Kiss by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy

Kiss by Ted Dekker & Erin HealyAfter a brief set up chapter, the story’s heroine, Shauna McAllister, is involved in a car accident that leaves her in a coma for months. Why is this relevant? Because Shauna’s father is one of the leading Presidential candidates and, prior to her accident, Shauna came upon information which, if true, would destroy everything her father has worked to create and derail his campaign.

However, after coming out of her coma Shauna finds herself suffering from amnesia; she doesn’t remember any of the potentially damaging information she was planning to confront her father with. Yet, during the course of trying to reconstruct her memories she has to deal with various shady characters who think she knows / remembers more than she does and who have a decided interest in her never regaining those memories. From the boyfriend she doesn’t remember, to the doctors who treated her with experimental drugs during her coma, to the uncle who seems to be a bit more than just her father’s business partner and advisor, Shauna’s every move is shadowed and she doesn’t know who to trust.

The “catch” of the story is that, as a result of her accident, Shauna discovers that she has acquired the ability to read and steal people’s memories. She first discovers this while kissing her alleged boyfriend (hence the book’s title), but later comes to learn she has to do little more than touch someone to utilize her new talent. Unfortunately this potentially interesting plot device is never fully utilized. The story twists and turns around on itself in an attempt to seem complicated, but really just spins its wheels with a main character who, even having a recent coma as an “excuse”, engages in far too many questionable – if not downright ill advised – activities.

I had heard such great things about Ted Dekker, but I was tremendously disappointed with this offering. Maybe co-author Healy had more influence on the overall tone of the book than he did and I should give one of his solo efforts another try, but this was not what I had expected.

Rachel’s Tears by Beth Nimmo and Darrell Scott

Rachel’s Tears by Beth Nimmo and Darrell ScottRereleased to coincide with the 10 Year Anniversary of the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, Rachel’s Tears explores the Columbine tragedy through the prism of the incredible life of Rachel Scott. Rachel, who lost her life on that fateful April 20th, was a person of extraordinary courage and faith.

Everyone knows, or should know, the basic story surrounding the shootings at Columbine High, but reading about how deeply those fateful events affected a single family presents the tragedy in a different light, one that is incredibly powerful and, at times, painful to read. Rachel Scott was killed during the massacre at Columbine, yet she met her end as she lived her life, with a sense of peace, grace and acceptance, all made possible by her unwavering faith in God.

Looking back at Rachel’s journals, it is apparent that she was a young person of uncommon strength, confidence and faith. It is also apparent that as early as 11 months prior to the shootings Rachel had a sense that her time on earth was short… she actually wrote a journal entry stating she knew this would be her last year. Yet, she went on to thank the Lord for her time, promising she had lived life with a sense of urgency and purpose, getting as much as she could out of the time she had been given.

The overriding themes explored in this work, faith, forgiveness, and finding the strength to carry on in the face of unspeakable tragedy are unquestionably powerful. As demonstrated by Rachel’s desire to start a “chain reaction” of love by practicing random acts of kindness and compassion, as well as her affirmation of her faith in God even when literally staring down the barrel of a gun, they become almost painfully moving and life affirming.

Few ever achieve the level of peace and acceptance with their lives that Rachel did, nor do they experience such a purity of heart in their desire to be spiritual and establish a personal relationship with God… the story of Rachel’s life, and the ripple effects of it on all those whose lives she touched, is both humbling and motivational.

The Unseen by T.L. Hines

The Unseen by T.L. HinesThe premise of the story, a man (Lucas) who lives vicariously by spying on people from inside walls, duct work, and crawl spaces, making up complicated histories/lives for them in his mind, sounds interesting enough. Add in the wrinkle that he runs into a group of people called the “Creep Club” who seem to share his peculiar interest. Throw in the twist that our “hero” has a mysterious background (was he really an orphan? was he part of some weird scientific study he can’t remember?) and is being pursued by some shadowy government organization, “mad” scientists and even the Chinese and this should be great, right? Wrong.

