The Bishop

How long has it been since you’ve picked up a book you literally could not put down until you finished every last sentence of the epilogue? The Bishop by author Steven James is that book for this year.

Book four in the Bowers Files starts off with a disturbing scene like the jerk of a roller coaster as you head to the first big hill. In Steven James fashion, our hero, FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers, is pulled into another thrilling mystery pitting his unusual investigative techniques against psychopathic monsters.

James does a wonderful job of mastering the use of the first and third person to give the reader just enough information to let them play detective, yet withholding enough of the converging plots that you feel compelled to keep reading. His books are graphic, violent, informative, and introspective. The Bishop is no exception.

Midway through the book I was sure the mystery was about to be solved, but wouldn’t you know it…the first half was just the tip of the iceberg as far as the story was concerned. The story pulls you behind the scenes of the halls of the FBI, body farms, primate research facilities, the offices of lawyers, politicians, and hotels.

The Bishop is not a run-of-the-mill thriller. It tackles the scientific and ethical definitions of what it means to be human covering subjects such as transhumanism, metacognition, and intentionality.

Patrick Bowers’ personal life is the glue that holds the novel together and is woven into the story ingeniously giving the feel of a seamless transition between action, drama, romance, and horror. By the end of the book, I had no less than four people tagged as the person or persons “whodunit”. Now THAT makes for an exciting ending.

I anxiously await his next novel, The Queen, due out in 2011.

The Bishop is available August 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Come join the Launch Party!

"The Bishop" Launch Party

I'm excited to be reading the 4th book in the Steven James series called "The Bishop". Even if you've never read one of his books, plan on attending the Facebook launch party!

The Testing Begins

This is where the rubber meets the road and stops to consider the fork. My day job is spent as a self-employed software developer. I started the business on the downward trough of a recession and the effects are finally throwing me up onto the beach. A recurrent question throughout my adulthood has been "what do I want to be when I grow up", and the answer is typically "I don't want to grow up, so that's a stupid question!" The rat raced IT realm requires that you continue learning, pushing the envelope, and lowering your rates to compete with foreigners doing the same thing for one fifth what you charge. Declining budgets and software life cycle spirals (at least for Lotus Notes) have handed me plenty of free time.

With that free time I have invested in recording equipment to work on a "project". It is 7 years in the making. Season after season brings sparks of creativity followed by the small (yet overwhelming) voice saying "no one will care - this is mediocrity at best". I'm putting the noise-cancelling headphones on and plugging ahead for the sake of the idea, not the audience. A friend of mine recently told me that there shouldn't be a confidence killer because if I really believed that God provided a gift, He's not going to let me fail, especially if I am singing to Him. He is the audience.

I've got a couple gigs lined up and will be looking at doing more. Time is no friend though. Without a decent line-up of original tunes, I need to fall back on covers. Learning covers takes time and takes time away from the original songs.

Right now I'm down, but not broken. Open to anything but not discouraged.

Ready for what this test brings - especially the outcome.

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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Billy Collins - "Ballistics"

Ballistics: Poems by Billy Collins

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Billy Collins continues to add to his impressive body of poetry. His use of language to create several layers that grab the deep thinkers as well as the casual surface-type dwellers make this book hard not to read several times through.



Being a big fan of Mr. Collins, I found it hard not to speed through each poem just to consume it. I like to let each poem soak and ponder the various meanings that get conjured, but also could not wait to get to the next "painting" to see where it leads me. It is similar to buying a new album from your favorite musical artist. The first listen is just to absorb the experience. The second time through plants the seeds much deeper.



Well done, Mr. Collins. Well done.


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The Rook

The Rook by Steven James

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Steven James has built a compelling storyline (Continuing on the story of Patrick Bowers in "The Pawn") based on deep character development, high tech know-how, and being able to convey the fine-line walked between being a criminal and knowing how to catch one.



My favorite line in the book is: "Love that's too timid to ache isn't love at all"



Can't wait for "The Knight" coming out Summer 2009.


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