Vulgarity for the Masses by J.S. Lawhead

What do you get when you mix the bizarro fiction genre with a series of short stories? You get Vulgarity for the Masses. Several things make this book unique. These are the most bizarre stories I have ever read. They contain constant use of foul language, which is to be expected based on the title. But the cursing contained within those pages is the most creative use of profanity I have ever read. These stories will more likely than not amuse, confuse, and disturb you. But most of all these stories will leave you speechless, unsure of what you've just read.

The stories range from a tripped out teacher to curious, illogical puppets. From ghost stories to stories promoting the magical bond between man and whale, the stories will make you laugh at times, and leave you dumbfounded at others. While most people have never heard of the bizarro genre, this book is worth check out if you enjoy stories of the absurd, the grotesque, and the just plain nonsensical. If you are easily offended or do not like excessive cursing, you probably would pick up this book to begin with. But if you do, put it down because this book is not for you. But if mind-boggling profanity and crossed-the-line-so-long-ago-you-can't-even-see-the-line-anymore content are right up your alley, then you should definitely check out this book. Filled with great lines and laugh out loud comedy, I highly recommend it. Although I recommend tackling this book with a dictionary on hand, as the literary level can be a big high at times.

This book is currently available for sale.

The Templeton Twin Have an Idea by Ellis Weiner

The Templeton twins, John and Abigail, are the children of the brilliant inventor and professor, Elton Templeton. Along with the twins and the Professor is their utterly ridiculous dog, Cassie. The Professor used to work at Elysian University but recently accepted a position at Tickeridge-Baltock Institute of Technology. As a result, the twins and their father must move to a new house. And that's when the trouble begins.

It is at Tickeridge-Baltock Institute of Technology that the twins and the Professor meet Dean D. Dean, a former student of the Professor who has been holding a grudge for thirteen years. Mr. Dean accuses the Professor of stealing an idea for an invention and claiming it as his own. The Professor of course denies the allegation, which eventually leads to the kidnaping of the twins by no other than Dean D. Deans brother, Dan D. Dean. In exchange for the safe return of the twins, Dean D. Dean wants to receive full credit for the invention he claims the Professor stole. Meanwhile, the twins must find a way to escape their captors. And that's when the Templeton twins have an idea.

The entirety of the story is told from the point of view of a third party, referred to only as the Narrator. The backstory of the Narrator is unknown, but judging from the way te story is written, it would seem as if the Narrator is being held captive and forced to write against his will. I doubt the Narrator's entire story will be revealed, but it's fun to speculate. The Narrators snarky, albeit humorous attitude is something I have not seen before and found it a nice change of pace.

This is the authors first book for kids, and while nicely done, some younger readers may miss some of the humor in the Narrators comments. It is also worth mentioning that the book is filled with intersting and fun to look at drawings depicted in a blueprint like fashion. The illistrations are done by Jeremy Holmes. The pictures are a nice addition and add a whole new visual element tothe story. All in all, I think that children will enjoy getting to know John and Abigail (and Cassie) and will be looking forward to sequels in the future.

This book is currently available for sale.

Stranger in the Room by Amanda Kyle Williams

When former FBI profiler turned private investigator Keye Street receives a frantic phone call from her cousin, Miki, Keye is reluctant to help. After all, Miki Ashton has a history of drug abuse and mental problems, and has had problems with police in the past. But Keye knows better than most not to hold someone past against them, as Keye herself is a recovering alcoholic. And besides, Miki is family, and Keye knows that she must help her.

Miki claims that someone broke into her house and that she has the feeling that she is being watched. Keye invites her to stay at her apartment for a while, and almost pushes Keye to the point of relapse. But with the papers piling up at work, Keye can't spend all of her time watching over her cousin who may or may not have had someone break into her house. Until the body of an elderly man is found hanging in Miki's house. That's when Luitenant Aaron Rauser of the Atlanta Police Department, and Keye's boyfriend, starts taking things seriously and discovers a connection to other open investigations.

Rauser and Keye struggle to find the connection between a local teenager, Miki, the murdered elderly man, and others as Keye starts putting together a psychological profile of the killer. Little does she know that, slowly, he is closing in on her and those she cares about the most.

Stranger in the Room is the second book in the Keye Street series. Heroine Keye Street is a recovering alcoholic who lost her job and her marriage due to alcohol and has to fight the urge to drink every day. Although this book is not as suspenseful as the first, it has a heavier focus on mystery that works well with the intricate plot. An enjoyable read for mystery buffs and is worth keeping your eye on.

This book is currently available for sale.

Cleanup by Norah McClintock

When Connie Suarez gets to work she finds her employer, Richard Withers, murdered. And standing over the body is her coworker Maria, an illegal immigrant from Colombia. Maria begs Connie, a former attorney, to help her find out who killed him and prove her innocence. Connie agrees and finds herself discovering that Maria has not been completely honost with her and is still keeping secrets from her. It up to Connie to find out who killed Mr. Withers and clear Maria's name.

