Book Review: Changing Kids' Lives One Quote at a Time by Steve Reifman

Changing Kids' Lives One Quote at a Time by Steve Reifman

Paperback or eBook
Non-Fiction

My Review:
I was contacted by the author to review this book and another book by him that is a fiction book and you will see that review at the beginning of March.  Changing Kids' Lives One Quote at a Time is a quick, easy read, but it's a very powerful read.  I read it as a parent, not a teacher, but Steve has notes for parents and for teachers at the beginning of the book and I can obviously see how useful the book is for parents since I am one.  But I can also see where the book can be of great use in the classroom, in fact I plan on mentioning it at the charter school my kids go to because this is the kind of thing they really latch on to.  It's good stuff, powerful stuff.

As I read through the quotes, I found ones that I thought would really apply to my kids at the moment and ones I would use in the future.  And that is the beauty of the book, it's meant to be used over time.  A quote or two a week.  I plan on putting one on the refridgerator and a copy on the boys' bathroom mirror.  My youngest just started reading this year so it will be fun for him to read them I'm sure.  I'll probably stick a copy in the van as well because it seems we have all our important discussions in there because no one can go anywhere and we have 10 minutes between home and school that we can talk.  The nice thing is Steve offers some great ideas for getting the conversation going.  For teachers he also offers some journaling ideas at the beginning and further ideas for talking through the quotes.  For parents it's a little easier because it's more one-on-one.

I think the book is very well put together.  I enjoyed reading through the quotes, which are from  philosophers, writers, songs, proverbs, books and other sources.  The author uses such a variety of sources that you marvel at how he put them all together.  It also makes the book fun to have the band Live and Chumbawumba quoted next to Sophocles and Shakespeare.  Of course I have Tubthumping stuck in my head now too.  But that's not a bad thing.

I wanted to share one thing from the book and that was my favorite quote:

“One who makes no mistakes never makes anything.” -Anonymous 

Steve uses this quote to talk about Courage and I want to use this one with both of my boys.  One of  my boys is pretty fearless but I think that has to do with his age, the other kind of wants to stay with the status quo and not go out on that limb.  His Dad and I want to push him more and have him go out on that limb and this is a great quote to share with him and his brother as he grows older.  See I already have learned from this wonderful book.

I think Changing Kids' Lives One Quote at a Time is a wonderful book for parents, grandparents, teachers, and anyone working with kids.  Using the quotes in this book for discussion is a great way to help build up our next generation and get them ready to lead our country into the future.

My Rating: 5.0/5.0


About the Book:
Created for parents and teachers by a National Board Certified elementary school teacher, Changing Kids’ Lives One Quote at a Time contains 121 inspirational sayings designed to bring out the best in children and develop lasting habits.  For educators, discussing these quotes also helps establish an enthusiastic, productive, team-oriented classroom culture.

Specifically, the quotes target 13 “Habits of Character,” a list that includes Cooperation, Courage, Fairness, Honesty, Kindness, Patience, Perseverance, Positive Attitude, Pride, Respect, Responsibility, Self-discipline, and Service.  In addition, the sayings touch on other important ideas, such as quality, success, and health & wellness.  From beginning to end, the quotes spiral through these topics to empower children with multiple opportunities to think about and discuss each one. Accompanying each quote is a set of “talking points” Steve provides as a reference that parents and teachers can use to draw full meaning from each saying.

In Changing Kids’ Lives One Quote at a Time Steve describes a simple, effective way for parents and teachers to conduct meaningful discussions with children. Though the conversations take only a few minutes, the exercise is a valuable one because it encourages kids to think deeply, because there is a high tone to the dialogue that appeals to the best in people, and because it allows your family or classroom to start the day on a positive note.  Further payoffs to consistent use of this activity include better student behavior, stronger work habits and social skills, improved attitudes towards school, greater enthusiasm for and increased dedication to learning, more connections made between school and students’ present and future lives, and enhanced vocabulary development.

Finally, Steve provides a series of prompts for teachers who are interested in using the quotes for journal writing purposes. Furthermore, Steve shows how talking and writing about these quotes addresses a variety of important language arts standards.

About the Author (from Goodreads.com): 
I am a National Board Certified elementary school teacher, writer, and speaker in Santa Monica, CA. I am the author of several resource books for educators, including Eight Essentials for Empowered Teaching and Learning, K-8. I am also the creator of the Chase Manning Mystery Series for kids 8-12. Each book in the series features a single-day, real-time thriller that occurs on an elementary school campus.

