Title: All That Glitters Author: Peggy Herring ISBN: 9781594931079 Publisher: Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Available From: Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com; StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz Pages: 237 Price: $13.95 Genre: Romance

All That Glitters continues the characters that were introduced in Peggy Herring's earlier book Calm Before the Storm. It's six years later and Marcel Robicheaux, retired army officer and antique dealer, is in love with Naomi, but living with her mother Roslin, who is a professional and very successful gambler. Things seem comfortable that way…to Marcel. Sometimes it gets a bit crowded in the house with Roslin's lover Cricket, Marcel's best friend, there, especially when Naomi decides to spend the night, but so far they've been able to deal with the situation.

Going on a joint vacation to Florida seems like a good idea, at first. Roslin and Cricket are the type of couple that argue frequently and "love" making up. The house is too small, the walls are too thin and relationships begin to unravel. Throw in severe sun burns, Naomi's sudden jealousy and a strange kidnapping that brings federal agents into their lives and it's not long before Marcel's comfortable life falls apart. Naomi leaves for home unhappy, Roslin and Cricket run off to Europe to escape the tax man and Marcel is left wondering what happened to her very ordered life. She spends the rest of the book trying to put the relationships back where they belong, but it may be a task that is impossible for her to accomplish.

Peggy Herring is an experienced and accomplished writer. She knows how to spin a tale and keep it moving to hold the reader's interest. All That Glitters certainly fits that pattern. There's enough action, suspense and drama to keep a reader happy, unless maybe if you were a fan of Calm Before the Storm. Sometimes a writer should think twice before writing a sequel to a book. If the characters have been established and the story was well developed the first time, it might be best to leave well enough alone, especially if the follow up book is going to impact on the integrity of the characters. Something happened to these characters between the books. The best word to describe them is that they got "silly."

All That Glitters is an enjoyable book and an easy way to spend a few hours. However, if you're familiar with Herring's work and liked these characters before, you may find this to be a disappointment as a sequel.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Blind Leap Authors: Diane and Jacob Anderson-Minshall ISBN-10: 1-933110-91-0 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available from: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com; Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 Pages: 242 Genre: Mystery

Blind Leap is the second in the Blind Eye Mystery series. The book features the ensemble cast from Blind Curves. Yoshi's best friend, reporter Velvet Erickson, is despondent when her friend Jeff Conant's death is ruled a suicide. Since he fell off of the Golden Gate Bridge, the ruling seems to be a "no brainer." Still, to please her friend, Yoshi agrees to investigate his death. What follows is an exciting tale as the Blind Eye team digs ever deeper into Jeff's life and into the lives of those close to him.

Anderson-Minshall handle the subject of suicide with knowledge and respect. They do, however, use humor and a wonderful team of characters to keep Blind Leap funny and exciting. Velvet is struggling with a monogamous relationship; Tucker is struggling with P.I. school. A.J. is becoming very tired of being the only female detective on the East Palo Alto police force, and Bud is still in his wheel chair, but now has a "still wet behind the ears" girl to train. Yoshi, practically blind, is using all of her other senses to compensate for her lack of vision. One particularly gripping scene has her finding her way from the side of a road up to the Castro district in San Francisco. Her ability to tell which side of the road to walk on, as well as to gather clues as to her location, was phenomenal.

Blind Leap is rich in the lore of San Francisco, from its beauty to the grime of its sex clubs. With characters as diverse as the city itself, it tells a gripping story which will keep the reader turning pages to the very exciting end.
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Reviewed by RLynne

Title: Branded Ann Author: Merry Shannon ISBN-10: 1-60282-003-1 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available from: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com; Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 Pages: 290 Genre: Historical Novel

Branded Ann is a great romp through the time when pirates roamed the Caribbean Sea, and were feared by all who sailed those waters. Branded Ann was rumored to be one of the most bloodthirsty among all of the pirates. With wild white hair, eyes of icy blue, and the brand of the cross on one cheek, she was easily recognizable, as was her all-white ship, the Ice Queen.

Her life is changed when she raids a merchant's ship bound for Jamaica. Her goal is to capture a treasure map which is reputed to lead its owner to Black Dog's gold. With the map, however, came Violet, the lovely wife of the merchant. In taking Violet on board, Ann opens the door to trouble, both from her crew, and from her own desires. What follows takes the reader to some of the favorite pirate ports, and to the deadly Devil's Triangle.

Shannon has done her homework, and gives apt descriptions of the pirates, the ship, and the ports. In addition, she clearly draws the good and evil of her characters, as well as the motivations behind their actions. She does all of this so skillfully that the reader is able to enjoy a great story without seeing the work behind it.

