Title: Commitment to Die: A Kristin Ashe Mystery Author: Jennifer L. Jordan ISBN: 0966735900 Publisher: Bean Pole Books Available From: Bella Distribution, www.bellabooks.com; StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.com Pages: 237    Cost: $11.95 Genre: Mystery

That's the mystery that part-time private investigator Kristin Ashe is hired to answer. Lauren's sister is convinced she is murdered and she wants Kristin to prove it. Kris wants to help Patrice Elliott, Lauren's sister, but she has problems of her own. Her lover, lesbian activist Destiny Greaves, wants them to move in together and start a committed relationship, something Kris is not sure she's capable of doing. Kris comes from a severely dysfunctional family, at the center of which is her handicapped brother David. When David is found in a coma from multiple epileptic seizures, Kris is thrown into a family drama that she would just as soon avoid. It's no wonder that she is drawn deeper and deeper into the enigma that was Lauren Fairchild's life. Even after it becomes clear what actually happened, the looming question is why. As Kris and her hilarious friend Fran Green, an irrepressible lesbian ex-nun, uncover Lauren's motivation, Kris also begins to learn more about herself and how she interacts with her family and Destiny.

The mystery in Commitment to Die isn't really so much about why Lauren Fairchild died on that mountain. The mystery in the book is about what motivates people in their lives, why do they behave the way they do and how do their interactions influence that. The book is almost a psychological study of human relationships, but without being heavy. It is interesting to see the relationships develop between Kris and Destiny, Kris and her family and to see the special relationship Lauren had with her sister and her niece and why. This isn't a traditional mystery, but it is an interesting book in the other story that it tells.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Mind Games Author: Nancy M. Griffis ISBN: 9781932300536 Publisher: Quest Books Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.com Pages: 228 Cost: $16.95 Genre: Mystery/Paranormal/Science Fiction

The year is 2081 and some humans have suddenly begun to show an extraordinary degree of psychic ability. Because they possess a characteristic that most people do not have, those who don't understand them persecute the psychically gifted and there is a growing movement in the US to isolate them in detainment camps. When you read Mind Games, it's not difficult to see the comparisons with the experiences of Jews, gays, AIDS patients and the like. One of the most powerfully gifted, Rebecca Curtains, has joined the police force in Washington, DC, to use her telepathic ability to solve cases and to show that other people have nothing to fear from the psychics. The problem is that she finds as much prejudice within the police department as exists in the rest of the country. The book opens with her being the victim of a gay bashing that her work partner not only allowed, but may have set up. Consequently, Rebecca finds herself with a new partner, Genie Marshall, who is famous in the Violent Crimes Division for not being able to work with anyone. Rebecca needs a "normal" person to ground her when she works or she can get lost in her mind. Ironically, Genie is able to establish that bond and they become an extremely effective team.

The partnership is formed in the midst of a violent crime wave being committed by a serial killer. When Rebecca is unable to pick up any traces of the killer at any of the crime scenes, she begins to realize that the killer has psychic abilities too and now he tries to use them to destroy her. The only thing that keeps her from going insane is the bond she has established with Genie. Rebecca is also having problems with the psychic community because there is a growing separatist movement that wants the psychics to withdraw from the rest of society. The partners have to deal with the distractions of the psychics versus "normals" situation, while trying to chase and being chased by the serial killer whose control over Rebecca grows constantly stronger.

Mind Games is an entertaining mystery. The suspense is maintained through the story and it's not clear until the very end who the serial killer is. That's always a plus in a mystery. Rebecca and Genie are an interesting pair to read about, although they end up in the hospital an unusual amount of time. The only problem with Mind Games is not in the mystery, but in the fact that it's supposed to be set in the future. For a society that has begun developing genetic psychics, there's no explanation for this trend and the invention and science of everything else seems frozen in time. Nothing else seems to have changed seventy-five years in the future. If Mind Games was meant to be just a mystery, then set it in the present. There are certainly enough stories about psychics helping the police today to make the story plausible. If it's supposed to be science fiction, then the general style of life has to be different in the future. This isn't a key point to the story, but it is enough to distract from the story. But if you're looking for a nice mystery with just a little romance included, this is the book.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Murder at Random Author: Claire McNab ISBN: 1594930473 Publisher: Bella Books Available From: Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com; StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.com Pages: 182 Cost: $13.95 Genre: Mystery

