Book Review: Depth of Deceit

2010 Winner of the Silver Quill for second place in the Fiction category for the League of Utah Writers Publication Awards.

Blond and stunningly beautiful, fledgling attorney Stephanie Saunders vows to protect the innocent even though as indigent defense attorney her clients rarely are. Does that include Josh Durrant, who seems to be following her? Stephanie is dismayed when her peers begin calling her "Prom Queen" like boyfriend, Todd Saxton, often does. While desperately trying to prove her credibility in her profession, she overlooks a scheme to steal her innocence. Although she plans to forgive Todd for his ultimate betrayal, she is never given the chance. Her boss, Attorney Charles Connelly, offers support, but is Stephanie's welfare, or his own, top priority? The only thing that keeps Stephanie sane in her insane world are the hores she loves but does not own. The example of the abused mare, Riskie Business, helps Stephanie make the most difficult decision of her life. Relying on wit and courage, Stephanie must save herself and another during the final showdown where she proves a loyalty and strength of which she never knew herself capable.

Well, this blurb had me interested, I have to admit. I love a good romance thriller, and throw in a mix of law (which usually leads to crazy bad guys) and horses (which makes me all happy and nostalgic, even though I know nothing about them) and I figure I'm in for a good read. So when a friend of mine asked me to review this book for a fellow writer, Betty Briggs, I couldn't refuse. For my participation, I received a free copy of the book in question. Yes!

This book has many things going for it. It is a clean romance thriller with a heroine you want to root for and a love interest that's, well, loveable. Not to mention hunky. The premise is intriguing, and the danger the heroine faces keeps the pace moving along nicely. The majority of the book is a quick read, which makes it the perfect companion for a weekend getaway--the way I enjoyed it. I also loved the substory of Stephanie with the horses she loves. There was sadness and darkness in the story, too, which adds to the reader's desire to root for the heroine, yet Brigg's keeps it light enough that it doesn't cause despair. I also found many of the descriptions to be beautifully-written.

My biggest complaint about this story is with the character development of the heroine and other key players. It was difficult to comprehend some of the heroine's motivations and actions because we know so little about her beyond the fact that she is an orphan. A little more background information might have lent itself to helping the reader understand why Stephanie does what she does, or even why she seems so naive for a 21st-century woman. I also would have loved to have her figure out more of the mystery on her own insead of having most of it told to her by others. And a little more time interacting with (or combatting)the main villains, who have almost no "screen time," would have helped to show her strength. At times, I found the dialogue to be forced and unnatural, and sometimes the verbal sparring between Stephanie and her love interest missed the mark. Finally, the author failed to capture a strong finish when she allowed the resolution to drag on for several chapters after her gripping climax.

If you enjoy reading clean romance thrillers and a quick read with likeable characters, then this might just be the thing for you. To order Depth of Deceit, click here.

About the Author (from book cover): A retired legal secretary of thirty-three years and lifetime horse lover, Betty notes that some of her experiences sneak into her story lines, but not without embellishments. Already the author of four young adult books, she is excited to introduce Depth of Deceit, her first mainstream novel. She is the mother of two grown children adn grandmother to five. She lives in teh Rocky Mountains with her husband, Scott. Her three horses round out the family. Find out more about Betty and her books at www.bettybriggs.com.

Extreme Mothering: Tiger-Mom Verses Absent-Mom Verses the REAL Mom

A month ago I read the article in Time Magazine about the self-proclaimed Tiger Mom, Amy Chua, who berated, threatened, and strong-armed her children into "excellence"--her form of excellence anyway. Ms. Chua's in-your-face mothering leaves little wiggle room for her children to step a toe out of line as she molds them into the adults she wants them to be. (Read full article here.)


Contrast that with the article I read today about a woman who took the opposite extreme--divorced her husband and gave up custodial rights to her children when she had an "a-ha" moment and realized she no longer wanted to be a mother but would rather pursue her professional writing ambitions. She claims this new lack of 24/7 mothering gives her the opportunity to be the kind of mother she wants to be when her kids come to visit. You know the one--she meets her kids at the door with a plate of cookies to snack on before they sit down to her well-planned, perfectly wholesome dinner. This mother is fresh and energetic to help her children with any concerns or troubles they might have in the short time she has with them. (Read full article here.)

Well, yeah! Of course she's a better mom for those two or three days she gets them. But I have to wonder what her measure of a good mom is. She didn't have to stay up all night with the child who had a cough and fever the week before, so OF COURSE she feels fresh and eager to talk to him for five minutes about his day and then pat herself on the back and think with self-congratulation--"My, what a good mother I am now." She didn't spend hours helping one kid struggle through a science fair entry and another work on an essay for literature class, but she sure is one great mom for having a fresh plate of cookies for them when they come to visit.