Some how, some way this manages to be unbelievably boring! The book at times goes for pages and pages with no character interaction whatsoever, only tediously detailed descriptions of what the main character is seeing and thinking. This might be ok if Lucas was charismatic or compelling in some way, but unfortunately he’s just…. boring. He has no home, wandering from building to building setting up his bivouac in perfect position to spy on his chosen subject. He has no family or friends and works at a menial job as a dishwasher. There is absolutely nothing about him that inspired me to “connect” with him, which is rather ironic considering he explains his behavior (to himself) as searching for that “electric connection” that he gets every so often while spying on someone who seems to sense him watching them.

The conclusion was unsatisfying and, ultimately, I found the book to be much ado about nothing once all was said and done. It wasn’t “bad” per se, just not my cup of tea.

Holding Fast by Karen James

Holding Fast by Karen JamesThough their time together didn’t start until somewhat later in life and was cut tragically short, it is clear that Karen and Kelly James were soul-mates who were simply meant to be together. Holding Fast is the story of Karen’s and Kelly’s lives together, culminating with the recounting of the tragic climbing accident on Mount Hood that took the lives of Kelly and his two climbing partners. Though the outcome of the true life events that are the subject of this book are known going in, that in no way detracts from the power of the story.

The outpouring of support, both from rescue personnel and those offering prayer and emotional support, was overwhelming and heartwarming to read about. Because Kelly had a cell phone, Karen and the rescuers were able to have intermittent contact with Kelly and knew, for the most part, exactly where he was on the mountain. Unfortunately, extreme weather conditions made it impossible for the rescue team to mount a successful ascent to Kelly until it was too late.

Karen’s recounting of the phone calls she was able to have with Kelly while he was trapped on the mountain are brutally honest and reflect the conflicting emotions she had while doing so; blessed to be fortunate enough to have an opportunity for a last goodbye, yet devastated to hear how clearly he was struggling and deteriorating, both knowing he would not be coming down off the mountain alive.

It is truly ironic that Karen’s great-grandfather, George William Barrett, also died in a climbing accident, something she didn’t know until after Kelly’s death. However, unlike her great-grandmother who “died of a broken heart” six months after Barrett’s death, Karen called on her faith to get her through both the harrowing days spent trying to rescue Kelly and the void left when he died. Her story should serve as an inspiration for all those who’ve lost someone under tragic circumstances.

The Tunnels by Michelle Gagnon

The Tunnels by Michelle GagnonThe Tunnels finds FBI Special Agent Kelly Stone and her partner Roger Morrow investigating the serial killings of students at a prestigious New England college.

Bodies are being found in the tunnels under the campus with strange symbols painted around them, and the need to find the killer takes on a new urgency after another student is taken shortly after the agents’ arrival.

The characters are smart, the author avoids the cliches that can hamper female lead characters in this genre, and there’s a nice mentor / father type relationship between Stone and Morrow. Fans of the show Criminal Minds will like this one as it has the same race-against-the-clock tension / feel to the investigation.

To learn more about Michelle and her books, visit her website.


– The Tunnels: Book Trailer –

The Beach House by James Patterson & Peter De Jonge

e Beach House by James Patterson & Peter De JongeWhen police in his hometown dismiss Jack Mullen’s brother’s drowning death as either an accident or suicide Jack knows something is wrong. His brother was an expert swimmer who knew the local waters well, and the police seem to be going out of their way not to investigate. Jack’s own investigation uncovers a life he never knew his bother had… one that some very prominent locals don’t want exposed.

A wonderful combination of mystery and legal thriller, the “courtroom” showdown that ends this book is one of the most gripping, and clever, I’ve read in a while.

Freezer Burn by Joe R. Lansdale

Freezer Burn by Joe R. LansdaleIf you are easily offended by graphic descriptions of sex & violence, copious profanity, and/or circus freaks then this book is definitely not for you.

However, if you’ve ever read any of Lansdale’s work, especially his wonderful Hap & Leonard series, then you’ll appreciate this as classic Lansdale at his rude, crude, politically incorrect, boundary pushing best.

