Title: Addison Black and the Eye of Bastet Author: MJ Walker ISBN: 9780979412028 Publisher: Blue Feather Books, LTD, www.bluefeatherbooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; and Blue Feather Books, www.bluefeatherbooks.com Price: $20.39 - Pages: 303 Genre: Adventure/suspense

In Addison Black and the Eye of Bastet MJ Walker has returned to the characters she introduced in an earlier book, Black's Magic. Super agent Addison is now joined in British MI5 Special Ops by her lover Dr. Skyler Tidwell, who has been trained to be an "eyes and ears" or the brains to Addison's brawn and ingenuity. Their first assignment has them investigating the murders of archaeologists in Egypt, breaking into ancient tombs and pursuing the killers to the tropical jungles of Sierra Leone. Along the way, what was supposed to be a recovery mission for ancient artifacts turns into a desperate attempt to save the world from a megalomaniac bent on using artificial intelligence and computers to achieve total domination. If the women can't stop him, failure could cost a lot more than their lives.

The timing of this book in the summer of 2008 could not be more perfect. With summer movies featuring Indiana Jones on a new quest, mummies being battled in China and another Journey to the Center of the Earth, Addison Black fits right in. Combine James Bond and Emma Peel, throw in a dash of McGuyver and a touch of Rambo, put it in a Xena-like body and you have the feminine hero for every adventure lover. Skyler Tidwell provides a perfect counterbalance, supplying unbelievable bits of information from out of her head to solve problems and appearing to be the quieter member of the partnership until something ignites her fuse.

The story is engaging from the beginning and doesn't let up until the end. Crisis builds on top of crisis and the adventure mounts, keeping the pages turning. Black's motto should be, "Things may be hopeless, but there's always a way out." For the technology lovers, there are all kinds of handy little gadgets that look nothing like what they really do, but make Addison and Skyler a force to deal with. As in the movies, the characters are painted with a broad brush. The evil guys are really evil and the good guys are really good. Reading this book is similar to watching one of those movies and just as much fun. If there is any danger in the book, it's that the characters and story are too stereotypical, but fans of the genre will say that's ridiculous and they're probably right. The movie theaters have been full this summer of people who want to see exactly this type of story.

For pure escapist fun it would be difficult to top Addison Black and the Eye of Bastet.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Breaking Spirit Bridge Author: Ruth Perkinson ISBN: 9781883523954 Publisher: Spinsters Ink Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; and Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $14.95 - Pages: 184 Genre: Dramatic fiction

Breaking Spirit Bridge returns to the two main characters from Perkinson's earlier book, Piper's Someday. After living in Canada for several years with her guardians, Piper and her three-legged dog Someday return to Virginia so that Piper can attend college on a basketball scholarship. Charlottesville provides an exciting environment for Piper, but not one that can protect her from the trauma of her early years in Richmond. Though she tries to focus on her team, new friends and lover, Piper is haunted by old demons. The memories of her families' deaths and the abuse she suffered afterward are resurrected when Piper is called to Richmond to confront her dying grandfather. Piper begins to experience episodes of losing touch with reality and hearing voices and sounds and there is only Someday, the only solid link to her past and her protector, to keep her grounded. Tragedy beyond Piper's comprehension finally drives her into a mental hospital and she will fight to regain not only her sanity, but her ability to view the future with hope.

This is not an easy book to read in the sense that Piper takes the reader on a difficult journey. Bipolarism is an illness that subjects people to extreme highs and lows and trying to live inside their heads is extremely confusing. It is difficult for them to separate reality from fantasy and trying to follow the train of thought requires the reader to focus more intently than many novels. Anyone who is familiar with these characters from the previous book also may find it difficult to cope with what is happening to Piper. At times her disintegration into the illness is at best uncomfortable to watch and many times distressing. The reader wants so much for this young woman to finally have a happy life that to have her suffer so badly can be painful. This can't have been an easy book for Perkinson to write either. To be able to express these emotions and the depths of this illness in a way that draws the reader in requires knowledge of what bipolarism does beyond what simple research can accomplish. At times the reader will get an almost uncomfortable feeling that she is being given an insight to the author that is almost too personal.

Breaking Spirit Bridge is well written by Perkinson and presented by Spinsters Ink. This isn't a light romance or an engrossing mystery, but it is a powerful character study. It's an intelligent book that requires the reader to contemplate the impact of mental illness on people and those who care about them. If you're looking for easy entertainment, this isn't it, but, if you're looking for something that is enlightening and a good story, you want to try this book.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Chilling Tales of Terror and the Supernatural Author: Patty G. Henderson (editor) ISBN: 1933720468 Publisher: P.D. Publishing, www.pdpublishing.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz Price: $15.99 Pages: 158 Genre: Horror Anthology

Editor's Warning: The reading and enjoyment of this anthology will greatly increase your chances of terrifying nightmares, lack of sleep and fear of your own shadow.

That warning plus one look at the cover picture will tell the reader that this is not meant to be a typical lesbian anthology. No tender scenes of romance, unless you find someone biting your neck and sucking out all of your blood charming. No thrilling adventure, unless you find a monster out of hell chasing you to your death exciting. There is humor in a macabre sort of way. Some of the resolutions of the stories are such fitting punishments or so bizarre that the reader will probably laugh. If you don't chuckle at the end of the first story, you're already taking these stories too seriously.

Patty G. Henderson has brought together some of her stories with the work of Mark Apoapsis, Victor J. Banis, Barbara L. Clanton, Moondancer Drake, Amy J. Ira, Crystal Michallet-Romero, Paul Milliken, Rick R. Reed, Hayden Thorne, Fran Walker and MJ Williamz. Some of them, like Henderson, have had books and stories in print and others are using this as their way to break into the medium. The stories are written as "flash fiction," which puts an interesting constraint on the writer. The plot and characters have to be developed in 1000 words or less, which is just slightly more than two pages. Not much room is available, so the writer is forced to condense and intensify everything.

