Friday, February 5, 2016
Sunday, January 31, 2016
A Lovely–AND Early–Surprise
Should I feel guilty for buying a copy of J. D. Robb's latest In Death book, Brotherhood in Death, early? Hell, no. I doubt my early contribution will stop her from stomping the New York Times Bestseller list. So here I am, with Tuesday's (2/2/2016) release of Brotherhood in Death already in my hands. Thanks to which employee works at my local Kroger's. Cheers. And keep up the "good" and "persistent" work.
Summary of Brotherhood in Death via Amazon:
Sometimes brotherhood can be another word for conspiracy. . .
Dennis Mira just had two unpleasant surprises. First he learned that his cousin Edward was secretly meeting with a real estate agent about their late grandfather’s magnificent West Village brownstone, despite the promise they both made to keep it in the family. Then, when he went to the house to confront Edward about it, he got a blunt object to the back of the head.
Luckily Dennis is married to Charlotte Mira, the NYPSD’s top profiler and a good friend of Lieutenant Eve Dallas. When the two arrive on the scene, he explains that the last thing he saw was Edward in a chair, bruised and bloody. When he came to, his cousin was gone. With the mess cleaned up and the security disks removed, there’s nothing left behind but a few traces for forensics to analyze.
As a former lawyer, judge, and senator, Edward Mira mingled with the elite and crossed paths with criminals, making enemies on a regular basis. Like so many politicians, he also made some very close friends behind closed—and locked—doors. But a badge and a billionaire husband can get you into places others can’t go, and Eve intends to shine some light on the dirty deals and dark motives behind the disappearance of a powerful man, the family discord over a multimillion-dollar piece of real estate . . . and a new case that no one saw coming.A great treat to end January and START February...
GUEST POST: Missing by Roger Rapel
Ravenswood Publishing Presents
Missing by Roger Rapel
Title: Missing
Author: Roger Rapel
Genre: Crime/Suspense Thriller
Length: 324
Release Date: January 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1523276943 & 1523276940
Imprint: Black Hawk
Synopsis: Michelle Jones went out on the town with friends, days after her eighteenth birthday. Unfortunately, she never returned home. Her story became every parent’s nightmare; a teenage daughter gone missing. As for Michelle’s parents, the passing time since her disappearance doesn’t bring good news. And with their investigation underway, the police have informed the two to expect the worst.
However, the Criminal Investigation Department requests a reluctant–as well as retired–Detective Sergeant Jim Broadbent to take the case. Jim has a reputation for solving similar disappearances. And in this case, he uncovers a sex trade operation investigated by military intelligence. One in which somehow links to the vanished Michelle.
Jim’s investigation takes him into the world of arms trading, where sex trafficked girls are a form of currency. And the further Jim digs, the wider his investigation spreads globally. Eventually his case leads him to Spain. It's here that Jim reignites his affair with his once-lover, Sonja. The rekindling of their affair is not under the circumstances he would have liked. Yet, to unveil the connections in his investigation, this affair becomes a surprising resource.
Read the first chapter of Roger Rapel's Missing...
-------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter One
-------------------------------------------------------------
‘Where’s Michelle her beds not been slept in, she couldn’t have come home last night, who did she go out with?’ ‘I don’t know, when I dropped her off she said she was meeting Katie; this isn’t like her she would have rung by now if she was okay.’ ‘I’m going to ring Katie she will know where she is.’
This is every parent’s nightmare when their children albeit teenagers start going out on their own into the big wide world with all the dangers that exist out there. Children believe they are invincible with the; I know it all attitude; using common phrases such as ‘oh you worry too much mum I’ll be fine, I can take care of myself.’ Being picked up at night by mum or dad isn’t seen as being cool, not in front of mates anyway; especially with all the banter that would follow regarding apron strings still attached and worse.
Caroline and Brian Jones were no different, they adored Michelle their only child, she was a very pretty girl, just turned 18 with many friends; she was not loud or brash; well not at home anyway, but she did let her hair down when out with the girls.
