a body guard and will be in fear for her life in New York because the evil Olms still like to incite US citizens to attack and kill gay people. Working with Tim Felmar, her "escort officer" and press agent, the two prepare for the journey, but not before an ex-lover presents Cara with a challenge: find the Prime Minister's lover, Barbra Weissman, a physician who had been working in the embarkation program from the United States (she chose to remain behind because she had a daughter who tested negative for the Scarpetti gene and she refused to give her up—homosexuals stayed in the US at their own risk at the beginning of the deportation program).

Arriving in New York, Cara endears herself to the country with her charm and intelligence, but when she and Tim Felmar are almost mobbed by a crowd of enthusiastic supporters, they are whisked from their hotel to a more secure place. The place just happens to be the vacation home of the President of the United States, James Mooran. That's where Cara meets Jessica Mooran, the president's daughter, and they embark on a friendship that becomes even more and sets both women's lives into a tailspin as they try to figure out how Jessica, a gene-negative Scarpetti heterosexual, could develop any feelings for Cara at all, and how she and Cara can be together once the conference ends. All this, while trying to locate the mysterious Barbra to try to get her to come back to Cali to be with the Prime Minister, who knows nothing about Cara's search.

Schwartz' tale is inspirational and enlivening. Two mysteries intertwine a love story, making this tale a real page turner. The "history" of Cali and the United States is skillfully interwoven with the rest of the story. The developing romance between Cara and Jessica is beautifully told. The Meadowlark Sings is another fine offering by Haworth Press and this intelligent, masterful story is not to be missed.
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Reviewed by Anna Furtado

Title: The Next World Author: Ursula Steck ISBN: 1594930244 Publisher: Bella Books, Inc., www.Bellabooks.com Available From: Bella Books, Inc., www.Bellabooks.com and StarCrossed Productions, www.scp-inc.biz Pages: 229pages Price: $12.95 Genre: Fiction/Lesbian Mystery

A 2005 GCLS Debut Author Finalist, Ursula Steck has crafted a sinister medical thriller in the tradition of Robin Cook with The Next World.

During the opening pages, security guard Anna Spring finds her co-worker, Jeff Rockwell, dead after a hit and run. After another co-worker disappears, Anna is convinced that Jeff was indeed murdered. The police are unconvinced, so she sets out to collect evidence. Danger is evident at every turn for Anna as the lies and deception mount and more lives are threatened.

Steck never detours from the main thrust of this riveting story. From the first pages, the author hooks us by forming an exciting puzzle of clues. Even after we discover what is really going on, we do not know how Steck will resolve it. We are left hanging throughout, and the pages can't turn fast enough.

Steck generates multiple sub-plots within the story with an easy and clear writing style and without extraneous details. She expertly ties together everything as the book closes. The author uses medical facts to add a realistic and chilling aspect to The Next World so when we finally get to the shocking truth, we are stunned.

The Next World is a disturbing and unsettling book that questions medical ethics within a spine-tingling story. It is a must read for anyone who loves pure mystery.
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Reviewed by Kathi Isserman

Title: The Sacred Shore Author: Jennifer Fulton ISBN: 1-932300-35-X Publisher: Regal Crest Enterprises, www.regalcrest.biz Available From: Starcrossed Productions, www.scp-inc.biz Price: $15.95 Pages: 188 Genre: Lesbian Romance/Fiction

Title: The Three Author: Meghan O'Brien ISBN: 1932300512 Publisher: Regal Crest Enterprises, www.regalcrest.biz Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.scp-inc.biz Pages: 292 Price: $19.95 Genre: Lesbian fiction/ post-apocalyptic adventure

Title: True Colours, 3rd Edition Authors: Karen Surtees and Nann Dunne ISBN: 1-9330928-17-3 Publisher: Regal Crest, www.regalcrest.biz Available From: Starcrossed Productions, www.scp-inc.biz Price: $18.99 Pages: 352 Genre: Fiction / Romance / Lesbian

This third edition of True Colours will be a welcome addition to any reader's book collection. The book has been re-edited and re-formatted, making the presentation of an already great story even better. The first edition was written under the names Karen King and Nann Dunne. Karen Surtees used the pen name to protect her anonymity as a medic in the British Royal Navy. Britain has since rescinded its discrimination in the military.