Some of the stories are more successful than others. Several of the stories are so short they're like the authors shouting "Boo" at you, only in a few more words. There are tales of vampires, ghosts and succubi; rotting bodies, boogeymen and inhuman behavior; lost loves and vengeful love. The stories are short enough that, if you just have a few minutes, you can read a couple and put the book down until later. The book's major drawback is the problem of all anthologies. The stories are not uniform in quality. Many are extremely well written with interesting characters or viewpoints, making the reader wish that a longer format had been used so that the story had gone on. Others are flat and not very inspired. Then there are the one or two that may make the reader glad that the author doesn't live next door.

Does the book live up to the Editor's Warning? The stories themselves are not particularly scary, although a couple of them may make the reader shiver. The real terror in the story usually comes from the fear the character is feeling as the horror unfolds or in realizing the evil that humans can unleash on each other. Some of the stories aren't frightening as much as they are poignant. However, the cover of the book is almost guaranteed to cause you some discomfort. It's meant to be a fun read and it is.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Crave: Tales of Lust, Love and Longing Author: Catherine Lundoff ISBN: 1590210336 Publisher: Lethe Press Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz Price: $13.00 Pages: 166 pages Genre: Erotica

Crave: Tales of Lust, Love and Longing is a collection of fifteen short stories of erotic encounters. They span different periods in history and cover a variety of topics. The reader will learn about new uses for strawberries and chocolate sauce, the joys of multiple simultaneous partners or anonymous sex and the prowess of women warriors. There are also cautionary tales about the dangers of sexual addiction, imaginary lovers and straight women who want to experiment.

There are a few stories that stand out from the rest. For those who like the supernatural, "Leader of the Pack" is about werewolves and the ties that bind one of the pack to the ultimate alpha female. Suspense lovers will enjoy "The Old Spies Club," where old Cold War enemies get to test all of their skills one more time. "Medusa's Touch" takes science fiction to a place where sensory suits have given a whole new meaning to personal relationships. "Wage Slave" deals with sex in the work place and "Heart's Thief" is the story of a thief who ends up stealing more than she planned on.

This is a book dedicated to erotica. If the reader isn't interested in sex in all of its manifestations, including "kink," the book will have limited appeal. Like any anthology, the stories aren't uniform in quality. Some are well written and really don't need the sex scenes to make them interesting. Others obviously only exist to showcase various sexual activities and would have been as effective simply describing those actions and not worrying with trying to wrap stories around them. At some points the stories verge on being boring, but the well written ones are sprinkled in at appropriate intervals to counteract the effect. For readers who need a shot of adrenaline or who enjoy reading about sex, sex, and more sex, this is definitely the book. Those who are looking for more depth to their stories may want to keep looking.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Edge of Darkness Author: Jove Belle ISBN:-10: 1-60282-015-5 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com; and Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 - Pages: 241 Genre: Romantic Mystery

Jove Belle has skillfully woven the lightness of romance with the darkness of violence against women. Her protagonist, Diana Colins, is a senior investigator for a high-end insurance company. Her company insured an extremely valuable and rare sword, which is now missing. Diana and her mentor, Braxton, are given the task of finding the missing sword, thus saving the insurance company a great deal of money.

The missing sword may have been used to kill Charles Stewart, a prominent member of Chicago society. His murder may have been done by a serial killer. As Diana and Braxton investigate and try to find the sword, they are drawn deeper and deeper into the lives of women who have sought help at the South Lake Domestic Violence Shelter. The horror of these women's lives makes Diana begin to question whether or not Stewart and the others deserved to die.

Juxtapositioned against the search for the sword is Diana and Cami's budding relationship. Cami is a kindergarten teacher with sunny curls and a warm laugh. She makes Diana start to believe in white picket fences and forever after. With the warmth is the uncertainty, "Did she feel the way Diana did, that love was precious and rare? A prize worth fighting for and protecting at all cost?"

Also in the mix is Ali, a survivor from Columbia who runs the South Lake Shelter. Ali is tough and strong . . . "her heart simply wouldn't release the pain long enough for her to mourn her lost childhood. If she did let down the walls, she feared that she would never regain control.”

Edge of Darkness is a very well written book. It has sympathetic characters, an exciting story, hot sex, and a wonderful cliff hanger ending. This is a book that makes the reader forget everything but turning the next page.
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Reviewed by RLynne

Title: Edge of Darkness Author: Jove Belle ISBN:-10: 1-60282-015-5 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com; and Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 - Pages: 241 Genre: Romantic Mystery

Jove Belle has written a book that contains two different stories within one. One story is an intricate suspense tale of revenge and retribution, while the other is a romance. What is different about this book is that the major characters in one story are not the same characters in the other, but the stories twine together to create an extremely good novel.

Diana Collins is an investigator for an insurance company who has been assigned the job of recovering a rare sword that disappeared after it was used to kill its owner. The hunt for the kitana leads Diana into an ever widening circle of clues to horrific crimes, including abused women and gruesome murders. At the center of the vortex is Ali Sandoval, a woman who is haunted by her own violent past, but someone that Diana comes to admire for her work at a shelter trying to protect women from the men who have brutalized them. Coming from a family of police officers, Diana had always thought she had a clear understanding of right and wrong, but the horrible details of these women's lives make her begin to question her own values, especially when she begins to suspect that Ali might somehow be involved in what is happening to some of the men.

Meanwhile, Diana finds herself being distracted by a relationship unlike any she has ever experienced. Cami Michaelson was supposed to be another one-night stand, something Diana is familiar and comfortable with. From their first meeting though, Diana feels something is different about this woman and she finds herself being drawn closer to her. As Cami and Diana explore their deepening feelings, Diana can't help but compare their lives to what she is encountering in her case. As she comes closer to finding the kitana, she can sense the danger increasing also and Diana is torn between how she can see justice carried out while protecting Cami and Ali.