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FTC Information: I received this book from the author for an honest review.  

Guest Blog: Discuss Quotes to Promote Literacy Development by Steve Reifman

Today I am featuring teacher, author and speaker, Steve Reifman and I start that feature with a wonderful guest blog titled Discuss Quotes to Promote Literacy Development. Later today I will post my review of Steve's book, Changing Kids' Lives One Quote at a Time, which is a wonderful book for parents and teachers.  You can visit Steve's webpage here.

Discuss Quotes to Promote Literacy Development

by Steve Reifman

For the past fifteen years of my teaching career, I have incorporated the use of quotes into my classroom’s morning routine to inspire my students, start the day on a positive note, and build lasting habits of character. Discussing well-known sayings brings out the best in children and helps them focus on important ideas. It is my enthusiasm for this exercise and my firm belief in its effectiveness that led me to write my new book, Changing Kids‘ Lives One Quote at a Time: 121 Inspirational Sayings to Build Character in Children.

In addition to its character-building mission, our “Quote of the Day” conversations also offer a powerful way to promote literacy. When I speak of literacy, I am referring to the specific skills of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and thinking.

In its pure form the discussion begins when a student volunteer reads the “Quote of the Day” on the board. It is critical at this time to provide approximately thirty seconds of “wait time” so each child can then think about the quote, make sense of it, and perhaps even come up with an example of how the quote’s meaning applies to everyday life or connects to a habit of character.

To maximize student participation, the kids follow this “quiet think time” with a brief pair-share, in which each child has an opportunity both to express ideas and listen carefully to the partner’s thoughts. Next, a few volunteers share their interpretations of the quote’s meaning with the entire class. Finally, I close the activity by sharing some thoughts of my own. Whenever possible, I like to share a personal story that brings out the quote’s meaning in a deeper way. Storytelling is a powerful teaching strategy, and kids are likely to remember the stories and the lessons they contain for a long time to come.

Parents can follow the basic outline of this procedure when discussing quotes at home with their children. In addition, there are several ways that parents can modify this conversational structure to strengthen literary development.

Put one quote per day or week in your child’s lunch and discuss the quote’s meaning after school. Reading a quote at lunchtime is a novel experience for children, and the timing provides kids with several hours to think about the quote to prepare for the evening discussion, which can take place on the ride home, at the dinner table, or at bedtime. For example, with R. Herzog’s quote, “It is better to light a candle than complain about the darkness,” it may take children a while to figure out that the saying is telling them to adopt a problem solving attitude when life’s inevitable frustrations arise, not complain about them.

Analyze quotes for excellent word choice or interesting word play. With Rudy Benton’s quote, “7 days without exercise makes one weak,” discuss with your child how the word “weak” is spelled. The quote isn’t referring to a week on the calendar, but to the fact that if we don’t exercise, we will become physically weaker.

Consider writing a quote or a set of quotes on your child’s placemat and discuss these sayings during a healthy breakfast. Over cereal and fruit, you and your child can discuss Bonnie Hopper’s quote, “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little EXTRA!” Together, you can talk about how consistently giving that extra effort in school, in sports, and other endeavors can make a huge difference in the long run.

If you’re trying to sharpen your child’s writing skills, consider using quotes for journal writing. Simply choose a quote and ask your child to respond to it using one of the prompts listed below. (More prompts are provided in Changing Kids‘ Lives One Quote at a Time.)

• Describe a time when you or someone you know demonstrated the main idea of this quote.
• What do you think this quote means? Give examples.
• Why do you think the speaker said this quote in the first place?
• Describe how you can use the meaning of this quote to help others.
• Describe how this quote can help you get along more effectively with other people.

For example, with Vince Lombardi’s quote, “If you'll not settle for anything less than your best, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in your lives,” children may address the first prompt by describing a time when they finished a writing assignment at school and then continued to revise it to improve the story’s word choice and sentence structure, rather than put it away because they simply wanted to be done.

• Choose a quote and ask your child to say whether (s)he agrees or disagrees with its meaning and then explain why. This type of exercise builds the critical thinking skill of evaluation (the highest level on the well-known Bloom’s taxonomy) and develops persuasive speaking skills. For example, when considering John Hancock’s quote, “The greatest ability in business is to get along with others,” a child may choose to disagree and argue that knowing how to do one’s job with knowledge and skill is more important than getting along with other people. This would likely lead to a very interesting conversation.


Discussing quotes with children is a powerful, engaging way to build character in children and develop valuable literacy skills. I hope you decide to give it a try.

