Review: Mystery of the Tempest: A Fisher Key Adventure by Sam Cameron

Twin brothers Denny and Steven Anderson love helping people and fighting crime alongside their sheriff dad on sun-drenched Fisher Key, Florida. Steven likes chasing girls. Denny longs to lose his virginity, but doesn’t dare tell anyone he’s gay. Steven has a secret of his own. He lied to everyone, including his own brother, about being accepted into SEAL training for the U.S. Navy.

On the day they graduate high school, the twins meet the handsome new guy in town, a military veteran with a chiseled body and mysterious past. Meanwhile Brian Vandermark, a gay transfer student from Boston, finds himself falling for closeted Denny but hampered by his shyness. When an antique yacht explodes in Fisher Key harbor, all three boys are caught up in a summer of betrayal, romance, and danger. It’s the Mystery of the Tempest¬—and it just might kill them all.

Set in the Florida Keys, Mystery of the Tempest by Sam Cameron is a fast paced LGBT young adult mystery that turned out to be engrossing and entertaining enough that I read it through in one sitting. The main characters, Anderson twins Denny and Steven, are the main focus of the story as they solve a mystery that revolves around the explosion of the antique yacht The Tempest and reveal important personal secrets in this fast moving story.

Denny and Steven are known throughout the island for helping their father, the island's sheriff, solve crimes. So it doesn't come as a surprise to anyone when the twins are smack in the middle of the events that lead up to explosion of The Tempest, or when they follow up afterwards by attempting to figure out what really happened. Soon things become complicated when the boys realize that they are being followed, "accidents"pile up around them, and as everything unravels, lies by friends and family betrayals come to light.

Events taking place in the boys' personal lives further complicate matters. The boys are identical twins but there are differences between them. Stephen is the athlete who dreams of becoming a Navy Seal and Denny is the straight A student with dreams of becoming part of the Coast Guard. But the biggest difference between the two is that Stephen likes girls and Denny likes boys. Stephen's girlfriend Kelsey is ready to go forward with their relationship and agrees to sex after their high school graduation, but Denny is deep in the closet which makes him a frustrated virgin with no hopes of a change in status in the near future.

Everything changes on the night of their high school graduation. Not only does The Tempest blow up, but Denny and Stephen meet a couple of people that will have substantial influence in their lives. There's the gorgeous ex-Navy Seal hanging around Fisher Key that sets Denny to drooling and daydreaming, and then there's the mutual attraction between Denny and Brian Vandermark, the shy young man recently transferred to school from Boston. Of course all the secrets the boys are keeping from family, friends and each other further complicate matters.

Stephen lied to Denny and everyone about his future plans and doesn't know how to reveal the truth. Denny was accepted by the Coast Guard but is keeping the fact that he's gay a secret from everyone except Stephen. As the summer progresses and events become more complex around the boys, their secrets and lies become heavy burdens to carry. This is frustrating for Denny as he and Brian become more attracted to each other every day, and for Stephen who can't share his worries about future plans and whose girlfriend is not what he expected.

Using the third point of view every other chapter is narrated from Stephen, Denny, and Brian's perspectives, making this a well rounded story where all central characters' views are well represented. I particularly enjoyed the young adults' voices and the fact that they're portrayed as young adults, not grown-ups. The dialogue is contemporary but not overdone and the characters' concerns are quite appropriate to circumstances, age and time.

The mystery in this story is enjoyable although I did figure it out before the end. However, the most enjoyable aspects of the story for me were the personal issues to the boys' stories, as well as their revelations. How Denny comes to terms with his sexuality and deals with his frustrations are well addressed issues by the author, as is Stephen's personal situation. I liked that lying about his future and the newness of a sexual relationship with his girlfriend deeply affected this character. And speaking of time-appropriate portrayals, I specifically enjoyed Kelsey's character. Here's a young girl who sets a high bar for sexual interaction based on what she's read and posts all her likes and dislikes on Facebook. If I have one niggle about this story is that when reading this book there's a sense that there have been previous stories about the Anderson twins, however I could not find any other books in this series.

As opposed to many young adult reads, adults are present in this story. Stephen and Denny's parents are not central but are there to support them and Brian's parents are very much a part of the story, but none of them take the focus away from the young adults as central characters. The secondary characters in the story are a good mix of young adults, adults, males and females, with males making the bulk of the significant cast of secondary characters.