Edge of Darkness is not a "who done it." The reader has the answer to that question from the first pages. The tension in the novel comes from wondering when or if the authorities will ever put the pieces together and come after the killer. It also comes from the reader knowing what is happening, but Diana doesn't. As she takes each step, the reader knows she is unwittingly moving closer to real danger. It's similar to watching a movie when the audience wants to yell, "Don't open that door!" but you know the character will anyway and it won't be good.

Then, as the tension mounts, stress of a different kind is introduced in the form of the love relationship that is developing. That releases the mood of the mystery, but builds suspense of a different kind. Throw in a straight co-worker who also has Diana confused and the reader will begin to wonder what is going to make her pop first. The character development is especially well done. Diana's struggle to justify her feelings towards the crimes with her strong ethical values reflects the feelings that many people often have to deal with. Her confusion and that of Cami as they try to understand how their relationship could be developing so quickly, yet so deeply, will feel familiar to readers who have felt themselves caught up in such a whirlwind. One of the most simplistic, yet troubling characters, is Ali. Her motivations are easy to understand, but accepting them forces the reader to consider that, sometimes, walking on the dark side might be the right side and that by itself makes the book intriguing.

Reviewers often say that they couldn't put a book down or that a book is a "page turner." In this case, Edge of Darkness fits the descriptions.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Femme Noir Author: Clara Nipper ISBN: 978-0-976755-85-2 Publisher: Alpha World Press Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz Price: $15.99 Pages: 252 Genre: Mystery/Lesbian

The old typewriter style font in which the story is written is a clue to the flavor of story itself. Although it made these old eyes a little tired, it has merit in lending to the type of tale it is.

Nora Delaney has no idea of the trouble she is about to get caught up in when she gets a fateful phone call from her ex-lover pleading for her help. At first she tries to blow off the cry for help, but she finds that she can’t just put it aside. When she tries to call her ex-lover back, she is told that she is dead—murdered, in fact. This news upsets Nora enough for her to pack her bags and leave her unfettered romantic pursuits and her summer vacation from college basketball coaching to journey from Southern California to Tulsa, Oklahoma, on a quest for answers.

The characters she meets are interesting to say the least. Interesting, weird, and sometimes seductive, although the erotic foreplay happens mostly in Nora Delaney’s head. As Nora meets her former lover Michelle’s friends and family, she finds that she knew nothing of who Michelle really was. And the deeper she delves into her ex’s life, the more tragic, strange, and revealing the stories get.

The fantasy life that Nora lives while staying in Tulsa, most of which involves a mysterious woman named Max, gives us an erotic and sensual blend. Written in a way to make us forget that it’s all taking place in Nora’s head, the masterful way it’s played out throughout the book is part of the story’s charm.
The tragedy of Michelle’s death unfolds in ways that the reader will never suspect. And the ending will start the blood running quickly through the veins in an effort to help Nora get away from the dangerous situation she finds herself in.

This is a story of secret lives, secret desires, and secret longings. Nora, it seems, is searching for her own redemption in the end—and to find out whether or not she finds it, is worth a read of Femme Noir. Nipper has given us a different type of story with a subtle hint of old-fashioned gumshoe familiarity.
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Reviewed by Anna Furtado

Title: Finding Home Author: Georgia Beers ISBN: 9781602820197 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com; and Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 - Pages: 240 Genre: Romance

All for the love of a dog.

If you don’t look very carefully at the cover of Finding Home, you'll miss the picture on the cover of the most important character. He's at the bottom of the page, in the middle, right behind the author's name, walking down the path. That's him, Bentley, or Chino, depending on who you ask, and that is the fact the story rotates around.

Sarah Buchanan's life is a mess. Her long time partner left her over a year ago for a man, but not without leveling a parting shot that Sarah was a control freak who spent too much time at work. Sarah has come to realize there might be some truth to that and her answer is to sink herself into a liquor stupor every night when she gets home because she just can't move on. The one bright point in her life is Bentley, her beloved dog, who adores her and represents her only contact with the world outside of her office besides her family. When her company offers her an opportunity to go overseas for three months, it seems like exactly what she needs to force a change in her situation. Sarah hesitates only because of Bentley, but finally decides to go when her family promises to take good care of him.

Natalie Fox is warm, outgoing, disorganized and loved by all, except that she can't put herself out there to get a girlfriend. Something just keeps holding her back despite the prodding of her best friend Andrea and the Italian couple who own the coffee shop where she works and who treat her like a daughter. Natalie thinks she has adjusted to living her life alone until the day she finds a starved, frightened dog by the dumpster and takes him in. Chino becomes the focal point of her life and she can't imagine how she existed without him, which is why she's not quick to turn him over when Sarah returns home, discovers Bentley has run away while she was gone and is now living with someone else.

What do you do when two women love the same animal? Can people of such different personalities try to bend their lives to accommodate his needs? Is it possible that two lonely women can find the answers to what they both have been looking for all for the love of a dog?

Georgia Beers has written a romance that can only be called charming. It tells a pretty standard story of women meeting and developing a relationship. Beers has an interesting supporting cast, although some of them are a little too sketchy and might have been filled out better, especially Sarah's family. The real gem in the book is Bentley. He is what moves the story forward. His interactions with the two women are used to reveal their personalities and how they relate to him causes the plot points to unfold. When Sarah and Natalie don't get along at all, he forces them to come together and there are times in the story where there is no doubt about who the smartest of the three is. Without the presence of the dog, this would just be a routine story. He makes it sparkle. Georgia Beers' fans will like this book for all of the usual reasons, but dog lovers will have an extra treat to reward them.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Finding Home Author: Georgia Beers ISBN: 9781602820197 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com; and Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95 - Pages: 240 Genre: Romance

In Finding Home, Beers has given her reader two very likeable heroines and one extremely loveable dog. Sarah Buchanan's long term lover has dumped her for a man. Sarah did get custody of their small Australian herding dog, Bentley. Stuck in the doldrums of "what if's," Sarah takes a three month assignment in New Zealand, leaving Bentley in the care of her parents.