Branded Ann is an exciting, edge of your chair read. It keeps pages turning right to the satisfying conclusion.
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Reviewed by RLynne

Title: Conflict of Interest Author: Melanie West ISBN: 978-1-032014-28-X Publisher: DSLIJ Press Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz Price: $14.99 Pages: 178 Genre: Mystery/Action/Lesbian

Attorney Meg Stryker isn’t even sure she wants to take on the health insurance fraud case involving a hundred restaurant owners, but as she learns more about the case, the more she finds that she cannot abide the injustice and the more the mystery draws her in. She signs on to get to the bottom of why health care bills are not being paid but gets more than she bargained for.

Half the charm of the story is West’s vivid descriptions of haunts in Oakland, San Francisco and other Bay Area locales. The other half is the story itself, filled with red herrings, twists, and turns. Meg is a rather reluctant participant in the whole story, especially when things start to go bad—really bad. In addition to dealing with the mystery, this forty-something, who has been “divorced” from her partner of many years, actually finds new meaning and a new relationship in her life as the plot unfolds. Conflict of Interest is the story of an older lesbian living her life to the fullest. A story that allows baby boomer
lesbians a chance to see themselves in characters that are alive and active, even if not as agile as they once were.

The character of Meg Stryker is easily endearing. A bit of a bumbler and somewhat naive, she manages to solve the case in spite of herself, all the while getting back into shape with her friend, Ginny, in an aerobics class she didn’t really want to attend. Simon Woo, the restaurant owner who pulls Meg into the case in the first place, is a charmingly stereotypical ethnic character. Mollie Fried is the thorn in Meg’s side that comes under suspicion from the start, but Mollie’s involvement in the case seems to be one of those ironic twists.

Conflict of Interest is a first offering from Melanie West, a former San Francisco Bay Area attorney herself. During a local reading, the author revealed that the plot is based on a case on which she actually worked. (She did not divulge if the danger and romance portrayed in the story were also part of her experiences while working on the real case.) There may be more of Meg Stryker to come, which is a truly delightful prospect.
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Reviewed by Anna Furtado

Title: Eyes of Gray Author: Dani O'Connor ISBN 978-1-883523-82-4 Publisher: Spinsters Ink Available from: www.bellabooks.com Price: $14.95 Pages: 167 Genre: Mystical

O'Connor has given her fans an intriguing read. Grayson Thomas is a college senior whose roommates have all dropped out, graduated, or flunked out. She's left alone in a big house, close to campus, and across the street from the Methodist Church. The house has a large front porch, with a swing, that's perfect for sitting, dreaming, and watching the world go by.

Gray's life seems simple until one morning when she sees a mysterious "man in black." He looks just like the man she saw a few times when she was a child. Back then, her family accused her of seeing/inventing a boogeyman. Gray sees him by her car, across from her house, and is sure this isn't her imagination working overtime. Curiously, whenever she does see the man in black, her nose bleeds.

O'Connor has done a wonderful job of juxtapositioning a rather typical college student with someone who is anything but typical. As Seth, the man in black, begins playing a larger and larger role in Gray's life the reader is left to decide if he is an angel of death, or even, if he's real at all. Added to the story are Gray's friends and doctor, as well as the pastor at the Methodist Church. Eyes of Gray is a thoughtful book that keeps the reader guessing right up to the exciting end.
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Reviewed by RLynne

Title: Focus of Desire Author: Kim Baldwin ISBN: 1-933110-92-9 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com; Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 Pages: 239 Genre: Romance

In a change of pace from her previous novels of suspense, Kim Baldwin has given her fans an intelligent romance, filled with delightful peeks at the lives of the rich and famous. Isabel Sterling is living a quiet life in Madison, WI, when her best friend enters her into the "Sophisticated Women Watch Your Dreams Come True" contest. The winner will get a make-over, as well as an all-paid trip for two to four wonderful locales. When Isabel wins the contest, it is only the idea of actually getting to travel to Paris, Rome, etc., that persuades her to accept. Naturally, her travel companion will be her best friend, Gillian.

Natasha Kashnikova is a world-famous photographer whose camera can make or break a model. Her success has given her a jaded reaction to women; she knows they all want to be on the cover of a magazine and they will willingly perform to get there. Nearing her fortieth birthday, she's sure she has seen and done it all. Now Kash must pay back a favor by traveling with some Wisconsin innocent and capturing her make-over on film.

Baldwin has done a wonderful job of delving into her two protagonists and showing how this seemingly simple trip creates life-changing experiences for both women. Isabel realizes that she has been "settling all this time. Settling for what and who was offered." Kash also takes a second look at her life and realizes that she, too, has settled for less than her dreams.

