Book 1 of the Sword Of Shadows series.Retail purchase. Views: 15
Erotica/Romance. 54631 words long. First published in 2010 Views: 15
Roxanne Callahan has always been her younger sister's caretaker. Now married, her happiness is threatened when beautiful and emotionally unstable Simone, suffering from crippling postpartum depression, commits an unforgivable crime for which Roxanne comes to believe she is partially responsible. In the glare of national media attention brought on her sister, Roxanne fights to hold her marriage together as she is drawn back into the pain of her troubled past and relives the fraught relationship she and Simone shared with their narcissistic mother. At the same time, only she can help Simone's nine year old daughter, Merell, make sense of the family's tragedy. Cathartic, lyrical, and unflinchingly honest, THE GOOD SISTER is a novel of four generations of women struggling to overcome a legacy of violence, lies and secrecy, ultimately finding strength and courage in their love for each other.From Publishers WeeklyA mother on trial for the attempted murder of her children opens Campbell's piercing latest. The story shifts back in time to explore Simone Duran's childhood with her sister, Roxanne, and their self-absorbed mother and also Simone's life as a stay-at-home mom suffering from postpartum depression. Simone's neglect of infant daughter Olivia, who she lets lie in her crib crying for hours on end, tears at the heart, but while Simone's mothering is disturbing, Campbell (Blood Orange) highlights the underlying factors that have pushed Simone to this edge, giving the story balance. Simone's macho husband prevents her seeking treatment while he imposes pregnancy after pregnancy on her in his desire to finally have a son. Add Roxanne's overprotectiveness of Simone, and you have a completely dependent woman. Campbell burns through Simone's struggles and also those of Roxanne in haunting, graphic detail. This portrait of the inner life of a woman whose psychotic state led her to believe that killing her children and herself would have been best for all of them should be on everyone's book club list. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistRoxanne has always been responsible for her sister, Simone. Their absentee father and abusive mother ensured that the girls would rely on each other. When the unstable Simone marries a wealthy man, it seems Roxanne’s caretaking job is over, and she begins to fashion a new life for herself. Unfortunately, the stress of multiple pregnancies and episodes of postpartum depression make things worse for Simone. The novel opens with Simone’s trial for the attempted murder of three of her children, which weakens suspense and makes it hard for the reader to become invested in the childrens' fate. The unrealistic survival of the children may have been written to ensure that the character remains sympathetic, but it would have been more interesting to see if sympathy could be maintained for a damaged woman who was successful in her attempts at murder. A note from the author describes her own family’s struggle with postpartum depression, and a reading group guide makes this a natural for book groups. --Marta Segal Block Views: 15
Fourteen-year-old DJ Randall wants nothing more than to compete as a show jumper in the Olympics. The challenges that stand in her way only spur her to work harder toward her dream. Whether it's mucking out stalls and hosting pony parties to earn money to buy her first horse or navigating the changing family dynamics at home, DJ relies on her faith in God to see her through the most daunting obstacles. Collection Two includes Close Quarters, Moving Up, Letting Go, Raising the Bar, and Class Act. Views: 15
From School Library JournalGr 9 Up–An interesting, quick-paced, and compelling paranormal romance. Eron DeMarchelle has known Julia all her life. As her Sandman, it is his duty to lure her, and his other charges, to sleep each night. Now, Julia's boyfriend has passed away and just when she unknowingly needs Eron the most, he may be unable to help her. Sandmen are contracted for 100 years after their deaths and then they are able to become human again. Eron has begun training his replacement, who just happens to be Julia's ex, Griffin, an impulsive and obsessive young man. As he begins to break the rules trying to stay forever with Julia, Eron must fight to save both her and himself. Julia is a smart heroine surrounded by flawed, yet mostly lovable boys and involved in a star-crossed romance. It's a surefire formula. Told in chapters alternating between Eron and Julia, the story includes some teenage drinking, some sexually mature scenes, and stalking, but it is definitely recommended for public library collections._Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, CT_© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. ReviewSuspense, believable characters and an imaginative twist on a ghost story/romance make for a lovely read. --Kirkus Reviews An interesting, quick-paced, and compelling paranormal romance...definitely recommended for public library collections. --School Library Journal Views: 15
Sex in the City is a new series from Xcite Books which features erotic stories that all have a city-based theme. Including stories by Orange and Booker nominees not always known for erotic writing, these books represent the very best of erotic literature. Views: 15
Christmas has always been a sad time for young widow Holly Brown, so when she's asked to look after a remote house on the Lancashire moors, the opportunity to hide herself away is irresistible — the perfect excuse to forget about the festivities. Sculptor, Jude Martland, is determined that this year there will be no Christmas after his brother runs off with his fiancee and he is keen to avoid the family home. However, he will have to return by the twelfth night of the festivities, when the hamlet of Little Mumming hold their historic festivities and all of his family are required to attend. Meanwhile, Holly is finding that if she wants to avoid Christmas, she has come to the wrong place. When Jude unexpectedly returns on Christmas Eve he is far from delighted to discover that Holly seems to be holding the very family party he had hoped to avoid. Suddenly, the blizzards come out of nowhere and the whole village is snowed in. With no escape, Holly and Jude get much more than they bargained for — it looks like the twelve days of Christmas are going to be very interesting indeed! Views: 15
The first of a three-novel series, Mission Compromised introduces Major Peter J. Newman, a U.S. marine assigned to fill a top-secret White House National Security Council staff position. In these novels, Newman discovers secrets such as how covert missions are being compromised, why high-ranking FBI and CIA spies rarely go on trial, and why the United Nations has a military command center. In this first book, a mission to the Middle East to eliminate top terrorist leaders, including Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein is compromised when a top official tips off the intended targets. Everyone on the mission is killed except Peter Newman. Now Newman must find out what happened—and why. Views: 15
Faster, Grittier, Darker, Deadlier…Chris Ryan Extreme When an old friend makes a desperate call for help, former SAS Warrant Officer Joe Gardner is thrust back into the line of fire. His journey leads him into the deadliest favela in Brazil, where violent gangs, crazed hitmen and trigger-happy paramilitaries lurk. Gardner’s only hope of staying alive is through his supreme survival skills and warrior’s instinct. Views: 15
