Interview with Jennifer Fales - Author of The Seraphy Contingency

Today we're talking with Jennifer Fales, author of The Seraph Contingency: Anael’s Tale

FQ: I have to start here…Purgatory lies between Heaven and Hell, I would assume you believe Purgatory is just another name for Earth? Being a highly intelligent person (you can tell that from your writing), do you believe that humans are basically going to the dogs?

Purgatory is a fascinating concept for me. In a theological sense, it's posed as this middle-ground between death and final redemption, between Heaven and Hell. It's a transitional stage that only those in a state of grace are able to get to, right? So, we establish Purgatorians (yeah, pretty sure I just made up a word there) are worthy via a state of grace hypothesis for the glorious life upstairs but only after ... and this is the kicker ... they suffer more as a means of final purification. Unfair but it also holds this wonderful slapstick comedic element. Ask anyone you know that's been stuck in a rut - personal, professional or emotional - for months or years what that felt like. Odds are pretty good they'll tell you Purgatory. Long story short, I don't think humans as a whole are going to the dogs. But I'm confident life on the third planet from the sun sucks badly enough to be construed as Purgatory by all of us from time to time. (And while Nobel Prize Winners and Harvard graduates might beg to differ on the intelligence assumption, thank you for the compliment.)

FQ: Taking snippets from myth, legend, etc., these are great characters - and truly ‘new’. Is there any specific reason why Jezebel would have a beach condo? Is this all imagination or based on real characters walking down the streets that you translate onto the page?

I absolutely pull elements and pieces from real life. As for Jezebel having a beach condo, that's just because I love San Clemente. My mind is this weird eclectic place where all kinds of concepts, images and half-plans chase each other around and eventually collide to form something unique and (hopefully) interesting. Science, mythology, philosophy, cartoons ... you name it. Picture a badly thought out particle accelerator some socially inept 12 year old genius built out of a shoe box last summer and shoved under their bed. It's down there in the dust right now, humming and buzzing with activity. That's box is my brain. Okay, minus the snazzy picture of Wolverine from the X-Men on the outside.

FQ: Even though the demonic characters have sinful traits, you always give them a heart (i.e.; the Duchess’s abusive background, demon helping the boy, etc.). Can you explain a bit about how you see these bad guys? And why you wanted them to have that goodness flowing through their veins…or, horns?

The answer is simple. Life has variables - it's never two dimensional, right? That's all what I wanted for these characters - a little complexity. No one's a cardboard cutout of a bad guy, there's always some element of humanity there. Plus, brainstorming and revising characters really is enormous fun for me.

FQ: Disco at Satan’s Ball; the serpents turning into cute dogs on the bus (readers will absolutely love these hysterical inserts) - can readers assume that you lean to the sarcastic side?

Ask anyone that knows me well and they will roll their eyes and confirm my longstanding belief in sarcasm as a food group. Seriously, sarcasm is full of life-sustaining nutrients and minerals and it's gently nestled somewhere between yogurt and beans on the food pyramid. But to answer your question, no, I don't lean to the sarcastic side. Leaning implies some part of me is not fully invested in the sentiment.

FQ: There is always a debate about angel books concerning the way ‘Heaven’ or the ‘haloed’ ones are shown. Your book literally makes Heaven sound a great deal like high school - being forced in a way to fit in - is this a personal view? And are there angel books on the market you are a personal fan of like the ones that focus on the ‘fallen?’

The personal views thing is an interesting question. First, let me assure the world I bear no ill will against Heaven. While the theological locations (Heaven/Hell/Purgatory) resonate with folks and made it a hoot to write, the ultimate message is far more basic. It's the danger of absolutes and the value of thinking - and speaking - for yourself. Example: Republican or Democrat, Straight or Gay, Believer or Nonbeliever. Pick three of those and come up with a label. Guess what? Still doesn't tell you who you really are, but you can now pick one side of a picket line/ ballot/ shouting match with no further thought invested in the matter. Why? Life has more than two dimension, remember? Anael, the angel-that-was, figures that out. And yes, she is sometimes annoyingly outspoken as she grows more comfortable with herself and her personal epiphany.