As both women grow and change, the reader journeys into some of the hot dance clubs in Paris and Rome, and gets a front row seat to some very powerful sex scenes. Baldwin definitely proves that lust has gotten a bad rap. Focus of Desire is a great read, with humor, strong dialogue and heat.
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Reviewed by RLynne

Title: For Now, For Always Author: Marianne K. Martin ISBN: 1932859430 Publisher: Bywater Books, www.bywaterbooks.com Available From: Bywater Books, www.bywaterbooks.com; StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz Price: $13.95 Pages: 234 Genre: Romance

What would you give up to save your family? Would you give up college and a career? Would you give up a chance at a decent job and live on public assistance? Would you give up love?

Renee Parker never stopped to think about her choices. She was seventeen, her stepfather had committed suicide because he couldn't take care of the family, and her mother was sent to prison for embezzlement. Someone had to take care of her four younger sisters and brothers and she was obviously that person. She's been handling the responsibilities and it hasn't been easy. Renee is trying to provide stability in the children's lives, go to school, and work a job.

Then there's the social worker assigned to their case, Millie Gordon. Gordon's years of experience tell her that Renee can't do the job and her personal prejudice against Renee's lesbianism confirms that the young woman shouldn't be given the chance to influence the children's lives. Fortunately, through numerous hearings, the skill of Renee's lawyer has kept the family intact, but each case gets harder.

The youngest child, Rory, has developed epilepsy, and his attacks are becoming more frequent. One of these attacks brings nurse Olivia Dumont into their lives. Olivia's love for children draws her into the family where she discovers a different kind of love for Renee. Finally, Renee has found someone who can and wants to help her with the many responsibilities she has, but not if Millie Gordon has her way. When everything else fails, Gordon will use the women's relationship as an attack on the family and Renee has to make some serious decisions. She has always promised the children she would be with them "for now, for always," but she may have to break the law to do it and leave Olivia behind as a consequence.

Marianne Martin is one of the true wordsmiths of lesbian literature. She uses rich vocabulary to paint the images in her stories, both characters and settings. For Now, For Always is another of her books that gives the reader much to think about. The nature of family duty is explored as Renee tries to do what's right for her siblings and deal with the anger she feels at her parents for leaving them in this situation. The role of the court in family issues is also scrutinized, especially in how a dedicated, but misguided, social worker can try to misuse the system.

Anyone reading the book has to feel the frustration and absolute fear that radiate from Renee as she tries to cope with all of this and the yearning she feels for the love and support that Olivia can give her, but which she is terrified to take. This is the type of story that makes you want to take up a sword and sign petitions. Another well told, engrossing, intricate story told by an author who isn't afraid to step outside of the constraints of traditional formulas. For Now, For Always is definitely a book to be placed in your "to be read" pile.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Fully Involved Author: Erin Dutton ISBN-10: 1-9331100-99-6 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com; Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 Pages: 233 Genre: Romance

Set in Nashville, Fully Involved starts with a bang as fire engines race toward a fire at the downtown Hilton Hotel. Reid Webb and her partner, Jimmy Grant, have been best friends since childhood. Now, on the first engine to arrive, they dash into the hotel to find a child trapped on the third floor. Even as their captain radios them to withdraw, they look in one more spot and find the child. This exciting rescue costs Jimmy his life.

Dutton literally fills the pages with smoke as she vividly describes the scene. She is equally skilled at showing her readers Reid's feelings of guilt and rage at the loss of her best friend. Jimmy left behind a seven-year-old son, Chase. Reid knows she must be there for Chase, even as she is dealing with her own grief.

Isabel Grant, Jimmy's younger sister, is now Chase's legal guardian. Isabel has long resented the closeness of Reid to her brother. Now she must live in Jimmy's house, next door to Reid, and interact with her.

Fully Involved explores the emotional depths of these two very different women. Each woman struggles with loss, change, and the magnetic attraction they have for each other. Their relationship sizzles, flames, and ignites with a page-turning intensity. This is an exciting read about two very intriguing women.
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Reviewed by RLynne

Title: Grace After Midnight, A Memoir Authors: Felicia "Snoop" Pearson and David Ritz ISBN-10: 0446195189 ISBN-13: 978-0446195188 Publisher: Grand Central Publishing Available From: Amazon.com and other online bookstores Price: $14.96 (Hardcover) Pages: 240 Genre: Memoir/Lesbian

Despite it's poetic title, Grace After Midnight is not a romance novel. Nor is it the latest release in a mystery series. It's not fiction at all. It is the memoir of a young African-American lesbian woman, Felicia "Snoop" Pearson, who is currently a cast member of the HBO television series, The Wire. This book is also an indictment of America's willingness to ignore the urban poverty that gives birth to cold-hearted crimes and convinces children that their place is in the street, brokering their way into the drug and thug trade.

Felicia "Snoop" Pearson was born in Baltimore, MD, addicted in-utero to crack cocaine. Her life went downhill from there. When she was eight years old and already an expert observer of life on Oliver Street, she earned her first thirty dollar "salary" by babysitting a package of drugs while its owner took care of business elsewhere.

