Book Review: The Last Woman Standing

Getting close to our Y.A. debut release of Olivia's Escape... But here's the scoop on the last "romantic fiction" I've read/reviewed.

The Last Woman Standing by Thelma Adams
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Young Josephine Marcus runs away from her stifling home life in 1880’s San Francisco to marry Johnny Behan, a charming older man who’s aiming to become the sheriff of Tombstone, Arizona. But once Josephine finds herself in the booming silver mining and cattle baron town she realizes Johnny wants her to act as a governess to his young son and keep his bed warm without benefit of matrimony. After she catches Johnny in bed with another woman, she admits to herself that she can no longer keep up the charade of caring for him and lying to her conservative Jewish family back home that he’s going to make an honest woman out of her one day. She walks out. But how can a disgraced woman make a living in a boom town which doesn’t involve selling her body?

Luckily for Josephine, the handsome sharpshooter Wyatt Earp has taken a shine to her since the day she stepped off the stage coach. A competitor for the same position as Johnny, Wyatt and his brothers have all been discriminated against by the ex-Confederates in the territory. They don’t care for the Earp brothers’ Lincoln Republican leanings and want to exploit Tombstone any way they see fit. As Wyatt’s kept woman, Josephine experiences the aftermath of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the false testimony of the traitorous Johnny Behan, which places the Earp brothers in jail and endangers their lives by vigilante action.

The Last Woman Standing is primarily a historical novel with a little added romance. The in-depth details of life in 1880s Arizona and the larger-than-life characters who dwelled in the infamous town will appeal to readers of Westerns and women’s historical fiction alike, if they can handle the slow pacing and large information dumps given at the expense of the actual story.

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Coming soon from Desert Breeze Publishing... Olivia's Escape, Book one of the BloodDark series. Read more about the series at http://blooddarkbooks.blogspot.com
 

Book Review: The Case of the Fickle Mermaid

The Case of the Fickle Mermaid: A Brothers Grimm Mystery by P.J. Brackston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gretel (yes, that Gretel) of Gesternstadt is off on another case. This time she travels far from her home in Bavaria to help Captain Tobias Ziegler of the “cruise ship” Arabella and solve the mystery of his missing sailors. A mermaid’s song has either scared off these superstitious nautical types for good or the siren has lured them to their deaths. Whatever the cause of the Arabella’s missing mates, Gretel grabs the chance for a luxurious cruise and a bit of much needed cash to boot. She packs her numerous clothing trunks, personally carries her most divine and expensive wig, and forces her brother Hans to act as her porter and bodyguard.

Alas, the Arabella isn’t the glamorous cruise ship Gretel thought it would be. She and Hans are forced to share a cabin no bigger than a closet with a smelly “mer-hund”. Hans is tormented by his “old love” Birgit who still has it in for him. Captain Ziegler looks vaguely familiar to Gretel in a nefarious way. And what’s up with the proper and grim quartermaster Herr Hoffman? Gretel wonders if the rival cruise line owner, Thorsten Sommer, isn’t behind the mysterious mermaid’s song. Why oh why does her own fancy, the dashing Uber General Ferdinand Von Ferdinand, have to be aboard the Fair Fortune with the stuffy Baroness Schleswig-Holstein cruising nearby? When the Arabella’s chef is found murdered in a lifeboat aboard the Fair Fortune, Gretel senses perhaps it isn’t a business rivalry or a mythical creature behind these crew disappearances.

The Case of the Fickle Mermaid is the third book in P.J. Brackston’s “Brothers Grimm Mysteries” and is part cozy mystery, part comedic-masterpiece and part fairy tale. Gretel uses her sharp wits and her voracious appetite for both food and life to sift through a cast of suspects who will make you split your sides with laughter. There’s the fickle mermaid, of course, along with the bird-obsessed Dr. Becker, the inept henchmen Cat’s Tongue and Pustule, the drunken culinary genius Frenchie (who takes Hans under his wing and teaches him even more about food), and a naughty sea sprite that no one but Gretel can see or talk to. This is the perfect book for the mystery lover who enjoys a happily ever after tale along with a little murder and mayhem along the way.