FQ: Are you a myth/legend buff? With Styx, etc., being mentioned do you find yourself drawn to history?

I am absolutely a myth/legend buff. World religions was by far my favorite subject in school. The stories - the common threads running through so many cultures - are fantastic! I also love history, but I'm worthless with dates and the facts get jumbled up with wild fantasies colliding in my head on any given day. Napoleon probably never rode a dinosaur into battle, but you've got to admit it would've been epic compensation for his stature.

FQ: The glossary of names in the back of your book are hysterical (Lucifer AKA Lucy Goose) - where did these come from?

The names seem to be something of a hobby for you? Names and nicknames are kind of a thing for me. The nicknames especially, because that's where my sarcasm becomes invaluable.

FQ: Are you pleased that the vamps and werewolves have lightened up a bit so that the winged ones could take the stage? Or will vamps be in one of your next projects?

I wouldn't be surprised to see either one appear somewhere in my writing. Really anything that's outside of the ordinary is fair game. Especially if I see someone on the train or in the grocery store that makes me think "vampire." It's all about what gets the particles colliding in my head on any given day. Though the evolution of the idea often ends up being drastically different with time and revisions, which is half the fun of obsessing over your own ideas and writing.

FQ: From one East Coast girl to another, who has also now found herself in the West (a whole new world), have you come to the conclusion or have any proof that Irvine is actually Purgatory?

Impossibly well manicured business parks and two hours spent commuting via Metrolink each day have lead to a sneaking suspicion, but I'll have to get back to you on that one.

FQ: Readers have to know…will there be more?

Yes, there will absolutely be more. At the moment, I'm about 1/2 way through writing the sequel to my 1st book, a novella experiment titled Shadows and Fire. The series is a little darker, with human-animal hybrids and more of a scifi angle. But as soon as I'm finished I intend to go straight (back) to Hell with Anael and the gang.

To learn more about The Seraph Contingency: Anael’s Tale please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Book Review - The Seraph Contingency: Anael’s Tale

The Seraph Contingency: Anael’s Tale

By: Jennifer Fales
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Publication Date: November 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4787-1699-0
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor
Review Date: April 12, 2013

There are a slew of novels out there that concentrate on the ‘halo’ factor. In fact, one can not go to a bookstore without seeing a pair of wings glaring back at them from the shelves. However, it is extremely difficult to find a tale that involves one of the Divine that is unusual, unique, intelligent - not to mention, hysterical. This novel solves that difficulty.

Apparently angels get bored. Listening to the constant choir in sync and having to always wear the requisite white and fit into a niche that involves nothing but smiles and pleasantries can become mundane - at least for one angel. Her name is Anael, and readers meet up with her at the very beginning of this tale as she escapes the ‘glowing’ world in order to get a glimpse at what non-angels do.

She ends up in a bar in Purgatory listening to seedy rock and roll and drinking a Shirley Temple while she watches the bottom rung of society at play. Anael, a complete innocent, finds all of this magical; however, when she disappears from the bar, the owner, Pete, becomes scared for her and calls up Hell to ask for a favor from the demon who is respected by one and all. His name is Gaap and he’s part of the Transporter Guild.

Gaap does his job well. A transporter is called upon to move people or artifacts around when needed, transporting them from one world to the next at a very high price. Asked to help the angel and take her to some kind of safe house so she will not be harmed is what Gaap is asked. Of course, Pete is not the only one who asks this of him.

The Duchess is one girl who is definitely working to make her destiny come true. She wants more than anything to be noticed by the ‘top’ hot guy - Lucifer - at Satan’s ball which is coming up. There, she will walk in clothed in a dress that will make him ask for her hand (and all other parts of her). She will then become the second biggest power in Hell and live happily ever after maiming people at will. This masterpiece dress will be made from an angel’s wings, and when Gaap finds Anael he sees that the angel has already been parted from her wings. The Duchess has what she wants and Anael has become the ‘angel-that-was’.