This book is very short and easy to read. I was able to finish it on less than two hours. This story could have been better if there had been more added to the story. The characters seemed unrealistic and the dialogue didn't feel natural at towards the end of the story. This book does have potential but it just seems too short. It feels unfinished.

This book is not yet available for sale. It will be released to the public on October 1st.

The Accident by Linwood Barclay

Glen Garber runs a contracting company in Milford, Connecticut. When his wife, Sheila, dies in a car accident, Glen and his daughter, Kelly, both have their lives turned upside. But what makes the news even more distressing is the circumstances surrounding the accident. According to the police report, Sheila was driving drunk, drove up onto an off ramp,and fell asleep behind the wheel. It was literally an accident waiting an accident waiting to happen. And to top it all off, the accident also resulted in the death of two other people.

Glen knows his wife would never be so irresponsible and reckless that she would ever willingly get behind the wheel drunk. When he starts searching for the truth, he is hurled into a world of illegal and immoral activities. Determined to find out what led to his wife's death and clear his wife's name, Glen will stop at nothing to find the answers he seeks.

Linwood Barclay is a master of domestic suspense. With a perfect combination of suspense and mystery, he is able to craft a story you won't want to put down. This thriller starts strong and comes to a shocking conclusion. I have read many books by this author and picking up this one was no accident.

Women Scorned by Angela Alsaleem

Camilla Benedict, an aspiring art student, is brutally raped and murdered. After her death, Camilla's now mutilated body is possessed by an ancient spirit. Camilla is haunted by visions. Visions of women's last few moments before their life is snuffed out. She experiences their death over and over again. She becomes determined to find a way to end this nightmare and die once more.

However she longs for something in the breath of criminals. An intangible substance that fills her with more energy than she ever had when she was alive. She becomes addicted to stealing their breath, consuming their souls. And like an addict, she wants to end her suffering, but at the same time wants one more fix, one more jolt to make her feel complete. Even if only for a little while.

Camilla meets Libitina Flesher, a woman who, although deeply disturbed, is somehow able to see her when when no one else can. Libitina agrees to help Camilla find a way to end her unnatural existence. Although the circumstances through which Camilla and Libinita meet are less than ideal, Camilla is glad to have some company although Libitina may regret joining Camilla's quest.

Aludra Erebus, the Chosen One, is a dark virgin who enjoys inflicting pain upon innocent people. She has bent sent by the Order of Merlin, a Satanic cult, to capture the spirit inhabiting Camilla's body in order for the cult to perform an ancient ritual that will unleash the demons of hell upon Earth. Camilla can sense that this evil is tracking her and knows that if she is captured, the Order will have the key to unlocking the gates of Hell and giving Satan free rule over the human realm.

This book is extremely dark and extremely graphic story containing sexual mutilations, rape, and torture in descriptive detail. Although the level of detail is fantastic, if you are even in the least troubled with blood and gore type of books or are not a fan of the horror genre, then I highly recommend you skip this book and pick up another. However, if you like gross-out details or enjoy books of this genre, then you may want to consider reading this book. But I cannot stress enough, the details of torture and rape leave very little to imagination and although I usually applaud the level of detail provided, I recommend keeping this book far away from children and people with weak stomachs.

This book is currently avaiable for sale.

Son of Youth in Revolt by C.D. Payne

When Scott Twisp is told that he will be moving to California so his father can start production of a new television show, Scott is of course reluctant and protests the move. But once he meets the beautiful Azura Preston, daughter of Trent Preston, he realized he now has a reason to stay and becomes determined to lose his virginity. But as often happens with the Twisp's, that is easier said than done.

Scott, while working as a gofer for his fathers show, takes the opportunity to make sure anyone who attempts to move in on Azura is either removed or taken care of. But Scott isn't the only one taking advantage of his position. Jake Twisp is using his connection to the show to reconnect with his first love, Uma. And Nick is having private meetings with his first love, Sheeni. All this leads to one conclusion. No matter the generation, being a Twisp never makes your love life easy.

In this seventh installment of the Yourh in Revolt series, we get to see how once hell raiser handles raising a teenage son of his own. Armed with razor sharp wit, Scott is truly his fathers son. The entire Twisp clan returns in this sequel, as well as a few other familiar faces. Besides Trent, Jake, Sheeni, and Uma, we have see the return of Tyler Twisp, Connie Saunders, her daughter Veeva, Apurva, Vijay, as well as a few more. This book is full of the humor of the previous novels and the end will leave you wanting more. I highly recommend it to any fan of the Youth in Revolt series.

This book is currently available for sale.