Note: While this is Book 2 in the series, it works fine as a stand alone.

I really enjoyed Pale Rider so when the author offered me a review copy of the sequel, I jumped at the chance. Sad to say, I didn’t find this installment as interesting. Janus is a zombie leader and he controls his pack of zombies through instinct. He also uses this power, instinct, to control a non-zombiefied deer or elk (I forget which), which he rides upon. The zombies are definitely different than the ones we saw in Book 1, being able to group together like this and be lead by a strong ‘personality’. However, I found the whole instinct power not well flushed out and difficult to believe in. Yep, I can totally believe in zombies and genetically created dinosaur-looking beasties, but I had a hard time with this instinct. Mostly, it was because of the elk. Wild animals have their own agendas – eat, sleep, fornicate, repeat. Elk aren’t big fans of rotting meat smell either. So Janus is using his power, instinct, to keep this elk in line, by negating the elk’s own instincts to run? That’s where Janus’s power gets to squishy and ill-defined for me.

The character, Pale Rider, is a reluctant leader in his town. He settles disputes and folks seek him out for advice on difficult fencing situations. He has a young daughter and he deeply misses his wife. Janus has recognized him as the human leader and if Janus wants to ‘free’ these humans from their boring lives, giving them the gifts of instinct and freedom, he must take out Pale Rider. The story sets up early for a good Western-type showdown and I really enjoyed the building of suspense.

Then we have Heche, who is like a mad scientist. She creates new dinos to sell to the local farmers. They are used in putting up fencing, taking down trees, and farming. I really like the basics of her character – she’s a seeker of knowledge both in books and through her work. However, this is another area that isn’t really clear. Does she have a lab with petri dishes and sterile equipment? Or is more like a wizard’s barn, full of smelly potions and unidentified bits of dried animals? I would have liked a bit more on this front because it ties into other questions I have. How far has civilization fallen? There’s a reference to contact lenses and it’s unlikely someone whipped those up, even if the town has a watchmaker. Is it 6 months since the zombie calamity or 6 years? If it’s 6 months, then contact lenses are still around. If it’s 6 years, then no, not realistic.

Book 1 was pretty sparse on the ladies and Book 2 does better but there are definitely not enough females around to save humanity. Heche has the most lines, but that’s perhaps 10-20 lines, though we get some quality time in her head. Pale Rider’s young daughter also has a role. Then there are 2 female zombies (why so few?) and maybe a few human ladies tossed in here and there. As usual, I like to see more ladies in post-apocalyptic stories. How else will we rebuild?

OK. So, bad to the goodness. We do get a showdown at the end and there were some twists. The author took the story beyond what I expected. These zombies are more like feral beasts than shuffling corpses; they are not so easily beaten. Heche creates a fantastical beast that comes in handy. And then there’s that thing that happened right at the end that has me craving to know where things will go from here. It’s all very dramatic at the end and very satisfying.

I received a copy of this audiobook at no cost (from the author) in exchange for an honest review.

 

The Narration: Randal Schaffer’s performance was OK. When the characters were talking, he imbued them with emotion. The rest of the story he read in a monologue that made me wonder if he was bored with the book or not.

Sunset Lake - John Inman,Randal Schaffer
4,5 stars.

*** Audible***

It was time for my first John Inman. Now I understand why this author is so popular among my GR friends.

Though if I had to judge this book on it’s 1 person POV narrator, Reverend Brian Lucas, it would be difficult for me to rate it. Reverend Brian Lucas is not an easy person to be fond of. Not for me anyway. But luckily I stopped long ago to judge a book on the fact how likable I found the characters in it. Otherwise my favorite books were a boring idyllic conflict-free stories with unreal exemplary MCs who never do mistake and meet always the right decision. Awful, isn’t it?

A small community of a tiny provincial town Nine Miles, where everyone knows each other, is profoundly shocked by the brutal murder of an old lady, a member of the local Methodist Church, where Brian has the post of a Methodist minister two years ago.

Though it is not just cruelty of the crime that spreads fear among the inhabitants of Nine Miles, but a message with an announcement of further killing that has been left by the murderer at the victim’s home.

Brian’s brother Boyd, the County Sheriff, believes that it wasn’t a bad joke and that it’s just a matter of time, when the next murder happens. And he is right. The next victim is also an old woman and a member of Brian’s congregation, and this time the murderer is even more cruel than the first time.

But WHY? And WHO?

Even if there are more than two dead bodies at the end and a series killer that has to track down, I don’t see this book as an unconditional mystery.

Because the main focus isn’t set on hunting the killer. A mystery part is rather a subplot for me – even if many readers maybe won’t agree with me here. A mystery, killings are just tools to learn the characters and their surroundings, to try to understand their decisions.

Sunset Lake is a BOOK OF DECISIONS. Decisions that were met in the past and that have to be met in the future. The right ones, the bad ones, the ones, that will leave you thinking and asking and wondering whether they could be considered as rights or bad ones. It is about to find a courage to MAKE a right(?) decision that will radically change your/someone’s life, and even more.