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Book Review -- Outsider in the White House

Outsider in the White House by Bernie Sanders
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

They say the mark of integrity in a man is consistency. Bernie Sanders is the world's most consistent man.

It's 1996 and Bernie Sanders is running for Congress for a fifth time, but this time it's different. The Republicans are out for blood. Bernie has been making waves in Washington standing up for ordinary citizens, and the Republicans feel they must end this precedent of an Independent Congressman with progressive ideals. They throw millions of dollars at his Republican opponent Susan Sweetser. Sweetser hires a professional firm to create negative TV ads and mass mailings telling Vermonters essentially that Bernie is an evil socialist who isn't good for their state.

All seems bleak, doesn't it? But Bernie Sanders isn't a quitter. He continues to campaign like he always has, attending parades and town hall meetings, shaking hands and listening to what the voters have to say. He'll admit that he's had some extremely close races in the past. In fact, he won his first bid to be mayor of Burlington by a whole ten votes! His first run for Congress wasn't easy, either, but these hard-won victories have taught him a lesson: Stay the course, and keep your constituents and their concerns foremost in your mind.

Of course, Bernie regained his seat in 1996. Outspent and out-advertised, he won it handedly over Sweetser and her wealthy backers. How? Simply put, the mud Sweetser slung at Bernie didn't stick. Vermonters didn't believe a word of it and felt insulted anyone would try such a low-handed tactic. After all, they knew who the real Bernie Sanders is, a man who keeps his word and fights for what he believes in without resorting to negativity and mudslinging, always doing his best to help his fellow man. The voters were too smart to fall for the lies of an expensive, slick ad campaign based on the empty promises of the Republicans.

Outsider in the White House is a second edition of Bernie Sanders' 1997 book Outsider in the House, but its contents are more relevant than ever. The first part of this edition shows how much of a scrapper the senator from Vermont is, how tough a campaigner, no matter how great the odds or the dirty tactics his opponents use. As the only Independent in the House--and now the Senate--he's fought hard to be taken seriously by his fellow legislators and has made friends in both of the major parties. Neither Republican nor Democrat, Bernie has been able to use his outsider status to form alliances for the benefit of the American people, one recent noteworthy cross-aisle alliance being his work with Sen. John McCain to improve veterans' access to health care.

The second part of the book Bernie tells us how he sees America's challenges. Remember, this book was written in 1997. You'd assume he's changed his positions somewhat, right? Wrong! Bernie Sanders is still talking about our growing income inequality between the workers and the CEOs, America's loss of jobs due to NAFTA (and now the threat of TPP), the need for universal health care, the crisis in our educational system and the necessity of protecting our environment. He even warned us in '97 about the corporate media and how a handful of billionaires can dictate information we receive as they deem fit, preventing the American electorate from becoming knowledgeable and informed voters.

On page 279 he warns us that we're in danger of becoming an oligarchy, where only the rich are represented and their wants and desires catered to at the expense of working Americans. Eighteen years later, this very nightmare has come true in the 2008 mortgage crisis and in the form of the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling. Why oh why didn't we listen to Bernie earlier?

A foreword by Bernie and an afterword by John Nichols bring the narrative up to the present day, detailing the excitement and enthusiasm generated by Bernie's run for the White House. Bernie's desire to help all Americans live healthy, peaceful and productive lives explodes from the page and is contagious. You can't help but cheer "Yes! Go Bernie!" after every point he makes.

Integrity, consistency, positivity and honesty attract voters. Lucky for us, Bernie Sanders possesses these characteristics in abundance. To become a part of his "future to believe in", read Outsider in the White House and get out and vote in your state's Democratic primary in the coming weeks. You--and all of America--will be glad you did.


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Visit The Bernie Blog to see what Bernie supporters are doing to help Senator Sanders' run for the White House.

4 Star Review of Playing with the Past!

 "Smoking hot" is how the first title in the Time Surfer series is described at the TBR Pile reviews. Read the 4 star review at the link below:


http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/reviews/giveaway-playing-with-the-past-by-celine-chatillon

And don't forget, you can get all three books at the best price from eXtasy Books: http://www.extasybooks.com/the-time-surfer

 The Time Surfer series follows the adventures of Shelby, a recent divorcee. Shelby doesn't believe that Quentin is from the future when she first meets him, but she's more than willing to let that slide because he's so sexy. Throughout their travels in the past, present and future, Shelby and Quentin come to love and trust each other, all the while sharing some very erotic and exotic experiences.