Natalie Fox left teaching to work in an Italian coffee shop. Her situation is ideal, as she rents the apartment above the shop, adores her "mom and pop" bosses, and lives in a world smelling of cinnamon and vanilla. Dumping the trash one evening, she finds a lost, frightened, hungry dog. After feeding and bathing him, Natalie adopts him as her own.

Beers does a wonderful job telling the story of how Sarah and Natalie work out a joint custody arrangement for Bentley. As they spend time together, the sharp business woman and the shop keeper discover they have far more in common than simply their love of Bentley.

Finding Home is the story of exploring possibilities, taking risks, and moving beyond snap judgements. It's a story filled with warmth, humor, and hope. It's a great read that combines nicely with a warm cannoli, fresh from the oven.
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Reviewed by RLynne

Title: Hotel Liaison Author: JLee Meyer ISBN: 9781602820173 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; and Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Price: $15.95 - Pages: 231 Genre: Romance

Abuse exists in many forms. It can exist within relationships, organizations, or societies. Hotel Liaison is a romance that has at its heart abuses of several different types.

Stefanie Beresford and her friends are trying to restore an old hotel with the idea of creating a business that would cater only to women. Things have not been going well as they've found themselves beset with unreliable contractors, cost overruns and mounting mortgages. The entire project seems endangered when they break through a wall and find a secret cache of old papers that indicate, ironically, that the hotel might have been a meeting point for women in the past and might have historical significance.

Laurel Hoffman is an assistant professor specializing in women's studies who is respected by her colleagues and admired by her students, but she's trapped in an emotionally and physically abusive relationship with her partner who also happens to be the chairman of her department. When one of her students suggests she might be interested in looking at some old papers found on a construction site she's working on, Laurel uses it as a temporary escape from problems at home. The papers bring Laurel, Stefanie and an interesting group of women together for several missions. They find themselves not only trying to save the hotel and Laurel, but dealing with the misuse of power by businessmen and within families. There is also a conspiracy lurking in the background trying to undermine everything they do. As Laurel and Stefanie are drawn closer together, they realize there is more to fight for than just their relationship and more to win than a chance for love.

Hotel Liaison is Meyer's strongest book so far. The characters are much better developed and the plot is more complex. There are some weaknesses. Some points in the book are just a little too convenient and contrived; however, the interlacing of the different story lines keeps the reading fresh and the conspiracy theory is interesting. Numerous articles and books have been written about the idea that groups like the Bohemian Club, Skull & Bones, the Bilderberg Group and others are trying to unite powerful men for world domination, so it's natural to speculate as to what would happen if they felt their plans were threatened, especially by women. This book has a little bit for lots of people – romance lovers, mystery lovers, historians and conspiracy buffs.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Hotel Liaison Author: JLee Meyer ISBN: 9781602820173 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; and Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Price: $15.95 - Pages: 231 Genre: Romance

Meyer has given her readers a gripping story of secrecy and intrigue that definitely could have been on PBS or CNN, (if it were fact rather than fiction). She includes the famed Bohemian Club, one of the jewels in the crown of white male power, and the Elysium Society, a women's group dedicated to women and the advancement of their rights and the rights of others. Through her characters, she tells the story of power and corruption, both in the past and in the present.

Her characters are wonderfully sympathetic, and include almost all age groups. Her ensemble includes an older woman from Serbia, former college basketball players, a young person from the streets and a college professor. Set in San Francisco, Hotel Liaison becomes their home in spirit as well as reality.

Meyer includes a delightful romance between Laurel, a college professor at Cal, and Stephanie, the C.E.O. in charge of securing funding and executing the overall plan of the renovation of the hotel. Laurel has come to the hotel to research old papers found in a secret room. The hotel and the papers also provide her with a place to hide from an abusive lover. The battery and emotional abuse escalate as Laurel searches for a way out of the relationship. At first Stephanie just wants to provide shelter, but as the sparks between her and Laurel ignite, their romantic dance provides the perfect contrast needed.

Hotel Liaison is a tightly written novel with page turning action. Meyer has even brought in a cameo role for a character from her previous novels. This is a great read with a cast of characters that are ideal for a sequel.
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Reviewed by RLynne

Title: Land of Entrapment Author: Andi Marquette ISBN: 9781935053026 Publisher: Quest Books, www.regalcrest.biz Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz Price: $16.95 Pages: 226 pages Genre: Action/Mystery

First novels sometimes suffer from blemishes – characters that aren't completely developed, holes in the plot that needed filling, scenes in the book that had no need to be there. Land of Entrapment doesn't suffer from any of those problems.

Neo-Nazi and other white supremacist organizations are an unfortunate fact of life in the United States today and they seem to flourish in the western states where the open spaces allow them to operate without being constantly watched. K.C. Fontero has built her career from studying the various groups and how they function, but her work has been purely academic until her ex-lover Melissa asks for her help. Melissa's sister has fallen under the influence of one of the groups and Melissa wants K.C. to use her expertise to help get her back. It's a difficult decision for K.C. because she and Melissa parted on bad terms, but she left a lot behind in Albuquerque that she'd like to get back and she knows she will be doing a good thing for Megan.

Returning to New Mexico brings her back to an area and friends she loves and never really wanted to leave in the first place, but she didn't anticipate two things that would happen. The deeper she digs into the situation, the greater the danger becomes to both her and Megan. And K.C. meets an amazing woman, one who might be able to finally heal the hurt in her soul, if K.C. can just learn to stop running and face her own fear.

Andi Marquette has written a very solid first novel. It's not a ground breaking story in its format or content, but it is well told. The characters are fully developed. The reader will know what motivates them at each step and they follow a logical progression. Even better, these characters seem real. At the crisis point in the story, K.C. doesn’t turn into some sort of an avenging Rambo to suddenly save the day and overpower the bad guy. She's scared and she panics a little, just like the reader probably would.

