Book Review: Silencing Breath (Stealing Breath #2), by Joanne Brothwell

February 17, 2013December 11, 2014 / wendysrusso / 1 Comment

Silencing Breath (Stealing Breath #2), by Joanne Brothwell

Just as Sarah Ross is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an Indigo Child and settling into a normal life with her beloved Evan, her entire world shatters when Evan disappears without a trace.

Desperate to find him, Sarah’s search leads her to a sadistic serial killer who confirms her worst fears are true; Evan has been kidnapped, and he is once again in the clutches of his abusive family of necromancers.

Sarah uncovers not only Evan’s dark past he tried so desperately to protect her from, but also The Key of Solomon, an ancient text for summoning the dead.
Knowing her abilities are limited in the face of this ancient power, Sarah is forced to face the Malandanti in order to save him. However, one question remains: once he is found, will Evan be the same man she fell in love with?

It’s been four years since Sarah Ross became entangled in Evan Valenti’s strange world of sorcery and skinwalking. They have settled into life in Seattle, complete with a cute house, coffee rituals, and morning sex when they can swing it. This particular moment, they don’t quite have time for the latter. Evan, a successful contractor, is due at a meeting with co-owners in 10 minutes, so they reluctantly settle for a steamy kiss, and then he’s gone. It’s just as well. Sarah, a senior at the University of Washington, has a meeting with a potential advisor. There she learns that not only will she be accepted to graduate school, but also she’ll be working with Dr. “Jerry” Goderich on research regarding psychopaths, starting immediately. There’s a man fresh off a kill sitting on ice at the prison and Jerry’s antsy to get into his head. That’s when Sarah’s beloved normal life comes to a screeching halt. She recognizes the prisoner on sight. She killed him four years ago.

Ms. Brothwell crafts a strong female lead in Sarah Ross. When we met Sarah in Stealing Breath, she was a girl struggling with teenage insecurities on top of her ability to feel the emotions of those around her. Four year later, all of them with Evan at her side, she is a confident woman with control of the power that could have easily destroyed her. Now, Evan has been taken away from her, and she will fight to get him back with little more than love and raw determination, even if it means confronting the devil himself. And when the Valenti family is involved, that’s not just a figure of speech.

The author doesn’t pull any punches with Evan’s situation. Sarah may not know exactly what Stefano, the older Valenti brother, is putting him through, but the reader gets to see all of it. Beautiful Evan is rendered vulnerable, made to bleed, and broken over the course of days with even his ability to plea for mercy silenced by dark magic. As a reader, I held on through every page that Evan could hold onto Sarah, and himself, long enough to be rescued, even as I wondered if anyone could.

This book was somewhat of a surprise for me, as I had some issues with Stealing Breath. However, those awkward bits were left behind in North Dakota along with Sarah Ross’ former life. Silencing Breath is a huge step forward for Joanne Brothwell. The writing is clean, the prose tight, and the stakes dire. There’s cause for concern on nearly every page that Sarah and her allies won’t get out of this book alive.

I was given an advance copy in return for my honest opinion.

My Red Star Award About My Book Reviews

Evolution Thursday: Joanne Brothwell

May 10, 2012January 2, 2013 / wendysrusso / 3 Comments

Joanne’s love of writing began at age four, when she wrote her first “book” of poetry. Five pages of scratch drawings, misspelled words and a poorly formed signature was all it took to trigger the writing obsession.

The origin of Joanne’s first novel began with characters that seemed to unwittingly spring to life within her mind. Joanne allowed those characters to speak to her, their voices growing in volume. Finally, their problems became so compelling they began to haunt Joanne’s dreams at night. She couldn’t escape the constant barrage of her characters’ voices, and in February, 2008, Joanne placed her hands on the keyboard for the first time, to exorcise those voices from her head. In June, 2008, the first draft of her manuscript was complete, and now, nearly three years later, her debut novel, Stealing Breath, has been released.

