Tattle and Wrye column September 2017 edition

From the desk of ~

DONA PENZA TATTLE, ESQ.

AND

ASSOCIATE WRYE BALDERDASH

September 2017

Greetings!

Tattle slid open the curtains and looked out the window. "Soon there will be a lot of leaves in your yard."

Wrye stared at the computer, considering if éclairs cured writer's block. "I will handle it."

"Mr. Leaf Blower handles the autumn leaves in my yard."

"You know it is too soon to start worrying about it." Doesn't look her way. "It's still green outside."

"We should be prepared."

"Fine. Ok. Whatever." He moved from the office to the kitchen and added two cookies to his éclair plate and started to munch.

"You will get tired of looking at them, and it will be overwhelming before you know it."

"You're a noodge."

She steals a cookie off his plate. "Yeah, and I'm good at it.

He frowns at her, pockets the remaining cookie. "I have a plan when the time comes."

"Really."

"Really."

"What?"

"I'll show you." With a mouth full of pastry, he went into action and closed the curtain.

Before she could say another word, Wrye snapped his fingers and the two dashed into their monthly Love of Literature Leap: a review of COLD SWEAT (HEAT & ENDURANCE 1) By  J. S. Marlo and a revisit review of UNBALANCED by Courtney Shepard

Tattle and Wrye appear in COLD SWEAT by J. S. Marlo, a romantic suspense.

"Wait!" Wrye held his chest, puffing.

Tattle looked startled. "You ok?"

"It's this book! It is so fast-paced I have to catch my breath."

Tattle did the double-eyed-tumble skyward.  "Scared me, you did."

"Yes, be afraid, be very afraid, m'Yodaish sleuth," Wrye countered, his face tense with emotion. "Seventeen-year-old Hope Craig was kidnapped while training to make the biathlon Olympic team. Two creepazoids seized her right off a ski slope and stashed her in a remote, winter secure cabin as time trickled away toward her possible ta da da daaaaaaaaaa death.... For the ransom demand is unfeasible"

Gives Wrye the look, the ya-gotta-get-it-together-dude look. "You can get dramatic, you know, but this time you aren't far off the bull's eye. Hope Craig is resourceful and tenacious but she is also deaf. In some ways that is an advantage, cause the 'nappers have their imbecilic moments and don't expect her to be so clever."

Poised as a wise ole sage, foot on a snow dusted log while stroking his chin, Wyre contributes. "Hope's mother Colonel Amelia Matheson recruits Sheriff Rich Morgan to aid in the investigation. The two have... history."

"Look, fire!"

"Where?"

"The book, silly. Colonel Matheson and the Sheriff are flint to tinder. She simply can't forget that he once hurt her. And he simply can't forgive himself either. Yet the sparks continue as they assemble information, process clues and uncover truths long hidden. Meanwhile, they try to come to terms with their embittered past while confronting one unexpected and sinister circumstance after another."

"As always, J. S. Marlo never fails to entertain and rob me of sleep." Wrye points into cyber space, thinking Marlo can see him. "Yeah, I mean you, keeping me up to all hours. I can't even stop at a chapter break cause they are all cliffhangers. How can you do that to an old geezer! Huh!" Took a breath, shook his head and continued. "I digress. Seriously, folks, this is one of her best suspense thrillers to date. It's like listening to a drummer who starts out with a steady, enticing beat that grows and intensifies then gets louder and louder, and then becomes wild and frantic. You killed it, lady!"

"Didn't I tell you, dramaaaatic! But, I, too, digress. Another winner for J. S. Marlo, going to read this saga about Quest, Phoenix and Ducky again because I was so caught up, I read like a fiend. Now, I want to take my time. Oh, y'all wondering who those characters are? Gotta read the book to find out. Let's just say, they are so well-rounded and dimensional, they must be real. I am looking them up online cause I wanna meet them. Truly and seriously, Marlo is an author of suspense surpassed by none, and this book is one you don't want to miss. Just buckle up for a wild and intoxicating ride!

Tattle and Wrye loop arms as they jump into a revisit review of, UNBALANCED by Courtney Shepard, a paranormal romance.

Tattle clears her throat and begins, “Long, long ago four young girls were abducted by the Master, and henceforth generations of four sisters are pulled back to the current Master of The Order.  The sisters’ powers grow with every generation; thereby The Order’s need for that power intensifies.  They cannot exist without it, and they have a decisive and heinous end plan.”

“This latest generation of sisters had been separated at birth yet they are all still hunted.” Narrowing his eyes, Wrye offers a sinister snarl.  “And they feel it, believe there is something more to their existence and soon those reasons unfold even as the threat of death dodges them.  This is a tale of four powerful women who have the ability to command the element of nature.  Asha, the main heroine of this story, is fire and is as independent and tough as they come as well as quite explosive when her temper is ignited.” Uses both hands to imitate the universal symbol of something exploding.