By her own account, Snoop was a good student who loved math. She loved the excitement in the streets even more, however. One afternoon, a walk through an alley with one of her homeboys, D, brought her face to face with the inevitable. A man raced past them, another man on his heels. Within seconds the chaser shot his prey, and Snoop witnessed her first murder. She stood still, cool. The shooter nodded and then tossed her his gun. Snoop the drug runner, became Snoop the sixth grader armed with a nine-millimeter weapon.

Hardened and desensitized, Snoop brought an extra element to her persona, her sexuality. She was/is proudly open and candid about her attraction to women. She recounts several verbal gay bashing incidents, not understanding and criticizing those who refuse to simply accept individual differences.

A defining event related to Snoop's lesbianism occurred when Uncle, a career drug dealer who gave Snoop her nickname, figured that Snoop might be gay, but not irreversibly so. He arranged what he thought would be an "aversive conditioning experiment," by setting up a date between Snoop and an older sexually experienced woman. Uncle's attempt to "cure" Snoop simply verified her sexuality. To quote Snoop, "He's [Uncle's] thinking, She turned you off. I'm thinking, She turned me out." (p. 59)

Snoop's jail term relationship with a female Corrections Officer was more of an affectionate nurturing one than a passionate affair. Both women realized they had a lot to lose if their bond were discovered. Free to be together after Snoop was released from prison, they quickly discovered that their personalities/needs clashed, and the relationship crached and burned.

Grace After Midnight is a compelling read. It's first person narrative puts you in the street, jail cell, and locked closet with its main character. It's interesting that the single jolting jump from the narrator's point of view to an almost out-of-body third person narration occurs during Snoop's most dramatic and fate-sealing scene.

We readers can watch Snoop in TV episodes of The Wire, and wonder just how far she's stretching to play her role. We'll be pulling for her, hoping she continues to find strength in that grace.
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Guest Review by S. Renée Bess

Title: Greetings From Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer Author: Mari SanGiovanni ISBN: 9781932859300 Publisher: Bywater Books, www.bywaterbooks.com Available From: Bywater Books, www.bywaterbooks.com; StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz Price: $13.95 Pages: 256 Genre: Fiction

Take one dysfunctional Italian family, add a great deal of money inherited from a bitter old grandmother, an impulsive protagonist with a dream of hitting the big-time with her screenplay, and one beautiful actress with some very definite inhibitions, drop them into an all-inclusive Jamaican resort for two weeks and you’ve got a funny, wild, impetuous story that reads like a memoir.

While Marie Santora’s father and aunt circle around each other uneasily over conflicts regarding grandma’s house and property, Marie wonders how to use the cash she’s inherited from her grandmother to unite the divided family. The old lady never cared for most of the family, and the feeling, apparently, was mutual. In an effort to treat everyone fairly, Marie decides that she will divide up the money, but they have to earn it by spending two weeks in the Caribbean making nice with one another.

In the meantime, Marie sees her new inheritance as her way out of a bad relationship. She has stayed with her cheating girlfriend only because she couldn’t afford to move out. Now, with a much better financial situation, Marie looks to a budding career as a screenplay writer. To that end, she begins the pursuit of Hollywood star, Lorn Elaine, trying to enlist her help in producing, and starring in, her play. A boggled attempt to meet Lorn by staging a car accident makes Marie retreat and regroup—until Elaine shows up at the very same resort that the Santora family inhabits. An embarrassed Marie finally meets the actress only to discover that sparks fly between them and Marie wonders if she should abandon her screenplay motive for romance. She soon discovers there’s a problem, however, because Lorn is very much in the closet—and this creates all kinds of conflicting feelings for both women. All the while, Marie must juggle her raucous family while trying to establish a tentative relationship with Lorn.

During their stay on the island, there is a mishap with a hot meatball, an already disastrous love affair spoiled by the appearance of a paparazzo, far too much alcohol imbibed by the Santora family, and several instances of big-mouthed family members with good intentions and bad results.

Greetings from Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer is both funny and touching with a little romance thrown in for good measure. Feed your inner Italian with this one.
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Reviewed by Anna Furtado

Title: Greetings From Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer Author: Mari SanGiovanni ISBN: 9781932859300 Publisher: Bywater Books, www.bywaterbooks.com Available From: Bywater Books, www.bywaterbooks.com; StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz Price: $13.95 Pages: 256 Genre: Fiction

It's always a nice surprise when a book turns out to be more than was expected. Most reviews of Greetings From Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer are devoted to talking about the humor and the unique characters. To discover that it also contains some pointed commentary about the difficulty of being a lesbian in America was a bonus.