Joanne lives in the country on the Canadian prairie with her family where her stories are inspired by the dead things that appear at her doorstep on a daily basis. She can be found at the following links online:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Joanne, what was the first scene of Stealing Breath?

The first scene of Stealing Breath was written when I still wanted it to be a Young Adult novel. She was a teenager at high school sitting at her locker. Very boring.

Did you have a scene that you loved but ended up cutting?

I had a scene where Sarah actually dies, and has an out-of-body experience and is looking down at herself, dead on the floor. It was a really cool scene, but it just didn’t work with the story, so it got hacked. I’d love to figure out a way to use it in a future novel!

Oh, please do! I’d love to read that.

I usually have an a-ha moment, where an insignificant detail becomes something really important. Did you have a moment like that? Will it spoil the plot to tell me what it was?

Not really, to be honest. I had a lot of critical feedback that lead to some pretty major insights into plot, character and writing problems, definitely. One of the biggest was when my critique partner told me she really hated the hero, to the point where she really wanted to kick him in the ‘nards. I realized he had to be completely revamped. That earlier character is gone, there is absolutely no semblance between him and Evan. Evan is awesome. I love him.

Me, too. He is an intriguing guy. Are you surprised where the story took you? Or if ended up where you planned, were you surprised how you got there?

This story has been through so many different versions, it is nothing like where I thought it would end up. I’ve re-written it about four times, with major overhauls in between. All of the really big problems in its earlier forms have been resolved. I love where it has ended up!

While reading, I thought of “Slave Lake” as the Spirit Lake, North Dakota, where the Sioux reservation is located? Am I close? And if so, why there? What’s special about North Dakota to you?

Yes, Slave Lake was inspired by Spirit Lake, North Dakota, which used to be called “Devil’s Lake”. My paternal grandmother was born there, and I always thought it was such an awesomely creepy name! I’ve never been to Spirit Lake, so I made up Slave Lake instead.

North Dakota was chosen because geographically, it is the most similar to the setting I had in my mind. I’m from Saskatchewan, Canada, and when I imagined many of these scenes, they were in specific places I’m familiar with in my home province. I wanted to target a broad audience, North America wide, so I went with North Dakota. Because who would want to read about Saskatche-what?

I would! Now, the ending allows for you to walk away, but leaves the door open to come back. Are you planning a sequel?

I’ve already written the sequel, and it is sitting with the Acquisitions Editor at Crescent Moon Press right now! The sequel, currently titled Stealing Skin, is far darker than the first. Sarah goes through some awful situations and has to make some morally difficult decisions. I tortured Sarah and Evan relentlessly!

I also wrote part of it in third person (from a different character’s perspective), but I don’t know if that will stay. I quite like it, but not a single person in the world has read it yet, so I have no idea whether other people will feel the same way about it as me!

There are plans for a third, but I’m waiting until the second one has been picked up.

Crossing my fingers for you, Joanne. And, US readers, you can win a copy of Stealing Breath at Goodreads. The giveaway is open until May 21 and I even snagged her widget.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Stealing Breath

by Joanne Brothwell

Giveaway ends May 21, 2012.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Next Thursday, Eilis Flynn will be here to tell us about her recent release, Static Shock.

Book Review: Stealing Breath, by Joanne Brothwell

March 13, 2012January 2, 2013 / wendysrusso / 3 Comments

Stealing Breath, by Joanne Brothwell
Crescent Moon Press, March 2012

Deep in the backwoods of North Dakota, twenty–one year old Sarah Ross is searching for a missing child when she is attacked by a glowing–eyed, transparent… creature. Sarah survives, destroying the monster by using mysterious abilities she didn’t even know she had.

Bloody and bruised, Sarah flees the scene and runs directly into Evan Valente, a handsome, charismatic stranger who helps her back to safety. But what is Evan doing out in the forest at five in the morning?