With the help of Gaap’s serpent friends who really take a shine to the ex-angel, Anael regains her happiness and is transported by Gaap away from the Duchess and her master plan. When arriving in California (the writer’s choice for Purgatory), Gaap enlists the help of Jezebel (completely seductive but her heart is in the right place), and a five-year-old boy with a demon trapped inside him.
This becomes a battle of wits; from a Heavenly secret to a Hellish plan the reader gets a taste of pure adventure. Add in some odd artifacts and a ferryman who everyone has heard about before but will now see in a different light, and this ironic tale goes from interesting to an extremely excellent read that will have people wondering when they will be able to ‘party’ with these characters again. This reviewer hopes that will be very soon.

Quill says: The writing is charming, hysterical, and refreshingly new. What more could you want?

Saturday Evening Post Writing Contest!

The Saturday Evening Post Launches

2014 Great American Fiction Contest

Second Annual Search for America’s Next Noted Novelist to Join the Ranks of

F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edgar Allan Poe and Kurt Vonnegut

Indianapolis (April 9, 2013)— F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic, The Great Gatsby, is once again celebrated in movie theaters this summer and as a contributor to The Saturday Evening Post Fitzgerald penned almost 70 short stories which defined an era. Now budding fiction writers across the country have the opportunity to contribute to one of the staples of American literature. The Post has announced its “2014 Great American Fiction Contest”. The competition offers aspiring writers the opportunity to have their work appear on the same hallowed pages as famous Post contributors John Steinback, William Faulkner, Kurt Vonnegut, Agatha Christie; Ray Bradbury, Louis L’Amour, Sinclair Lewis, Jack London; Anne Tyler; and Edgar Allan Poe.   

“Writing is a passion for many of our readers, and the incentive to be published in The Saturday Evening Post brings out people’s best work. This competition serves as a reminder that in today’s world of rapidly evolving technology, there still is a place in our society for great writing and we are proud to showcase it,” said Editorial Director and Associate Publisher Steven Slon.

Sponsored by the nonprofit the Saturday Evening Post Society, the contest is designed to promote fiction and creative writing, while uncovering some of America’s great unpublished voices.  The winning story will be published in the January/February 2014 issue of The Saturday Evening Post and on the magazine’s website. The winner will also be awarded $500, and five runners-up will receive $100 each and have their stories published online.

Entries must be character- or plot-driven stories in any genre of fiction that falls within the Post’s broad range of interests. Entrants must be previously unpublished authors (excluding personal websites and blogs) and stories must be 1,500-5,000 words in length. All submissions should be made electronically in Microsoft Word format with the author’s name, address, telephone number and email address on the first page. The Saturday Evening Post editorial staff in consultation with the magazine’s fiction advisory board will judge the stories. There is a $10 entry fee and all entries must be postmarked by July 1, 2013.

For more information or to submit a story, please visit saturdayeveningpost.com/fiction-contest.

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Book Review - Drums of War Series

Independence: Drums of War, Volume 1

By: Peter Reese Doyle
Publisher: Powder Springs Press
ISBN: 978-1-938437-00-7
Copyright, 2012
Reviewed by: Mary Lignor
Review date: April 10, 2013

This fascinating series (Drums of War) is a great find of historical novels for young people. These books contain wonderful stories about the beginning of the Revolutionary War and are written for the reader in a fiction based non-fiction account. In book number one, Independence, on April 21, 1775, in Williamsburg, VA, the British Army is on the way to steal all the colonial gunpowder stored in the local powder magazine. This will be the beginning of the War talk among the British and the Colonists.

In these books we meet two families that live next to each other. The patriarchs of the families are in the shipping business together. The Hendricks family and the Edwards family struggle to keep their business alive as they try to get past British ships in the harbors and British spies on land. The young men of the two families, Andrew Hendricks and Nathan Edwards are asked by their fathers to go on horseback and deliver messages to the Sons of Liberty. Nearer to the home front, the two young ladies of the families, Rachel Hendricks and Sarah Edwards, are also very adventurous and have a hand in saving Patrick Henry from being captured as he is about to lead the patriots against the British Governor.