The inhabitants of the small Texas town of Meridianville are not happy when they hear that TJ Meridian has returned. TJ's father is hated by the town because he pulled out of his ranch and meat packing plant, taking with him hundreds of jobs, and sending Meridianville's economy into the toilet. However, it takes time for them to realize that the Meridian currently in residence is nothing like him.

Taylor Jade Meridian is a powerful, driven woman who owns a multinational company. Why she has returned to Meridianville is cause for much speculation. However, the conjecture is usually followed by curses and insults because of the actions of TJ's father. That is, until a dangerous situation is discovered and the very lives of the townspeople are threatened. When TJ steps up with a solution, the town starts to rethink their opinion of the Meridian name.

Dr. Mare Gillespie has had a chance to see TJ's good side as well as her difficult side early on. When Mare is called to the Meridian Ranch to tend to a sick horse, she meets TJ and gives her a piece of her mind. TJ is intrigued by the vet's courage and ability to stand up to her, and the two form a kind of truce, then a friendship, and finally begin a torrid love affair. As Mare realizes what a formidable woman TJ is, she also sees her fragility because of childhood trauma and a mugging as an adult that left her brother dead and TJ confined to a wheelchair. She also comes to understand that TJ's physical limitations do not keep her down as much as her mental anguish. Although TJ's friends and caretakers, Erin Scott and Paula Tanner, stick with her through thick and thin, Mare seems to be the only one who can consistently make emotional contact with the brooding and sometimes stubborn TJ.

When the ranch comes under attack, it becomes clear that not everyone in Meridianville has seen the good side of the Meridians, and the women at the ranch are put into some frightening situations. In the midst of this turmoil, Mare has also discovered a secret about her own family that sets her world spinning. In spite of this uproar, the relationship between TJ and Mare grows and even manages to thrive, but only after fits and starts.

The characters are dynamic yet flawed, making them seem so real. And this strength in characterization flows through to secondary characters as well. The solid love between Erin and Paula provides a secure underpinning for the fledgling love growing between TJ and Mare.

Surtees and Dunne have produced a well-rounded tale that never falters. The story is a page-turner, leaving us wanting more. And more is to come with the sequel to True Colours, entitled Many Roads to Travel, by Surtees and Dunne.

My advice is to make certain that you get both books because you'll want to continue straight through with the second story as soon as you finish the first. This wonderful tale, filled with heart and adventure, is not to be missed.
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Reviewed by Anna Furtado

Title: Many Roads to Travel, 2nd Edition Authors: Karen Surtees and Nann Dunne ISBN: Pending Publisher: Regal Crest Enterprises, www.regalcrest.biz Available From: Starcrossed Productions, www.scp-inc.biz Price: $ Pending Pages: 260 Genre: Fiction / Romance / Lesbian

Barring unforeseen difficulties, the new editions of both books will be available at the GCLS Convention.

This new edition of Many Roads to Travel, the continuation of the story begun in True Colours, is a must have for any reader who has read the first book in the series. The first edition of Many Roads to Travel was written under the names Nann Dunne and Surtees' pen name, Karen King.

Many Roads to Travel picks up the saga that began in True Colours—the story of TJ Meridian, her partner, Dr. Mare Gillespie, and their friends, Paula Tanner and Erin Scott—where the first story ended. TJ is going under the knife to repair an old injury aggravated by an auto accident caused by some town thugs with a vendetta out for any Meridian.

Tension builds as TJ must go through a painful recovery, both emotionally and physically, and we wonder whether or not her friends will be able to weather the tumultuous times ahead. Difficulties are compounded when Faithful Flag, TJ's beloved horse, fails to thrive when TJ is absent, and Mare tries desperately to bring the beautiful palomino out of her depression and get her to eat. Added to this already tumultuous scene is the appearance of a second family belonging to TJ's father—a family that TJ didn't even know existed. Then, there is TJ's seemingly constant battle with her childhood demons as she tries to overcome the obstacles that come between her and her friends because of them.