Marie Santora is certainly surrounded by unusual people, most of them family members. Her life is pretty much in a rut with a job she doesn't like and a cheating girlfriend, until the grandmother that everyone hated decides to leave her fortune to Marie as a way to spite the whole family. Now Marie can move to California and pursue her dream of being a scriptwriter, but not until she takes the entire family on a consolation trip to Jamaica. That alone makes her siblings suspect that she's slightly unbalanced.

While they are there, they meet television star Lorn Elaine and her mother. Marie would very much like a relationship with Lorn, but there are complications. For one, Marie's family, through a misunderstanding, thinks that Lorn is already Marie's girlfriend and, if she's not careful, they may convince Lorn that Marie is either a stalker or a psychopath. The other problem is that Lorn is so deeply in the closet that she could be in the next house and she is not interested in a relationship that could threaten a career she has spent most of her life protecting.

Between her crazy family, Lorn's hot and cold behavior and the unexpected appearance of the ex-girl friend, Marie rambles from one funny situation to another trying to find a way to make all of the pieces fit into her life without self combusting. The back cover features a picture of a sandal with a meatball sitting in it. If that doesn't tell you this book is full of laughs, then the caption that SanGiovanni provided for her picture certainly will.

What was unexpected were the insightful comments SanGiovanni had to make about being a lesbian in a straight society. At appropriate points in the story she remarks about things that most lesbians relate to. When you walk into a room just how do you identify who is "family" and who isn't? Contrary to popular fiction, most lesbians don't have gaydar and there isn't a secret handshake or neon sign to help you out. Is a smile just a friendly gesture or an invitation to something else? How do you convince your relatives that you really aren’t going to change your mind even if they do fix you up with the "right" man? That the woman you've been bringing with you to family gatherings for years really isn't just another attempt to give your mother a heart attack.

By watching the Santora family, the reader also gets a clear picture of how important family can be in shaping a person and Uncle Tony shows how deep and abiding love can be. None of this is delivered in a heavy, lecturing style. The lessons are delivered with humor and twine within the story quite easily. That means the reader is often learning something before she realizes it.

Welcome To Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer would probably be just as funny if it were about any ethnic family. Because Italian Americans are generally known for their bigger than life emotions, that just adds to the fun. You can almost hear the women saying in chorus, "Laugh. Learn. Enjoy." You'll do all three.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Greetings From Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer Author: Mari SanGiovanni ISBN: 9781932859300 Publisher: Bywater Books, www.bywaterbooks.com Available From: Bywater Books, www.bywaterbooks.com; StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz Price: $13.95 Pages: 256 Genre: Fiction

Greetings From Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer is a hilarious, laugh-out-loud story told in the first person by its heroine, Marie Santora. Marie is the middle child in a boisterous Italian family that has enough quirks and drama to fill a soap opera. When Marie's grandmother leaves her all of her money, she is free to pursue her dream of becoming a Hollywood screenwriter. Of course, her family and her cheating girlfriend have other thoughts about how she should spend her money.

Marie and her brother, Vince, decide to take the entire family to Jamaica for two weeks in the hopes that the tropics will help everyone mellow. What follows is a hysterical series of coincidences and surprises that keeps the reader laughing.

Marie buys a house in the Hollywood Hills, meets the film actress of her dreams, and hires a lesbian decorator who also has acting talent. She spends some time reflecting on her life and the choices she's made, and investing in a business.

SanGiovanni has given her readers a delightful sexy romp of a novel that is a joy to read and savor.
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Reviewed by RLynne

Title: Heartsong Author: Lynn Ames ISBN 10: 1-933133-74-X - ISBN-13: 978-1933113-74-6 Publisher: Intaglio Publications Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz Price: $16.95 Pages: 288 Genre: Romance/Lesbian

Early in Heartsong one of the main characters states, "Life is seldom as we plan it. What we do--how we act and react in those unscripted moments--that, in my opinion, is what defines who we are". Those words are a window into the message of this book. There are many unscripted moments in the lives of Danica and Chase, and, in the telling, is how each character reacts.

Danica Warren lost her lover of eighteen years in an avalanche. She was able to save herself, and three others, but not Sandy. In the three years following, she has written a best selling memoir and built a successful career as a motivational speaker. She has not forgiven herself for Sandy's death.

Chase Crosley is the CEO of the New York State Credit Union Association. While her luck in love has not been good, she has built a successful career and a network of friends. She wasn't prepared for meeting Danica Warren.

Heartsong explores the idea of a love between two people that transcends all that has come before and which follows after. It's the idea that there is one great love for each of us, if we can but find and recognize it. For Danica and Chase, the connection is instantaneous. The problems they face are huge. As their story continues, each must cope with challenges and emotional obstacles.