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Bunker Hill: Drums of War, Volume 2

By: Peter Reese Doyle
Publisher: Powder Springs Press
ISBN: 978-1-937437-01-4
Reviewed by: Mary Lignor
Review date: April 10, 2013

On to Book Two, Bunker Hill, Paul Revere has gone on his famous midnight ride to warn Middlesex County, Massachusetts that “the British are coming.” First thing in the morning the first shots of the American Revolution were fired in Lexington. That was also in April of ’75. In this second book, Andrew and Nathan are pulled in to help deliver a load of goods from their fathers’ business to New York. Being the good patriots that they are, the boys are helping to take gunpowder to the patriots in Cambridge, MA. They go on to do their thing of carrying messages back and forth to the Colonial Generals and their men. Meanwhile, the British ships in Boston harbor start to attack Bunker and Breed’s Hills. The boys are dodging cannon fire going back and forth behind the lines.

The author really knows his subject as the reader will sit and read this book until the end non-stop even though most Americans know the story by heart. This was the first stand-up and fight battle of the Revolution and it seemed that the War for Independence had begun. The New Englanders really knew their stuff as they drove the British back three times before they finally ran out of ammunition and had to retreat.

Meanwhile, back home in Williamsburg the two girls had discovered that one of the students in their music class was a British spy, so they are also holding up their end of the family business. Also, in this installment, the Clouds of War are gathering and the delegates of the Continental Congress have just appointed Colonel (soon to be General) George Washington to lead the Continental Army. Washington, at this time, has vowed to drive the British out of Boston.

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A Captive in Williamsburg: Guns of War, Volume 3

By: Peter Reese Doyle
Publisher: Powder Springs Press
ISBN: 978-1-938437-02-1
Reviewed by: Mary Lignor
Review date: April 10, 2013

Included in Book Three, A Captive in Williamsburg, General Washington has just expressed his wishes to get the British out of Boston and is sending militiamen up to Massachusetts along with supplies. The state of Virginia is facing a bit of trouble from the British as well, in the form of the Governor who is planning to invade Virginia’s soil with his Army of Redcoats.

Lord Dunmore, said Governor, has set up base in Norfolk, VA on a ship in the harbor. He is planning to ask England for a large fleet of ships with which to invade Virginia’s coastal towns. Andrew Hendricks is back in Williamsburg and is getting ready to ride to Norfolk with a very important letter to the 2nd Regiment that will help them to win an upcoming battle with the British at a place called Great Bridge. He is thwarted on the way by British spies and is able to avoid them in order to reach the Regiment and give the commander his message. This turns out to be another rout for the Colonists who really know how to fight with their wits and don’t have to wear Red Coats and march in a straight line.

And, back in Williamsburg, Sarah is in trouble and about to be kidnapped by British spies and delivered to the Governor’s ship as a prisoner of war.

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Charleston: Drums of War, Volume 4

By: Peter Reese Doyle
Publisher: Powder Springs Press
ISBN: 978-1-938437-03-8
Reviewed by: Mary Lignor
Review date: April 10, 2013

In the fourth installment of the Drums of War series, Andrew Hendricks returns to help the Patriots by being a messenger, carrying battle plans back and forth to the Army’s various headquarters. After Andrew’s experiences at Bunker and Breed’s Hill and the battle at the Great Bridge in Norfolk, VA, he is about to have another adventure in Charleston, SC, when he appears at the Battle of Sullivan’s Island.

At the start of Charleston, Andrew and a friend of his hear of a plot in their hometown of Williamsburg, VA. After bringing the information to his father and some Army officers, Andrew is asked to act, again, as a messenger to take a very important message to Charleston. The plot that he overheard was that the British Army was coming by sea to begin an invasion of the Southern colonies, beginning at the port of Charleston and no one knows they’re coming. Andrew and his friend, Matthew Anderson, have to get the message to Governor Rutledge and his Army before the British ships arrive. Admiral Peter Parker and General Henry Clinton of the British Military plan to take the small fort on Sullivan’s Island in Charleston harbor and overrun the city.