Michelle on this night was not feeling too great but to keep face with her friends especially Katie her best friend, she agreed to go out; her dad dropped her off in town. He said as often before ‘ring me if you want me to pick you up?’ ‘I’ll be fine dad, but thanks anyway.’
‘Hello Katie its Mrs Jones have you seen Michelle, was she with you last night?’ ‘Yeah she was, but she said she wasn’t feeling well and went home early; why isn’t she there?’ ‘No Katie she isn’t, we’re worried sick, did she leave alone?’ ‘As far as I know, I offered to walk her to the taxi rank but she said she was okay.’
‘Oh Brian I’m so worried I’m going to call the police, oh my poor baby where is she, oh my god please let her be alright?’
The nightmare was creeping up on them; their teenage daughter had gone out and failed to come home, which was completely out of character. The frantic phone calls turn up nothing. The only avenue left is to call the police. Caroline’s face was wracked with anguish her hair straggled having not been brushed, her eyes now drawn sunken into their sockets with black worry rings under them. Her anguish turned to anger blaming Brian for not picking her up. Her eyes stared daggers at him. The she broke down sobbing deeply into his shoulder her mouth contorted with grief; all he could do was pat her and try to console her, but he had a lump in his throat as well; he had to be strong and hold it together or at least try. Caroline pulled away wringing her hands then went upstairs to change before the police arrived. She looked into Michelle’s room and sobbed as she knelt down at the bedside fluffing up the pillow’s, then placing one of Michelle’s toys on the top pillow; her eyes were bloodshot from the streaming tears; she had a continual lump in her throat from the emotional turmoil of her presume loss, ‘there my love all tidy for when you come home.’
The police eventually attended, the officer didn’t look much older than Michelle. He went through the normal questions taking down details; what she was wearing, jewellery, then an up to date photograph was added to the paperwork. He requested a quick glance in her bedroom then that was it. The officer stated that he would circulate her description and visit her friends to obtain any further information.
Caroline sat wringing her hands together; her eyes reddened from crying; she made Brian a cup of tea to try and keep busy, but broke down as the tears cascaded down her cheeks, her mouth contorted with the emotion of not knowing where her baby was. ‘She’ll turn up’ was all Brian could say as he tried to comfort her but nothing he said could console her, he was trying to be strong but was churning up inside. He hugged Caroline trying not to break down as well, but it was all he could do to keep it together.
To the police this was just another missing person; she probably had a boyfriend and got carried away and was nervous about coming home. To the police nothing to sinister just another issue to add to the growing list of overdue jobs for that day.
That was it nothing more to do for that day, no real urgency not yet anyhow.
But then the days and the weeks went by with no news as to her whereabouts.
The police then began to take matters more seriously; they called for a press conference where an emotional plea was made by Michelle’s mum and dad. The press began to get interested in a potential morbid story; nothing sold papers more than a missing person presumed dead; some of the reporters made things up; the feelings of the parents didn’t come into it; just headlines. Most of the reporters and photographers were freelance, selling stories to the highest payer so the juicier they made it the more chance of a sale.
The police obtained similar clothing Michelle had worn the night she went missing; then arranged with a local TV crew and papers to record and report the reconstruction of her last known movements when she left the night club to go home.
Caroline and Brian couldn’t watch the TV; the girl the police used was almost identical to Michelle. It would have been too much for them to handle seeing the girl so similar wearing identical clothes looking so much like their baby.
-------------------------------------------------------------
AUTHOR INFORMATION & LINKS
Author Bio: Born in the late 40’s only a few years after the second world finished with all the hardships of rationing, cold houses windows running with condensation with frost forming on the inside as well as the outside, living in one room for heat. Growing up in the 50’s with little or none of the modern comforts of today’s modern world, my brother and sister were happy well as happy as you could be. I worked in various organizations including PO as a steward on cruise liners (I must write about that) then on the buildings picking bits of skills here and there and became a jack of all trades certainly master of none. Then joined the police stayed for 30 years mainly as a detective Sergeant dealing with all manner of criminal cases including child abuse rape cases and murder.
Connect with Roger Rapel
Buy Your Copy of Missing
-------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, January 24, 2016
The Reviving Recourse of King's Revival (Lots of R's There)
"A dark and electrifying novel about addiction, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life.