John Inman tells his story of DECISIONS quietly but powerfully. His writing is beautiful and yet he remains fully grounded in his writing style.
Sunset Lake won’t let you go even days after you finish it.



Audio books are a bit tricky. A very good narrator can turn an average book into a jewel, and a bad narrator can ruin a good written book. I enjoyed the narrating of Randal Schaffer. My only complaining – that luckily wasn’t that IMPORTANT for this story, but that could have been a big disadvantage with another kind of story – he doesn’t sound like a twenty-eight-year old guy (the age of Brain, our first person POV teller), but much older.

*** ARC provided to Gay Book Reviews by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.***

In my not so subtle, Get Out The Vote blogs for those in the US... Today, let us look at the Federal Elections. Senators. Each State only has two of them. 

 

Here are some wonderful Senators (State, US, Roman) and one Member of Congress in Romanceland!

 

As always, my lists are never in any particular order. 

 

1. The Kept Woman by Susan Donovan

 

WHEN A GOOD-GIRL DIVORCÉE Playing by the rules has left Samantha Monroe with an AWOL ex-husband, maxed out credit cards, and the task of raising three children on a hairstylist’s salary. It’s time for a new game plan. When Sam learns that politician Jack Tolliver needs someone to play the part of his fiancée for six months in return for a generous paycheck, she’s ready to sign up on the spot.

MEETS A BAD-BOY POLITICIAN
Jack needs Sam and her kids to help tone down his image from womanizing cad to dependable dad. But he was expecting Sam to be a frumpy single mom, not a wickedly smart, sexy redhead. Keeping nosey newshounds from discovering that his engagement is a charade is going to be a tough job, but one mind-blowing kiss from Sam and suddenly Jack is ready to put in all the overtime necessary…

LOVE WINS IN A LANDSLIDE…
Now, with scheming opponents itching to bring Jack down, Sam’s ex returning to stir up trouble, one stubborn pre-schooler, two squabbling teenagers, a crazy dog, and some out-of-this-world sex, Jack and Sam are discovering that playing make-believe can be complicated—but not nearly as much as falling in love…

 

2. A Touch of Charm by Karen Fox

 

Beauty, Charm, and Grace—something the nouveau-riche Sullivan sisters of Colorado Springs lack. But a wish at a magical rock formation is about to change all that, in a most a-MUSE-ing way. . . .

The three Sullivan sisters, named for the Three Graces of Greek legend who embody beauty, charm and grace, don’t live up to their names. Belle is no beauty. Charisma lacks charm. And Grace is somewhat less than graceful. But this doesn't deter their ambitious mother from bribing three bachelors to escort them to Colorado Springs’ beautiful Garden of the Gods.

When the girls overhear their escorts mocking how little they resemble their names, each girl makes a wish at the magical Three Graces rock formation. Charisma wishes aloud for charm, but secretly hopes to make a difference in the world.

When William Barclay, a candidate running for the Colorado congress, asks Charisma to be his platonic escort to functions in the city, Charisma is ecstatic. A suffragette-in-training, she can make Will see that rights for women are important. But her plain speaking almost ruins her opportunity before it even starts.

Fortunately, a newly-arrived Greek widow in town agrees to tutor Charisma in the art of charm. And it works . . . most of the time. Even as Charisma finds herself falling for Will, she can’t stop herself from trying to help those in need, threatening her reputation in the process. Will she end up pushing Will away or will he realize that what he needs is an impulsive, plain-speaking, do-gooder?

 

3. All the Possibilities: by Nora Roberts

 

Alan MacGregor knows what he wants—and it’s spirited shop owner Shelby Campbell. But Shelby has her reasons for keeping the dashing senator at arm’s length, including the centuries-old feud between their families…

 

4. Loving the Senator by Mia Villano 

 

On the outside, Alex Conrad has everything. He’s gorgeous, rich, and has just been elected to the United States Senate by the state of Virginia.

But for the past few years, something has plagued Alex. Something has been missing from his life of privilege and opportunity. Something he has never allowed himself to acknowledge, until the night of his election.

Prudence Romaine is seventeen years Alex’s junior. The daughter of a friend whose life had taken a wrong turn, Prudence came into Alex’s life when she was just sixteen. Despite the passage of time and evidence to the contrary, Alex still thinks of Prudence as the little girl he once tried to rescue.

On election night, the sexual tension between Prudence and the senator reaches a tipping point. Prudence has been in love with Alex for some time, and now that she is in a position to do something about it, she has her aim set on Senator Conrad with no plans of giving up.

But Alex is already committed and a scandal is the last thing the newly-elected politician needs. As Alex pushes Prudence away, convinced their relationship can only end badly for them both, Prudence becomes even more determined to have Alex Conrad in her bed as well as her heart.

And Alex? He can only hold out for so long. And once he gives in, the passion they've held back for years threatens to undo them. But loving the senator is not all it's cracked up to be.

Prudence must learn to handle the pressure that comes with being with a high-profile politician, Alex's jealous ex-girlfriend, and the demands of the people, if she wants to make this work.

