touch and go

some nights i stroke her neck
and she sings melodies
i have been waiting to hear

but tonight we fight and i grasp hard
trying to strangle a simple chorus
from her gaping mouth

like most females, i bribe her with gifts
like new strings, a fashionable strap
coaxing her into giving me what i want

we need time away from each other
so i am less calloused
she needs me to feel pain to create

my muse waits, begging to be touched
by someone who knows how to massage love
out of wood

The Knight by Steven James

The Knight is the third installment of the Patrick Bowers files by Steven James. The typical progression for a decent writer is having a hit, followed by a sophomore slump, and then a not-as-good-as-the-first-one third novel. That is why Steven James is not typical. He starts the series out with a slam dunk and consistently tops each story.

To say I couldn't put this book down is an understatement. My wife complained when I took it into the bathroom with me. I was torn between reading it slowly and soaking in every word and racing through it to find out what happens.

Patrick Bowers is on the hunt for a killer who uses an ancient book as a script to commit sick and twisted murders. Using his unorthodox methods, which would cause Sherlock Holmes to take notice, Patrick Bowers finds himself in the thick of the plot. The twist at the end was well worth the wait.

Steven James weaves a chilling tale rich in action, suspense, drama, and even some romance. The flow of his books makes the story play out like a movie in your head. I'm anxiously awaiting his next novel, The Bishop, due out in 2010.

The Knight is available August 2009 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

A Well Written Tale, Indeed

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R.L. LaFevers

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Very entertaining book in the same vein (and time period) as Sherlock Holmes. Centered around an 11 year old girl whose parents are Head Curators and Archaeologists in London. The book was a mix between Harry Potter (Theodosia has some unique abilities that others do not) and A Series of Unfortunate Events (where most of the adults are unaware of grand plots, schemes, and children). I liked it well enough that I'll have my 11 year old daughter read it so I can move on to the second book in this series!


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I Have Teen Ears!?

I've had hearing loss in one of my ears since high school band (i played drums), so I thought there was no way I would hear this, but I heard it loud and clear. I'm not sure that it would be annoying enough to make me walk away from it.

Created by Train Horns

A Game Of Thrones

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I used to be into fantasy. A buddy suggested a few of the best series around and I chose George R. R. Martin's books. I really got into the characters in this book once I got half way through it. There were lots of plot lines, characters to admire and despise, and enough twists to keep you reading. It took me longer that I thought to get through it because of the detail in Martin's writing - VERY descriptive. In some spots, I found myself skipping through paragraphs to get to the meat of the story. While I enjoy a good epic, I was a bit peeved at the end looking back at how little had actually transpired and how many questions I now had. I'm not one to quit a book, so the thought of reading book two may keep me from cracking it.


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