Turning to a healer, Sarah is shocked to learn her eyes bear the mark of the Indigo Child—an evolved human with the ability to feel the emotions of others. But her indigo aura also makes her an easy target for those who wish to consume her powerful essence.

Soon, Sarah is falling deeply in love with Evan and wants nothing more than to follow her heart and trust that he is the man he says he is. But she can’t ignore the lingering feeling that Evan is hiding a terrible secret. The deeper she digs, the more danger she faces, leading her on a course that will force her to face the darkest, innermost parts of her soul.

Sarah Ross is an empath. She can feel the emotions of other people near her as if they are her own. In fear of being misunderstood, she doesn’t talk about it ever. On one summer day, while partying camping with friends, she wakes to a child’s cry for help. The news has been reporting for days that a ten-year-old girl is missing from the Native American reservation, so Sarah ventures into the woods calling out Jessica’s name. But as she gets further into the woods, the tone of the voice changes from fearful to taunting. She walks into a clearing to find an abandoned house, ravaged by elements and drunk teenagers. She follows the voice inside, up the stairs, and falls through weak wood. It’s while injured that she is confronted by something she can’t explain. It’s human-ish, transparent and shimmery, like a mirage, with eyes like yellow bile. And when it touches her, she feels yucky and suffocated. Reacting on instinct, she pushes the foreign feelings out, and the creature retreats.

She stumbles out of the house and runs into the owner of the property, a gorgeous specimen of male with dark hair and blue eyes, named Evan Valente. He helps her back to his SUV, patches her up and returns her to her friends. Sarah cannot read him the way she does most other people, but she feels a connection with him the moment they touch.

Sarah learns through her native friend’s mother, and the woman’s contacts on the reservation, that the thing that attacked her was actually a person. The Navajo, they say, have people called Skinwalkers who practice dark magic and who use it for astral projection. In their disembodied state, they seek out souls to consume, which increases their power. The natives have known that Skinwalkers are in their town for a while. They are certain that the intruders are responsible for the disappearances of the missing girl and her mother. They believe that Sarah, who they call “The Indigo Child” for the violet glow of her spirit, is their next target.

While Sarah finds the information hard to believe, Evan is incredibly receptive, which gives her the confidence to tell him things she normally wouldn’t tell anyone. But he’s more than he seems to be…which could be taken for granted given he’s tall, dark, handsome, and the object of affection in a paranormal novel. He’s not in Slave Lake to develop land, as he claims. Nor was his presence at his woodland property during Sarah’s attack a coincidence. However, Sarah’s challenge with Evan isn’t coming to terms with these deceptions. Her wealthy Italian hottie from Navajo country has dangerous secrets lurking in deep, dark places. Despite them all, she’ll have to trust him if she plans to go on breathing.

I found the concept behind Stealing Breath very intriguing. The extraordinary power in this story, while having a magical component, is untapped human potential. Some characters are taught magic to wield power, but others are drawing upon energies naturally, instinctively, and even obliviously. The connection between Sarah and Evan is palpable, particularly in my favorite scene of the book, where he dives off a bridge, catches her and rolls into the water below. At a time when she thought she couldn’t trust him, the moment she feels his arms around her, she knows without thinking that she was safe. And if you read books for sex and fights, the author has included several scenes that bring down the house. I actually mean that literally.

This book has much going for it, but there were a few things that I found distracting from the story. For one, the author uses conversation in many places where it gets underfoot. Another, the pacing of the revelations is rather quick. I’m a fan of slow reveals, so I preferred to be strung along a bit. These are both personal preference; other readers may not share it.

Otherwise, Joanne Brothwell has woven an intriguing story using Native American and Italian folk tales, and set her characters up nicely for a sequel.

Rating: ★★★★

A Busy Week at Crescent Moon Press

March 10, 2012January 2, 2013 / wendysrusso / 1 Comment

Crescent Moon Press released three new books this week, as well as a print version of one released last month. The covers and blurbs are below!