Once again the reader can ride alongside Andrew Hendricks as he battles the sea, land, British soldiers and the politics of the very important year in the life of the colonies, 1776, to defend the coast of America.

Quill says: These books are a rare find and tell the story of the beginning of the American Revolution in the author’s fascinating storytelling. Life in Colonial America in the 1700’s leading up to the Continental Congress and the appointment of General George Washington to take the Americans to victory are written in great detail and would be a perfect teaching tool for young people.

Interview with Beth Johnson - Author of Coming To Your Senses

Today we're talking with Beth Johnson, author of Coming To Your Senses

FQ: I have an inherent love for horses and spend a fair amount of time in their company. My personal belief is they are extremely soulful animals. I noticed in your bio, you raise horses. What role, if any, do these magnificent animals serve in implementing your teachings?

Although I have not followed the avenue of equine therapy one cannot be in the presence of these magnificent animals without being aware that they operate from their heart space. Here at our ranch we have had many instances where we have chosen to attune ourselves to a horse and feel with them to determine what course to take in training or in health issues. These moments are always healing for the horse as well as us.

Author Beth Johnson

FQ: Without breaking confidences, could you share an experience you've had during your years of teaching and counseling where you benefitted tremendous growth from the situation and its outcome?

The most powerful moment I have experienced that was a result of my teachings happened during a meditation with my own mother. She wouldn’t mind me sharing this; as a matter of fact she would hope that I would. She herself was an excellent therapist with a Jungian foundation. It was her belief at the time that if she were able to completely express and purge her dark side or vent all of her untapped anger she would then be able to heal herself from asthma. She struggled with both the asthma and the thought that she was not doing something right on a daily basis. It was her constant battle. One day a group of us met at her office for my first meditation with her since I had found this new method. Mother had spent time in rituals that observed silence but the methodology that I was now teaching was foreign to her. After following my lead the entire group found themselves in a deep silence. There were no thoughts stirring. The words that flowed through me surprised me. I said in a loud clear voice “Seeking perfection is a war waged by the Ego. True perfection is found in allowing yourself to be as you are.” Tears welled up in my eyes but I really didn’t realize at that moment how the words had affected the others.

Then I heard a sound come from my mother that was as strange as anything I had ever heard. Everyone in the room was awe-struck, both from the mediation and the enormity of the moment. The sound was almost animal like. It was not a sound of pain or anger but a sound of breaking loose from the clutches of the misinformation of the Ego, a desperate lunge for freedom. She made it. Her Soul was free. I can still hear it and I still get the same feeling I had then. Nothing was said until the end of the mediation and my mother sat with her head in her hands and wept saying “I can see now that I thought that I was less than perfect because I had asthma. I felt I had to heal myself to be a good spiritual example for my students. I, for the first time in as long as I can remember, feel total peace... no more inner battle to be more than I am. I am FREE!”

She died two weeks later and I knew she had finished her work here on Earth.

FQ: What lesson resonates and presents most often as you continue your teachings of Visual Meditation?

The lesson that resonates with me on a daily basis and I feel is the most important is that I am the one, I am the only one, that can make the choice to be in the flow with God Consciousness or not. All I have to do is feel my body and it tells me if I am in or out. What I do next is my choice.

 Letting the Outer Worlds Go Floating Away

FQ: Have you ever experienced the fiercest "naysayer"? to come around and actually recognize the benefits derived from practicing Visual Mediation? If so, is there a common trigger that brings enlightenment to the surface?

Oh yes I have had many that have come to me saying, "I will never be able to sit and do nothing, much less quiet this mind of mine." I relish hearing those words because I love seeing the expressions on their faces after the meditations. "Wow," they say, "I wouldn’t have believed I could do that."

You ask what is the trigger that brings the enlightenment to the surface? I would say it is in the way I teach meditation. There is a tangible thing that leads them into silence. The tangible thing is their own sensations in their body. It is always different and it is fun. Sacred and fun all in one package.

