Dana Warren Smith - Deborah Smith - Catherine Spangler
Smith, Dana Warren - HIGH STAKES (Silh. Spec. Edit. 563) (4)
Wealthy socialite, Jamie Logan, makes a bet that she can seduce Ren Garrett, a homely backwoods farmer. Unaware of Jamie's deceitful game, Ren bares his soul to her...and falls deeply in love. A heart-grabber by talented author Dana Warren Smith (a.k.a. Lisa G. Brown). ~June F. (bookbug@oocities.com)
Smith, Deborah - PLACE TO CALL HOME, A (Bantam - 1998) (5)
To put it quite simply, this is the best book I have ever read. It deserves a rating of 6! A PLACE TO CALL HOME is absolutely stunning in terms of its depth and intensity. The quality of the writing blew me away, and one surprise after another kept me turning the pages. I was even considering reading this book again, but it was snatched out of my hands by a friend who is a longtime fan of the author. ~Maudeen W. (maudeenw@aol.com)
Smith, Deborah - WHEN VENUS FELL (Bantam - 1999) (4)
Venus Arinelli and her sister, Ella, travel from town to town playing music when they can get jobs in the local nightclubs. Venus was a child prodigy, but unhappiness and disappointment have plagued her life. Her father had been arrested for laundering drug money, which left his children destitute, and Venus had turned into a sharp-tongued, cynical woman whose only care in life was her younger sister.
Then a man named Gib Cameron finds Venus and Ella, and he has money for them that was left in his family's care by their father. The sisters remember their parents telling them about the wonderful Cameron family who lived in the mountains of Tennessee. Venus also recalls corresponding with Gib and loving him as a child. She agrees to visit the Camerons for two weeks to claim the money.
When she arrives in Tennessee, Venus discovers the Camerons have suffered their own tragedy, from which they are all trying to recover. They think the Arinellis have always been good luck for them and welcome the girls to their home. Ella is immediately taken with young Carter; and Venus can't believe the largesse of the Cameron family is for real, especially in regard to one member of the family.
Venus is so hard-nosed that it's hard to find her likable at first, but she is talented and very smart. She's also loyal and fair. If she doesn't trust someone, there is good reason for it. The first-person point of view in WHEN VENUS FELL is excellent, sometimes funny, and always poignant. Deborah Smith is a very talented author who has written other wonderful books such as A PLACE TO CALL HOME, SILK AND STONE, and BLUE WILLOW. WHEN VENUS FELL joins her list of bestsellers. ~Marilyn H. (mlyn@jps.net)
Spangler, Catherine - SHIELDER (Love Spell - 1999) (5)
In an effort to have her lonely existence count for something, Leonessa "Neesa" dan Ranul volunteers to carry the deadly Orana virus to the laboratory in the Sonoma Colony. Too many of her people, the Shielders, have died already. Along the way she is rescued from her broken ship by Chase McKnight. He is a Shadower, a deadly bounty hunter for the dreaded Controllers,
and he promises to take her to a star base from which she can reach her destination. Neesa does not reveal the true nature of her journey because she is not sure she can trust this man. Will she be able to reach her destination in time to save her people?
Chase, a former healer, is bent on revenge and consumed with guilt. He is seeking to destroy Danson, the creator of the Ramos virus, which destroyed his people before he could find a cure. Admiring Neesa's spunk and courage, he is drawn to her. He overlooks her crippled leg and shows her that it is what's inside that counts, not how you look on the outside. As they continue on their journey, Neesa comes to realize that Chase is a strong and gentle man who sees no defects in her. Will he be the one to heal her body and soul? Or will the virus infect her before she reaches her destination? It's not until Chase nearly loses Neesa that he realizes how very important she is to him.
SHIELDER, Catherine Spangler's debut novel, is a captivating futuristic romance. She creates her new world and draws the reader into it with a heart-touching portrayal of two very special people, then surrounds them with exciting characters. I can think of no better way to spend an evening than to be curled up in a comfy chair reading a spectacular adventure story like SHIELDER. ~Jolene Ehret for Bookbug on the Web
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