As a relationship begins to develop between K.C. and Sage, where too many other writers would have them tumbling into bed immediately, Marquette has Sage tell K.C. to go away because K.C. isn't ready. This book is full of mature women who have more important things to do in their lives than to constantly be trying to get another woman's clothes off and into bed. There are no extraneous scenes in the book where the reader will ask why it's there. Each scene adds another piece to the picture, building the puzzle to completion. The book also shows a great deal of research into a topic that is very current, but that often floats just below the headlines where most people don't pay attention to it. Major news organizations choose to ignore the seething bitterness that keeps the white supremacy movements functioning.

This is a satisfying book to read. It keeps the pages turning. It builds tension as it goes, both in the apprehension as to what the white supremacists will do and what will happen in the new relationship K.C. is experiencing, and holds the reader's interest. It presents a solid basis for what appears to be a new mystery series featuring these characters. The quality of this book certainly is a recommendation for whatever book Marquette writes next.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Lost Daughters Author: J.M. Redmann ISBN 1-932859-03-9 Publisher: Bywater Books, www.bywaterbooks.com Available from: Bywater Books, www.bywaterbooks.com Price: $12.95 Pages: 260 Genre: Mystery

Lost Daughters is the fourth Micky Knight mystery. Redmann has again given her readers wonderfully drawn characters along with a riveting plot. PI Micky Knight has three cases to solve: a mother wants to find the gay daughter her husband kicked out a decade ago; a gay young man, thrown out by his adoptive parents, wants to find his birth mother. And Micky Knight would like to find the mother who abandoned her when she was five.

Redmann has great descriptions of place and people. Readers can almost smell the swamps and feel the salt in the air as she describes small communities around New Orleans. She is also expert at giving her readers murderous psychopaths. Micky runs into white trailer trash, urban sprawl, and elite society as she helps her clients, and tries to find out who is killing the patients at her partner's clinic.
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Reviewed by RLynne

Title: Miss Pettibone and Miss McGraw Author: Brenda Weathers ISBN: 9781562801519 Publisher: Naiad Press Available at: Used book dealers Price: Depends on dealer Pages: 188 Genre: Romance

To borrow a line from Charles Dickens, Gillian Pettibone and Anna McGraw are dead. Of that there can be no doubt. They die on the first page of the book. The book then goes on to tell their story in three parts – the period right after their deaths, how they met, and the resolution. Gilly and Anna met during World War II when they played in an all woman band performing for the USO. Prejudice and discrimination drove them to buy a secluded home on an island in Puget Sound, where they lived happily isolated from the outside world until their deaths decades later. Since they saw no reason to "move on," they stayed in the house, chasing away potential owners, as more time passed. Eventually, the house is bought by Tess and Ellie who turn it into a bed and breakfast for lesbians. From them, Gilly and Anna learn that the world has changed in ways that they could never have imagined.

This is a gentle story that tells a more powerful one. Unlike more recent books that can be rather strident about the prejudices of the past, Miss Pettibone and Miss McGraw simply tells the tale of these two women in the 1940's and lets the reader see the injustice through what happens to them. The book is a chance to see things as they were and as they became. The tactic of having the women isolate themselves on the island makes for a clear break in time and developments.

The main characters are perhaps more naïve about lesbianism than even women in the 1940's would have been, but it's a minor point. The book has its own patina because it was published twelve years ago, but that adds to its character. It doesn't have what seem to be the "required" vivid sex scenes of today's books, although there are more genteel versions, and the ending seems a bit abrupt, but it is happy. This is a pleasant couple of hours of reading that will open a window onto the past. It may be difficult to find, but if it's located on a used shelf somewhere, it's worth the purchase.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Redress of Grievances Author: Brenda Adcock ISBN-10: 1932300864 - ISBN-13: 978-1932300864 Publisher: Quest Books, www.regalcrest.biz Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz Price: $19.95 Pages: 288 Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Redress of Grievances is a new Harriett Markham mystery series. It starts off with a heart-stopping opening with a scene of a freeway shooting. The first surprise comes when we find out the expert marksman is a woman—and it is only the first of many surprising revelations that keep us turning page after page in this book. Redress of Grievances is a well-deserved Golden Crown Literary Society award winner in the Lesbian Mystery category from Brenda Adcock.

In the course of this tale, Harriett’s past comes to the forefront to shine a light on current events. Her experiences with an old lover, as well as some very unpleasant memories of her dealings with a sociopath, are revealed in light of a new trial and a new client with psychological issues. All this takes place just as she finally meets someone she is attracted to after years of living without anyone in her life, except her soon-off-to-college niece, Lacey, whom she has raised.

At each twist and turn, new, more shocking information is revealed about Alexis Dunne, Harriett’s old lover; Sharon Taggart, her current client; Sharon’s family; and Jared Wilkes and the case that Harriett was involved in as his attorney years in the past.

As the story progresses, Harriett comes to a fork in the road of her life. One bifurcation will take her back to the past and one will lead her into the future. As all of the past experiences that Harriett has accumulated come to a head in her present, every choice leaves us sitting on the edge of our seats. The reader should be cautioned: the story does contain a disturbing rape scene which contributes to the urgency of the story.

Adcock’s characters are well drawn and the plot weaves and turns keeping our attention. In the end, the loose ends are tied up in very surprising ways. Be prepared to read this story late into the night—if you dare—and anticipate more to come in this promising and exciting series.
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Reviewed by Anna Furtado

Title: Relief Author: L.E. Butler ISBN-10: 1932300988 - ISBN-13: 978-1932300987 Publisher: Regal Crest Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz Price: $14.99 Pages: 166 Genre: Fiction/Lesbian

Not your typical lesbian romance, Relief is filled with mystery and the portrayal of an artist community of a different time and place. Ballet dancers, artists, musicians, the characters are almost Fellini-esque. Everyone seems to have ulterior motives and baffling backgrounds. Poverty and tragedy abound.