FQ: If you could assign one suggestion to help an individual overcome the mindset of "meditation just doesn’t work for me," what would that be?

Read my book. I don’t mean to sound flip, but if they have the desire to learn and are willing to try what they read in the book, they will succeed. I also have a blog connected to my website
www.silentplace.com where they can listen and follow along. Lots of people listen with ear buds and feel like they are right in the room.

FQ: You address the 'Art of Letting Go' in Chapter 17. Have you ever been faced with a situation where the person simply cannot "let go" of something no matter how deeply he or she would like to? Is there a point when it is better to recognize the scar/wound for what it is, know it is a part of his or her being and redirect to a place of learning how to "heal" around it?

I want to answer this carefully and clearly because it is so very important. I am going to assume here that you read my book and have made the choice to go inside and allow transformation to occur. From this place within letting go means; in this moment I am no longer trying to alter the outcome of the past; In this moment I can see beyond that one piece of the puzzle and see how all moments connect to this Now. I can in this moment let that point in time Be as it was without judgment; In this moment I can forgive and Let Go. Here is what is important. You cannot have this moment or an epiphany while in the presence of the thinking mind. You must go inward and feel. You must be in the sacred space within to feel the spaciousness that allows the feeling of inclusiveness to be present and where compassion flows freely. In this place you are free to feel the Knowing of all things. From within you can see and feel the balance of the whole.

The Silent Place Temple at the Author's Ranch

Having said all of this I must now say that this event in your past is not gone but now viewed from a different perspective. But depending on the strength of the Ego’s desire to come out as the victor, you may be called to do this again and again. Someone might bring up the event or your Ego decides to gnaw on the old bone again and you find yourself back in the grasps of the Ego’s talons.

What do you do? You don’t judge the moment; you just notice how it makes your body feel. If it begins to tighten or have any signs of reaction you know you need to go inside and release it once again. So you follow this plan until you have taught the Ego it cannot feast on it any longer nor keep that wonderful energy that surrounds the wound in bondage. We have a responsibility to ourselves and the Universe to keep all energy in motion. That is how I see the world that I live in.

To write about the inside while being on the outside is very difficult. That is why I so hope people follow the guide that is in the book so they can feel for themselves how this all is true.

To learn more about Coming To Your Senses, please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Book Review - Coming To Your Senses

Coming To Your Senses

By: Beth Johnson
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publication Date: February 2013
ISBN: 978-1480210660
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: April 10, 2013

Beth Johnson’s latest book, Coming To Your Senses, addresses a myriad of possible benefits through the practice of meditation—specifically, Visual Mantra Meditation. By delivering logical explanation through basic definitions, Johnson complements the entire premise with ‘how to’ instructions.

The suggestion at the onset is to lay the foundation of the book's purpose by advising the reader it is a book about and for ‘you’ as opposed to endless pontification of the author’s personal experiences and revelations. Essentially, the road map (or plot) is clearly uncovered on the first page of “Introduction: …There is nothing unique about the intent of this book, but the methodology and usefulness of its content places it in a category all its own…” The premise is further solidified in the early chapters immediately following the introduction. They are organized in a progressive fashion with an educational series of steps to follow. The author patiently blends logic with ‘consider this’ style as she explains not only the evolution of meditation, but how to benefit from incorporating it into one’s daily diet. Her sublime insistence, however, is meditation has become far more than simply sitting in a yoga position and chanting mantras in the quest for the ‘quiet’ we humans seek.

One chapter, in particular, is devoted to definitions that explain what the novice will experience as he or she begins the practice of Visual Meditation. Before jumping into an ‘altered state,’ however, the importance of understanding how to feel versus think is addressed. The latter is attributable to the constant chatter of one’s “Ego”; defined as that part of the human mind reserved for thinking (or formulating judgments) as part of our conscious thought process. Building on the premise of feeling, Ms. Johnson guides the reader with instruction on how to set aside judgment (Ego/thought) in order to connect with the soul.