Book Review: The Graveyard Book Volume 1

The Graveyard Book Volume 1 by P. Craig Russell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nobody Owens (or “Bod” for short) seems like a mischievous young boy in the manner of Huckleberry Finn. Bod loves to explore. He’s curious about the people and the world around him. He gets himself into serious trouble from time to time and has to use his wits and tenacity to extricate himself from danger. The real difference between him and a normal boy? Bod is a human child who dwells in a graveyard with ghosts for adopted parents and a tall, dark guardian, Silas, who is neither living nor dead.

But can Bod’s extended graveyard family keep him safe? Silas provides food and clothing since he can roam outside the gates at night. Mr. and Mrs. Owens give Bod a home in their crypt, as well as love and discipline. Miss Lupescu’s lessons in paranormal creatures and Mr. Pennyworth’s lessons in fading from view like a ghost come in handy when Bod deals with evil ghouls and greedy humans searching after buried treasures. A friendly witch Liza buried right outside the graveyard gives him tips as well, and Bod repays her in kind by giving her the headstone she never had.

Neil Gaiman’s Newberry Medal-winning The Graveyard Book has been beautifully adapted to graphic novel form by illustrator P. Craig Russell. The first volume of the fantasy series features seven excellent illustrators with five chapters and a cliff-hanging interlude that leaves the reader dangling as to whether Bod’s ultimate fate will be among the living or the dead. Volume 2 can’t come soon enough!

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Another Great Review of The Time Surfer!

It's nice when your book gets a great review--and now I've had two for my Time Surfer series!

For Book 3, Present Day Partners from Manic Readers Reviews...

I have read others by Chatillon, whom I recently discovered as an author, and so far she’s keeping me quite interested. 4 Stars

Thanks, Alberta!

All three books in the Time Surfer series are now available at eXtasy Books, and the first two titles are at All Romance eBooks as well. Look for them at Amazon soon.

Present Day Partners
http://www.extasybooks.com/present-day-partners

Links to all books in the series:
http://www.extasybooks.com/the-time-surfer
 

A great review of The Vampire Next Door!

My Kindred vampire novel, The Vampire Next Door, received a nice review from Coffee Time Romance. Thanks, Delane! :)

THE VAMPIRE NEXT DOOR
180 Pages
Erotic, Romance, Paranormal, Vampires
Rating: 4 Cups

The writing of Ms. Chatillon draws the reader into the small world of Melynda and Val...As the story progresses, the reality of the characters and the storyline reveal themselves. I enjoyed reading The Vampire Next Door and know paranormal enthusiasts will find it entertaining and enjoyable.

Delane
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

See more at: http://coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/thevampirenextdoorbycelinechatillion.html#.VBXwF7uxt2N

 

The Vampire Next Door is available now at eXtasy Books and wherever fine ebooks are sold! ;)

 

Book Review: A**holes--A Theory

Assholes: A Theory by Aaron James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Philosopher Aaron James discusses the phenomenon of the asshole—a person with an entrenched sense of entitlement and feeling of superiority—and gives us, the more cooperative members of society, some hints at identifying and dealing with those who routinely inconvenience us while rarely giving us a second thought.

Has American culture with its emphasis on individualism produced an upsurge in assholes? James would argue that it certainly hasn’t helped. The “dampening effects” of family, religion, and a societal emphasis on working toward the collective good seem to be waning. The “Cable News Asshole” fans the flames of discord to create smokescreens of division (where none may actually exist) so that other assholes may flourish. A most telling example comes from the “Delusional Asshole Banker” who after taking billions of dollars in bail-out money due to his reckless behavior asks what his bonus will be. He then argues that the government bailed him out because he is “smart” and worthy of special treatment. Assholes in political office reinforce this dysfunctional mindset through legislation which rewards future asshole behaviors.