Murder at Random is very topical and starts out with an interesting story. A radical group called Righteous Scourge has advertised on its web site that it will pay people to commit acts of terrorism throughout Australia. The worse the act is, the more money the terrorist will be paid. When the attacks begin and an investigative reporter who was going to turn over information to the government is killed in a mysterious accident, Agent Denise Cleever is sent undercover to infiltrate a newspaper that seems to be getting inside information on the events before the government agencies are. While investigating the newspaper, Denise discovers that there are ties between the terrorists, the newspaper and a religious cult called Supremity. The three appear to be working together to bring down the government and insure that politicians under Supremity's control rise to power. Denise encounters distractions that could threaten her ability to do the job - a past lover who is still under suspicion for committing treason, a possibility of a new love interest and an estranged brother who suddenly reappears in her life. When she learns that the leader of Supremity wants to "gather" her into the group, she can't be sure if it means that she has finally won the trust of the inner circle or if her cover has been blown and she's being set up for an "accident" of her own.

McNab's books have always followed a format that is familiar once you read one or two of them. It usually results in a pleasant, easy to read and enjoy, mystery. This time, however, the story never seems to come together and races toward a conclusion before the reader can be sure what exactly is going on. Agent Cleever seems to be crawling along, discovering bits and pieces, but not able to connect them, when suddenly, with no warning, there is a dramatic event and the book is over.

McNab has three distinct stories she's trying to tell: 1) terrorism, 2) a new love interest, and 3) Cleever's relationship with her brother. It almost seems as if she was trying to cover all three stories, suddenly realized she was reaching the number of pages she was aiming for and slammed the door shut on the story. While McNab is worth reading, Murder At Random is not her best work.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Promising Hearts Author: Radclyffe ISBN: 19331100449 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Available From: Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com; StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.com Pages: 265   Cost: $15.95 Genre: Romance/Western

Vance arrives in the Montana Territory under less than positive circumstances. In the last skirmish before Lee surrendered at Appomattox, she was wounded badly enough that she lost her left arm from the elbow down. She had faced a difficult enough future as a female surgeon in the 1860s. To be a one-armed female surgeon seems impossible, so she has arrived in the West with her confidence shaken and her career appearing to be at a dead end. Instead, Vance finds a kindred spirit in Jessie, a friend in Kate, and Mae, a woman who accepts Vance exactly like she is and only wants to help her heal. This quartet has a lot to deal with. It would seem to be enough that they are lesbians leading an unconventional lifestyle in a small town on the frontier in the 19th century, but they also have to contend with cowboys, rustlers and the town's society ladies. They draw on each other's strengths to survive and carve out a place for each of them in the community while discovering the ability to love deeply.

Radclyffe's historic detail is excellent. She is able to describe things so that you feel as if you're in the Civil War medical tent, cutting off arms and legs as bullets tear by. Or you can visualize the setting as Jessie and Vance creep up a valley to try and lay a trap for deadly rustlers. Nothing in the book is particular to Montana, so the story easily could have been set in Colorado or Wyoming, but it definitely is a western. All four of her characters have admirable qualities, but, for a lesbian novel, I think the characters of Jessie and especially Vance are written to be almost too masculine. The characters are extremely believable, but I had to keep reminding myself that they were women. Their mannerisms, behavior and speech scream male. This isn't a matter of them being "butch." If someone wanted to cast this story for a movie and substitute men for those two roles, little of the actual story would be changed or lost. In her other books, Radclyffe has a tendency to write one of a pair as more masculine, but she goes beyond her normal boundary in this book. On the whole though it is an enjoyable, well-written story, with the romance that is expected in a Radclyffe novel. Promising Hearts is one of Radclyffe's better written books of late and certainly an enjoyable story to read.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Sleep of Reason Author: Rose Beecham ISBN: 1933110538 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Inc., www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.scp-inc.biz; and Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com Price: $15.95   Pages: 240 Genre: Lesbian Fiction/Romance/Mystery