This is a different type of read for me, a young adult gay contemporary mystery. Sam Cameron is an author whose short story, "Day Student," I enjoyed in a recently reviewed anthology. In Mystery of  The Tempest: A Fisher Key Adventure, I again enjoyed the way this author captures young adults' voices, particularly the brotherly relationship between Steven and Denny, as well as youth's insecurities and strengths presented through the portrayal of Brian's character and his relationship with Denny. I do love mysteries and this one turned out to be an enjoyable, fresh read for me. Recommended.

Category: LGBT - Gay Young Adult Mystery
Series: Fisher Key Adventures
Publisher/Release Date: Bold Stroke Books/November 17, 2011
Source: Copy of book received from author
Grade: B

Visit Sam Cameron here. Read an excerpt here.

This 'n That: Catching Up, Kindle Fire Likes & Concerns

Hi everyone! Last week I posted almost every day and was rolling and this week I was only able to post one review. Well, yes... this year continues to plague my family with lots of emergencies. My dad was hospitalized for an emergency heart-related procedure. Although it was quite stressful at the time, the good news is that all is well, thank goodness! I am lucky enough to have three wonderful supportive brothers, a husband, sister-in-law and daughter that are there to help deal with the stress. My boss has been quite wonderful in allowing me the time to deal with all the family situations that have cropped up this year as well. Kudos and thanks to her! We are all trying to relax this weekend and hopefully will catch a break for a little while so we can be ready for whatever lies around the corner.

Throughout last week I did have a few distracting, happy moments provided by the arrival of my very special birthday present -- the Kindle Fire. Let me see... so far I have great news and some reservations about this wonderful toy. And it is quite a toy! It's a combination eReader and Pad (very similar to the iPad).

Reading and Device Features I like: 

• Size -- it's the size of a paperback and it fits in my bag easier than my other Kindle (K2).
• Bigger reading screen that allows me to read in portrait or landscape formats by just turning the device.
• Easier and faster paging. 
• Color covers for books arranged on shelf - makes it feel as if you're picking them off your own bookshelves. Seeing those beautiful covers makes me want to read books that have been in my old Kindle TBR FOREVER. 
• The books keep the "New" label until they are opened and read. When sorting books by "most recent", the new books always appear first along with the books just read or recently opened. Love this! 
• Cloud: Downloading books to the cloud allows me to download them to multiple devices (to both Kindles + my computer) and it allows me to see all my books, but download only what I want to read in a particular device. Love this feature!
• Highlighting and Dictionary features are better than in old Kindle. Plus, there's the option of going directly to Wiki.
• I love the touch screen (no breakable knobs parts), but there's a catch to this (see below).
• Amazon Prime Member Free Library -- WOW, love books in that library.

Other features I love:

• Music! Uploaded all my music to the Cloud
• Newsstand -- Already have magazines and newspapers in there
• Videos -- Great stuff! No videos yet.
• Docs -- Can have documents in there. I still don't have any
• Apps -- There are free apps and interface with Facebook, Twitter, and other sites. Can download more! I especially love that I was able to load all my email accounts and am able to read and answer them from the device. I also loaded my office calendar into the device already -- yeah, well.... *g*
• Web -- Fast and easy... I've bookmarked all my favorite blogs, Goodreads and other sites.

Reservations or Concerns so far:

• Books can't be sorted by collections. This is a great feature available in other Kindles. If this feature is available for the KFire, I haven't figured out how to use it yet.
• No PDF Files! The Kindle Fire does NOT read PDF files. The other Kindles read PDF files that are loaded free of charge via USB cable. For the KFire they have to be sent to amazon via email for "conversion" so they can then be read. I have loads of books in PDF format still unread. Why change this feature at this point in the game? 
• WiFi, not 3G: Books, magazines, music, etc... are downloaded to the device via WiFi services or USB cable. This is easy enough at home or if you have passwords for specific locations (office/friends & family's homes) or free public access, but if there are dead zones or there's no free public access there's no using the Web or multiple apps.
• Screen is backlit: The screen to the reader is back lit just like a computer, which is great for reading in dark places. BUT, I haven't read a complete book yet so I'm not sure if this is going to affect my vision or give me a headache. This is a concern for me even though I've been told it's all good.
• Glass-like screen: The screen is glass-like which makes it fragile and breakable (see warranty for this). I have a great case for it with a hard back but it's a concern for me since I take my Kindle everywhere with me. Also because it's like glass, it is reflective (unlike the old Kindles), it's not too bothersome but something I need to get used to.  
• Battery Time: Charge on the battery only lasts for eight hours of straight reading and it takes four hours for the device to charge fully. Now, I know this is a long time for someone to read, but I read for eight hours straight (and more) on the weekends and if you're listening to music, running other apps, or have the WiFi on at the same time the battery runs down fast.
• Distractions: I know this is a new toy, but so far I find that having all the different apps together with the reader distracts me from reading. My concentration has been shot! I begin reading a book but then I want to look or hear or see something else -- a bit too much stimuli! Maybe this will change later for me. 