Book Review: In Too Deep by Amanda Grace

In Too Deep by Amanda Grace

Publisher: Flux

Publish Date: February 8, 2012

Paperback, 228 pages 
Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary
 ISBN: 978-0738726007

My Review:
Wow, what an emotional read.  I never could figure out how I felt about Sam.  I actually read this book a few months ago, but it sticks with you.  Sam makes a play for Carter, is rejected and in that moment makes a bad decision that begins to affect everything in her senior year and it not only affects her, but others as well, especially Carter and even her best friend Nick.

I wanted to like Sam, I really did, but felt she could have stopped things from getting that far.  But then again, I could understand her situation as well.  I was that girl, not in that situation, but I could see myself being passive like her.  I'm not a kickbutt girl and not all main characters can be or should be the strong type.  I think Sam while not likeable through the whole book is actually relate-able, and that may be contradictory, but I feel it's true.  I felt it. And the truth was, she wanted to stop things, but then they steamrolled and she could not. 

Read the book, you won't be able to put it down. It's a fast, engrossing read.  I guarantee Sam won't be your favorite character, but I think you will like Nick and you will like the book overall.  There is a good message in it and the storyline is very interesting and keeps you hooked.  Ms. Grace does a wonderful job crafting this story and keeping it real and interesting.

So grab this one, curl up and read for a couple of hours.  Then you will be thinking on this one for months afterwards.  It's a good solid book with interesting characters, a different premise and a good lesson to be learned.  Give it a try.

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

Parental guidance: Since this book deals with the sex/rape issue it's best for the older teens or your more mature younger teens.  This is where I say it's up to the parents.  There is lots of talk in the book, but that is what you expect of a book that deals with this subject and I never felt it was out-of-line or over-the-top.  I felt the subject was handled well.  It's a topic that affects all teens and should be discussed.

About the Book:
At an end-of-senior-year party, invisible Samantha Reeves decides to make a play for Carter, the jock she's crushed on for years. When Carter rejects her cruelly, she leaves the party in tears, leaving others who didn't see the rejection to speculate why Sam was crying. Back at school, Sam hears a rumor that Carter raped her and, for once, her classmates seem to care about her. When she decides not to tell the truth, the school divides between those who believe Sam and those who don't. Soon, the little white lie escalates and Sam finds that the resulting war at school could cost her the boy she's only just started to love.

About the Author (from Goodreads.com): 
Amanda Grace is a pen name for Young Adult author Mandy Hubbard (PRADA AND PREJUDICE, YOU WISH). She lives near Seattle, Washington, with her husband and young daughter.

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FTC Information: I received this book through Teen Book Scene for an honest review.  I do make money from purchases made at The Book Depository and B&N.com, but all money is used to fund giveaways and shipping for giveaways from the blog.

Book Review: The Legacy of Eden by Nelle Davy

The Legacy of Eden by Nelle Davy

Publisher: MIRABooks

Publish Date: January 24, 2012

Paperback, 400 pages 
Fiction, Fiction, Family Saga
 ISBN: 978-0778329558

My Review:
The Legacy of Eden is a very interesting book.  Told through the generations of one family, it's the story of secrets and eventually overcoming those secrets.  It's one of those reads you can't really put down because you wonder what you will find out next.  It's like talking to the best town gossip and getting all the good details about that one family.  It's all in here laid out for the reader.  The good, the bad and the really ugly.  It's a tale of how a family can look so great on the outside yet have such secrets on the inside.

I enjoyed the book, as much as you can say you enjoy this kind of book.  You never like to say you enjoy anyone's pain, even fictional characters', but it's a book that really grabs you, reels you in and keeps you interested until the last page.  Learning about Lavinia, her marriage and her life is fascinating and then learning how her decisions affect the rest of the generations is just eye-opening.  The Legacy of Eden is told mainly through the point-of-view of Meredith who is Lavinia's granddaughter who happened to be around when Lavinia's health was failing and heard many of Lavinia's secrets straight from her.  As the story moves forward, Meredith unravels more and more of the story of the family members of Aurelia and what leads up to what the reader knows was the final breaking moment for the family.  And while the reader is never quite sure what that moment was, they do have a good idea.

Meredith is also seeking a redemption from her sisters in the book and she's looking for some kind of connection as well.  I felt sorry for her most of the book.  She's an interesting character that made some mistakes that she is paying for, but through the book I still felt for her.  I felt Ms. Davy created an interesting character in her, but Lavinia really steals the show in the novel. 

