Book Review: Color of Hope by Steve Bargdill

Steve Bargdill is one of those folks I follow on Twitter more in the stalking, Tweet-Dropping sense than as a person I trade 140 characters with.

His tweets are funny, he shares my love of pizza and coffee, and he mentions obscure things like:

Edgar Allen Poe born today 1809. AND...it's still National Tea Month.
— Steve Bargdill (@SteveBargdill) January 19, 2013

He also requested readers for his anthology, Color of Hope.

Color of Hope is a collection of poetry and short fiction.  It's an easy read, humorous and sweet at the same time.  The stories are a mix.  There's alien lore, love, frustration with aging parents.  All intersected with poetry.  

It's an interesting mixture and just short enough to read in one sitting.

I enjoyed the poem Winter Footprints the most.  Because I am grappling with my daughter's imminent leave for college, I know what it's like to feign sleeping so I can hold on to the memory of a childhood in the face of adulthood.

This is a great add to your eBook collection.  Not long or difficult to read, this is a book that has me wanting to read more from this author.

Steve Bargdill can be found giving writing prompts at stevebargdill or at his other site Steve Bargdill.

15 Seconds: A Review

15 Seconds by Andrew Gross

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I'm not a big fan of amateur detective stories. I think it's ridiculous when you have a protagonist who is a doctor and by the end of the book he's giving a Navy Seal a run for his money in the weapons and fighting arena.

That's what happens in Andrew Gross' 15 Seconds.

Dr Henry Steadman is in a strange town to deliver a key note speech and makes a minor traffic infraction. He gets pulled over and the cop who pulls him over gives him a hard time before letting him go. As Henry begins to pull away, the cop is shot and Henry gives chase to the suspect.

The book then follows the story of Henry trying to clear his name and the steps he takes to do just that.

Although Henry morphs from privileged golfing doctor to sleuth, I did enjoy this story. It was unlike the typical thriller that follows a beginning, middle, and end. I actually had an "oh snap!" moment as I read.

Great choice for a breezy whodunit.

View all my reviews

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.