When we meet Katie Larkin, the oppressive atmosphere that surrounds her is obvious. Her daring break from convention to sail to Venice to paint is hopeful, even in the midst of her restrained life. Each paragraph, each chapter, will have the reader asking more and more questions. We find out that Katie was married and widowed, but we know little of that part of her life. We learn that she was in an asylum for a time, but we aren’t privy to the circumstances that put her there. She boldly moves to Venice. It’s 1912. The romantic location, as seen through Katie Larkin’s eyes, is far from idealistic, and the people that surround her are less than perfect. She struggles to make a life for herself, and when she meets a ballet-girl named Rusala, the life the two make together seems rather sad and subdued.

Katie has limited resources, and when she finally gets a showing at a local gallery, she is optimistic that the income from the sale of paintings can sustain her and Rusala for a while. However, consistent with the disappointment that seems to follow Katie, the sale of her paintings does not yield the profit for which she had hoped. This drives her to desperate measures in an attempt to make a new life for her and Rusala, but will it be for naught? And where does Rusala keep disappearing to in the middle of the night? Katie chalks it up to difficulty sleeping, but the reason is deeper, and more devious than that.

While reading Relief, I was reminded over and over again of the turn-of-the-century portrayals of Sarah Aldridge. Although Butler writes in more contemporary language, the pictures she draws are similar to those portrayed by that great Lady of lesbian literature. And speaking of language, Butler does know how to turn a phrase. The opening paragraph of Relief is a marvelous foreshadowing of the woman that is Katie Larkin—a woman who must paint:
I used to dream of slipping into the scene…pushing gently at the spattered green branches, crossing a path of multicolored brushstrokes, wading into a river of oily indigo. [Page 1]

In the end, the story is not typical. Because each woman holds secrets that are never completely revealed, each is tormented by a past that haunts and drives her—and which prevents this story from being the true romance the reader may long for it to be. But hope does finally dawn. For Katie Larkin has risen from the ashes before and she will again.
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Reviewed by Anna Furtado

Title: Selective Memory Author: Jennifer L. Jordan ISBN: 9781883523886 Publisher: Spinsters Ink Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; and Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $14.95 - Pages: 222 Genre: Mystery

In Selective Memory, another offering in the Kristin Ashe Mystery series, Kristin is hired to find a missing person by the person who is missing. Alexandra Madigen was involved in a serious car accident and suffered brain trauma, including a prolonged coma. Her memory is coming back in disjointed flashes and she needs help in putting them back together properly. Alexandra wants to know who she was before the accident because she doesn't trust what she's being told by the people around her. The reason she doesn't trust them is that she remembers more than she is telling Kristin and she wants to see whose version will be confirmed.

Kristin uncovers details she's not sure she should share with a woman who is so seriously ill, including a twenty year obsession with another woman, so she finds herself caught in an ethical bind as to what to do. Meanwhile, Kristin's associate, the irrepressible Fran Green, has decided they should expand their business by going into "decoy" work. They can be hired by people's spouses or partners to "tempt" them as a test of their fidelity. Kristin isn't comfortable with this at all, especially when she learns that she is going to be the first "decoy" for a lesbian couple. This presents her with an ethical dilemma of an entirely different sort. Both of these cases will have Kristin wondering at times if she needs to rethink her choice of profession.

Once again Jennifer Jordan delivers an alternative mystery. The puzzle here is not to solve a crime but to understand relationships. The central story is the relationships that revolve around Alexandra Madigen, which at first appear to be rather cold, even unpleasant, except for the incongruous obsession with the other woman. When that takes an unexpected twist near the end of the novel, the reader is forced to go back and reevaluate everything.

The decoy business calls up the question of what happens in a relationship when one partner doesn’t trust another one and things have broken down so far that, instead of talking about the problem, you hire someone to deliberately tempt the person to cheat. What if the partner really hadn't cheated before, but does now because the bait was put out there? Then who is the real guilty party?

Finally, there is the evolving relationship between Kristin and Fran. Those who have read the earlier books in the series know that Fran Green started out almost as a comic relief in the stories. While she can still be funny, in this book she begins her own public access television show, and a more puzzling side is also beginning to emerge in the character. At times Fran appears to be the voice telling Kristin to take a risk, move further out to the edge, then she's telling her not to go somewhere. It's as if Fran is playing both roles of angel and devil sitting on Kristin's shoulders. The reader might wonder how much of this tug of war the friendship can endure.

Selective Memory is an easy read that will also cause you to think. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Storm Author: Kim Pritekel ISBN: 1933720433 Publisher: P.D. Publishing, www.pdpublishing.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz Price: $18.99 Pages: 225 Genre: Drama/Romance

Merryn and Cara are two women on the run – on the run from the Black Death and from the brutal forces of King Edward III of England. Merryn is used to fighting for survival, whether as an orphan at the mercy of the nuns or as a thief on the road. Cara's existence was happier until the plague arrived. She lived quietly in a village with her mother and sister where her reputation as a healer was beginning to grow. Now, as the disease wipes out significant portions of the population, the women find themselves trying to survive on the road against roaming bandits, soldiers from the king who are scouring the countryside looking for new servants to replace the ones who have died or fled, and the constant threat of becoming ill themselves.

Although Merryn is reluctant to take Cara with her at first, they quickly become dependent on each other. Society begins to break apart under the stresses of the time and tragedy separates Merryn from Cara. Merryn goes on to become a great warrior and leader of a mighty empire, but there is always a sadness in her that no one can reach until one day she is wounded in battle and someone comes into her life that may have a chance to heal all of her wounds.

Kim Pritekel knows how to tell a good story. Her characters are fully developed and believable. Cara is especially well drawn as a woman who has a gift that causes her to walk a fine line. She lives in a time where her natural talent for healing could have her branded as a witch by the Roman Catholic Church and she knows the danger that surrounds her, where she could be honored in one village and stoned in the next.

Merryn represents the abject poverty of the majority of the English people of the 14th century who found themselves scratching out the merest of existences while the landed nobility lived in undeserved luxury. By setting the book in this period, Pritekel takes advantage of the dramatic changes caused by the bubonic plague and she shows the evidence of her research in her knowledge of the customs of the time.