This isn't a novel you speed through, it's one you read and absorb.  It's a tale of family struggle, it's a tale of one woman who would go to almost any length to get what she wanted.  It's almost frightening.  You want to look away but you can't.  Ms. Davy manages to create a story that captivates you and won't let you go even when you finish reading the book. 

My Rating: 4.0/5.0


About the Book:
"To understand what it meant to be a Hathaway, you'd first have to see Aurelia."

For generations, Aurelia was the crowning glory of more than three thousand acres of Iowa farmland and golden cornfields. The estate was a monument to matriarch Lavinia Hathaway's dream to elevate the family name - no matter what relative or stranger she had to destroy in the process. It was a desperation that wrought the downfall of the Hathaways - and the once prosperous farm.

Now the last inhabitant of the decaying old home has died - alone. None of the surviving members of the Hathaway family want anything to do with the farm, the land, or the memories.

Especially Meredith Pincetti. Now living in New York City, for seventeen years Lavinia's youngest grandchild has tried to forget everything about her family and her past. But with the receipt of a pleading letter, Meredith is again thrust into conflict with the legacy that destroyed her family's once-great name. Back at Aurelia, Meredith must confront the rise and fall of the Hathaway family... and her own part in their mottled history.

"Our farm was like the world when people still thought it was flat. And when you left it, it was as if you had simply sailed too far and fallen off the surface into the void."

About the Author (from her website): 
Nelle was originally born in St George’s Grenada under the name Janelle (which she always hated and immediately shortened when she went to University). She moved to London when she was nine months old because her grandfather was English and her parents supposedly wanted a better life. She got a scholarship to Sir William Perkins School for girls where she had a wonderful English teacher Mrs. Wells who encouraged her constantly in her love for books. She went to Warwick University to study English with Creative Writing where after swearing she would never marry, she met her future husband. She did a masters in Creative Writing at Trinity College Dublin and then moved back to London in 2007 where she almost immediately began working in publishing. After working at Pan Macmillan she moved to work at a literary agency while also writing and pursuing a career as a novelist on the side.

She is 27 years old and The Legacy of Eden is her first novel. She has finished writing a second novel based on the civil rights movement in Louisiana in 1963. She still lives in London with her husband and still works full time in publishing.

So far, she has not had a meltdown…

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FTC Information: I received this book through Meryl L. Moss Media Relations for an honest review.  I do make money from purchases made at The Book Depository and B&N.com, but all money is used to fund giveaways and shipping for giveaways from the blog.

Book Review: When the Smoke Clears by Lynette Eason

When the Smoke Clears by Lynette Eason

Publisher: Revell

Publish Date: February 1, 2012

Paperback, 340 pages 
Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Christian
 ISBN: 978-0800720070
Deadly Reunions #1

My Review:
I will admit that I love Lynette Eason's books but When the Smoke Clears topped all of her others with the suspense and the romance.  This one I could not put down.  It kept me guessing and even when I kind of figured out the who, there were still things I didn't understand and made me keep reading the book until the very last page when I closed the book and just said "Wow".

Lynette Eason is by far one of my favorite Christian romantic suspense authors and When the Smoke Clears really takes her books up by another level as I stated before.  The characters are well-developed and interesting.  Alexia comes from a troubled past that is alluded to in the prologue and then it's slowly developed for the reader as Alexia remembers things in the present.  She is strong, but she learns when she needs to lean on someone in this book.  That someone is Hunter a lot of the time in this book, but it is also God as well, and I really like how Ms. Eason handles this part of the book.  Alexia is not a current Christian and doesn't really know how God could work in her life when it has been so messed up.  But through her friends they show her God's love.  It's really well done and not in-your-face.  I wish everyone had friends like Alexia does.  Hunter is a great character too.  The older brother, he's dealing with some issues of his own with his little brother who is drinking a little too much.  But he keeps moving and going with his job, his friends and his faith.  Hunter was so great with Alexia, the sparks just flew anytime they were around each other and I loved it.  He was sweet, a gentleman, and all man wrapped up in a nice package.

The plot moved along really fast.  As soon as Alexia arrives in town bad things start happening to her and it's honestly hard to put the book down for even a few minutes.  I was hooked and had to  know what would happen next.  The pacing was perfect.  A lot of great build up then the climax at the perfect time and then the book was done setting up for the next book.  This book was tied up, but there are some loose ends for the whole series.  I cannot wait for the next book and I hope I get to see some of Hunter and Alexia in that one and some of the other cast of characters I have gotten to know in When the Smoke Clears.