Many Roads to Travel is packed with more adventures and misadventures of the type begun in True Colours. Like its predecessor, this story is difficult to put down as we join in the struggle with these four dynamic women to see if they will come through their personal difficulties and their efforts to continue the warm, loving relationships we learned about in the first book. Surtees and Dunne continue to give us strong, yet imperfect characters, that are deeply compelling. The story persists in calling us back, wanting to know more about each of these women—and wanting to know if they will succeed. You'll want to read True Colours and Many Roads to Travel together for one seamless, engrossing story.
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Reviewed by Anna Furtado

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Title: Turn Back Time Author: Radclyffe ISBN: 1-933110-34-1 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Inc., www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com; StarCrossed Productions, www.scp-inc.biz; or libertas.co.uk Price:$15.95 Pages: 288 Genre: Lesbian Romance

Radclyffe's knowledge gained during her surgical training clearly informs this work as the passion, dedication, frustration, and occasional disillusionment of the characters speak with the voice of authority. Based on realistic experiences, but entirely fiction, Turn Back Time is another utterly gratifying romantic medical drama that, in my opinion, is Radclyffe's crowning achievement so far. In this tightly woven tale about two amazing women who are destined to be together against all odds, Drs. Pearce Rifkin and Wynter Thompson tango around a relationship until they finally can't deny that their attraction is real.

Classes graduating from Philadelphia's four medical schools gather at the University of Pennsylvania to find out where their training will continue. Quite by accident, fourth-year medical students Pearce and Wynter meet on match day. The meeting doesn't amount to more than a spark, but little do they know that fate will bring them together again after a four-year separation.

Radclyffe's novels continue to offer strong characterization, which makes it easy to become attached to the protagonists. Pearce is striking to look at with her angular features, dark shaggy hair, and athletic build: "Wynter tracked the path of fabric over flesh and was struck by the unexpected beauty of muscles playing beneath soft skin. She saw bodies every day of her life, clothed and unclothed, in every stage of health and disease, but she couldn't remember ever seeing anything quite so lovely" (p. 98). Pearce's self-confidence, intelligence, and prowess in medicine further make her desirable and admirable.

Pearce makes no apology for being gay, and she excels at everything she sets her mind to. Not one to want anything for herself and living her life as if following a script, she's surprised when she meets Wynter, the first woman who has ever distracted her from her goals. Pearce wrestles with her feelings for Wynter. "She didn't need to look at Wynter to remember the shape of her face or the color of her eyes or the way she tilted her head and looked out from beneath those long honeyed lashes when something amused her. She didn't need to look at her to feel that tug deep in her belly" (p. 71).

From something as simple as realizing that casual affairs no longer satisfy her to accepting that she is willing to forgo certain ambitions to be with the woman she loves, Pearce not only struggles with the fear of intimacy, but she shows an incredible growth curve. Strong women who have a heart, live by a moral code, make the world a better place, and yet struggle with vulnerabilities are what compel me to care about them and read on. I love learning what makes a person tick, and Radclyffe does it especially well by revealing different layers of her characters like buds slowly opening into flowers.

Radclyffe writes like a highly skilled surgeon; she demonstrates emotion with the same precision, paying close attention to detail, and making sure everything works and connects properly in the end. That her characters are imaginary defies logic. Pearce is one character this reader wouldn't mind emulating. She's a good person in every way, and I would trust my life in her hands, if only she were real.

Wynter, unlucky at love and struggling between her personal responsibilities and her career, is not looking for a relationship. She is surprised to discover she is attracted to a woman, and not just any woman, but her senior resident, Pearce Rifkin. The fact that Pearce pulls away each time they get too close doesn't deter Wynter. Once the strong-willed woman makes up her mind about something, there's no changing it.

One endearing trait Wynter shows is sticking up for and doing what's best for the people she loves. You have to admire a person who puts others' well-being before her own.

Crisp internal and external dialogue, which is believable, honest, and witty, shows the layers of the characters as we get to know them. In addition, Radclyffe's tight plot, where every scene moves the story along, maintains the intensity and interest. Wanting to find out what secrets the characters are hiding, what will happen next, and praying that it will all work out in the end, make it impossible to turn the pages quickly enough.

Romantic fiction is meant to engage the reader and elicit feelings of longing, desire, and intimacy. Sometimes, as an added bonus, it provides sizzling sex for a totally satisfying drama. Turn Back Time not only meets the criteria for the genre but goes beyond to give the reader more than she hopes for. Even readers who are not in the health field will understand, enjoy, and feel how vital and stimulating the environment is where life and death hang in the balance. Radclyffe displays remarkable skill at making settings believable.

