Susan Helene Gottfried

Blending my love for writing with my love for the music business led to the creation of Trevor Wolff and Mitchell Voss, the duo at the heart of the ShapeShifter project.

Website: http://westofmars.com
Twitter: westofmars

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CJ Lyons
Latest book: Face to Face: Hart and Drake, Book #3. Published on November 7, 2011.
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Jaimey Grant
Latest book: Redemption. Published on March 29, 2009. (4.00 from 2 reviews)
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View their blog. Latest post: "Cowards, Giveaways, and Gothic Intrigue! Oh my!"

Sharon E. Cathcart
Latest book: Around the World in 80 Pages. Published on September 12, 2011. (5.00 from 1 review)
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Thomma Lyn Grindstaff
Latest book: The Saddle of Private Lucius Gray: A Short Story. Published on December 23, 2011.
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View their blog. Latest post: "Dharma Post #1: Open Mind, Open Heart"

• Chasing Shadows: Shadow Ops Book #1 on May 29, 2010
  
  I was shocked -- but not more than a little bit pleased -- when best-selling author CJ Lyons dropped me an e-mail. We'd recently been at a conference together and while we hadn't spent time hanging and chatting, we'd connected enough that CJ felt she could ask me a pressing question. It seems some of her books are getting pounded by some online reviewers, and she was wondering if I'd take a look at her books and see what was going on. She was kind enough to send me some coupon codes so I could download the books from Smashwords, and I was off and reading. I started with Chasing Shadows: Shadow Ops Book 1. I loved this book; it's a totally fun read from start to finish. Yes, the reviewers are right in that the plot does follow a formula. They don't think it's okay. I'd like to disagree. What makes Chasing Shadows such a strong read is the way CJ takes the formula and bends it to the story she's telling. For instance, usually when I read thrillers of this sort, the cast of characters is so large, I can't keep them all straight. I confuse the bad guys, the good guys, the guys in the shadows… everyone but our main hero -- and even then, I sometimes still have problems, especially if the guy's name is similar to someone else's. CJ introduced her cast slowly. I never got lost or confused, even as loyalties are revealed and shades of grey within the characters and the situation are revealed. This one's running guns. This one controls the small town. This one is the middle guy but hey, look, he's also one of the good guys, trying to take down the one but not the other, and that's fine because here's our other hero, trying to take down the other but not the one… Trust me. It makes WAY more sense in CJ's hands. The woman knows how to plot. That's all there is to it. Chasing Shadows never bogs down in too much backstory, too much exposition, or even too much in the way of characterizations. This is a story that's destined for the big screen, and in a big way. Lethal Weapon, look out. But maybe that's the problem these reviewers had. There's no deep message here, no subtext. Yes, it's true the characters aren't terribly fully developed, but so what? While we're with them, they're alive and vibrant, KC in particular. It's been awhile since I put down a book and wondered what the characters were up to while I wasn't reading. It's been even longer since I wished for more from them. In other words, there's something more going on than first meets the eye. Add in the skill with the plot, the way the tension keeps increasing, making me slide to the edge of my seat and lick my lips (once even spattering the screen of my e-reader. Oops), and the utter fun of this book and, really. CJ, don't let a few sentences at one book vendor trip you up. You're on to something with this book. I'm now eager to read Nerves of Steel and you bet I'll be picking up Lost in Shadows, the Special Ops #2 featuring Lucky, the dude who takes a big one for the team in Chasing Shadows. I walked into this a fan who wondered how an MD could take herself out of the hospital setting she's known for. I closed the back cover convinced that CJ Lyons is much, much more than simply a writer of hospital books. If it's got CJ's name on it, I'll be first in line from now on.
  