The social revolution that Merryn leads did in fact try to occur, but it failed, and that is the only true negative of the book. Pritekel alters real history. She sets her story in the reign of an actual king and gives him a fate that never occurred so that she can turn this into a Conqueror story. Events that never happened are manufactured. The true period is so rich in events and details that she could have written about that manufacturing events wasn't necessary, or she could have set it in an imaginary place without creating these distracting plot points. The inaccuracies in history probably will not bother the average reader however and certainly are not serious enough to keep anyone from reading what is otherwise a very good book. Read Storm and suspend reality for a while.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: The Kiss That Counted Author: Karin Kallmaker ISBN: 978-1-594931-31-4 Publisher: Bella Books Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; and Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $13.95 - Pages: 288 Genre: Romance

CJ Roshe is an extremely successful real estate agent and more successful at getting whatever woman she wants. She leads a life with no connections and no real roots since it helps her to hide a past and a secret that could destroy everything, but she can't help wonder what it would be like to live with friends and know that she wouldn't have to always be ready to run at the first sign of danger. Nothing would have changed if CJ hadn't had an extra glass of wine one day and run a stop sign in front of a police officer, then been assigned to community service as part of her sentence.

When she arrives at a women's shelter to do her time, CJ meets Karita Hanssen who is going to change everything. Karita lives each day as it comes also, but in a very different way. Between her job, hours at the shelter, more volunteer hours at an animal shelter and her friends, Karita has a full life, almost full enough not to miss having anyone special to share it. She's always felt she was touched by magic and she knows that magic will bring someone to her someday. As CJ and Karita build a friendship, they begin to see what each is looking for in the other, but happily ever after only occurs in fairy tales. Reality intrudes threatening the future both women would like to have.

Kallmaker has returned to the style of some of her earlier novels and has written a very strong book. The characters are well developed and the plot unfolds at a perfect pace. Kallmaker shows her experience as a writer in not rushing incidents, but allowing them to play themselves out. The reader is given time to digest the action in the book and absorb its impact on the characters, yet the timeline doesn't drag either. The characters discover things about each other gradually instead of forcing their information onto the pages. Characters are multidimensional and interact with other characters in the book on different levels, showing both strengths and weaknesses as real people would. There are also strong secondary characters who contribute to the story at key plot points.

There is a romance here, but there is also a bit of a mystery as the reader begins to wonder what CJ's secret is and how she will resolve the problem once it is revealed. In the end, The Kiss That Counted is also a testimony to friendship and the changes it can cause in a person's life. Kallmaker shows with the skill in this book why she deserves such a large fan following.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: The Rainbow Cedar Author: Gerri Hill ISBN: 9781594931246 Publisher: Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz; and Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $13.95 - Pages: 228 Genre: Romance

In The Rainbow Cedar, author Gerri Hill poses the question, "when is it time to leave a relationship?" Interior designer, Jay Burns has been in a relationship for eight years. She's aware of the inequities of the relationship, and that "partners" is not quite the appropriate word for what she and Katherine have. While Katherine has been working to become a partner in her law firm, Jay has been building a reputation for herself as an interior designer. Jay doesn't earn the money Katherine does, but she is happy with her career choice.

Drew Montgomery owns "Montgomery Landscaping. When Jay runs into her truck, the two women hit it off both professionally and personally. Hill has beautifully choreographed their dance toward intimacy, as well as describing the pull and push of Jay's relationship with Katherine.

Gerri Hill writes wonderful romance novels. The Rainbow Cedar does not let her readers down.
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Reviewed by RLynne

Title: Uncommon Emotions Author: Lynn Galli ISBN: 9781432718091 Publisher: Outskirts Press, www.outskirtspress.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz ; and Outskirts Press, www.outskirtspress.com/wholestore.php Price: $12.95 - Pages: 237 Genre: Romance

Suppose you were walking down the hall at work one day, minding your own business, when suddenly someone pulled you into a closet and gave you the greatest kiss you ever had in your life? And it was a woman? And you were straight? You thought. If you found yourself reacting in a way you had never felt before, you might have to follow those uncommon emotions to rethink your whole life.

Joslyn Simonini is a "turnaround specialist." She is hired by companies to tell them how to improve their operations and profits, which often causes employees to dislike her since they fear their jobs will be the first thing she will want to cut. Joslyn understands their feelings, but she's not there to get involved with their concerns. She's there to do an efficient job and move on, which doesn't require an emotional connection with the people she's dealing with. Until that kiss.

That incident begins the unraveling of Joslyn's world as she has known it. She finds herself working with Raven Malvolio the chief financial officer of the family owned business she's been hired to improve. A working relationship quickly grows into a friendship. Joslyn hadn't found previous relationships with men particularly dynamic, but her contact with Raven has her questioning not only her sexuality, but the ethics of her job. She finally feels she has met someone she can let tap into the emotions she has kept hidden for so long, but she has also discovered a secret about the company that could destroy everything. Joslyn and Raven will have to answer some difficult questions about the priorities of family obligations and professional ethics to determine if a relationship is possible between them.

Galli does a good job of building her story and creating her characters. Joslyn starts out as a very repressed character who gradually opens up as events occur. The opening scene of the kiss starts the book off with a nice comic touch without becoming slapstick and then plays nicely into Joslyn's overly developed sense of professionalism when she first meets Raven and suspects her of being the office letch. Incidents occur at a nice pace in the book and give the reader a chance to get to know the characters and who they are. This is Galli's third novel and she has developed the ability to write a good solid story with appealing characters that provides a few hours of pleasant reading. Romance lovers will enjoy this book.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Woman Justice Author: Rosalyn Wraight ISBN: 192897223x Publisher: DLSIJ Press, dlsijpress.com Available From: DLSIJ Press, dlsijpress.com; Amazon.com Price: $14.99 Pages: 185 Genre: Mystery/Eroticism

Woman Justice is not only a mystery that keeps you wondering about "who done it" right up until the end, it keeps you wondering exactly what kind of book it is.