In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs -- including Jamie's mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.
Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of thirteen, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family's horrific loss. In his mid-thirties -- addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate -- Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil's devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings.
This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written. It's a masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Frank Norris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe."
~ Revival via Goodreads
It’s been a long, long time, Mr. King. A long, long time since I’ve picked up a book of yours and read it.
Okay, okay. With all the singing and lyricism out of the way, today I want to bring up Stephen King’s Revival. It's a book I finally got to after taking a year-long break from King. If you’re wondering why I took a break, it had a lot to do with the funky taste I swallowed after reading 2014’s Mr. Mercedes. A funky taste further inflamed after reading his Richard Bachman book, The Running Man. There’s a clear and recurring reason why I took the King break. And it had a lot to do with King going into race and over-emphasizing the black anti-stereotype. I won’t get into it, though. Just know two back-to-back commentaries on each halted me for a year. When I get to the point where I feel as if an author is exploiting the use of racial and homophobic slurs a little too unnecessarily often, I get in my feelings. Done through character or not, it sends my alarm bells ringing.
Yet, between Mr. Mercedes and Running, I enjoyed Mr. Mercedes' crime-fiction thriller-esque storytelling. Even as far-fetched and elementary as its (optionally racist-ass) villain was. So issues and all, it was a decent read that had the misfortune of The Running Man following close behind it. (The Running Man did far worse on slur-control.) However, considering Mr. Mercedes is the first in a trilogy, I finally believe I'm ready to make my way through the proceeding entries. Thanks to my stepping out on faith with Revival.
Revival did its job. I walked into it with apprehensions, and came out transfixed by its story. Resoundingly, I’m happy to report King applied the “n” word (yes, I don’t care to use it) once and in a plausible context.
Nevertheless, what stood out most was King's commentaries and themes. (Also what I believe was a semi-discreet nod to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.) Either way there’s much more commentary on religious dedication and the belief in God soaked into Revival. Some of which I found myself actually agreeing with, and some more debatable. There's also the commentary on placing value on thriving to live, while accepting our eventual death. And it's the search for Death that really drives the book. When the questions of what happens when we die hasn’t produced a concrete answer for the protagonists, King takes them (reader included) straight to its twisted source. And if the panicked psychology and neurotic longings of his characters don’t shake you up, the end will. Well, marginally. I found it a little questionable and dubious (creatively speaking), but an interesting approach to the afterlife.
For me the best part of Revival were the chapters centering Jamie Morton’s childhood and family. While boring to some, it’s here where I attached myself to the story and reacquainted my love of King’s writing. Well, in honest retrospection, I almost felt like someone else wrote those chapters. Whereas King handled the last chapters of the book.
Anyway. Enough of my vagueness. Revival revived my taste for more King. That I can say.
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Complete Resident Evil 0 Live Stream
So I basically had to do an entirely new play-through of Resident Evil 0 HD–after getting stuck. So here we have the complete PLAY...
Friday, January 22, 2016
He Wants the B(OOKS)! Book Haul Video
BOOKS MENTIONED (Amazon Affiliate Links)
1. Leslie by Omar Tyree: http://amzn.to/1VffoDe
2. Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler: http://amzn.to/1PtIQ46
3. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs: http://amzn.to/1Vffr26
4. No Longer a Slumdog: Bringing Hope to Children in Crisis by K. P. Yohannan: http://amzn.to/1Saw7bJ
5. Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan by Herbert P. Bix: http://amzn.to/1PtJ9vV
6. China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan: http://amzn.to/1PtJfn2
7. The Train Now Departing by Martha Grimes: http://amzn.to/1PtJhLD
~~~~~CHANNELS MENTIONED~~~~~
1. FreeFormLady [Leslie]: https://www.youtube.com/user/LadyTee315
2. Musical Tait [Parable of the Talents]: https://www.youtube.com/user/MusicalTati
3. Dale LaRose [Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl]: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpZqzK8iuRiVkY5PQtDKxTw
4. Yesmissjane [China Rich Girlfriend]: https://www.youtube.com/user/yesmissjane
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)