Ames has given her fans a story with staying power and hope. She also challenges her readers that finding their one great love is not the end of the road; each must work to keep that love and to help it grow.
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Reviewed by RLynne

Title: House of Clouds Author: KI Thompson ISBN-10: 1-933110-94-5 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com; Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 Pages: 377 Genre: Historical Romance/Lesbian

Writing historical fiction is always tricky. There are always those readers who know something about the period and don't like to see liberties taken with the facts. Setting a book in the American Civil War, which still tends to arouse passions, is almost asking for trouble. The fact that KI Thompson does a more than credible job is commendable.

House of Clouds tells the story of two women brought together in the most tragic period in US history. Northerner Jordan Colfax and Southerner Laura St. Clair first meet because their brothers are best friends and cadets at West Point. Emotions are running high in the country and the women quickly find themselves on opposite sides of the arguments, but there is an attraction they can't deny. Jordan, who is a well-known actress, is recruited to spy for the North while she is in Richmond performing and her main target is Laura's father, a highly placed official in the new Confederate government. Laura finds this self-reliant woman to be a refreshing change from the women she is surrounded by and delights in introducing her to "polite" society and shocking her parents' friends; however, she finds herself becoming progressively more confused as her parents pressure her to make a "proper marriage," yet all she wants to do is spend time with Jordan. Her confusion only grows when she discovers the truth about why Jordan is in Richmond and must decide which of her loves to betray, Jordan or her country. The women experience tragedy, suspense, and a crisis that could get them both killed, but the real test will be whether they can forgive each other enough to consider a life together.

One of the problems of novels set in the Civil War is that they tend to tell the story only from one side, the Northern, and to repeat the same tired, not always accurate, opinions. Thompson tries to avoid that and does a respectable service to a very complex event. She presents arguments from the Southern side that their decisions were based on multiple issues and were expressions of deeply felt passions, although she does rather hastily dismiss their statements and lean on the correctness of the Northern attitudes.

The characters are rich and full, and in a very real touch, both Jordan and Laura, though they don't completely come over to the other side, do come to realize that the issues are more complicated than they originally believed and that there is some justification in how the other feels.

The book's scope is broadened by the inclusion of a side story involving the conflicting emotions of a slave woman and her daughter as they react to what is happening around them. Thompson's knowledge of Virginia geography and her descriptions of life just before and during the Civil War give the book a realistic feeling that makes the story more appealing.

This is not a heavy historic novel and shouldn't scare away readers who think they don't care for that type of book. This is an interesting story, full of suspense, intrigue, sorrow and passion that is set in the saddest period of American history. You don't need to know the history to enjoy House of Clouds, but you might learn something while reading a good story. That is always a plus in this reviewer's opinion.
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Review by Lynne Pierce

Title: Mine Author: Georgia Beers ISBN-10: 1-933110-95-3 - ISBN-13: 978-1-933110-95-0 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Inc., www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com; Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 Pages: 224 Genre: Romance

Mine delicately and beautifully explores the emotional trauma which occurs when a widow or widower begins a new relationship. Courtney McAllister, a teacher in her mid-thirties, lost her partner in a car accident. Lisa Whitney is also in her mid-thirties, and has lost her fiancé. The two women meet and bond in a bereavement group. Although they are, by far, the youngest members in the group, Courtney and Lisa soon discover that everyone is going through the same feelings of loss, guilt, and hope.

For Courtney, hope comes in the form of Rachel Hart, "Million Dollar Producer." Rachel is the realtor Courtney hires to sell her house. For Lisa, hope comes in the form of Mark, Courtney's good friend and the brother of her dead partner. The couples begin dating and the delicate beginnings of trust are formed. For both Rachel and Mark, the beginnings are filled with quicksand as they try to avoid inadvertently making a blunder. Courtney and Lisa each tiptoe toward intimacy while trying to not feel unfaithful to their dead partners.

Beers handles the emotions beautifully, with humor and a light hand. Rachel has a wonderfully grounded straight guy-friend, who is an outstanding cook and listener. Courtney has her long-time friend, Amelia, who can hang wallpaper as easily as she can give Courtney a needed push. Courtney, a high school teacher, manages to balance teenage hormones and cell phones with equal ease. With her setting in upstate New York, Beers includes the seasons and how they affect her characters, as well as giving her readers a feel for her home. Mine is a novel that will stay with its readers long after the final chapter is read.
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Reviewed by RLynne

Title: Place of Exile Author: Rose Beecham ISBN: 9781933110981 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com; Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 Pages: 250 Genre: Mystery

Jennifer Fulton, writing as Rose Beecham, has produced another in the Jude Devine mystery series. Unlike some series that become trite over time and show no character growth, Beecham's Devine books are getting stronger.

The Four Corners of the US Southwest is a perfect setting for these books. The area seems to be a magnet for cults, paramilitary organizations, White Supremacist groups and every other loose cannon in American society. In Place of Exile, Jude Devine, who is an undercover FBI agent working as a sheriff's deputy, finds herself dealing simultaneously with the murder of an arms dealer, fighting between rival supremacist organizations, a terror threat on the Telluride Film Festival and a rogue military veteran who is on a self-appointed assassination mission against Vice President Cheney. Jude has to do a delicate dance in trying to resolve these cases, changing her role to suit each situation, and trying not to have her cover blown.

