Friday, February 26, 2010

TRY DARKNESS: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
TRY DARKNESS

BY JAMES SCOTT BELL

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Ty Buchanan is living on the peaceful grounds of St. Monica's, far away from the glamorous life he led as a rising trial lawyer for a big L.A. firm. Recovering from the death of his fiancée and a false accusation of murder, Buchanan has found his previous ambitions unrewarding. Now he prefers offering legal services to the poor and the under-represented, from his "office" at local coffee bar The Freudian Sip. A mysterious woman with a six year old daughter comes to him for help. She's being illegally evicted from a downtown transient hotel, an interest represented by his old law firm and former best friend, Al Bradshaw. Buchanan won't back down. He's going to fight for the woman's rights.

But then she ends up dead, and the case moves from the courtroom to the streets. Determined to find the killer and protect the little girl, who has no last name and no other family, Buchanan finds he must depend on skills he never needed in the employ of a civil law firm.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

James Scott Bell's fiction has been compared by Booklist and the Los Angeles Times to Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, two of his favorite authors. A former trial lawyer, Jim was also fiction columnist for Writers Digest Magazine and adjunct professor of writing at Pepperdine University. His book on writing, Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure, is one of the most popular writing books available today.

After graduating from Taft High School in Los Angeles, Bell went on to play basketball at the University of California, Santa Barbara where he pursued a degree in Film. But his love of writing shot to the forefront of his interests. While still in college, Bell's writing got him a spot to study with Raymond Carver, one of America's most honored writers. Bell also won an award for a screenplay he wrote in his senior year.

After graduation, Bell moved to New York to write for the theater. Almost immediately he was cast in a small role in an Off Broadway production of Othello, "and I began my actor phase." That phase included stints in several Off Broadway productions and in television commercials. "Commercials were nice," Bell remembers. "I'd hold up a tray of hamburgers for McDonald's and keep getting these residual checks. What a business."

While in New York Bell met his wife to be, an actress, and decided one thespian in the family was enough. He went to the University of Southern California Law School, graduated with honors and won the American Board of Trial Advocates' Award as the top student in Trial Practice. He was a litigator for a year with a large L.A. firm before opening up his own office.

He now writes full time. His favorite writers, in addition to Chandler and Hammett, include John D. MacDonald and Michael Connelly.

REVIEW:

In TRY DARKNESS, James Scott Bell gives readers a breathtakingly suspenseful crime novel. His writing style is clever and engaging and keeps the reader turning pages to see what will happen next. The book was really fun to read (I often like to not have to work quite so hard all the time when I read). As a fan of books with short chapters, like the kind James Patterson writes, I really enjoyed reading my first James Scott Bell book. Bell writes short chapters so you can read “just one more”, however, just so you know, he has some REALLY short chapters so be prepared for that.

Ty Buchanan is back in this latest James Scott Bell thriller, TRY DARKNESS. Ty is a rare, casual and unconventional man who we wouldn’t normally associate with being a lawyer, but indeed he is. However, after being charged for a crime he didn't commit, the big powerful law firm he worked for fired him. Of course, once he proved his innocence, the firm wanted him back but Ty made a major life change. He gave up his fancy home and moved to live in a trailer just outside a monastery. There he found an unlikely partner in Sister Mary Veritas, who also likes a good game of basketball. Through the monastery, Ty gets many of his clients as he now is working with the poor and doing mostly pro bono work.

Ty's latest case involves a young girl, Kylie, whose mother was viciously murdered right in front of her. The woman, Reatta, had previously come to Ty for help as she was going to be evicted. Ty’s powerhouse old law firm and best friend were representing the beat up old hotel that was trying to illegally kick her out. Ty and Sister Mary Veritas look into the case, and they discover a conspiracy between, you guessed it, Ty's old law firm, and a formidable business tycoon With many new, well-developed characters, Ty has to try and solve this case for little Kylie who has stolen his heart and is left with no last name, all alone in the world. In place of much courthouse action, Ty takes the case on and finds a whole different world of legal matters to deal with then ever before. His connection with Sister Mary Veritas becomes more interesting as the story concludes in a cleverly satisfying finale, and with Kylie’s help, the reader can see how many of these characters will no doubt be following Ty into Bell’s next adventure in this series.

CLICK ON THE COVER
TO READ CHAPTER ONE!
(At the website, click on NOVELS,
then click on title TRY DARKNESS)
GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO VALERIE AND THE
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE
FIVE COPIES OF THIS EXCITING
MYSTERY
TO GIVEAWAY!


--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU ENJOYED OR FOUND INTERESTING IN THIS REVIEW, OR IN CHAPTER ONE IF YOU READ IT WITH THE LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: GO TO AUTHOR JAMES SCOTT BELL'S WEBSITE HERE AND COME BACK ON SOMETHING INTERESTING YOU LIKED ABOUT OR FOUND THERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK AND LEAVE A LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK AND LEAVE A LINK...YOU MAY DO THIS ONE TIME EACH DAY BUT MUST COMMENT EACH TIME YOU DO ONE. I WILL CHECK AND EACH TWEET OR RETWEET WILL COUNT AS AN ENTRY.

+1 MORE ENTRY: SHARE ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY ON FACEBOOK AND COME BACK AND LEAVE A LINK SO I CAN FOLLOW TO FIND IT. PLEASE DO THIS ONLY ONCE!

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, MARCH 15


51 comments:

Glenn said...

Thanks for the giveaway.

glenn_pessano AT yahoo DOT com

skkorman said...

I like that our dear hostess reports in her review that this book was really fun to read!

skkorman AT bellsouth DOT net

skkorman said...

The author likes LA because "it always feels like something can happen" in that city, "and often does."

skkorman AT bellsouth DOT net

bermudaonion said...

