Just when I needed it most – A lovely 5 Star Review of Taken by Surprise

Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers’ Favorite

Taken by Surprise by Valerie J Clarizio is full of suspense, mystery and romance. Clare Ulster is engaged to high-flyer Sean, but when she finds him in bed with two other women, it’s the last straw. Leaving her fiancé and her job as a probation officer behind, she moves to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, into her grandparents’ old house in a bid to start again. Iron City is peaceful and quiet, just what she needs to get herself together and get her life back on track. Unfortunately, she isn’t going to get her wish. Sean has followed her and insists on making trouble for her, more than he ever did before. Her relationship with Matt, fire chief and town player, lands her in hot water with all of his admirers and leads to a whirlwind of trouble, including murder and kidnapping. Will Clare survive to tell the tale? Can Police Chief Jack save her from the trouble that has followed her?

Taken by Surprise by Valerie J Clarizio was a great read. It was all action, right from the word go, with no let up throughout the whole book. You have to feel sorry for Clare – she seems to find herself in trouble, no matter where she turns, and it seems that the snakes she tosses out of her garage are tame compared to the human snakes that enter her life. I thought the plot was very well written, it ran naturally and there were plenty of twists and turns to keep me interested. The characters were exceptionally well suited to the plot and written in such a way that the reader will get to know them intimately. The lives of the characters were brought into the story gradually, keeping them alive, and giving more meaning to the story. Excellent book, and I hope to read more from Ms. Clarizio.

Thank you so much Anne-Marie!

I’ve recently received the rights back to this book and am working diligently to get it ready for re-publication!  Look out Amazon, B&N, and other outlets, it’s coming your way soon!

Evanovich vs. Patterson

I found an article on the Forbes website naming the world’s richest wordsmiths and how much they earn per page. The article was written by Natalie Robehmed, a Forbes staff person who covers media and entertainment.

I was happy to see two of my favorite authors on the list. My favorite author is Janet Evanovich and she appeared as number six. The article reported her 2015 earnings at $21 million, or $33,000 per page. James Patterson’s past 12 month’s earnings are reported to be $89 million, or $13,000 per page. It was also reported that Patterson put out 18 books in that period with the help of 12-plus coauthors. How do I get on that list? Maybe I could get him up to 20 books in a 12 month period.

It’s funny, I’ve always thought that Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books, and Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club books were similar, and I’ve always referred to Patterson as the male Evanovich when it came to writing. Now, that I’m looking at the income difference between the two, perhaps I should be giving Patterson more credit, and Evanovich should be referred to as the female Patterson. In any case, kudos to these two authors for their accomplishments.

Forbes article link: http://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2015/07/29/the-worlds-top-earning-authors-what-they-earn-per-page/

Who’s your pick?

            VS. 

Door County – Salmon Fishing

It’s that time of year again – the Door/Kewaunee Salmon Tournament.  All non-fishing life stops in the Clarizio house during this 10 day tournament; fishing is on the brain morning, noon, and night.  Though we’re not catching any tournament winners we are capturing some beautiful views including sunrises, sunsets, and even a double rainbow.  Yes, it rained on our parade at one point but as they say, “A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work, anytime.”