She doesn't mind taking on extra assignments, however, because they help to distract her from her tangled personal life. The woman she loves has "married" a famous actress, but she won't leave Jude alone and Jude finds that, no matter how hard she tries, she can't purge Dr. Mercy Westmoreland from her blood. And she does try, especially when Special Agent in Charge Aidan Hill arrives to coordinate the antiterrorism activities and strikes sparks with Jude. If there is a drawback to this book, it may be that there seems to be too much going on, except that Beecham weaves the threads together in a convincing plot. Each story line reaches a conclusion, not always happy, but enough threads are left dangling to indicate that Jude Devine will probably make another appearance in the future.

The skill that Beecham has developed while writing more than seventeen novels in her various personas is obvious. She writes a very tight book. There aren't any wasted scenes and the plot flows very smoothly even though it's dealing with multiple aspects. One of the strengths of Beecham's writing is that she is able to convey a great deal of information in a limited number of words. When the reader gets within thirty or so pages of the end of the book, it appears that it will be impossible to conclude all of the story lines, but Beecham pulls it off in a very satisfying manner. It would be difficult to find any section of this book that could be edited out without having a detrimental effect on the whole work.

The various themes, instead of conflicting with each other, blend to create a feeling that is very realistic. Actual agents are surely required to deal with multiple cases while handling life's personal trials just as Jude is. An impressive point about the book, though, is the tremendous amount of research that went into creating the story. Even someone who is well-read will find that she learns new information about the topics. The fact that Beecham is able to spend the time to collect all of these details while turning out other books is very impressive.

The important thing to note about this series is that it isn't static. Jude isn't solving the same situation book after book and she's not always dealing with the same people. New characters drift in and out and new information is revealed that keeps adding to the character of Jude herself. This is the book that explains why Jude has sentenced herself to this place of exile and the personal torment from early in her life that drives what she does today. It's the perfect set up for the next book.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Place of Exile Author: Rose Beecham ISBN: 9781933110981 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com; Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 Pages: 250 Genre: Mystery

Place of Exile is the third book in the Jude Devine mystery series. Set in the Four Corners , it vividly shows the contrasts of the small towns, open wilderness, and the closeness to the homes of the rich and famous for which this area is famous. With its wide emptiness, the Four Corners provide the perfect place for individuals who wish to "fly under the radar." Jude finds it the ideal spot to heal from her work with the FBI's Crimes Against Children unit. Now working with the Montezuma County Sheriff, (and undercover for the FBI), she has her hands full with White Supremacists, the Russian Mafia, and a former paratrooper who seems to be stashing arms and disappearing at odd times.

Beecham deals with these weighty subjects with a sharp wit, and a certain "tongue in cheek" touch that keeps the book moving and engaging. Her use of current international politics adds a cut-from-the-headlines element of realism to her story. Her characters show growth, and the enigmatic Jude opens up more in each book. It is particularly revealing when Beecham allows the reader to see Devine through the eyes of her subordinates.

Place of Exile is an exciting read, as Jude goes from one crisis to another. Through it all, she has to deal with the return of her former lover, Dr. Mercy Westmoreland. The skill with which Jude handles the personal and professional demands are part of what makes her such a compelling character and Beecham's series such a "must read."
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Reviewed by RLynne

Title: The Crown of Valencia Author: Catherine Friend ISBN: 1-933110-96-1 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com; Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 Pages: 283 Genre: Historical Novel

The Crown of Valencia is the sequel of Friend's The Spanish Pearl. While this book stands alone, for those who read the first novel, it answers the famous question, "Do they live happily ever after?" It also further develops the primary (and some secondary) characters as they age and mature. As the book begins, Kate has returned to our century to raise Arturo, the orphan to whom she and Anna had promised a family. Eight years pass, with Arturo becoming a typical American young boy, and Kate studying ancient languages and Spanish history. While she's mellowed, Kate has not lost her sharp wit or tongue, nor has she forgotten Elena.

It is during her studies that Kate sees history magically changing in the books she's reading. She realizes that trouble is afoot. And, the only person with enough prior knowledge to make the changes has to be Anna, her former lover. Kate knows that if she doesn't journey back in time to undo Anna's mischief, the strands of time will be forever altered. Arturo, now fourteen, is determined to accompany Kate in her travel to eleventh century Spain.

Once again, Friend has done her homework. Her descriptions of people, places, culture and customs are impeccable. She does a wonderful job in fitting a young American male into these ancient times, and showing how the completely different culture affects him. In addition, she shows the changes eight years have made in both Kate and Elena. Is it possible to return to a place, and a woman, after leaving them for eight years? And, the Kate who returns is now a mother. What changes will that make in both her perspective and in the eyes of Elena?

