We're proud to share Book One of J.J. Lyon's Truth Inducer Mystery Series!
Truth is Relative
Anthony
Blackwell’s “gift” compels people to confess their deepest secrets.
It corrupts his relationships, derails his career and drives him toward eviction—until he becomes Anthony Bishop, private investigator. His first case drops him into a deadly family drama that will save him financially, if it doesn't kill him first.
It corrupts his relationships, derails his career and drives him toward eviction—until he becomes Anthony Bishop, private investigator. His first case drops him into a deadly family drama that will save him financially, if it doesn't kill him first.
Praise for Truth is Relative
"What a fun, great read! I loved the characters and the concept was one I'd never heard of. Reading was an absolute pleasure."
--Rebecca Belliston, author of Sadie and Augustina
"What a fun, great read! I loved the characters and the concept was one I'd never heard of. Reading was an absolute pleasure."
--Rebecca Belliston, author of Sadie and Augustina
"Even though Anthony’s "gift" makes him an effective detective, it is almost impossible for him to establish meaningful relationships. Anthony finds himself in situations fraught with danger, but tinged with humor. His charm and good looks draw people to him, but they quickly regret revealing their darkest secrets. I found myself laughing out loud and reading to find out what happens next. It’s easy to get caught up in the fresh and intriguing story. Lyon has so much imagination and skillful writing, I look forward to reading whatever she comes up with next."
--Carole Warburton, author of A Question of Trust and Poaching Daisies
Audiobooks That Make
the Miles Fly By
.jpg)
Audiobooks helped the family I grew up
in survive road trips. We needed all the help we could get, packed like
sardines in a hot station wagon as we made our way across the sagebrush flats
of Wyoming.
 |
| Because sometimes to get to this . . . |
 |
| . . . You have to go through hours of this. |
At the time we called them talking
books. They came on cassette tapes in plastic cases from the US Library of
Congress, addressed to my dad, who is legally blind.
He had a talking book player--a
glorified tape player with big buttons that had raised markings, so a user
could feel the difference between "play" and "rewind." That
machine played at high volume during our summer trips. Those road
stories--recorded before most bookstores in our area had much to offer school-age
readers—are part of the reason I love books. They are also the reason I know
how gruesome the original fairy tales used to be. (That's a great
conversation-ender around your Disney-loving friends, by the way. Don't get me
wrong, I love Disney too, but those original stories... well, they're called
Grimm for a reason.)
Today, a well-read story is still an
important part of my own family's vacations. Once we've decided where to go,
the book we listen to is the next most important decision. I'll list some
vacation favorites below.
But first, I'm going to assume everyone
knows about how fantastic the Harry Potter audio series is and skip ahead to
some others. Sadly, I am unable to find audio downloads for them (or the
Chronicles of Narnia series, either). It seems classic audiobooks may be a bit
behind the mobile tech curve... But you can find these.
The Fablehaven
series by
Brandon Mull is a middle-grade fantasy, and great summer fodder. It’s full of
adventure, strange creatures and plenty of brother-sister bickering, so most
families can relate. Narrator E. B. Steven's style is geared toward younger
listeners, but he gives each character a distinct sound, captures the mood of a
brother-sister duo who disagree on just about everything, and does the best
troll I've ever heard. You'll just have to listen for yourself to see what I
mean.
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson is the story of a
teenager on the verge of adulthood who has spent his whole life seeking justice
against the Epics. (Epics were mysteriously given superpowers, but instead of
behaving like heroes, they destroyed the lives of ordinary people.) Macleod
Andrews gives each character their own sound, while narrating in a voice that
is young adult, smart, eager, vulnerable and totally conscious that he can't
spin a good metaphor.
Eragon is a dragon story (Hmm. I'm realizing
we listen to a lot of fantasy at our place, so if you can recommend a well-read
audio mystery, please do so in the comments). Reader Gerard Doyle didn't just
have to portray human characters--he also had to do the voice of Sapphira the
dragon, who only speaks in Eragon's head. Doyle's portrayal of the dragon is
wonderful, though I wonder how many throat-soothing techniques he had to use to
get himself through it. Interestingly, he also portrays another character who
is only heard in Eragon's mind, and the similarities and differences in the two
voices are pretty cool.
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson was another stellar
read--one I'd recommend in any form.
This YA romantic fantasy story is for anybody who has a confident person
inside her, trying to get out--and Books and Benches readers will be glad to
know there are heroes and horses as well. (But there is not much horseback
riding until the subsequent books in the series.) Narrator Jennifer Ikeda
enhanced the words with subtle expression that makes Elisa, the main character,
that much more real. I especially loved how the characters' accents changed as
Elisa traveled between cultures. (Note: I told my 14-year-old daughter I was
recommending this book, and she pointed out it might not be the best for really
young listeners. There's kissing and conflicted relationships. The violence,
while not terribly graphic, is wrenching in a couple of places. So you've been
warned--but I totally love the book.)
Those are our favorites. What are
yours? (Include a mystery if you can!)
Alternate ending: So there are my
favorites. And because I love road trips and the written word, here's my
contest: write a haiku about road trip memories and leave it in the comments.
The first-place winner will receive a paperback of my new novel, Truth is
Relative (it's a western mystery). The second-place winner will receive an
ebook.
I'll leave an example with yet another
memory from riding in a car across I-80:
Watch the scenery.
That's how you beat car sickness.
I look. Wow. Sage brush.
Connect with J.J. Lyon at
& don't forget to like her Facebook Page.