The Summerland, by Elizabeth Cheryl

When Abigail Parker moves to Salem, Massachusetts, with her Aunt Bridgette, nothing makes sense from the moment she arrives. A familiar but unknown voice whispers words of reassurance. Her aunt’s behavior is confusing at best.

When Bridgette’s gravely injured, Abigail desperately seeks help from a spell book she found in her closet. But something goes terribly wrong. Abbey is hurtled three centuries backward in time.landing in a vastly different Salem.

It’s summertime 1692 – the infamous witch trials are in full swing and Abigail’s sporting pink nail polish and a tattoo. Abigail finds William, the source of the familiar voice and something much more. However, she must return to modern Salem to retrieve the spell book.

Can she do so in time to save her family and without exposing herself to accusations of witchcraft? Most importantly, how does she leave when she’s just finding love?

Stealing Breath, by Joanne Brothwell

Static Shock, by Eilis Flynn

Can you live without your computer? Can you wear a watch? Do you know anyone who can’t?

In a time not long from now, there are people whose life paths are determined by such simple details. Legally recognized as electromagnetics, or “Readers”, they are a twist in evolution, an anomaly in a society that has become technologically dependent. Considered second-class citizens because of their heightened electromagnetic fields, Readers can’t wear watches, get too close to a TV, or even drive for fear they will shut down the car’s electrical system. Computers become worthless doorstops quickly around Readers. Career prospects are limited.

Reader Jeanne Muir decides to expand her horizons when she’s unexpectedly offered a new job opportunity. But she hasn’t been told that her job description includes being framed for a crime she didn’t commit. Because Readers are not held in high esteem, Jeanne’s an easy scapegoat, and law enforcement definitely is not on her side. Knowing she was set up and the odds are against her, Jeanne can’t let herself be taken in-and risks asking mysterious, sexy Ran Owata, a fellow Reader who is no longer accepted among their kind, for help. The problem is: Can she trust him? Does she have a choice?

Perpetual Light, by Jordan K. Rose

Fate is cruel. Especially when the one you’ve sworn to love for all eternity, the very soul who changed your destiny, is the last person you should trust.

After more than three hundred years of running, Lucia Dicomano must make a choice.

Forced to take her place as a Pharo of Redemption, the divine slayer needs to master her forgotten powers. Lucia turns to Vittorio, the one vampire she’s failed to deliver from eternal damnation. But overcoming smoldering remnants of love, lust and anger aren’t their only obstacles.

Samuel, who may know Lucia better than she knows herself, hunts her with a fervor stoked by a thousand years of vengeful hatred. His plan-capture and enslave the weakened Pharo then take control of her elusive power.

Can Lucia trust Vittorio long enough to reclaim her powers? Or will she have no choice but to kill him and battle Samuel alone?

Perpetual Light, by Jordan K. Rose, was released on February 26th, but the print edition went live today on Amazon.

And finally, a new cover reveal!

Fae Dragon Chronicles: Book One, Love Chosen, by Marne Ann Kirk

For millennia, dragon and fae have peacefully co-existed, but the fae themselves have lived segregated and very different lives.

Now a malevolence threatens to separate them all permanently. Can a Queen’s guard and a rebellious outlaw join forces to defeat this common enemy?

Tyler’s touch sparks fierce desire, drawing Issie to him, but she despises his way of life and all that palace society represents. If he learns she wields majic to help the less fortunate escape the kingdom, he’ll charge her with treason. Her punishment – death.

Issie, is a sassy rebel who is constantly looking for ways to circumvent the conventions of their society. Tyler’s head warns that she’s a non-majical lower, beneath him. His heart sees by her inner strength and outer beauty. Only a binding love will lend them strength to save her life – their world.

Can either of them bend enough to trust that love?

Have I mentioned recently that I love my publisher already? No…well, I do.