The Crown of Valencia is a great read. Catherine Friend has filled her novel with intrigue, adventure, humor and romance. Her characters are real, and linger long in the mind after the last page is read.
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Reviewed by RLynne

Title: The Platypus Ploy Author: Claire McNab ISBN: 9781593500269 Publisher: Alyson Books Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz Price: $13.95 Pages: 234 Genre: Mystery

Once again Claire McNab shows her talent for wrapping a mystery in humor. McNab is one of our "founding mothers" who never seems to get the credit or recognition for what she's done for lesbian literature. She never pretends she's writing the great lesbian novel. She just writes good books. With her Kylie Kendall series, she's struck pure gold. Anyone who has not read any of the other books in the Kylie Kendall series has missed a treat.
The Platypus Ploy is the fifth book in the series and opens with Kylie, transplanted Australian and detective in training, preparing to work undercover in a retirement home for show business stars. Someone is embezzling money and Kylie's agency has been hired to find out who it is. This brings her in contact with outrageous individuals, including a Shakespearean ham, a faded matinee idol, and a former Hollywood beauty queen who has a voracious appetite for women.

Unfortunately, before the investigation can proceed very far, someone kidnaps Ariana Creeling, Kylie's partner in the agency and the woman she adores. Kylie is sure that someone at the home knows what has happened and that to rescue Ariana, she's going to have to solve the mystery, but getting anyone to talk is extremely difficult.

Things take an even darker turn when it becomes clear that Ariana's disappearance is connected to someone who has been stalking Kylie and making death threats. Kylie knows she's in a race against time and the reward is Ariana's life.

The series is peopled with a great supporting cast of characters, including Melodie, the receptionist-soon-to-be-major-star, who uses her network of receptionists to know everything before the Office of Homeland Security; Fran, the self-appointed office manager, who insists on having disaster drills for The Big One, whether it's a nuclear attack or general terrorist mayhem, and Julia Roberts, the cat who rules the office and torments Lonnie the computer geek. This book also includes, besides the entertainment has-beens, a psychic who keeps things stirred up.

The ways the characters interact are totally authentic and lead you to believe that you're in the midst of real people. One of the best lines in The Platypus Ploy is when Kylie lets loose with several Australian sayings and Fran says to her that she hasn't understood a word she's said and she's been meaning to tell her for some time that she usually doesn't. The way McNab words it is hilarious. As an Australian who has lived in the US for a long time, she's probably encountered that problem herself.

If you haven't read any of the previous books, you really should start at the beginning with The Wombat Strategy, then go to The Kookaburra Gambit, The Quokka Question and The Dingo Dilemma. The development of the characters is progressive in the books, and unlike some series, you don't get the same story over and over with just a different title. If you have read the other books, The Platypus Ploy feels like coming back to old friends, but friends who always have something new to show you. This keeps the books interesting instead of stagnant.
If you like a good mystery that will also have you laughing, you'll love these books.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Winds of Fortune Author: Radclyffe ISBN-10: 1-933110-93-7 ISBN-13: 978-1-933110-93-6 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com; Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.96 Pages: 270 Genre: Romance/Lesbian

Old and new friends battle a raging storm with hurricane-force winds while Dr. Tory King’s new associate, Dr. Nita Burgoyne, battles her own inner demons and rebuffs the advances of construction company owner, Deo Camara. In addition, Sheriff Reese Conlon, Tory’s partner, just recently returned from a harrowing ordeal in Iraq, battles her own inner darkness, and Tory and Reese struggle to find how they will live out their lives in light of Reese’s trauma. To add to the difficulty, Reese is burdened with the responsibility of the entire department as Chief Nelson Parker deals with his own life-threatening illness.

As Nita struggles to stand firm in her rejection of the beautiful Deo, the complex composition and experiences of these two women’s lives unfold. The question is: can they each overcome the shadows that haunt them to find their way to acceptance of themselves and one another?

While all this is going on in Provincetown, young officer Bri must struggle with her own vulnerability because of her father’s condition. As has happened in the past, we see that Carrie, Bri’s partner, must be the stabilizing force in the young Sheriff’s life.

Finally, there is the terrible storm that threatens to leave Provincetown a disaster while endangering the lives of those who remain to weather the storm. Members of the Sheriff’s Department, Deo and her crew, Tory, and Nita who stay to tend to the sick and injured—all are at risk.

Radclyffe has given us bittersweet vulnerability in old friends, continued deep feelings between Tory and Reese, exquisite sexual tension between Nita and Deo, as well as complications fostered by Nelson’s illness and the raging storm’s threat to the town and its people. These elements combine to make Winds of Fortune an excellent read.
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Reviewed by Anna Furtado