James cautions that no amount of discourse will change an asshole’s narcissistic outlook, so convinced he is of his moral superiority. At best, cooperative people can publicly state their objections concerning the asshole’s boorish behaviors to encourage their fellow sufferers that they aren’t alone in feeling incensed/slighted and hope for the best. Assholes: A Theory is the definitive survival guide for life in the twenty-first century.


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Book Review: Scatter, Adapt, and Remember

Scatter, Adapt, and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction by Annalee Newitz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Our primitive ancestors’ survival extincts served them well, Newitz theorizes, as they dispersed from Africa and wandered across the continents, possibly intermingling and intermarrying with our fellow hominids the Neanderthals and Denisovans. Love and cooperation may very well have saved Homo sapiens from extinction—and not our ability to use symbolic logic alone, although it played a crucial role. By scattering far and wide, adapting to the local climate changes and environments, and remembering to share their stories and adaptive technology with their offspring, our ancient human ancestors insured we’d still be here today.

But what happens if another mass extinction event occurs? Remember the dinosaurs? What if we’re hit by a burst of gamma radiation from a hypernova or a megavolcano erupts spewing particulates high into the atmosphere, blocking out our sunlight? How will we survive as a species then? Newitz interviews top scientists about the cities of tomorrow and where they’ll be located (probably underground), and how we could change genetically in order to survive on Mars or Titan. More good news—research into these far reaching fields will yield discoveries we’ll be able to use now, such as the space elevator and fuels derived from blue-green algae. All in all, our odds of surviving the apocalypse have never been better.

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Robot Uprisings by Daniel H. Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's hard to sleep at night after contemplating all the frightening scenarios put forth in this wonderful sci-fi anthology. Will we be taken over by our seemingly benign mechanical household servants? Will incredibly small nanobots we create to cure us from disease and infection be our undoing? Will we even have a clue our robot slaves have gained sentience before it's too late? And what is the difference between artificial intelligence and our own, particularly if the machines outwit us at every turn? These and more are part of the exciting worlds that await you in Robot Uprisings. Come the roboapocalypse don't say I didn't warn you.

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BLOOD IN BERLIN gets a nice review!

You know how it's helpful to scan through a book at a bookstore and read the first chapter so you can tell if it's a story you'll enjoy reading? It's not always easy to do so with e-books, but now you can read the entire first chapter of Blood in Berlin at the First Chapters blog by clicking on this link: 

http://drb1stchp.com/2014/03/blood-in-berlin-by-celine-chatillon/

Here's what one reader had to say about Blood in Berlin:

"...Your writing that is very well crafted... your writing IS ‘tight’, is descriptive and emotive, and, also, moves the plotline forward in a natural way... your story... did engage me, quickly, in your altered world and the people in it." --reader Khulwaters

Thanks, Khul!

Blood in Berlin--now available at eXtasy Books, Amazon, All Romance eBooks and wherever fine ebooks are sold!

Blood in Berlin

By Celine Chatillon
Book 3 in the Kindred vampire series
http://www.extasybooks.com/blood-in-berlin/

    In 1938 London, the vampire Edwin Carstairs attracts the attention of British Military Intelligence. A Nazi scientist known as Madame V is creating super-vampire-soldiers in Berlin and must be stopped. Edwin accepts the mission, hoping to prevent another devastating world war. But what will he and his team do when Edwin’s lost love Ophelia Jones is discovered taking an eager part in experiments that risk the very survival of human and vampire-kind alike?

You can also read the first chapter from Blood Bond at the First Chapter blog, too!

http://drb1stchp.com/2014/03/blood-bond-by-celine-chatillon/

Blood Bond  
(Book 2 in the Kindred vampire series)

 http://www.extasybooks.com/blood-bond

Edwin travels to Liverpool out of duty only to discover desire in the arms of the wildly sensual Ophelia and her darkly exotic employer known simply as Hamlet. When a vampire hunter threatens to destroy Hamlet, the three lovers’ blood bond is tested. Will Edwin be able to save his Kindred sire and return home in time to see the 1904 World’s Fair?