An amazing book from start to finish.  If you are a fan of romantic suspsense or just suspense, you should run out and get this one.  It's a edge of your seat thriller with a great romance as the side dish and it's hard to put down.  I loved it, can't say enough good things about it and can't wait for Deadly Reunions book #2 to come out.  I think I have graduated to huge Lynette Eason fangirl, and I may move to stalker :)


My Rating: 5.0/5.0

Available February 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

About the Book:
As a member of the North Cascades Smokejumpers, Alexia Allen always takes care of the equipment that keeps her safe. So when she nearly dies in a fire due to equipment failure, she knows something is up. Ordered to take time off while the investigation continues, Alexia makes a last-minute decision to recuperate at her mother’s home and attend her high school reunion. Yet trouble seems to be following her, and within hours of arriving home she’s involved with murder, arson—and a handsome detective. But the conflicts ahead are nothing compared to the ghosts of her past. As she strives to remember and forgive her family history, she must also decide if
the secret she’s been guarding for the last ten years must finally come to light.

Chock-full of the suspense and romantic tension readers have come to expect from Lynette Eason, When the Smoke Clears is the explosive first book in the Deadly reunions series.

About the Author (from Goodreads.com): 
Lynette Eason grew up in Greenville, SC. She graduated from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, and then obtained her masters in education from Converse College. Author of eight inspirational romantic suspense books, she is also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). In 1996, Lynette married "the boy next door" and now she and her husband and their two children make their home in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

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FTC Information: I received this book from the Revell (the publisher) for an honest review.  I do make money from purchases made at The Book Depository and B&N.com, but all money is used to fund giveaways and shipping for giveaways from the blog.

Author Interview & Book Tour: Marie Astor and On the Rim of Love (+ link to Kindle Touch giveaway)

Today I welcome author Marie Astor as part of the On The Rim of Love Kismet Book Tour.  Please enjoy her interview, find out more about her and her book, On the Rim of Love and also find out how you can enter Marie's Kindle 3G giveaway.

1. What made you choose to write in the contemporary romance genre?

Let’s face it, human relationships play a very big role in fiction. I write contemporary romances because as a reader, I love love stories - all of my favorite books, whether genre or literary fiction, have an element of a love story in them.

2. Which character really spoke to you when you were writing On the Rim of Love?

This is a tough question to answer because I relate to all of my characters - even the minor ones, but I’ll stop at the two leading characters, Maggie and Taylor:

Taylor’s character spoke to me because he leads the life of his choosing and refuses to compromise. Taylor has many good qualities, but some of his strengths are also his weaknesses because, at times, he tends to take them to the extreme - this conflicting quality is the part about Taylor’s character that I enjoyed writing the most.

Maggie’s character spoke to me because she is at the point of her life where she is unsure of her choices – both personal and professional, as she transitions into a woman from a girl. While I never had to face the exact same choices that Maggie is confronted with in On the Rim of Love, I can certainly relate to the daunting undertaking of making a life-altering decision.

3. Describe your ideal reading space (no expense spared here).

I will probably sound boring, but my ideal reading space is in my living room in my favorite recliner chair – there is nothing better than putting one’s feet up and getting lost in a story!

4. What is the area you write in like?

I do my best writing at my desk at home – that’s where I am most focused, but I also love grabbing my laptop and heading to a park on a sunny day – I may be less productive sitting on a bench under a tree, but the sheer pleasure of the experience is worth it!

5. What is your current favorite romance novel?

I recently reread Love Story by Erich Segal – this heart-tugging love story never fails to bring tears to my eyes.

About On The Rim Of Love - Goodreads, Amazon

Twenty-two-year-old Maggie Robin has been dating the irresistibly good-looking Jeffrey Preston for a year. But when Jeffrey proposes marriage to her a week after her college graduation, Maggie finds herself wondering if she wants to spend the rest of her life married to a workaholic TV show producer.

Her doubts culminate when during a ski trip to British Columbia she meets Taylor Denton, a handsome, free-spirited big mountain skier.

Maggie’s attraction to Taylor is undeniable, but she is engaged to marry Jeffrey. Will Maggie have the courage to follow her heart?







About Marie Astor - website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads


Marie Astor is a die-hard romantic who wholeheartedly believes in true love, which is why she writes in the contemporary romance genre.

Marie is the author of contemporary romance novels, On the Rim of Love, Lucky Charm, and a short story collection, A Chance Encounter and Other Stories.