Turn Back Time, by award-winning, best-selling, and beloved author, Radclyffe, is a winner. Don't miss this exciting glimpse into the medical world of two highly acclaimed surgeons or into the hearts and minds of two multi-faceted women. Radclyffe fans will love this one and beg for more about the two new exciting heroines.
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Reviewed by Cheri Rosenberg

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Title: Unbidden Desires Author: Donna Kelli Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. ISBN: 0595377505 Pages: 276 Cost: $17.95 Available from: iUniverse, Inc; Amazon.com; Barnes and Noble Genre: Romance

Unbidden Desires is Donna Kelli's second novel and a continuation of the story begun in her first book Hidden Feelings. It is the story of two teenagers who are trying to understand their feelings for each other and decide what they want their roles in each other's lives to be. As the two girls struggle with their feelings and how to deal with the perceptions of society, it will remind many women of the struggles they experienced—both bitter and sweet.

Hidden Feelings is about Lori Hunter and Julie Conners, who have known of each other much of their lives and attend the same high school, but they don't travel in the same circles, so their contact has been limited. Lori is the star athlete, excelling at every sport she plays, and admired by students and teachers for her humility as well as her skill. Julie is a cheerleader and one of the "in crowd," beautiful beyond belief and chased by every jock in the school. It isn't until the girls end up as counselors at the same summer camp that they come to know each other, first as friends and then, startling them both, as lovers. As the girls try to understand what is happening between them, Lori saves Julie from a male counselor and a near-rape; then the camp closes and the girls return home with nothing settled between them.

As the second book, Unbidden Desires, opens, Julie and Lori are preparing to begin their senior year in high school and their confusion is evident. Neither girl is comfortable with the idea of declaring herself a lesbian and they are terrified that their families and friends will realize that they have more than a friendship. The reader will travel with them as they try to understand what this situation means, their attempts to transfer their emotions to boys, their concerns about what the future can hold for them and the undeniable attraction that keeps pulling them together even when they try to resist it. Meanwhile, the man who tried to rape Julie is stalking the young women and is threatening them with harm physical harm if Julie's family doesn't drop the charges against him. Lori's instinct is to confront the problem head on and Julie wants everyone to forget it and just let it go away, adding another complicating factor to their relationship. By the end of the book some issues are resolved, some aren't, but you will feel that you've taken a trip with which you can very often identify.

One minor problem with this book is that it's a product of self-publishing. Some of the dialogue needs refining and there are grammatical errors that a good editor would catch. The ending of Unbidden Desires indicates that there may be a third in the series. If that is true, Kelli needs to attach herself to a publisher who will give a book the polish it deserves. A hint to publishers: this is one you want to take a look at.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

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Title: Wild Abandon Author: Ronica Black ISBN: 1-93311035X Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com; StarCrossed Productions, www.scp-inc.biz Pages: 247 Price: $15.95 Genre: Lesbian Romance

Ronica Black has proven once again that she is an awesome storyteller with her new romance, Wild Abandon. With her second published novel, she has crafted an erotic, sensual and well paced tale.

Black dives right into the plot, immediately creating tension between the two protagonists. Dr. Chandler Brogan is pulled over and arrested by Officer Sarah Monroe for exceeding the speed limit on her motorcycle. The battle for control begins with this scene, and the conflict extends throughout, capturing our attention with an emotionally charged story.

Both Sarah and Chan like their sex steamy, unencumbered and where each holds the ultimate power. During their repeated chance encounters, we experience this clash of wills and struggle for dominance while Black increases their desire and wanting. The author's imagery of fast driving, open roads, and the resulting freedom is analogous with the themes of sexual dominance and power and paints a vivid picture. The back story is seamlessly woven in and gives the reader a better understanding of who the characters are and why each must be in control. Black sets this apart by using italics so the reader is never confused. The above devices form the meat of Wild Abandon and turn this novel into a very hot and well written book.

Black is a master at teasing the reader with her use of domination and desire. Emotions pour endlessly from the pages, moving the plot forward at a pace that never slows or gets dull. But Black doesn't stop there. She is intent on giving the reader more. Wild Abandon hints at a plot twist early on, and while we know who it involves, we do not know what will happen, and how, until the last minute, effectively keeping us spellbound.

Black's first novel, In Too Deep, was a finalist for a 2005 Lammy and is a finalist for two GCLS "Goldie" awards. With Wild Abandon, the author continues her winning ways, writing like a seasoned pro. This is one romance I will not soon forget.
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Reviewed by Kathi Isserman

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