Beecham is uncompromising when describing scenes, characters and emotions so that the reader can visualize it all. She does this once again with Sleep of Reason, using an economy of words. Beecham's writing is tight, fluid, and crisp. We can feel the cold snow and the desolation of the desert when Devine is searching for Corban. We become angry at the despicable adults in Corban's life that have allowed this to happen. Beecham likes to mix it up for us, never giving us the predictable. She carries the reader along to a point where we are putting together the pieces of the mystery puzzle. Then she introduces a new and disturbing angle and efficiently merges it into the main plot. With a less seasoned author, this additional storyline could be an interruption, but as she takes us in and out of this subplot, we turn the pages even faster so we can see how it corresponds with the overall story. Beecham does not disappoint her readers here.

We get to know Devine better in Sleep of Reason, seeing a very likeable woman who is a dynamo as a professional, strong, driven and unwavering in her duty, but deeply conflicted in her personal life. It is easy for us to make Devine our heroine because even with her flaws, we want to be like her. Beecham also has done a swift and thorough job of lending continuity in Devine's life by weaving in the back story, and using the same characters that were in Grave Silence, including her romantic interest, Dr. Mercy Westmoreland. But rather than giving the reader an overused romantic story, we are treated to some unexpected events that pique our interest.

Sleep of Reason does not have a neat and tidy ending, but Beecham smartly leaves the reader with a promise that we cannot resist, letting us anxiously await the continuation of the series in Place of Exile in 2007.
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Reviewed by Kathi Isserman

Title: The Temple at Landfall (Previous release in UK as The World Celaeno Chose.) Author: Jane Fletcher ISBN: 1-933110-27-9 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Inc. Available From: Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com; StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.com; or libertas.co.uk Price: $15.95   Pages: 296 Genre: Speculative Fiction/Romance/Adventure

Jane Fletcher is the consummate storyteller and plot wizard. Getting caught up in the action happens as if by magic and the fantasy elements are long forgotten. The world Fletcher creates, the characters she brings to life, and the rich detail described in eloquent prose, all serve to keep the reader enchanted, satisfied, yet wanting more. A 2005 Lammy finalist, The Temple at Landfall is surely a winner in this reader's book, and as an author, Jane Fletcher is the Goddess herself.

What could be more important than creating new life and reveling in the joy of having the gifts to perform such miracles? In the world of Celaeno, without men to procreate, women rely on the Imprinters for continuation of the species. Lynn, chosen by the Goddess to function as an Imprinter, also has healing talents and a heart of gold. At the tender age of twelve, the Sisters claimed her for the temple at Fairfield where she soon learned the ropes and proved to be their greatest asset. Before long, word of Lynn's gift spreads and she is whisked away to the temple at Landfall by Sister Smith-an ambitious political fool who longs to be the Chief Consultant at any cost. Only, instead of feeling privileged, Lynn feels like a slave destined for a celibate, hapless, and exhausting life under the rule and watchful eye of the Sisters who truly believe they are doing the Goddess's will. The leaders use religion to justify their less than pious actions where greed, backstabbing, political maneuverings, and ignorance prove the inner sanctum is less than holy. Lynn wonders if the Guards (the Sisters' army) are there to protect her or to keep her from running away.

When Lynn meets the fearless, handsome, and brilliant heroine Lieutenant Kim Ramon of the 23rd Squadron of Rangers, the soldier is brusque, surmising the Imprinter is asking silly questions. However, Lynn soon finds that she can't deny her lustful thoughts and profound attraction for the noble warrior. Kim knows all too well the prohibition of mingling with the holy ones, but Lynn is not your average Imprinter. She makes it hard for Kim to ignore the woman behind the title.