 

Book Review: The Science of Discworld

The Science Of Discworld by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

You can't keep a good wizard down! I loved the chapters with the story line of the wizards of the Unseen University meddling with their "Roundworld" universe. My favorite character, Rincewind, finds himself named Egregious Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography--how appropriate! The one thing that mars this otherwise enjoyable book are the non-fiction chapters. They're simply too long-winded for laypersons and detract more than add to the fun of the Discworld story. Really, for atheists these guys preach and preach and preach... Not a turtle in sight. Boring! It's much more fun to read about the wizards in action trying to unravel the mysteries of a planet very much like our own.

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A nice review of Blood Bond

It takes a while to get a book review nowadays, and at last I have one for Blood Bond:

This was an entertaining short read... I liked Edwin. He was innocent and sweet and a really nice guy. He was “seduced” by Ophelia and Hamlet, but that isn’t a bad thing...Hamlet had that timeless knowledge and wisdom that bespoke a creature that had been around a long, long time. --Lori from Romancing the Book reviews

Thanks, Lori!

 Blood Bond  
Book 2 in the Kindred vampire series

 http://www.extasybooks.com/blood-bond

Edwin travels to Liverpool out of duty only to discover desire in the arms of the wildly sensual Ophelia and her darkly exotic employer known simply as Hamlet. When a vampire hunter threatens to destroy Hamlet, the three lovers’ blood bond is tested. Will Edwin be able to save his Kindred sire and return home in time to see the 1904 World’s Fair?

  
Warning: This story contains m/f/m and m/m/f menage scenes.

Also available from Amazon and All Romance eBooks.

Book Review: Three Hands in the Fountain

Three Hands in the Fountain by Lindsey Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Falco and his good friend Petro find a decaying hand in the local fountain and stumble into solving a good ol' fashioned mystery. Three Hands in the Fountain is a return to what I like best in the Falco series--street characters and action set in the city of Rome with a misogynistic serial killer on the loose who has to be found before he kills again. Falco discovering bits of women's bodies in the aqueducts and trying to work out the psyche of the killer gives the story a rather modern flair. About the only thing that slow the story's pacing are long descriptions of the Roman water supply system itself. (Agreed it was quite an achievement, but can we stick with the characters and their emotions a bit longer, please? I'm not a civil engineer!) Helena Justina makes only token appearances and one hopes her role increases in later stories as their child grows up. Still, Three Hands in the Fountain is an enjoyable read for fans of the series.

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Book Review: A Dying Light in Corduba

A Dying Light in Corduba by Lindsey Davis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

We find Falco and his sweetheart Helena Justina right on the verge of parenthood in A Dying Light in Corduba, and somehow you know it's just not going to be easy for this pair. When Anacrites the Chief Spy is brutally attacked and another spy is killed, Falco finds himself going abroad to Spain to track down the culprits, discover a possible olive oil cartel, and check out the local Roman citizens who hold immense feelings of superiority. Falco wins the day eventually, but almost at the cost of his sanity and pregnant Helena's health. The setting and details in this installment are first rate, but whenever Falco leaves Rome the story pacing seems to suffer a bit, and the reader longs for the political intrigue and familiar characters at the palace and in the streets of the Aventine. Still, A Dying Light in Corduba is for the most part a fun read, and fans of the series will enjoy it.

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Book Review: The Light of Other Days

The Light of Other Days by Arthur C. Clarke

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This is a book that I really wanted to like--tried to like throughout the long slog of reading it. I've always been a big fan of Clarke since his Rendezvous with Rama and 2001 days, but alas I can't say I enjoyed reading The Light of Other Days quite as much. I realize Clarke wasn't the best with developing three-dimensional characters as he is with explaining esoteric science theories, but is it too much to expect at least one character in a novel of this scope be someone you can cheer on? The premise of the WormCam and exploring Earth's past and the social upheaval it causes is intriguing I'll admit. But when the reader is bombarded page after page of the authors' take on historical personalities and events with little attention given to the fact that on page one they've set a planet-killing asteroid directly into Earth's path... Well, your suspension of disbelief gets stretched a bit. You become irritated that you've been tricked into reading what could be equated as anti-religion propaganda and not a science fiction yarn. I expected something a bit better from these authors, frankly.



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A 4 Star Review of Blood in Berlin!

I received an early Christmas gift today--a 4 star review of my vampire novella Blood in Berlin from To-be-Read-Pile reviews!

