Saturday, 7 April 2012
Coming in September/October from Tyndale House
Thursday, 22 March 2012
Character Spotlight ~ Randy Singer's Mace & Jamie
She’s athletic, headstrong and relentless. Prominent cheekbones, dark-brown eyes, a determined jaw, and short dark hair. She sees the world in black and white. In her view, Mace has sold his soul to the dark side, trying to keep death row inmates from getting what they deserve.![]() |
| stock.xchang |
| Relz |
Relz Reviewz Extras
Reviews of By Reason of Insanity & False Witness
Character spotlight on Alex Madison from Fatal Convictions
Character spotlight on Quinn Newberg from By Reason of Insanity
Character spotlight on Jason Noble from The Justice Game
Visit Randy's website
Buy Randy's books at Amazon or Koorong
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
10 Authors You Need to Read
The links will take you to their pages on the also amazing FamilyFiction website (whose magazine I write for) and you can check out their books. You will soon see I love a whole range of genres from military thrillers to historical romance but I can't recommend these authors enough.
I'd love you to check them out, read one of their books and come back and let me know what you thought!
Sunday, 3 July 2011
False Witness by Randy Singer
Clark Shealy is a bail bondsman with the ultimate bounty on the line: his wife’s life. He has forty-eight hours to find an Indian professor in possession of the Abacus Algorithm—an equation so powerful it could crack all Internet encryption.
Four years later, law student Jamie Brock is working in legal aid when a routine case takes a vicious twist: she and two colleagues learn that their clients, members of the witness protection program, are accused of defrauding the government and have the encrypted algorithm in their possession. After a life-changing trip to the professor’s church in India, the couple also has the key to decode it.
Now they’re on the run from federal agents and the Chinese mafia, who will do anything to get the algorithm. Caught in the middle, Jamie and her friends must protect their clients if they want to survive long enough to graduate.
My take:~
If you want to enjoy an intriguing legal thriller, Randy Singer is a sure bet, and his recent stories just keep getting better and better. False Witness is a repackaged edition of this story, originally published in 2007 and I have to admit it shows. It still contains the many twists and turns I have come to expect from Singer but the characterisation is not up to the standard of his more recent works. Clark and Jessica Shealy felt distant to me, as opposed to Jamie and her friends, which had an impact on my investment in the story. If this had been my first Singer book, I may have felt differently, but admiring the skills he displays in his more recent works, made me a little more fussy with this story. That said, there is plenty to enjoy in False Witness, as the Chinese mafia pursue an Indian professor who holds the key to crack all internet encryption codes, student lawyers battle it out against experienced attorneys and the FBI decides to stop at nothing to ensure the Algorithm does not fall into the wrong hands. So when you pick up False Witness, make sure you get your hands on By Reason of Insanity, Directed Verdict, Fatal Convictions and more from this talented lawyer/pastor.
With thanks to B&B Media Group for my review copy
Relz Reviewz Extras
Review of By Reason of Insanity
Character spotlight on Alex Madison from Fatal Convictions
Character spotlight on Quinn Newberg from By Reason of Insanity
Character spotlight on Jason Noble from The Justice Game
Visit Randy's website
Buy Randy's books at Amazon or Koorong
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Character Spotlight ~ Randy Singer's Alex Madison

You can't get much better than a Randy Singer legal thriller! Always brilliantly executed with great characterisation and edge of your seat suspense, be sure to get your hands on his latest, Fatal Convictions. And if you need more convincing, check out the spotlight below as you are sure to be intrigued by Alex and the inspiration for his character.
Over to you, Randy:~
Brief physical description
aw school. In Virginia, you can apprentice under an established lawyer for three years and then take the Bar. Alex did this with his grandfather.Your inspiration for the character
meless ambulance-chaser) and Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird (willing to defend an innocent man who everyone else abandons).
My answer: Because Atticus Finch performed the highest duty of a lawyer, representing a man he believed was innocent, a man nobody else would defend. Then I asked a related question: What would that look like today? My answer was Fatal Convictions. Who would defend a Muslim imam accused of honor killings? Granted, my protagonist, Alexander Madison, is no Atticus Finch. And I'm no Harper Lee. Nevertheless, I hope you'll find the story both thought-provoking and entertaining.
Thanks so much, Randy ~ your spotlights are always top-notch! I'm very much looking forward to reading and reviewing Fatal Convictions.
Relz Reviewz Extras
Review of By Reason of Insanity
Character spotlight on Quinn Newberg from By Reason of Insanity
Character spotlight on Jason Noble from The Justice Game
Visit Randy's website
Buy Randy's books at Amazon or Koorong
Sunday, 24 January 2010
Coming in 2010 from Tyndale House
Tyndale House have some great books coming your way this year from debut author Gina Holmes to seasoned writers, Randy Singer and Sally John.
Anything take your fancy? I'd love to hear your thoughts.....
Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes
Jenny Lucas swore she’d never go home again. But being told you’re dying has a way of changing things. Years after she left, she and her five-year-old daughter, Isabella, must return to her sleepy North Carolina town to face the ghosts she left behind. They welcome her in the form of her oxygen tank–toting grandmother, her stoic and distant father, and David, Isabella’s dad . . . who doesn’t yet know he has a daughter.
As Jenny navigates the rough and unknown waters of her new reality, the unforgettable story that unfolds is a testament to the power of love and its ability to change everything—to heal old hurts, bring new beginnings . . . even overcome the impossible.
A stunning debut about love and loss from a talented new voice.
Releasing May, 2010
The Last Operative by Jerry B Jenkins
Jordan Kettering wants to go quietly into the sunset. His career as an NSA intelligence officer has taken a significant toll. His two adult children are little more than distant acquaintances. His wife has been patient and supportive, but he knows she has deserved better. That was part of the reason they were going to London. He wanted her to see Europe like a tourist. But that was before he was given intelligence information during the recent mission to Germany. The threat is grave—bigger than 9/11. And the risk is compounded by the fact that someone inside the NSA is involved. The most hidden place in Kettering’s past will have to be unmasked in order to meet the challenges of this mission.
Releasing July, 2010
Fatal Convictions by Randy Singer
Alexander Madison is part lawyer, part pastor, and part con artist. When a Muslim imam is accused of instigating honor killings, Alex must decide whether to take the case that every other lawyer in town is running away from. He doesn’t realize until it’s too late that defending the imam may cost him the one thing in life he cares about most.
Fatal Convictions is the story of a lawyer willing to risk it all and the women who must choose between faith and love.
Releasing July, 2010
Ransomed Dreams by Sally John
Sheridan Montgomery leads a charmed life as the wife of Eliot, U.S. ambassador to Venezuela. But an attack on their lives cripples Eliot, and they retreat to a remote Mexican village. As Sheridan quietly cares for her husband, she sees her dreams slipping away. Luke Traynor shatters their reverie when he arrives to tell Sheridan of her father’s heart attack and the evidence implicating him in a conspiracy. Sheridan returns to Chicago to untangle the web of her father’s past and is forced to confront her feelings for Luke, a trail of deceit, and the truth about her marriage.
Releasing July, 2010
The Witness by Josh McDowell
From Monte Carlo to Morocco to Egypt and into Petra, Marwan Accad is pursued by authorities for murders he did not commit. Tracked by advanced intelligence-surveillance technology, his every location is eventually found out, thrusting those he loves into danger. Nurtured by a bitter past that equipped him with what he needed for his company to thrive, Marwan Accad never looks back. Yet the way forward promises only uncertainty, and living each day is a lie in which corruption and greed play in the lives of man. For whose lie is he going through all of this? Even as Marwan races against time to find his pursuers and their motives, he must grapple with what is beyond his life, with what is eternal.
Releasing July, 2010
Still House Pond by Jan Watson
Lilly Gray Corbett loves living on Troublesome Creek, but she would much rather play with her best friend than watch her little brother and the twins. Her mama, Copper, is often gone helping to birth babies, and Lilly has to stay home. When Aunt Alice sends a note inviting her to visit in the city, Lilly is excited to go, and Copper reluctantly agrees to let her. Later, when they hear the news that the train crashed, Copper and her husband, John, rush to find out if their daughter is injured . . . or even alive.
Releasing August, 2010
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Special Character Spotlight ~ Randy Singer's Jason Noble

Today the spotlight shines on............................Jason Noble
Randy Singer is a must read author in my book! His brilliant courtroom dramas are filled with intriguing characters, plenty of unexpected twists and with his latest, The Justice Game, an ending determined by his readers!
Don't miss this insight into his young protagonist, Jason Noble and be sure to run out and get a copy of The Justice Game!
Thanks Randy:~
Brief physical description
I hope this is not cheating but I pulled a couple of descriptive passages from the book:
“Jason didn’t have the stone-carved jaw of a movie actor, but he was in good shape and had received more than a few comments about his eyes. ‘Sleepy.’ ‘Intriguing.’ Or, on courtroom days like today, when he had his green contacts inserted, ‘piercing.’”
Later in the book, I share Kelly Starling’s first impressions about Jason—Kelly is the lawyer opposing Jason in the case.
“When Jason Noble and Case McAllister came walking down the aisle, Kelly sized them up, positioning herself so it looked like she was talking to her client. McAllister looked old, weathered, and confident, walking with a slight limp. His thin and rounded shoulders revealed his age, but his eyes were sharp, and he had a sly half-smile on his face, as if surveying a masterpiece he had just painted. Jason Noble was young and decent-looking, in a carefree surfer sort of way. He had penetrating green eyes and dark shaggy hair. He looked like maybe he had just left a frat party at the University of Georgia, the yin to Case McAllister’s yang.
Kelly made a note—Jason would probably do okay with young female jurors. But other than a kind of roguish charm, she couldn’t figure out why MD Firearms might have chosen him to help on the case. He was only two years out of law school—nearly five years younger than she. And Kelly herself was relatively young and inexperienced to be trying a case of such magnitude. Jason, she concluded, was probably just there to carry Case McAllister’s briefcase. 
Actor/famous person
This is hard because I really didn’t have a famous person in mind as I created Jason. However, I think the closest celebrity is Jim Sturgess, especially as seen in his role in 21—a geeky rogue trying to make his way in a world where he is incredibly gifted but also out of his element.
Strengths and weaknesses
He is a gifted performer which makes him a very talented trial lawyer. I remember as a law student clerking at a firm in New York and telling an experienced lawyer that I thought my debate background would help me do well in trials. His reply: “Not really. If you want to prepare for a career as a trial lawyer, try acting.” 
One of Jason’s greatest strengths is that he is a gifted actor. He has an innate flair for the dramatic and an ability to connect with people. But, like many great performers, he is ill-at-ease around people in social settings. He has a number of weaknesses. A very rocky relationship with his father. A devastating past secret that he would do anything to cover up. And a willingness to sometimes push the ethical limits if he believes a higher cause is at stake.
His biggest challenge is maintaining the front of being a laid-back and self-confident trial lawyer when he actually feels like he’s going to throw up at any moment.
Quirk (if any)
I don’t know if you’d call this a quirk, but he is rather shy around women. This can lead to some erratic (though not necessarily quirky) behavior.
Your inspiration for the character
Jason came about because I wanted to explore the dynamics of living with a devastating secret and how that secret affects someone emotionally an
d spiritually. Blackmail is the order of the day in The Justice Game and Jason must decide whether to come clean about his past or compromise his client’s case in order to keep the past under wraps. I once heard Rick Warren say that courage comes when you have nothing left to hide. I wanted to explore that in the life of Jason. I also wanted to look at the conflicted life of a person who tries to project an image that is very different from who that person really is at the core of his being.
Background to the story
After the target of an investigative report storms a Virginia Beach news studio, he executes one of the reporters on live television before the SWAT team is able to take him down. Fol
lowing the victim’s funeral, her family files a lawsuit against the gun company who manufactured the killer’s weapon of choice.
The lawyers for the plaintiff and defendant—Kelly Starling and Jason Noble—are young, charismatic, and highly successful. They’re also easy blackmail targets, each harboring a personal secret so devastating it could destroy their careers. Millions of dollars—and more than a few lives—are at stake. But as Kelly and Jason battle each other, they discover that the real fight is with unseen players intent on controlling them both.
Wonderful insight, as always - thanks so much, Randy :) I always enjoy anticipating what you are going to come up with next!
On Thursday the spotlight shines on Colleen Coble's Shannon Astor & Jack MacGowan from Lonestar Secrets - yay!
Relz Reviewz Extras
Review of By Reason of Insanity
Character spotlight on Quinn Newberg from By Reason of Insanity
Visit Randy's website
Buy Randy's books at Amazon or Koorong
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Character Spotlight ~ Randy Singer's Quinn Newberg and Aussie Giveaway
Today the spotlight shines on..........................................................Quinn Newberg
Randy Singer is one of the best writers of legal thrillers I know. I have devoured every one of his novels but By Reason of Insanity eclipsed them all. I have selected By Reason of Insanity as my book club's June selection - its going to be fun!
I love this insight into Quinn Newberg, a quintessential skeptic and lawyer extraordinare! Over to you, Randy:~
Brief physical description
Quinn Newberg is a Las Vegas criminal defense attorney, described by the media as a “legal magician.” He is a little over six feet, angular and lean, with the fluid movements of an athlete. He has the mysterious look of a Vegas illusionist, with straight black hair and a trim goatee. Dark eyebrows shade expressive almond eyes that seem to dance and spark in ways that have you nodding your head when he speaks.
Think of a taller version of Apolo Anton Ohno, the Olympic speed skater.
Rel:~ It wasn't how I pictured Quinn but now I have thought about it, Apolo is just right!
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
Quinn is a showman from Vegas, the show capital of the world. He learned
his theatrics at Vegas magic shows and applies them in the courtroom—combining the flair of a performer with the unpredictability of a high stakes gambler.
Underneath the flamboyant exterior is a guy incredibly loyal to his sister and niece, a man with a strong (though misguided) sense of honor and justice, and a tenacity that pretty much knows no bounds. He is also extremely practical and realistic, unafraid to confront enormous challenges head on.
Weaknesses
He doesn’t see the spiritual dimension in life. Everything is fair game for his legal manipulations and maneuverings. The insanity plea is nothing more than a tactical maneuver. He also has deep-rooted insecurities that spring from an abusive childhood.
Quirk (if any)
He loves to gamble and he’s pretty good at it. He’s not above teaming up with another Vegas card shark to cheat wealthy out-of-towners for a good cause. He is more calculating than most compulsive gamblers, but he still has a hard time knowing when it’s time to fold—in cards or in life.
Your inspiration for the character
With Quinn, I wanted to dive inside the mind of a spiritual skeptic. I decided that Las Vegas would be a good place to find one. And what occupation would be better than that of a trial lawyer—not just any trial lawyer, but one who specializes in the insanity plea for criminal defendants?
I wanted to shine a sliver of light in the darkness. To do that, I needed it dark. The work of criminal defense lawyers is dark.
The work of a criminal defense lawyer with an abused childhood representing an accused serial killer—that’s real dark.
But if it’s going to be dark, I wanted a protagonist whose personality would help lift him above that a little. So, I pulled together a composite. The passion of a friend who practices criminal defense law and always believes he has justice on his side. The showmanship of Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men. And the intensity of David Blaine, a famous Vegas illusionist. Add two cases that are very personal in nature, shake vigorously and bake—and out pops Quinn Newberg.
Background to the story
I wrote By Reason of Insanity to help readers think about whether a spiritual dimension
exists. Quinn doesn’t think so. But then, how can he explain the supernatural visions that his client has about serial murders? Either she’s guilty or there’s another dimension—a God who speaks to those who are willing to listen.
Prior to writing this book, I was intrigued by reports of Muslims who have been led to Christ after seeing visions (typically during Ramadan). Does God sometimes communicate with us in extraordinary ways right here in the United States? I think He does. But we must also realize that God has already fully revealed Himself to us through His written Word and would never show us anything in visions or dreams inconsistent with His Word.
Putting all that together, here is a brief synopsis of the story:
Quinn’s latest client is Catherine O’Rourke, a Virginia Beach reporter accused of being the serial killer named the Avenger of Blood. Catherine maintains her innocence, though she claims to have seen visions with graphic details of the crimes—details only the killer would know. Quinn doesn’t believe in the supernatural and thinks these “visions” are nothing more than the product of a fractured personality disorder, triggered by a traumatic event in Catherine’s past.
Quinn knows insanity cases are unpredictable, but nothing in his past has prepared him for this one. To win, or even survive, he’ll need more than his famed legal maneuvering and biting sarcasm.
On this case, he’ll need a miracle.
Loved this, Randy ~ thanks for giving us some of your valuable time to share this spotlight!
Aussie Giveaway
I have a copy of Randy's book to giveaway!
To be eligible to enter you MUST have an Australian mailing address, leave contact details and a comment before midnight on 15th March, 2009
Relz Reviewz Extras
Review of By Reason of Insanity
Visit Randy's website
Help render a verdict for Randy's next book, The Justice Game
Buy Randy's books at Amazon or Koorong



