The story begins with the discovery of a pile of bones and Detective Laura McCallister has a mystery to solve. Whose are they and how did they get there? The story of the young man who reports finding them doesn't make sense and she's going to find out why. Laura is an old style detective, a fan of Agatha Christie, and she won't be fooled by false leads.

The scene then shifts to the home of Emily Decker, a famous writer of mystery novels who has hit a block. No matter what she does Emily cannot find the words for her next novel; then she begins to wonder if she's losing her mind when she receives a visitation from one of her characters. Milicent Baylor has apparently stepped off of the pages of an old manuscript and she's angry. She demands that Emily give her a stronger life force, so Emily begins to write stories set around the world for the two of them. As the eroticism of the stories increases, Milicent becomes more viable and Emily's obsession with her mushrooms as she also discovers what she has been shutting out of her own life.

As their relationship grows, Emily loses more touch with reality until all there is in her world is Milicent; then Milicent threatens to leave, which Emily can't let happen. Meanwhile, the clues in McCallister's crime are beginning to point in a direction that might include Emily and/or Milicent. The question is how, because Milicent isn't real, is she?

Rosalyn Wraight has written an intriguing book. It can be exasperating for the reader at first if you have preconceived notions about how a mystery should develop because this story certainly doesn't follow that track. For a while it seems as if Wraight is trying to trick the reader into reading an erotica book by calling it a mystery and there doesn't seem to be any reason to include the storyline about Laura McCallister at all. The Emily Decker story seems beyond far fetched, but the reader should bear with the writer.

It is truly one of those books where everything comes together at the end and makes perfect sense. The pieces of the puzzle suddenly start falling together and it becomes clear that this is the way the story had to be written. The last five chapters of the book give it a terrific ending that make Woman Justice worth reading. It becomes clear that there were clues throughout the book as to what was coming that were probably missed or, if noted, discounted in the convergence of the other plot lines. So, when you're tempted to put the book down, keep reading. Like a good dinner, the dessert comes at the end.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Word of Honor Author: Radclyffe ISBN-10: 1-60262-018-X Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: Bold Strokes Books, www.boldstrokesbooks.com Price: $15.95 - Pages: 256 Genre: Romantic Suspense

In Word of Honor, Radclyffe has brought back her beloved characters from the Honor series. Cam, first daughter Blair, and all of the other characters are present in this “stand alone” book. She also introduces a wonderful new character, investigative reporter, Dana Barnett. Dana as been brought home from the war in the Middle East to take on the role of "imbedded" reporter and do a story on Cam and Blair's marriage. Blair hates the idea of a reporter joining her inner circle almost as much as Dana hates doing what she considers a "fluff" piece. Dana is persuaded to accept the assignment with the hopes of interviewing the elusive Dr. Emory Constantine.

Radclyffe adds layer upon layer to her character developments with each book. In Word of Honor readers see just how much Blair's privacy is intruded upon, both by the press and by White House security. In addition, the enigmatic Valerie, Emory, and the others are allowed to grow and show more of their inner thoughts and fears. As the wedding party makes plans, and moves to the wedding site in Colorado, the tension and electricity surrounding them grows. Blair is still the target of a home grown terrorist, and her very public wedding plans have created more dangers and enraged the religious right..

Word of Honor takes the reader on a great ride. The sex scenes are incredible, and the “inside” look at the security teams and their interactions, provide the reader with the feeling of being in the control room. The story builds to an exciting climax that is as chilling as it is rewarding. Word of Honor is one book that's sure to please.
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Reviewed by RLynne

Title: Write to Die Author: Kat Harwood ISBN: 0955408105 Publisher: Red Roar Publishing Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.biz Price: $14.99 Pages: 261 Genre: Mystery/suspense

Jodie is an agent for a publishing house in London, so she's read many manuscripts, but none like the one she takes home with her one night. Details from her life begin to appear in the story and take a terrifying turn as the brother of the main character is kidnapped, tortured and murdered.

As events that appeared in the story begin to occur in reality, panic sets in when Jodie cannot make contact with her brother Jed. She soon realizes that part of the manuscript is written in a special code used by her family to play games when she was a child, and Jed is sending a message that his life is in danger. As Jodie tries to find a way to save her brother, a mystery created before they were born could get them both killed. Jodie turns to her ex-lover to help her as she dodges surveillance and men who are pursuing her.

Eventually, the action takes Jodie to North Africa, Spain and Italy, as she leaves a trail of dead and broken bodies in her wake. Friends appear who want to help Jodie, but all she can remember are the final warning words from her Aunt Peg who knows more of the mystery than anyone, "Trust no one." Caught up in a whirl of religious fanatics, antiquities thieves and surrounded by people she can't be sure of, Jodie focuses only on rescuing her family and lifting the burden of the mystery from them once and for all.

Write to Die is a gripping mystery. The tension builds steadily with Jodie's fear and confusion. Before long, the reader becomes as suspicious as Jodie is of every character no matter how helpful the person seems to be. The story is built in stages so that when one problem is solved Jodie and the reader are suddenly propelled into another problem at a high level of danger.

Character development is kept to a minimum for everyone while the story lasers in on the details of the mystery. Even Jodi and her ex-lover Toni, who appear more than anyone, are kept to only what is necessary for the story. References are made to past experience, but there are no digressions to detract from the events that are important.

It may be a bit simplistic that a group of amateurs is able to accomplish all of the cloak and dagger activities that they get into, but the action makes up for it. The strength of the book is that, even after much of what is happening is revealed, there are still plenty of surprises to come so that the tension carries on to practically the final page. One interesting quirk is that almost no one in the book has a last name that is used.

Mystery and suspense fans will find this book very satisfying. Romance fans will be disappointed that there is little of that with only one brief sex scene, but the action and strength of the story make up for that. Write to Die is a good one to put on your reading list.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce