damaged by pamela callow

Title: Damaged (Kate Lange Series #1)
Author: Pamela Callow
Pages: 453
Rating: 4/5

Summary (Author's Website):

How far are you willing to go to forget your past?

Haunted by the death of her sister, and wounded by her ex-fiance's accusations, Kate Lange throws herself into her new career at a high-powered law firm. When the grandmother of a lonely private school student seeks her counsel, Kate thinks it's just another custody case. Until the teen is brutally murdered. And it isn't only Kate who wonders if her legal advice led to the girl's death.

How far are you willing to go to redeem yourself?

Put on notice by Randall Barrett, the firm's charismatic managing partner, Kate must fight for her career, for her reputation and for redemption. Unwilling to live with the damage she has caused, Kate pursues the case on her own and unearths some chilling facts. Facts that lead straight to the heart of a legal conspiracy. Facts that lead Kate directly into the surgically-skilled hands of the Body Butcher.

My Thought:

Damaged is book series debut of Author Pamela Callow. Since it is stated as medical thriller, in a moment, it attracts my attention because I think I never read any a medical thriller before. I can't wait to read it the moment I have it in my hands. And boy, I'm not disappointed at being that excited. Yes, it started quite flat even the author try to make it like 'the situation' and it also flipping the flashback of Kate and the present. I know Kate is like a new heroine of the series, but it turned out a little or maybe quite annoying when she feels like she has to help and do everything herself. It's not deniable that she has the enthusiasm which is good and I think it's her character to make the reader feels she is annoying.

I was quite quickly drawn in reading the book when Kate is starting the investigation to solve the case herself. The plot line is actually very engaging and locked your interest to the very end until you know who's the culprit and wondering which is which and what is what. The best part is, I tell you, is the medical part itself. It's quite challenging to understand a situation of House-like or ER-like made into a book when you have not so much knowledge on that particular matter and yes, you will be quite bore to understand or lost interest. But I like it and it's not that hard as you would learn new things from what you're reading. However, I personally think the story is quite dragging a bit when the matter of subject is not particularly interesting in certain parts. Only hope that the sequel will be better.

The author does a terrific job for her first debut. Despite of a tiny flaw, it's actually a very good read and it's really quite a page turner which for me is actually an indicator it is one of a good thriller/legal crime books. Definitely will read the sequel, Indefensible, and I would also recommend it to all thriller's fan.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy courtesy of Tricia from Meryl L. Moss Media Relations in exchange for a fair review. Receiving a copy in no way will ever reflected my review and these are my honest review.

Credit: This book review is link up to Book Review Party Wednesday at Cym Lowell Blog. Click HERE for more info.

giveaway around blogsphere #5

1) Sparkling Reviews is hosting 2 great Giveaways!

(A) Enter Win Box of Book for 220 Followers Giveaway (Ends 10/14)

(B) Kindle to Giveaway and ended when they reach 500 Followers.

2) Book Give-Away October 4 - 11: For those interested in Second Time Around by Mystery Writer Linda Faulkner, leave a comment about this interview at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com. Open to US and Canada only.

About the Book

Second Time Around was an Award Finalist for best Mystery/Suspense fiction 2010. This mystery is set in the Rocky Mountains of western
Montana. Timmie Campbell asks herself what she’s going to do when the dead body she stumbles across winds up belonging to her father, the father she thought abandoned her in infancy. Her mother has been lying for years about her father’s abandonment, about him not contacting them, about a lot of things. Unfortunately, Timmie can’t dwell on her mother’s deception because bodies begin piling up and she needs to stop the killer before he wipes out her entire family.

3) Teddyree at The Eclectic Reader is hosting October Competition to her followers.

Open Internationally and ends 10/31.
Click HERE to enter

4) Alaine at Queen of Happy Endings also hosting a great giveaway for her followers. Great books and also for a lucky commenter.

Open Internationally

Click HERE to enter

6) Debbie from Debbie World of Books is giving away for 3 great books for US entrants and $15 to shop at BookDepository for Internationals

Click on the picture to enter ;p

7) OMG...iveaway! Win signed copies of the Austen Addict books!

I love Jane Austen's books and Austen Addict book by Laurie Viera Rigler is a MUST collection.

Now is what you have to do;
heads up to Jane Austen Addict Blog to enter.
Ends October 9.

8) Favorite Five Book Giveaway 1.

Kelsey at Reading or Breathing is giving away a copy of Sea by Heidi R. Kling.
Open Internationally and ends 10/8.
Click HERE to enter

9) Extreme Reader Book Review is hosting One Year Blogoversary Giveaway!

Open to all and ends on 10/31.

Click HERE to enter

interview: Author Jennifer Laurens

A warm welcome to Author Jennifer Laurens today at Darlyn & Books. I'm thrilled to have her here for an interview and hope that you guys are too. She is the author of Heavenly, Penitence and soon-to-be published Absolution, the final book in Heavenly series.


D: What inspires you to be a writer?

JL: Wanting to provide great stories that inspire and uplift, or enlighten or make someone laugh...without excessive violence, sex or language. I have 6 kids of my own, and they were put off by much of what's published.

D: How did the concept for Heavenly evolve? And why angel?

JL: I have a child with autism, and the road to accepting her condition has been long for all of us- told with many of our actual life experiences, writing the book was purging for me in a way. I could control the outcome whereas in real life, I can only do so much.


D: I know that you write Heavenly mostly from your life experiences. How do you feel about sharing them with readers?

JL: I love sharing them with readers. It's that real element that touches people. No one can say, "This doesn't ring true " because it IS true. Yes, I believe in guardian angels. Have I seen any? Not yet - but I know they've stepped in and protected our "Abria" many times. As far as the other elements, like Luke's drug addiction and Zoe's partying and all that - those characters are based on my own teenagers who struggled in their own way to try to deal with having a severely handicapped sister. It's not easy being stared at in public because someone you are with screams, tantrums, or steals something causing a scene. When they were teens, in that most difficult time of life it was particularly hard for them.


D: What is your writing process? Do you plot everything first or do you tend to fly in the mist?

JL: I have a skeletal outline that ferments in my head over a period of months - sometimes years - before I write. I write 6-8 hours a day, every day.


D: Which character that made you hard to write? And which is the easiest?

JL: Luke was the hardest because my son's drug addiction was more terrifying than anything we've been through. There were days I wasn't sure he'd make it home alive. I'm happy to say he's married now and very far from all of that. Oddly, Matthias was the easiest.


D: Which scenes, if any, were the most challenging to write?

JL: The scenes with Zoe and Matthias because I really wanted people to believe that this - guardian angels in our lives - is real, even if we don't see them.


D: Did you plan Heavenly would be a series or trilogy from the beginning?

JL: No. One Albert came into my head, I knew I had more story to tell.


D: Personally, do you think Absolution will be a great satisfaction ending for Heavenly trilogy for readers? Why?

JL: Ab-so-lute-ly. I love the end of this series and am sure readers will close the book warm-hearted.


D: What’s next? Would there be another book series from you?

JL: Overprotected is next - in February. It's a dark, coming-of-age story about a girl fighting for independence. It's the first story I ever wrote, re-written about fifty times!


D: What do you like best and least about the publishing industry, which made you goes indie author?

JL: I've been the NYC route, had two agents who went to bat for me and decided I wanted to take an indie stab in spite of it all. I love the control, I love the creative process and love being able to publish authors like me (through Grove Creek Publishing) who have excellent work the world needs to read. * see Grove Creek Publishing, Submissions for guidelines*


D: Name three things we might be surprised to know about you.

JL: I once was Julie McCoy's stand in on Love Boat. I have a massive dollhouse and miniature collection and my favorite city is NYC - I'd live there if I could.

Thanks so much for the interview Darlyn!

About the Author

Jennifer started writing when she was in her youth, choosing to hole up in her bedroom creating stories rather than going out to play with friends. She attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where she took classes in English and Theater Arts. Later, life took her back to her home in Palos Verdes, California where she worked in the entertainment business before meeting her husband and marrying. They have been married for 25 years.

Jennifer is the mother of six children, ages 11- 23, one of whom has autism. She fell back into writing after lengthy jaunts into the fascinating hobbies of ceramics, porcelain dolls, tole painting and muffin making.

Her perfect day is spent writing from 9 until 5 while her family is at school and at work. She considers herself blessed that most every day is perfect.

Readers can find her at her BLOG and WEBSITE

More about Heavenly Books at http://www.heavenlythebook.com/


Thanks so much Jennifer! It's a pleasure to have you here today. Guys, she's a very great person, honestly. I'm also excited for Absolution, the finale of the Heavenly series and I think all you too. Well, who's going to pass a story with guardian angels. I bet Mathias did a great job being one =)

Oh, she also asked me to spread the word that any blogger interested in a copy of Heavenly can have one, just set up an interview or chat and contact her at jennlaurens@yahoo.com !