• Enemies and Playmates on March 16, 2011
  
  There's always that moment when you first sit down with a friend's book. That moment when you're afraid you'll wish you hadn't risked your friendship over a book, which your friend was kind enough to give you. I shouldn't have worried. Darcia Helle's as awesome a writer as she is a person. Which is to say Enemies and Playmates was one of the most wickedly fun cat-and-mouse tales I've come across in a long time. Alex Covington is a phenomenally well-drawn jerk, his wife Kara is a tragedy, son Stephen is an even bigger heartbreaker who colors the whole book. And then there's daughter Lauren, our heroine. She actually turns out to be a secondary character, as the heart of this story is Lauren's man, Jesse, and the way he goes up against Lauren's dad. This is where it's at for me, and not once was I let down. Jesse and Alex engage in some of the most delicious -- and dangerous -- play I've read in eons. Really, the romance between Jesse and Lauren is secondary, even though it is pivotal to the way in which Lauren's character grows and changes. No, it's not perfect. Dialogue is stilted in spots, and the subplot with Lauren's friend stretches believeability -- but at the same time, it makes the important point that no matter how well you think you know someone, no matter how best your best friend is, surprises can (and do) lurk around every corner. For a woman like Lauren, it's a good reminder of what a louse her father is, why she needs to get away -- and the steps her father will take to make sure she can't. I don't want to say too much. Go read it for yourself. Have some fun with it. Enemies and Playmates. A definite West of Mars Recommended read. (4.5 stars)
  
• Ladies and Gentlemen...The Redeemers on July 03, 2011
  
  I'd been hearing about this Michael Scott Miller dude and his book, Ladies and Gentlemen... The Redeemers for awhile now. My friend, author Darcia Helle, told me she thought I needed to read it. How could I say no? Ladies and Gentlemen... The Redeemers is a heck of a tale. It's the story of down-on-his-luck Bert, who decides to take a bunch of misfits and miscreants and turn them into the band that'll end his down-on-his-luck days. And theirs. Most bands form because they are drawn together by something intangible. They have chemistry, a shared hunger for success... something. Not the Redeemers. They are drawn together because of Bert and the strength of his ambition to reclaim a part of himself. Whether or not they'll first find all the people they need to fill out the band properly, if they'll gel as a group, if they'll overcome their natural distrust and, sometimes, dislike of each other... this is what the story is about. It's a great story. It's one anyone who loves to dream needs to spend time with. But, of course, this is Susan West of Mars doing a review here, and that automatically means there are faults to be found with this book. Not many, I'm pleased to say. And in this case, I suspect the fault I found with the Redeemers is one of style. You see, for me, there is a narrative distance. This means I don't get into the characters' heads, they don't come fully alive. In this book, it drove me nuts. I wanted to really get inside these guys. I wanted to share their thoughts and dreams and desires. I wanted to look to my left and be surprised they weren't real people, right there beside me. To be honest, I have no idea how Miller could have pulled this off. He's got a huge cast of characters; this point of view was the most logical choice he could have made for telling this particular story. Anything else would have run the risk of turning the book into an absolute mess. Still, I wanted more of the guys. They are compelling. They have great backstories. They have a great storyline. They probably have a great future, but let's not get ahead of the book here, folks. Although... with a story like this, it is tempting to do. When I review a piece of rock and roll fiction, I always consider if the page breathes with music. In The Redeemers, it doesn't. It also doesn't need to. This is a book about the personalities behind the music. It's about this band named the Redeemers who are off looking for their own redemption, either personally or musically. These aren't necessarily people who live and breathe music. On the other hand, they are people for whom music is an expression and, in some cases, a way of life. In other cases, it's a dream, something to stretch for and be terrified of. That is every bit as valid as having the music throb off the page. Overall, I liked this book. A lot. I'll tell people to read it. I may even hold it up there with some of my top reads although, truthfully, I don't think the (good) execution held up to the (fantastic) concept. It was a hard goal to achieve. Miller did his best, and his best is quite good. I wanted fantastic. I think Miller can and will bring us there in future books. I can't wait to follow him.