So you ask, have I finished any books in the Kindle Fire yet? Well yes, I finished the one book I was reading when the device arrived, Chulito by Charles Rice-González, and I'll be posting all about this book later on. However, I've not been able to read any other books even though I've begun a few of them. Hopefully this weekend that will change.

Review: The Next Always (Inn BoonsBoro #1) by Nora Roberts

The Next Always: Inn BoonsBoro is the first book in Nora Roberts latest romance trilogy. This trilogy is set in BoonsBoro, Maryland where the three Montgomery brothers, Ryder, Owen and Beckett are in the process of giving the historical Inn BoonsBoro a major overall.

The Inn is described almost as a character who views the town as it changes throughout time and comes alive as it changes throughout this story, and of course as in many old buildings with such history, this one has its own ghost in residence. Both the Inn and the resident ghost seem to like the changes the Montgomery brothers are making. This might be because the gorgeous Montgomery brothers share a dream, know what they're doing and how to go about getting results. Ryder is the constructions expert, Owen the administrator and go to man, and Beckett the architect of the family, but all three of them can put on a tool belt and wield a hammer with the best of them.

Beckett dreams of seeing his designs come alive as the Inn is restored and secretly yearns for Clare. He fell in love with her when he was fifteen and was heartbroken when she fell in love, married and left town with Clint Brewster. After Clint was killed in Iraq, Clare returned home and opened the local bookstore, Turn the Page, to make a life for herself and her three boys. She sees Beckett as an old friend and he turns into a tongue-tied fifteen year old whenever she's around. Everything changes between them after Beckett gives Clare a tour of the Inn and they share a charged moment and an almost-kiss.

Clare sees herself as the mother of her three boys and doesn't really have much time for being a "woman." She's the only one surprised by Beckett's attraction to her and by her response to him, but why shouldn't she be attracted? He's gorgeous, single and as her best friend Avery says, he's been crazy about her for years! Huh?! Clare is clueless. This is a woman totally focused on her daily life -- children, business, home life -- and nothing else. While married to Clint who as a soldier was away for most of their marriage Clare learned to depend on herself and to take care of everything, so that's what she does on a daily basis. Even when drowning from stress, she turns away friends and family willing to help her cope.

Clare and Beckett begin dating as Clare's attraction for Beckett grows. Her children are very much a part of her life and Beckett slowly begins the process of incorporating himself into that life. However, Clare's focus on her daily life and Beckett's focus on the Inn's reconstruction constantly interrupt this romance. They have to schedule minutes to see each other and then are ruthlessly interrupted by friends and family who don't seem to believe in privacy. Clare makes the time to meet with her girlfriends and doesn't miss one single celebratory meeting with them, but always seems to be too busy to meet Beckett. I found that weird to say the least, hmm...

From the beginning this just felt like a one-sided love affair, and it took a long time for me to feel a real connection between Clare and Beckett as a couple. I actually felt more of a connection between Beckett and Clare's boys, and in a way feel that in the end Clare fell in love with Beckett because of that connection. Heartwarming, but not very romantic.

Nora Roberts builds a wonderful relationship between the brothers, both the Montgomery brothers and Clare's boys, the Brewster brothers. I loved those relationships. There are other secondary characters that really make an impact in this story, but of those my favorite has to be Clare's best friend Avery, the owner of the local Italian restaurant Vestra, who speaks her mind no matter what and steals every single scene. I looked forward to all her appearances in the book. There is also a ghost included in this story, and although that plot line affects both the romance and the ending, I thought it was pretty much meaningless as there's really no explanation for the ghost's presence. Maybe in the next book? There's also a villain in this story and I like the way Roberts works in the reality of that situation with light fiction.

And speaking of Vestra, Roberts also does an excellent job of portraying the small town of BoonsBoro, Maryland. Maybe it's because she has taken the town and businesses out of her own life experiences, but they all come alive for the reader. I love her description of the small town, its people and businesses -- Turn the Page Bookstore, Vestra Restaurant, and of course Inn BoonsBoro. Roberts' description of the Inn with its reconstruction and decorations are detailed and you can just feel the love and care that goes into every single detail shared in this book. The small town atmosphere and secondary characters also make an impact when reading the story -- mother Montgomery is a ruthless riot!

