Review - Jenny's Dream by Linda Weaver Clarke

Jenny is home from college for the summer and is feeling unsettled with her life but can't figure out exactly why.

Restless Jenny awaits news of a journalism job in Texas with eager anticipation. When not helping around the house or playing with her younger brother and sister, Jenny finds solace in a secluded field where she spends hours getting lost in books. Finding a new friend to confide in and share her dreams with, soothes Jenny's soul, but she needs to confront and accept her past before she's able to make any strides toward the dreams she has for her future.

Clarke's passion for historical subject matter shines through with solid writing which transports the reader back in time effortlessly. She has created layered characters who are empathetic, caring, and independent. The entertaining writing allows the readers to examine a moment in hitory as though they were on location with the characters. The realism with history makes reading the novel and educational experience.

Linda Weaver Clarke's first historical fiction novel, Melinda and the Wild West, was a semi-finalist for Reader Views "Reviewers Choice Award 2007." Clarke writes articles for newspapers and teaches a Family Legacy Workshop where she encourages people to write their family history and autobiographies.

Jenny's Dream, the third of five novels in the series A Family Saga in the Bear Lake Valley is a recommended read. It shares a notable lesson on how one's impressions may be tainted by one's experiences.

Title: Jenny's Dream
Author: Linda Weaver Clarke
Publisher: American Book Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-58982-446-1
Pages: 263
Price: $22.00

Reviewed for Allbooks Review

Review - Scent of Danger by Doranna Durgin

Scent of Danger
Written by: Doranna Durgin
Fiction / Cozy Mystery
Rated: Very Good (****)
Review by: Lisa Haselton

Dale Kinsall has the sinking feeling that someone is in danger. Worse, that someone may be him.

While Dale deals with ongoing construction at his clinic, he starts discovering mysterious notes in the most unexpected places. The riddles seem to forewarn danger, but could be a prank. With regular worries of managing a staff and maintaining a full schedule of furry clientele, Dale wonders if his life will ever settle down again.

Dale’s best canine friend, Sully, is great at sniffing out varmints, treats, and danger, but with no particular priority to any it’s hard to know when he’s on a serious scent. While the two find time to train together for upcoming dog shows and obedience competitions, they find themselves entwined in a new mystery that has them each stretched to the limit.

Author Doranna Durgin’s newest Dale Kinsall Mystery is an entertaining and fun novel that delves further into Sully the Beagle’s life, which includes training for shows and investigating any danger his nose can sniff out. The dialogue, human and canine, adds humor and a different perspective for the reader. The author weaves veterinarian and performance sports details into this cozy mystery with such seeming ease as to educate the reader while offering the well-disguised details needed to solve the puzzle.

Doranna Durgin’s novel writing career has spanned genres and form to include over twenty novels in mystery, SF/F, action-romance, and franchise (such as “Ghost Whisperer”). She has also published numerous essays and short stories. With several new novels in the pipeline, Doranna also enjoys hanging around outside her Arizona home riding dressage on her Lipizzan and training for performance sports with her dogs.

Creative play with a dog’s point of view combined with humor and lots of heart combine to make Scent of Danger an enjoyable read for the whole family. I highly recommend this book to any cozy mystery lover interested in cuddling up with a fun, light-hearted story full of suspicious coincidences.

Scent of Danger will be available at: http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bn.com/, other online outlets, and local book stores in December ‘08.

Title: Scent of Danger
Author: Doranna Durgin
Publisher: Five Star
ISBN: 978-1-59414-675-6
Pages: 279
Price: $25.95