 

5. Warrior or Wife by Lyn Randal

 

In the heat and dust of the Roman arena, a woman stands alone. The crowd cheers for Leda, the famed gladiatrix. Watching is the man who loved then left her-- Marcus Flavius Donatus.

 

Leda used to be Lelia, beloved daughter of a Roman senator. Exiled from the riches of her birth, she sold herself into gladiatorial slavery. Donatus is determined to right the wrong he did her and reclaim his bride!

 

Now Leda faces the ultimate choice-- independence and the danger of the arena, or an uncertain future with the man she once adored...

 

6. Vote for Love by Anita Bunkley 

 

Media coach Trina Powers loves grooming high-profile clients for superstardom. Signing businessman-turned-politician Dwayne Hunter could really launch her agency into the big time. But Dwayne is giving her a run for her money. The arrogant, charismatic candidate for Texas state senate acts like he doesn't need anyone! Trina knows she's got to soften his harsh edges. She also knows she's playing a dangerous game...especially when Dwayne unleashes his potent blend of take-charge masculinity and tender sensuality.

 

Dwayne learned about love the hard way and isn't ready to trust another woman. But Trina's not just any woman. With her by his side, he knows he could go far--on and off the campaign trail. But mixing politics and passion could derail his career...especially when the power plays--and scandals--start flying. Now a secret in Trina's past is casting the ballot against them. Unless Dwayne can wage a new campaign: to vote her in as his running mate for life.

 

7. Extreme Exposure  by Pamela Clare

 

Sparks fly when a hardboiled reporter meets a handsome senator. But a political scandal—and attempts on her life—could drive them apart. Or maybe adversity could draw them into a bond even more intense than their steamy sexual embraces.

 

8. Shocking the Senator by Leanne Banks

 

Nicola Granville was an independent woman. But it was as Abe Danforth's campaign manager that she achieved ultimate success--and ultimate pleasure. For months her affair with the aspiring senator was conducted in secret, their professional courtesy by day giving way to intimate embraces by night. Until she took a home pregnancy test...

 

Abe Danforth always got what he wanted--and he wanted Nicola. Except he couldn't understand why she was pushing him away. Abe was ready to go public with his feelings, but Nicola's sudden mood swings were mystifying. Was it another man? Or was it something that only nine months and a proposal would solve?

 

9. White Diamonds  by Shirley Hailstock

 

10. Against the Odds  by Kathryn Shay

 

Veteran teacher Kathryn Shay knows teenagers and puts that knowledge in a series about successful women who were once troubled teens.

Rescued as a teenager from an abusive household, Anabelle Crane loved the time she spent at Serenity House. But when she’s hired to become a nanny to wealthy Congressman Nathan Hyde’s daughter, she finds a different kind of love. She comes to care deeply for her charge and, though she fights it, she falls for the handsome and powerful Congressman himself. But when he reveals he’s in love with her too, passion explodes. Their relationship ends bitterly. Fifteen years later, Anabelle has become a cop who stands for the rights of others. It’s when she’s wounded and returns home that she meets up with Nathan again—after she heals, she becomes his bodyguard while he's being stalked! This time, can they stop their inconvenient and, now, dangerous feelings for each other?

 

Let me know your favorite! To vote (get it vote) for the best of the best, go to my Goodreads list: The Hill! Congressional Heroes and Heroines in Romance Novels.

God or Godless features twenty questions, ten raised by each an atheist and a Christian. Both parties then have a brief debate about the topic raised and the items raised by one another. Honestly had the format been any different it might have become entirely too tedious. However, I must note that some of the questions, or should I say the phrasing of them, were odd on the part of the Christian. For instance: Love Is A Many Splendid Thing, But Only if God Exists (the "support" for this was one of the more convoluted and stupid of the bunch) and perhaps my favorite, God is Found in the Majesty of the Hallelujah Chorus (okaaaay then). I imagine you are saying, but these are not questions! No they aren't, but they are how each "question" was put forth.

One of the more disturbing aspects of the book was the number of times the Christian (Randal) alluded to atheists having apparently GREAT potential to be serial killers. Or, well, being lumped with them at least. Because if you don't have god, then what is holding you back from murdering freely? What an incredible argument! (Except, not.) It must be noted that the majority of people that commit crimes? They believe in god, so the whole idea is incredibly indefensible, although he sure tried in his convoluted way.

Both the individuals I felt had weak arguments, but the Christian definitely had the far weaker ones. His little stories and analogies were just absolutely awful most of the time and it made his parts even more tedious to read. This debate will definitely not convert anyone to Christianity or atheism, but it did remind me not to debate this crap with religious people--I can only say "you've got to be kidding me" so many times.

P.S. Randal apparently thinks "Knock Three Times" is a CREEPY song....am I the only one that finds this absurd? How can I take someone seriously after that?

This is more a book about Darwin and his relationship with his children, especially Anne, than anything else. However, it does give a good background of his story and what led him to write his famous works on evolution.