Inserting finger into mouth and gagging now.

These two ladies get recognized because of their extreme forms of mothering. In short, their kind of stories sell. They cause a buzz. People talk. And then those people feel strong emotions one way or the other. And some question what they are doing. Should they adopt similar extreme attitudes?

But what about all those mothers who are out there quietly doing the back-breaking, time-chewing, self-forgetting job of REAL motherhood? Their stories aren't as juicy, as gossip-happy. The only thing extreme about them is their love for their children. They don't have fancy methods. In fact much of the time they wonder if they're really cut out for the job. They KNOW they don't hold all the answers. Maybe their children watch too much TV sometimes, or they don't learn to read before they enter kindergarten. Maybe their children have runny noses a few minutes too long before they get wiped. And sometimes dinner is a box of macaroni and cheese or "GASP" cold cereal. But these mothers find a few moments during the day to sit and read to their child. They let her make a mess in the kitchen when she wants to make pancakes on a Saturday morning, and then they praise her for her less-than-perfect results. They puzzle for hours over a new method to teach math so their 2nd grader won't fall behind in his studies. They clean a bathroom when they'd rather be reading a book. And they are making their chocolate-chip cookies with a six-month old on one hip and a two-year-old who can't wait to pour in the chips--and the whole group waiting eagerly to lick the bowl, spoon, and beaters.

And if necessary, these are the ones who modify or place on hold their own ambitions in order to help their children achieve their full potential. You might not read about their story at all, but they're out there, thank goodness.

These are the REAL mothers. And in my opinion they deserve the most attention of all.

Another Retreat

From reading my blog, you might be tempted to think I spend my life hopping from one retreat to another, and while this is partially true, there are a lot of other things that fill up the moments in between. Those other things just don't give me as much to fill up the white space on a blog. I mean, who really wants to read about my adventures in freshman math homework? Or my travelings to and from piano lessons? Although the time I got lost for two hours somewhere in the Redmond, Washington farmlands might prove for good reading. All I can say is Thank GOODNESS for books on CD. And thank goodness my son is a virtual saint and doesn't mind being picked up an hour late. And thank GOODNESS he had the good sense to walk to the nearest place of business so the piano teacher didn't get to learn about my ditsyness!

But getting back to my obsession with conferences, retreats, seminars, or anything that says, "Come and partake of something great!" It's fair to claim that I'm a junky. My friend *Marnie is too. Our most recent escapade was a trip to Time Out For Women, presented by Deseret Book. We hopped in Marnie's car and headed for Portland last weekend for a ladies' getaway.

"Road trip" takes on a new meaning when it's with a great friend (and no one's whining, "How much longer?"). And even the rain in Portland didn't dampen our spirits as we trekked through the streets searching for a great spot to eat the second night.
We settled on Jake's Famous Crawfish. Imagine our delight when our meanderings landed us at the doorstep of one of Portland's oldest and most favored restaurants. We enjoyed a delicious seafood dinner before returning to our room for the night.

The highlight for me, though, was the conference itself. The theme centered on Hope, yet I heard tales of struggle, trial, and even tragedy from nearly every presenter. It was how they faced these tradegies with hope intact that made it such a beautiful and meaningful experience.

We arrived home just in time for me to attend church with my family. A little over an hour later I was called to be the Primary President of our ward. Retreat OVER!

*Name changed to protect the innocent. But you know who you are Marnie!

Northwest Writer's Retreat

I just got back from the Northwest Writer's Retreat. A glowing report follows.

First off, the scenery was breathtaking. Nestled in a tiny cove near Deception Pass State Park, the Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory was like an artist's depiction of a writer's getaway. Don't let the name worry you. They kept the science laboratories well hidden so as not to freak out us writerly types.

The cabins were charming and eerily "Lost"-like, lined up in neat even rows as though in anticipation of "the Others" coming home from a raid in the jungle. I kept expecting Juliette or Sawyer, or--heaven forbid!--Benjamin Linus to walk around the corner at any moment. Fortunately, or unfortunately in the case of Sawyer--I could've gone for him calling me "Freckles,"--that didn't happen. The name would fit, though, don't you think? But see here, my imagination is getting away from me. Occupational hazard.

Anyway, upon arriving I took one look at the ocean shore of the picturesque cove and felt like I had just landed in a writer's paradise. Could I please just stay here for a month with nothing to do but write? Well, okay, I'd probably go nuts for my husband and kids after that long but a WEEK! A week is all I ask.

Instead I was destined for two days. But how well they were spent! The food was delicious, the classes on writing, perfection. The networking with talented, like-minded souls--priceless. I sort of feel like a credit card commercial now, but seriously, it was tremendous.