“Her love interest, Clay,” Tattle sighs the name, “… has his own mysterious depths and from the first you feel he might pose a threat. Still, he has been drawn to her, believes her to be the powerful woman who has haunted his dreams, La Guerrero Reina, the Warrior Queen. He pledges himself to her, but there is something more to this hot-to-the-bone hero, and their romance has the curve twisting velocity of a roller coaster ride as their passion increases and their love strengthens despite an unwavering sense, woven into the underside of the story that smacks of betrayal.”

“The backdrop of the story also shows the persistent struggle of women through the ages in life and in religion. The prevalent magic underpinning the story, along with the slow unveiling of the truth behind The Order, and the reason for the sisters’ power is fully compelling.  Good and evil has its place as well, but neither is pure which makes it all more human and realistic.”

Tattle adds, “The characters are all well-drawn with the sisters being very tough, no-nonsense and determined. The men they are drawn to, with a future promise of possibilities, also exhibit that fighting spirit, and they too share a mysterious aura that keeps the reader wondering at the truth. The sexuality of the book has steam and heat enough to pull you into the romance, yet is delightfully devoid of any crudeness or obscenity, making the various elements of mystery, romance, fantasy, magic and danger all balanced.”

“Courtney Shepard wove a tale that stays with you days past reading it.” Wrye gives his serious and penetrating look.  “The plot was swiftly paced, cleverly written while the dialogue was brisk, addictive and true to life. If there is any complaint it is that it ended too soon.  I want to read more of this universe, uncover the finer depths of The Order, the deeper mystery behind the sisters. These feelings, I believe the author, skillfully and deliberately provoked with the purpose of sequels, one for each of the sisters, Ivy, Mere and Avia, of which I am looking forward to reading. UNBALANCED is a book with a hook! If you enjoy the paranormal with strong female leads, this is certainly the story for you.”

Hope you all enjoyed our reviews! Until next month, keep reading.

With another blink the two vanish and appear in J. S. Marlo's novel SALVAGED. 

"Yikes! Yuck! Oh no!" Tattle rushed backwards, falls on her buns and crawls backwards out of Star Fisher's nightmare. "Are you seeing that? Hellacious!"

"It's only a dream, m' squeamish fraidy cat."

"Not afraid, just ummm.... ahhh.... well... she can keep her dreams to herself, thank you very much." Tattle brushes herself off as if tossing off the fear. "Yes, yes, I know, she can't help this anymore than she can help the star-shaped scar adorning her cheek. Poor thing thinks it is disfiguring, but to Captain hunka hunka burnin' hunka Hauk Ludvikson, her new boss, it is intriguing, as intriguing as she is. Though he is not sure she is the right fit for his underwater salvage operation of a century-old Model T, at the bottom of a lake, linked to an equally old disappearance. Kyle, another diver feels the Captain is way too attracted to the young woman, something that could be a detriment on dangerous dives. At the same time, Star is pretty jittery herself, having been recently attacked. Yet, she is considered the best in her field, and Hauk is reluctant to let her go."

Wyre dons scuba wear, two air bottles and extra huge flippers as he renders his observations. "Attack is a key word in this story. Danger lurks like a...da da daaaaaa...stalking shark." A fishing spear comes out of nowhere and Wrye starts jabbing the air as if expecting an assault. "It soon becomes obvious that there is a mystery surrounding the wreck and someone doesn't want that mystery solved. It also becomes apparent that Star has her own personal haunts that she wants left alone. As they dig deeper into the murky waters and investigate the wreck, attempted murder, old murders and fresh murders rise like ocean scum. No one seems safe, and every answer comes with a new set of questions."

Wrinkles her nose at Wrye's outfit, Tattle sighs and ignores. "Star's Uncle Jimmy plays a key part in the mystery, but doesn't even realize it. Meanwhile, the chemistry between the hero and heroine starts at a gentle but persiiiiisssstent simmer and then bubbles, gushes and boils over. Star pulls away, Hauk moves closer. Be warned, read this book with the lights on. Suspense crawls over suspense. Nail biting and yelps of fear will occur. Looking over your shoulder and jumping in your seat is inevitable."  

"The storyline is delightfully complex and extraordinarily captivating. The characters are well-drawn and each have their own particular vibe. The good guys are the epitome of heroes with just enough of a quirk here and there to humanize them. Whereas the villains are menacing to the core of evil, yup, coughed up from the ninth level of Hades with hell hound escort."

"As always, J. S. Marlo doesn't disappoint. Of course, her own exclusive writing style and unique storyline intricacy is apparent but this book had an extra dose of multi-layering. It isn't a quick read, but a grab you by the intellect and keep you guessing ensnarement. You won't be able to put it aside from the first line to the last. I am thoroughly impressed by this story and look forward to all this author has to offer. Note: Already read everything she has written, and you should, too!"

Until next time, keep reading!

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