In addition to being a writer, Marie is an avid hiker, an excellent swimmer, a good skier, and a capable badminton player.

Currently, Marie is working on her next novel – stay tuned for details! If you would like to receive updates about book releases and events, please visit Marie’s website or visit Marie at her Facebook page.

Contest Info: Marie is offering a Kindle Touch skinned in her beautiful On The Rim Of Love cover art.

Open US/Canada.  See full contest rules here.

Rafflecopter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MjA3ZDFjNDVkN2YyNDEyM2I2MTdlODc5MDdlYjUxOjE1/


Book Tour Stops:

Monday, February 13th - Riverina Romantics 
Tuesday, February 14th - Snowdrop Dreams of Books 
Wednesday, February 15th - My Reading Room 
Thursday, February 16th - Books Like Breathing  
Friday, February 17th - Obsession with Books  
Monday, February 20th - Reviews By Molly 
Tuesday, February 21st - Sweeping Me 
Wednesday, February 22nd - A Casual Reader's Blog 
Thursday, February 23rd - Better Read Than Dead 
Friday, February 24th - I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!  
Monday, February 27th - Hesperia Loves Books 
Tuesday, February 28th - A Tale of Many Reviews 
Wednesday, February 29th - Library Mosaic  
Thursday, March 1st - The Magic Attic  
Friday, March 2nd - Ce-Ce's Garden Reviews 

 

Book Review: Dead and Not So Buried by James L. Conway

Dead and Not So Buried by James L. Conway

Publisher: Camel Press

Publish Date: February 15, 2012

Fiction, Suspense, PI, Thriller
 ISBN: 978-1603818667

My Review:
Dead and Not So Buried is a non-stop detective thriller.  It's entertaining, it's creepy and it will have you turning pages to see what will happen next.  I loved the character of Gideon and hope to see more of him in the future.

I often go into books from authors I am unfamiliar with really unsure of what I will get.  Dead and Not So Buried gave me everything I could have wanted from a PI/detective thriller.  If I had to do comparisons, it's darker like a Harry Bosch novel by Michael Connelly and it's really good like those too, but yet it has comedy to it as well.  Gideon, the PI in the book, never seems to take himself too seriously, but he takes his job seriously.  I loved reading how he thought and how he processed his thoughts going from one clue to the next.  Gideon is very human in the novel and experiences the gamut of emotions and I liked that about him as well.  He's tough, but he has a caring side as well and that makes him easy to relate to.

Going into the novel, the reader has a gist of who the kidnapper and then killer is and the hows and whys slowly unpeel like an onion.  Just a little bit at a time to keep the reader interested and reading.  I thought it was paced really well and just when I thought I had it all figured out, it was changed up on me and I have to say the ending came as a total shocker to me, yet it made complete sense.  Mr. Conway did an excellent job with the writing of this novel, first with the pacing, then the characters and then finally the climax of the story.  I was completely enthralled with every element of the story.

I hope to see a lot of more of Gideon Kincaid in the future.  Mr. Conway has me hooked and I think if you enjoy PI/detective thrillers and you give him a chance he will have you hooked as well.

My Rating: 5.0/5.0

About the Book:
Hollywood is rocked after a madman kidnaps the remains of one of the most idolized movie stars of the ’60s, then uses extortion, blackmail and murder to extract his revenge. Caught in the middle is PI Gideon Kincaid, an ex-cop with a troubled past who is led on a harrowing roller coaster ride through sun and sin drenched Hollywood. While Gideon labors to find out who snatched the dead beauty, he must also contend with some live ones. First there’s the tough-as-nails cop assigned to his case—his ex-wife, who hates him. Then there’s a starlet he must protect. Unfortunately they have a history, and he terrifies her. Finally there’s his assistant, the adorable Hillary. Her crush on him might prove fatal. As the body count mounts and the madman’s crimes grow ever more audacious, Gideon finds himself in a desperate race against time. Can he put a stop to this crime spree before Gideon himself ends up dead and very buried?

About the Author (from Goodreads.com): 
James has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in Hollywood as a writer, producer, director and studio executive. He's worked on such iconic television shows as Charmed, Supernatural, Smallville, Star Trek and 90210. James lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two daughters. Dead and Not So Buried is his first novel.

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FTC Information: I received this book from through Over the River Public Relations for an honest review.  I do make money from purchases made at The Book Depository and B&N.com, but all money is used to fund giveaways and shipping for giveaways from the blog.