Janette Rallison, the author in residence, is as classy and generous a lady as you can ever meet, with a vast understanding of the business. I had the distinct pleasure of driving her and another great lady to the airport after the retreat. I know, poor me, right?

The event's sponsors, the INTUIT ladies of ANWA (American Night Writer's Association) know how to shine, and they seem to want nothing more than to spread their light around. So if you are also a like-minded soul, come on up next year. How could you possibly not after that report?

Book Review--Defensive Tactics by Steve Westover

Steve Westover's debut novel Defensive Tactics is an LDS action thriller that tackles more than just a corrupt judge, a crime boss, a possible FBI mole, and all the bad-guy goons we love to see in this type of story. He also delves into deeper issues like moral relativism. How far should one go, for example, in performing the requirements of a job--especially if that job is one that can affect the greater good? And what are the implications of doing the right thing for the wrong reasons? Or what is the proper response to sexual harrassment?

Paul Stevens has a great job at the FBI and a budding romance with the beautiful Emily, a fellow agent. Then Jimmy, a childhood friend who's life has taken a tragic turn, winds up on his doorstep looking for a handout. Jimmy's interest in Emily puts Paul's friendship to the test. Meanwhile, Emily's work to take down a corrupt judge places her life in danger, and Paul is forced to put his job on the line to protect her. Soon Jimmy and Paul join forces as they race to save her life.

There are many things I liked about this book. First of all, Westover manages to play nicely into one of my own fantasies--to be an FBI (or CIA) agent. Of course I imagine myself speaking a half dozen languages and kung fu-ing bad guys until they beg for mercy, but Emily's response to undercover work is a lot closer to what my reality would be, which, oddly enough, worked for me quite well. The escape scene toward the end was one of my favorite parts of the book, and Emily proves that sometimes it's good to be underestimated. Which is great, since my language skills won't send the CIA knocking on my door anytime soon and my kung fu would be more of the Kung Fu Panda style rather than the Sidney Bristow style. But hey, that's where imagination comes in. Anyway, sometimes it's nice when imagination doesn't have to work quite so hard, and I could really relate to the character of Emily.

I also liked that Westover gave the reader bigger picture ideas to think about in his book. As mentioned before, this book isn't simply a quick, action-packed read--though the pace does move along nicely. Westover seeks to show how everyday life can sometimes bring out the best and worst in each of us. And like any good book should, his ends with his main characters achieving real growth.

The English major in me can't help but point out that several times I wanted to take out my red pen and mark passages that I found either poorly executed or lacking in typical conventions I would expect in published work. Sometimes point of view shifted inappropriately, for one. These issues might not be so nails-on-the-chalkboard for some readers, but it was enough to cause me to cringe more than once. At other times the story lagged or seemed contrived or that resolution of difficult issues came too easily. There were also issues that never seemed to be resolved with the main characters, like Jimmy's broken relationship at the beginning of the book that gets mentioned only in passing later on, even though it seems like it should have had more fleshing out.

Perhaps my biggest complaint would be that I wanted more out of the story and more character development. The plot is fantastic, the characters are likeable, if sometimes predictable, but I think so much more could have been developed here. Having said that, Westover leaves the story with unanswered questions that could work nicely into a second novel with the same characters. I, for one, would want to read it if he does.

Overall, this is a great first novel, and Steve Westover shows promise in this genre. I look forward to his future work.

To learn more about Steve Westover visit his blog
here.

To purchase this book at Amazon, click here.

Please share your comments below! I love to hear from you.

In exchange for my review, I received an advanced reader's copy of this book. This in no way affected my review.

Quote for the Day

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to . . . live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." Theodore Roosevelt

Blushingly Yours

It's hard to believe it's been two months since my last post. That proves it right there. My life's been busy. If I never have another spring like this past one, that's okay by me.

Though it's had its little beauties too.

Last night I witnessed my son take home the MVP award for his high school lacrosse team. As the only goalie for both the freshman and JV teams, he single-handedly won it on most-games-played alone, which averaged about three a week. But he is a great goalie too. Even if I weren't his proud mama, I'd think so. Still, you add three games a week and practice every other day but Sunday (occasional Saturdays off) and we had a doozy of a season.

And that's just kiddo number one.


I also attended numerous competitive cheer competitions in which my fourteen-year-old daughter helped her team to an undefeated champion-ship season in her division. The culminating event was the All-Level Cheer Competition in Long Beach. Yes, I flew to Long Beach too. I know. Poor me.

All in all it has been a busy-but-happy spring. And I'm looking forward to a great--and hopefully relaxing summer.