I liked that you didn't have to think to much as you read this! Sometimes I need a book like that. milou2ster(at)gmail.com

bermudaonion said...

I found it interesting that James Scott Bell played basketball in college. milou2ster(at)gmail.com

rhapsodyinbooks said...

I like that there are some very short chapters. With busy lives, this is very helpful for book reading! :--)

nbmars AT yahoo DOT com

wheresmyrain said...

i think what struck my interest most was the sister factor, I like the monastary element added to a legal type thriller, interesting

wheresmyrain at yahoo dot com

traveler said...

Thanks for this great giveaway. What a great review. An enjoyable on from this review. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

The author is multi-talented. An excellent author, a former trial lawyer and an actor. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

Margie said...

This sounds like a quick reading, suspenseful book. I think the pro bono, street lawyer aspect of this book would be interesting.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Margie said...

I found it interesting that the author returned to writing after seeing the movie Moonstruck...after previous careers of acting and law.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

bison61 said...

I read at night so I too like short chapters-this sounds good with a child, legal problems, past jobs-I'd like to read this

tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com

Linda Kish said...

He went to Taft High School, a rival school of mine in L.A.

He also is a former trial lawyer.


lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

He has written a lot of books in one of my favorite genres. I will have to check him out at the book store.


lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

I've read that this was a fun read while being a page turner. Just what I need right now.

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

I've read that this was a fun read and a page turner. Just what I need right now.

alterlisa AT yahoo Dot com

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

WooHoo! his dad played basketball w/ Jackie Robinson!

alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

blogged

http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/2010/02/bookin-with-bingo-james-bell-giveaway.html

alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

tweeted@alterlisa

http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/ James Bell Giveway
less than 5 seconds ago via web

alterlisa At yahoo DOT com

g.g. said...

I thought it was interesting how he moved near a monestery


anjamie4 AT gmail dot com

g.g. said...

He had a section to help you be a better writer that I liked

anjamie4 AT gmail dot com

enyl said...

I like the fact that the author chose to tell the story using a humourous voice; the the narrator's voice is reminiscent of Lawrence Sander's Archie.
enyl(at)inbox(dot)com

enyl said...

I was very pleased to learn that the author writes inspirational fiction, I plan to read his inspirational series.
enyl(at)inbox(dot)com

Marilu said...

Great review!

I found it interesting that he had a role in an Off Broadway production of Othello!

lovemykidsandbooks AT gmail DOT com

Marilu said...

On his website I discovered that he also writes a couple of books for writes, " Write Great Fiction". One is Plot and Structure, and another was in regards to editing and revising.

I also realized that the book I just started earlier tonight (Sins of the Fathers) is considered inspirational fiction! I was not aware of that!

lovemykidsandbooks AT gmail DOT com

Wickdogg said...

I like that he gives advice to writers

wickdogg AT gmaildot com

Wickdogg said...

It was odd to me that he chose to give every luxury up and move into an old trailer...hmm!

wickdogg AT gmaildot com

Rebecca Orr said...

I like that you report that the book is easy to reasd (and fun) and it has shorter chapters. I am looking forward to this book whether I win or not. Thanks for the chance.
bekki1820cb at gmail

Unknown said...

I liked going through the photo galleries on the author's web-site.

Unknown said...

I like that you said the book is fun to read. Sometimes we just need a break!

rubynreba said...

I liked all the facts you told about him in your review. He went to the University of Southern California Law School and was the top student in trial practice.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

rubynreba said...

One of his favorite quotes is "A great story is life with the dull parts taken out" by Alfred Hitchcock.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Misusedinnocence said...

I think this sounds great, I love the back story that leads the character to where he starts for us.

misusedinnocence@aol.com

Benita said...

I like that the author was a basketball player in school.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Benita said...

I like that this book is easy to read, and well=written.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Francine Anchondo said...

I like that is a quick read and it sounds like my type of book.

fmd518(at)gmail(dot)com

ossmcalc said...

I find it interesting that after he is cleared of the crime that he did not commit, Ty starts to represent the people who have no one to speak for them. I will love watching him take on his old law firm in the upcoming battle.

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I found it interesting that he is an adjunct professor of writing at Pepperdine University.

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I tweeted about this giveaway http://twitter.com/ossmcalc/status/10110002261

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I did go and post about this giveaway on my facebook page. It can be located under Christine Womack at http://facebook.com.

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

Debbie F said...

sound great! I love short chapters - it make the books read faster.

dcf_beth at verizon dot net

Cindy said...

I thought the whole review was interesting and I was happy to read that you liked the book. The legal aspects of the book sound interesting as I love this kind of book, and the part about the little girl, Kylie, pulled my heartstrings, so I am hooked.

I too love short chapters!

Cindy
Socmom213@aol.com

CherylS22 said...

I also like James Patterson's short chapter writing style & am pleased to see that this book is written in a similar fashion.

Thanks ~ megalon22 at yahoo dot com

CherylS22 said...

I learned that James Scott Bell is a former trial lawyer & is a very tall man (6'-3")
megalon22 at yahoo dot com

Nancye said...

Mr. Scott played basketball at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

Tweet! Tweet!

http://twitter.com/NancyeDavis/status/10533681737

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

I learned that Mr. Scott once had a small part in an off Broadway production of Othello.

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Bookie said...

I like that you said this book was fun to read. Sometimes I get tired of always having reread passages to figure out what the heck is going on.

dawnpnr(at)aol(dot)com

Bookie said...

I entered the Lunch in Paris Giveaway.

Bookie said...

I tweeted this giveaway.
http://twitter.com/dawnpnr/status/10535620780

Bookie said...

I learned that he also writes inspiration fiction.

dawnpnr(at)aol(dot)com

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