Overall The Next Always by Nora Roberts was an enjoyable read for me. I love the small town atmosphere and Roberts' characterization usually works for me, especially when it comes to building relationships between family and friends. It does in this book too. Unfortunately, I found the romance to be lukewarm with an unfinished and rather abrupt ending right after Beckett and Clare's big moment finally comes along. I do think this is a good beginning to Nora Roberts' latest romance series and won't be missing the next book in the series, The Last Boyfriend.

Category: Contemporary Romance
Series: Inn BoonsBoro, Book 1
Publisher/Release Date: Berkley/November 1, 2011 - Kindle Edition
Grade: C+

Visit Nora Roberts here.

New Releases: November 2011

I'm late with my November releases post, and there were quite a few books that released at the beginning of the month that were "must" reads for me! Of course, I've read a couple of the earlier releases already, but here's a list of the whole month for you.

November 1st was a good day for new releases:

The latest contemporary romance by Nora Roberts, The Next Always (Inn BoonsBoro #1) series. The beginning of a new romance series about the three Montgomery brothers who find their happily ever afters while rebuilding a historical Inn in BoonsBoro, Maryland. I love Nora Roberts' books, so I couldn't miss this book!

The Comforts of Home (Harmony #3) by Jodi Thomas is the continuation of her Harmony series. I enjoyed Welcome to Harmony and couldn't wait to find out what happens to the people in that town. Jodi Thomas has a way of creating fictional characters residing in a small town setting and making them come alive with their secret heartaches, loves and dreams. I'm thinking this book is a perfectly heartwarming read for November, especially with the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays.

Heart of Steel (Iron Seas #2) by Meljean Brook! A highly anticipated book and the continuation of Brook's Iron Seas steampunk series. I loved both the novella introducing this series Here There Be Monsters (Burning Up Anthology), and the first book in this series, The Iron Duke. Now this is the story of Yasmeen, the infamous captain of the Lady Corsair! I began reading it, but had to put it aside... [sigh] I can't wait to read it.

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Now, I'm waiting for:

Detours by Jeffrey Ricker releasing November 15, 2011 (Bold Strokes Books). I first read Mr. Ricker's work in the Fool for Love anthology and enjoyed his story. Since then I've read a few of his short stories and continued to enjoy his work, but I've been looking forward to reading a complete novel by this author.

Joel Patterson should be happier than ever. He's just returned from a two-week vacation in London, where he met Philip, who might be the man of his dreams. Instead, Joel's heading to Maine for his mother's funeral. He quits his job to fulfill one last request for his mother: unload his parents' albatross of an RV by delivering it to an old family friend—in California.

Somehow, Joel's high school "friend" Lincoln has invited himself along on the ride—and into Joel's bed. The other person who's invited herself along? The ghost of his mother, who still has plenty to say about her son's judgment (or lack thereof). Joel has to get the RV to San Francisco, get rid of Lincoln, and get back to Philip. It would also make him feel better if he learned what's keeping his mother tied to this earthly plane. However Joel manages it, the route is likely to be anything but straight.

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History's Passion: Stories of Sex Before Stonewall by Richard Labonté releasing November 15, 2011 (Bold Strokes Books). Labonté is a favorite LGBT editor and so are three of the four authors included in this anthology. I'm not about to miss it. Here's a short version of the book summary:

Four acclaimed erotic authors re-imagine the past... welcome to the hidden queer history of men loving men not so very long—and centuries—ago.

In "Heaven on Earth," Lambda Literary Award-winner editor and author Simon Sheppard evokes a noirish Depression-era setting for Wichita rich kid Eli: Bonnie and Clyde meet Leopold and Loeb. In "Camp Allegheny," Lambda finalist Jeff Mann recounts a clandestine Civil War romance between two Rebel soldiers. In "Tender Mercies," Dale Chase imagines the world of young Luke Farrow, a failure at prospecting during the California Gold Rush. In "The Valley of Salt," David Holly blends legend with lust in the beautiful city of Gomorrah more than 3,000 years ago.

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Mystery of the Tempest: A Fisher Key Adventure by Sam Cameron releasing November 15, 2011 (Bold Strokes Books). This is also LGBT, but for a change it's a young adult mystery. I recently read a short story by Sam Cameron in the Speaking Out: LGBTQ Youth Stand Up anthology and loved it, so I was happy to accept this book for review. I've already read it, so expect a review soon.