Fletcher's claim to fame is her compelling narrative, plot twists, intense action sequences, vivid scenery, and the reader's hope that against all odds the heroines will live happily ever after. The intelligence with which Fletcher writes about imprinting verses cloning, religion verses science, religious leaders verses heretics, and her attempt to show the sort of biased, unsupported dogma that religious fanatics pass off as rational unquestionable fact makes The Temple at Landfall not only entertaining but thought-provoking as well. Don't miss it. Once you visit Celaeno, you won't want to leave. The Temple at Landfall is a pleasure to read, hard to put down, and is the perfect addition to any library. I recommend everything this 2005 Golden Crown Literary Society winner, for The Walls of Westernfort, has penned.
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Reviewed by Cheri Rosenberg

Title: Too Close To Touch Author: Georgia Beers ISBN: 1933110473 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Inc., www.boldstrokesbooks.com Available From: StarCrossed Productions, www.scp-inc.biz; www.bellabooks.com; or libertas.co.uk Pages: 230   Cost: $15.95 Genre: Romance

Too Close To Touch is about a woman who has dedicated her life to trying to please "Daddy" and lost herself in the process. In becoming successful in her career, she has bottled up her emotions until she doesn't have any, except anger.

Gretchen Kaiser is an extremely capable corporate executive. She's the type that companies hire to come in and solve problems, which is exactly what she intends to do in her new position. She takes no prisoners and accepts no excuses. She knows how to compete in a man's world, but she has some problems being a woman. Gretchen runs her personal life with the same efficiency that she runs her office. Relationships are things that should be briefly experienced, conquered and then discarded to move on to the next challenge. The only real goal she has is one that it seems she'll never reach. She wants to hear her father say he's proud of the work she's done.

Kylie O'Brien is a caretaker. As an administrative assistant, she takes care of people. She's good at it and she's enjoyed her job so far, but this new boss has her stumped. She senses that there is a real person somewhere inside Gretchen Kaiser who wants to break out, but she's not quite sure how to help her do that. It doesn't help that her life-long best friend Mick works for the same company, had an unpleasant run-in with the new boss and uses every opportunity to try to convince Kylie that Gretchen is a hopeless case. Then again, Mick has an agenda of her own when it comes to Kylie.

Beers has created a pleasant romance that follows the traditional pattern - women meet, women conflict, women see if they can work it out. What makes this book interesting is the development of the character of Gretchen. Anyone who has ever tried to please a difficult success driven parent can relate to how she is handling her life. The question in the book is whether or not she can finally overcome that need to find fulfillment in her own life that her father never had. It isn't an easy struggle and that's what makes the book appealing. There are no simple solutions for Gretchen. She fights her emotions in a very real way and makes mistakes along the way that hurt Kylie.

There are times when the way that Gretchen expresses these new emotions seem unacceptable until you realize what a struggle she is going through and the role that each experience is playing in the process. Often Gretchen is reacting in the only way she knows how. There are times when Kylie just can't deal with this woman, even though she realizes she loves her. Beers doesn't tie the story up neatly at the end either. She leaves some questions open, which is appropriate for her character. Gretchen herself becomes an open question looking for a lot of answers. This is a very satisfying and thought provoking book to read.
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Reviewed by Lynne Pierce

Title: Tottie - A Tale of the Sixties Author: Sarah Aldridge ISBN: 0-930044-01-0 Publisher: Naiad Press Distributed by A&M Books (Email: AandMPublishers@aol.com) Price: $12.00 Pages: 181 Genre: Fiction/Lesbian

Tottie - A Tale of the Sixties opens in 1968. Mention of mini skirts, the drug scene, and war protests, although present, do not overshadow Sarah Aldridge's writing style as that of an old fashioned romantic tale. This one, however, is different. There is a surreal, almost unbelievable quality about it.

A young lawyer named Connie Norton, discontented with her relationship with an inattentive, conservative boyfriend, meets a young woman at a safe house for young people engaged in questionable activities. The young woman is introduced to Connie as Mary Gilray, but Connie comes to refer to her as "Tottie." The women's conversation is brief and casual. Yet it contains an underlying intensity and Connie has made an impression on the strange young woman. Soon after a Post Office bombing in which the police think that Mary Gilray may be an accessory, Mary shows up at Connie's apartment, frightened and frantic, looking for sanctuary.

Tottie is an enigma—sometimes she seems an anxious child—at other times, she is a commanding presence, almost ordering Connie to do her bidding. One thing is certain. She has captured Connie's heart and over the course of the story Connie evolves into a completely different person from the young woman who was in an unfulfilling relationship with a man that she expected to marry more out of a sense of duty than for love. Because of her feelings for Tottie, and because Tottie has given her the strength to act, Connie finally breaks off her relationship with Roger, but he does not go easily. Difficulties continue as the story unfolds because the couple work in the same law firm and Roger refuses to see that the relationship is over. Although the two young lawyers are rising stars, there is an expectation that Connie's star must never be allowed to rise above Roger's.