TOOL: Live In Jacksonville – Concert Review

Earlier this year when TOOL released their tour schedule and my husband and I saw Jacksonville was listed as one of the tour stops we were beyond ecstatic! We have been to Jacksonville to see Godsmack (twice), Disturbed and KISS and have never been disappointed.

Though TOOL has been around for a while, we only really got into their music right before the release of their previous album “Lateralus” in 2001. Since then we have picked up the rest of their catalog, including their latest release “10,000 Days” (2006), and felt that this was one band we would really love to see live someday and hoped that we would get that chance. Easier said than done because the band does not tour often, primarily because they don’t crank out albums every year and they only tour when they have a new album to support.

In this case, it has been 5 years since the last album and tour (2001-2002). Needless to say, we were very excited that TOOL was finally back on tour and that they were coming near enough for us to be able to go see them. The show was in Jacksonville on Saturday, June 2, 2007. Below is our review of the concert and some information about the band if you are not too familiar with their work.

Unfortunately the opening band, Melt Banana (yes, you read that right), was quite possibly the worst thing we’ve ever had the misfortune to hear. They are a band from Japan that is categorized as “noise rock” (that’s an official term actually). Well, it was definitely noise. Rock? Not so much. They were the loudest thing we’ve ever heard, and we’re hard rock fans, but this was literally a painful level of sound. Imagine a very bad B-movie with a post-apocalyptic setting. Now imagine a run down bar in the middle of that post-apocalyptic wasteland. Melt Banana would be the “house band” in that run down bar. And to be clear, that is not a good thing. But hey, they’re somebody’s cup of tea… they’ve released 8 albums. Anyway, on to TOOL.

West of Eight by Tod Howarth – CD Review

West of EightIt turns out that Tod Howarth’s previous two solo releases, Silhouette and Cobalt Parlor, while both very impressive and enjoyable, were only the tip of the musical iceberg Tod had in store for us all. With his newest release, West of Eight, Tod serves up a sonic assault of an iceberg big enough to sink the Titanic!

Clocking in at slightly over an hour, the fifteen music tracks (plus a spoken “liner note” track called “Thanks,” which is exactly that) assembled here represent some of the most complete, satisfying musicianship that I’ve had the pleasure to experience in recent memory. Well written and well presented, every track has a clear theme, purpose, evolution and satisfying conclusion – no endlessly looped fade outs here.

Tod, an extremely accomplished musician, handles all lead and backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, keyboards (used sparingly and to great effect – don’t get scared!), acoustic, baritone and bass guitars. Whew! He does leave the drumming in the hands (and feet) of the very able Dave Aaron, and the lightening fingered Jamie Eden steps up to the plate for both lead and rhythm guitar work on eight of the album’s tracks.

Put all that together, simmer for two to three years to make sure all components are aged to perfection, serve LOUD, and you have the musical masterpiece otherwise known as West of Eight. I am not exaggerating when I say West of Eight has not left my cd changer since I received it. Read on for my review of some of the album highlights (I have to leave you some surprises).

West of Eight: “I’m finally home/I’ve traveled far but here I am/West of eight,” sings Tod on this kick ass album opener in which he extols the virtues of his home, San Diego. However, the song avoids being a maudlin “tribute” to home sweet home by allowing for the listener to come away with their own impression of whether or not the song is actually signing the praises of the familiar – home is where the heart is? – or referencing home as a sanctuary (retreat?) from the brutal surroundings of the “outside” world. Either way, there’s definitely a “secret” revealed. The secret? Well, “Dorothy had the secret all along/seldom should you venture from your home.” This track rocks along relentlessly, instilling a feel of urgency in the need to return “home”, with Jamie Eden weighing in with the first of several extremely impressive guitar performances, whetting your appetite for what’s to come.

Tod With Red BaritoneValley of Artifice: What an absolutely awesome showcasing of Tod’s vocal abilities! From the velvety purr of the verses to the desperate wail of the choruses Tod gives the pipes a true workout on this saga, which recounts the experience (hopefully fiction!) of being broken down in the hot desert of the “valley of artifice.” The crunching rhythm guitar chords