"It really is a unique and excellent plot. I didn’t want to stop reading and could hardly put the book (Nook) down. To sum up this book, the plot and characters are fantastic."
TBR book review link

Thanks, Bella!

A happy holiday to one and all!
Celine

BLOOD IN BERLIN is now available at eXtasy Books and where all fine e-books are sold online!

http://www.extasybooks.com/celine-chatillon/blood-in-berlin/

Book Review: Time to Depart

Time to Depart by Lindsey Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time to Depart brings Roman sleuth Marcus Didius Falco alive once again for me after a rather slow ride in the last book in the series. Returned to his home town of the seven hills, political corruption, crime, theft, murder, and old friends and family members abound in this story. Falco is hired on to help solve the mystery of who is behind the robbery of an entire marketplace worth of goods after his friend in the vigils, Petro, sends a noted gangster up the river (or rather, gets the crime boss exiled from Roman territory). If Pius isn't the criminal mastermind, who is? Lalage, the brothel keeper, isn't talking, and neither is Pius's bitter wife or vacuous daughter. Add in the domestic troubles of being asked to officiate as a priest at his landlord's wedding (ugh!), discovering a baby thrown in a skip, "adopting" a mutt that follows him about, trying to find his missing niece, and learning that he's about to become a father with his lover Helena Justina, and Falco has more than his hands full. Time to Depart is fast paced and full of action, suspense and plenty of characters to keep readers entertained. Well done!

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Book Review: You Are Now Less Dumb

You Are Now Less Dumb: How to Conquer Mob Mentality, How to Buy Happiness, and All the Other Ways to Outsmart Yourself by David McRaney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I do indeed feel "less dumb" after reading David McRaney's You Are Now Less Dumb. As a psych major, I've always enjoyed learning about behavioral studies and other observations of the human mind. The great thing is that You Are Now Less Dumb is written on a level everyone can enjoy while exploring the fascinating world of psychology.

Probably the most fascinating part for me was actually becoming part of a "mob mentality" moment this past week after I finished reading the book. It is amazing how people on the Internet will use the anonymity it gives to act out in mean-spirited ways against others without fear of reprisal, believing that everyone in the group feels the same way and thus justifying their not-so-nice actions. If people really knew how others were thinking, would they join in the crowds that gather around suicidal people on bridges and start shouting, "Jump! Jump, why don't you?" Perhaps not.

And I've learned my lesson--never try to convince an online friend to switch his/her political viewpoint. Even if you post photos of bare, unadorned facts you are only making your friends' beliefs that much stronger because of the inborn need humans have to defend whatever it is we spend lots of time on. (You don't waste your time on "dumb things", right?) So, I'll no longer try to convince certain folks that allowing the elderly, disabled, and children to starve or go without health care isn't in our country's best interest, because to those who disagree with me on this topic it always will be. (One wonders what would happen to their attitude if their loved ones ever became part of the starving crowd.)

Yes, the world would definitely become a happier place if more read You Are Now Less Dumb and became... well less dumb!

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Book Review: Last Act in Palmyra

Last Act in Palmyra by Lindsey Davis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's been a few years since I read a Falco mystery by Lindsey Davis so when I finally got a hold of Last Act in Palmyra, I was happy to delve into the world of ancient Rome once again. Falco is the same sleuth as he ever was--resourceful, trustworthy, worldly, cynical, and madly in love with a senator's daughter, Helena Justina. The setting in the cities of the Decapolis is interesting, and the details of everyday life in the first century Roman world are fascinating, as Davis is terrific with bringing such historical things to life. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for all the characters. About the only thing that spoiled this installment in the series is the tediousness of the storyline and how the various stock characters of the traveling theatre troupe in which Falco and Helena travel seemed to blur together in your mind. The story's pacing is slow compared with earlier capers, and I wasn't quite as excited to keep turning pages since I'd figured out who had committed the murder long before Falco showed signs that he even had a clue. I'm not a big mystery reader, so perhaps this wouldn't be a problem for most, but I missed the political intrigue and blood-and-guts action of the earlier books. Still, if you need a Falco fix, Last Act in Palmyra is sure to please.

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