Twin brothers Denny and Steven Anderson love helping people and fighting crime alongside their sheriff dad on sun-drenched Fisher Key, Florida. Steven likes chasing girls. Denny longs to lose his virginity, but doesn’t dare tell anyone he’s gay. Steven has a secret of his own. He lied to everyone, including his own brother, about being accepted into SEAL training for the U.S. Navy.

On the day they graduate high school, the twins meet the handsome new guy in town, a military veteran with a chiseled body and mysterious past. Meanwhile Brian Vandermark, a gay transfer student from Boston, finds himself falling for closeted Denny but hampered by his shyness. When an antique yacht explodes in Fisher Key harbor, all three boys are caught up in a summer of betrayal, romance, and danger. It’s the Mystery of the Tempest—and it just might kill them all.

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Head Over Heels (Lucky Harbor #3) by Jill Shalvis releasing November 22, 2011 (Forever/Hachette Book Group). This is the continuation of her Lucky Harbor series and a favorite contemporary romance series for me. It's Chloe's story and I'm not about to miss it.

Free-spirited Chloe lives life on the edge. Unlike her soon-to-be married sisters, she isn't ready to settle into a quiet life running their family's newly renovated inn. But soon her love of trouble--and trouble with love-draws the attention of the very stern, very sexy sheriff who'd like nothing better than to tame her wild ways.

Suddenly Chloe can't take a misstep without the sheriff hot on her heels. His rugged swagger and his enigmatic smile are enough to make a girl beg to be handcuffed. For the first time, instead of avoiding the law, Chloe dreams of surrender. Can this rebel find a way to keep the peace with the straitlaced sheriff? Or will Chloe's colorful past keep her from a love that lasts . . . and the safe haven she truly wants in a town called Lucky Harbor?

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Fate's Edge (The Edge, #3) by Ilona Andrews releasing November 29, 2011 (Ace)! Boy, I've been waiting a whole year for this puppy. I'm loving this series by the Andrews team and can't wait to get my hands on this book.

Audrey Callahan left behind her life in the Edge, and she's determined to stay on the straight and narrow. But when her brother gets into hot water, the former thief takes on one last heist and finds herself matching wits with a jack of all trades...

Kaldar Mar-a gambler, lawyer, thief, and spy-expects his latest assignment tracking down a stolen item to be a piece of cake, until Audrey shows up. But when the item falls into the hands of a lethal criminal, Kaldar realizes that in order to finish the job, he's going to need Audrey's help...

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A Place Called Home by Jo Goodman is releasing December 6, 2011 (Zebra). I know this book is releasing early next month, but for some reason this contemporary romance by a favorite historical romance writer caught my attention and I'm really looking forward to reading it, so I'm highlighting it now. :D

When Thea Wyndham and Mitchell Baker learn they've been named joint guardians for their late friends' three children, they're little more than acquaintances. Barely polite acquaintances, at that. Something about Mitch's forthright intensity has always left ad exec Thea feeling off-balance, while Mitch makes no secret of his disdain when Thea offers him financial assistance if he'll take sole guardianship. Thea is far from heartless. She's just plain terrified of her new parenting responsibilities. Both she and Mitch are romantically involved with other people. Yet the more time they spend together, the less certain she is of her loyalties. There are complications and mis-steps, tears and laughter - lots of it. And somehow, through it all, the dawning realization that the last place she thought she'd find herself could be just where she belongs.

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Of course there are other books that released or are releasing that interest me. I read All They Need by Sarah Mayberry, a contemporary category romance that released on November 1st. I also read and enjoyed the debut historical romance novel The Lady's Secret by Joanna Chambers (Tumperkin) which released on November 7th. And on November 22nd Saints Astray by Jacqueline Carey book #2 in her Santa Olivia series is finally releasing. What about you? Any books you can't wait to read in November?

Veteran's Day: Thanking All Who Serve

Veteran's Day is a day honoring all veterans in the United States. This day coincides with other holidays around the world commemorating Armistice Day -- the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I, which took place on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

Red poppies became a symbol representing veterans because of the poem In Flanders Fields written by Canadian military physician Colonel John McCrae.  Worn by veterans around the world, in the United States the poppy became the official memorial flower representing veterans in 1922. Have you seen red poppies worn and sold on Veteran's Day? They are sold to honor those who serve, but also to collect monies to assist veterans returning from war and their families. So don't forget to wear your red poppy today to honor those who have served.

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In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae

1872-1918

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

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Today is a day of remembrance and thankfulness in my family. My husband's father and his beloved uncle were both WWII veterans, and his son and our daughter-in-law are also veterans. Today, we thank our loved ones, as well as all those who have served and still serve.

Thank you.