Ms. Johnson has written a book rich in content in a mere 152 pages that delivers a phenomenal invitation of: try it and you won’t be disappointed. Her writing ability portrays sensitivity, yet she is committed to delivering a message to her readership that the practice of Visual Meditation is an intrinsic form of rejuvenation. What resonated most for me was the fact that she did not preach nor did she waiver from endorsing her personal belief of the benefits derived from this form of meditation. She did not litter the pages with excessive, 50-character clinical terms. Rather she used basic terminology and stayed true to her message of the benefits derived as she enticed the reader to absorb the teaching. Purely from this writer’s perspective, Ms. Johnson wrote this book with a clear vision of her audience. I applaud her for writing and delivering a confident and informative body of work. Her ability as a focused writer is evident throughout the book.

Quill says: Coming to Your Senses is a positive and educational account that addresses the benefits one might experience through the practice of Visual Meditation.

For more information on Coming To Your Senses, please visit the book's website at: www.silentplace.com

Book Review - Change of Heart

Change of Heart: Robyn Hunter Mysteries

By: Norah McClintock
Publisher: Darby Creek Publishing
Publication Date: January 2013
ISBN: 978-1467707015
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: April 2013

Robyn was really surprised that Billy Royal was outside the school fighting with Sean Sloane. Shocked might be a better way to put it. Billy wasn’t the type to hurt anything or anyone and even Morgan’s pleas to stop didn’t have any effect. Mr. Dormer’s would though and when he gave Billy a three-day suspension he’d have time to think about his actions. Robyn, Billy, and Morgan were all best friends, but when Morgan broke up with Billy to go out with Sean, there was a sudden schism in the group. Robyn had broken up with Ben because she was still pining over Nick, so she could relate on one level, but the fighting? It was a side of Billy she’d never seen and it was disturbing. There was something else she’d find out about him that was almost scary.

“Weird” was hardly the word for what was going on with Billy. He wouldn’t quit calling Morgan and was actually following her around. “He’s practically stalking me,” she told Robyn. “You have to talk to Billy. You have to make him stop.” Billy was into things like the Downtown Avian Rescue Club and animal rescue. What was going on with him? This spying bit was crazy and getting out of hand. Sean was a talented hockey player and purported to be the next Gretzky. He was the captain of his team and had everything going for him. Billy was a skinny guy who had nothing now that he’d lost Morgan to Sean. Jealously was at work big time and if Robyn couldn’t convince him to get a grip on himself there would be even more trouble.

Sean found himself becoming a target and it sure looked like Billy was the culprit. It didn’t help matters any when Tamara, Sean’s former girlfriend, decided she’d harass him too. Suddenly things went beyond simple school ground pranks and fighting. “Oh, Robyn,” Morgan cried out, “he’s dead. Someone killed him.” It looked like the vegan had turned vengeful and attacked Sean when he was alone in the arena. This time there was no mistaking who had done it. Billy had been seen leaving the scene and later the weapon was found at his house. Robyn’s dad, Mac Hunter, was a former cop and told her that Billy had hit the “trifecta of homicide.” He may have had motive, method, and opportunity, but Robyn was positive he wasn’t a murderer. Would she be able to prove Billy’s innocence or would the cops lock him up and throw away the key before she could do it?

Robyn’s stands to lose a lot when her best friend, Billy Royal, is accused of murder. With several cases behind her, this one is quite a bit closer to home, making it much more urgent to solve. Robyn is torn because both her best friends are at odds with one another. Morgan is convinced that Billy was capable of murder because of his incessant stalking and strange behavior. Unraveling the threads of this complicated mystery would be a definite challenge, but Robyn is definitely her father’s daughter and is up to the task. I’ve read several in this series and each one is unique and can stand alone. Romantic tension, torn friendships, and unexpected jealousies turn this mystery into an intriguing one. This has turned out to be a solid series that young mystery buffs will enjoy.

Quill says: The Robyn Hunter mysteries will definitely appeal to young readers who like a good solid mystery!