The law firm's main focus during the story is to try to help find Charlotte Christeson, daughter of H. B. Christeson, wealthy industrial magnate. Connie and Roger are the people who have been assigned to help. As Connie delves into old newspaper articles about Charlotte and her family, she realizes a truth that puts her into a very precarious situation with the law firm, with Roger, and with the police, as the link between Tottie and Charlotte Christeson becomes clearer.

Tottie is a strange bird. She reveals as little to Connie as possible, yet as Connie discovers information about Tottie, Tottie lets Connie in on more details of her life and how she came to be the homeless waif that she was when she enlisted Connie's help. All the while, the romantic bond between these two women strengthens, yet no commitments are made. In the end, Tottie unexpectedly decides to leave Connie without even telling her. We discover that by leaving, she has decided to resolve her problems with the police once and for all. However, whether or not she intends to do this so that she and Connie can be together remains a mystery until the very end of the story. While Tottie is gone, though, Connie realizes that the depth of feelings that she has for Tottie are more than she has ever felt with anyone in her life. Most especially, she realizes how truly empty a relationship she had with Roger. Because of Tottie, Connie has become a much more liberated, independent spirit and whether or not she ever overcomes the pain of loss that she experiences from her separation from Tottie, the gift of the relationship cannot be denied.

There were times when some of the details of Tottie's experiences seemed questionable and the reader may doubt whether of not parts of the story are realistic, yet the 60s were a time of strange and conflicting events. Like The Latecomer, Aldridge's first book, Tottie - A Tale of the Sixties must be read within the context of the time in which it was written and appreciated for its lesbian characters and its innovation of lesbian relationships ending on a positive note.
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Reviewed by Anna Furtado

Title: Whitewater Rendezvous Author: Kim Baldwin ISBN: 1-933110-38-4 Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Inc. Available From: Bella Books, www.bellabooks.com; StarCrossed Productions, www.SCP-inc.com; or libertas.co.uk Price: $15.95   Pages: 240 Genre: Romance

I enjoy a book that takes me on an adventure-both physical and emotional. Whitewater Rendezvous by Kim Baldwin does both. Once again, the author of Force of Nature, and the critically acclaimed Golden Crown Literary Award finalist, Hunter's Pursuit, has given her fans compelling characters amidst a breathtaking backdrop. The journey through the Alaskan waterways with its wildlife and fauna would make even a homebody feel like exploring nature.

Baldwin does her homework, thus creating a believable setting, but it is the gorgeous, buff, and multi-talented tour guide, Chaz Herrick, who will have everyone booking their next trip. Even a workaholic TV network news big shot like Megan Maxwell can't help falling in love with the Northern Alaskan frontier and a certain someone she soon finds she can't live without.

Baldwin sets up the longing between two admirable characters that can be equally stubborn. She then throws other obstacles in their way, which makes finding a resolution sweeter. The author draws the reader in by their senses, dazzling us with the landscape, feeding our desires a little bit at a time until the climax, where all inhibitions are
obliterated. More importantly, Baldwin gives us pause to consider what's important, what's worth preserving in life, and it's not always fame and fortune. How can anyone compare the dirty yellow-gray air over Chicago with the vivid blue of the Arctic sky?

Take a "Whitewater Rendezvous": kayak along with the Broads in Broadcasting, and feel one with nature just as Megan learns to do because of an outdoors enthusiast who captures her heart and will capture yours too. You'll be putting your priorities in proper order before you know it or at the very least wishing you could. When it comes to romances, Whitewater Rendezvous by Kim Baldwin will leave you sated. The foreplay is excruciatingly exquisite, the sex completely satisfying and hot, and the resolution complete for a worthwhile read. I recommend it and hope to get to visit Alaska someday soon. There is way more than the caribou and grizzly bears that I hope to see there, that's for sure. Megan and Chaz may not seem to have much in common but read the book to find out if they have what it takes for a long-term relationship.
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Reviewed by Cheri Rosenberg