Heartland Reviews are not like those found in other book review sources. Each book is evaluated according to standards laid out in scientifically developed rubrics or evaluation guidelines. Essentially they are given a grade through a quantitative scoring process which examines multiple areas of consideration, i.e., plot, pacing, characterization, emotional content, symbolism, and several others. These scores are added together for an overall numerical score. This drives how many hearts we award the work, which range from one to five hearts.

Friday, June 10,'05

Dear Louise, I finished your second book "Xs" at five am a few mornings ago. If possible it was even more gripping than "Anacacho." And the love story going through both books is great! Surely you will win a prize on this second one too.

" Certainly your books are great movie material or a TV series. Congratulations on "Xs!!!!"

- Margaret

OXNARD JOURNAL BOOK REVIEW:
Author: Louise Gaylord
Publisher Cedar Vista Press
Release Date November 2006

A GOOD READ FOR ANYONE WHO LOVE NOVELS WHICH BECOME MYSTERIES.
As editor of an internet newspaper, many interesting things come to you via e-mail, word-of- mouth, and even the US Mail.

Just before Thanksgiving a package arrived with three books which appeared to be novels of sorts, and all by the same author. A letter and press kit came along with the books to encourage me to provide a review. Hopefully more will come because I do take interest in other writers as well as myself.

Intently interested in wanting to know who Louise Gaylord, the author was, I ‘googled’ her and found her pop up on the first hit. Amazing what SEO can do.

Noting that Cedar Vista has just rolled out as a new imprinteur for the more familiar Little Moose Press of Beverly Hills, California, Louise's books are great additions.

Looking more closely at the author, you may want to understand why such a wonderful lady would write mystery novels. I learned from first look that a line of work existed for the returning character of Allie Armington, who was penned by Gaylord. You’ll get to know her real name as you read.

Her three offerings for review where the newly published “Julia Fairchild”, “X’s” an Allie Armington Mystery” and “Anacacho”, similarly an Allie Armington story. Armington, a sharp and successful Texas attorney gets frequent flyer miles in Gaylord’s novels.

“ Anacacho” attracted my eye first because of the cover art and where the story was based. Gaylord’s writing style is fast paced, not wordy, and the constant dialogue has you believing you are seeing a movie instead of reading a book. Characters are quickly introduced through dialogue and you get the details of their character as you read.

Anacacho, first released in hard cover, won the National Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Mystery/ Suspense. This should tell you something about any book written by Gaylord.

Anyone who wants something refreshing must pick up a Louise Gaylord novel.

” X’s” takes you to the heart of the east coast, New York City. Capturing the mood, method of speaking, the smells, the pace and highlights of one of America’s most dynamic city really proves Gaylord’s ability to write in a style other than her earthy western one and take us into a story that could be one of the millions within that naked city. Being from the east coast, I wanted to look at this story with the critical eye of finding some detail that was incorrect. I could not. Louise’s use of multiple characters to weave a story is commendable. Continuity is invaluable with authors as much as it is with film directors. Gaylord keeps you apprised of each main character as they come in and out of the story. X’s with it’s cover art direct from Central Park will lure you into the story that truly mixes the rough side with an even rougher side of life in the Big Apple.

“ Julia Fairchild” mixes that bustle of New York with the 180° opposite reality of a small New Mexico town. Again with Gaylord being from Texas, she masterfully mixes worlds and takes you as quickly and smoothly to each as if you flew first class from La Guardia to Albuquerque.

I don’t want to tell you any details of the stories because you need to discover them for yourself. I will say this author will gain a more national niche as book sellers buy and distribute these novels. The cover art alone on all three entices you pick up a copy and start reading. Very well produced and crafted, these books would make a special gift for anyone whom you know that loves novels, murder mysteries, or just a good read.

There is a picture of Louise that comes with the press kit. It depicts how I first saw and became acquainted with the author and it is how I feel everyone should see Louise Gaylord. Below is that picture and links to her book’s promotional websites. Happy and worthwhile reading awaits you with either of these there books.

Xs by Louise Gaylord gets a 4 HEART REVIEW FROM HEARTLAND!

"A lady lawyer from Texas gets a call from her modeling sister in New York, asking for twenty thousand dollars immediately. Allie, the lawyer, drains her savings account and then follows the money to New York. She finds herself in the middle of a police sting operation against a club of extremely wealthy playboys who play rough—even to the death—in a prostitution operation. She also chances upon a lost love from Texas who appears to be in law enforcement and has lost his Texas accent.

The author races through this romantic mystery, providing keen insights into the wealthy and the vice scene with accompanying sex and drugs. Her treatment of characters builds a credible story. We rated it four hearts."

www.heartlandreviews.com

Reviews and Reflections: This murder mystery all Xs and ohs

By LAUREN ROBERTS
SPECIAL TO THE BEACON

Allie Armington is a former Texas assistant district attorney who stars in a new mystery series by local author Louise Gaylord. In Gaylord’s first book, entitled Anacacho, Allie barely survived a startling, twisting tale of murder, deceit, drugs, betrayal, mistrust and lust. Indeed, one might think Allie’s life a bit stormy as she moves into the second mystery that claims her attention as much as it attempts to claim her life. Xs (Little Moose Press; $23.95) has Allie rushing to New York after a frantic phone call from her sister seeking a quick, unexplained loan of $20,000. Shortly after her arrival, her sister’s roommate is found murdered in a bizarre manner. The discovery that the murdered woman was involved with a secretive, high-stakes drugs- and prostitution-littered party circuit opens up the opportunity for a police sting operation — if Allie will help.

She will, but her sense that this is different from anything she’s previously experienced begins with the first party at the secluded and exclusive “Castle” complete with guards, check-in stations, masks, assignments and someone named the Cardinal who takes a personal interest in her.

As she is pulled deeper into the circuit of rich men and beautiful women, other forces reach out for her: the apparent death and possible murder of the Cardinal; a red address book; the unsettling reappearance of Allie’s vanished-and-now-returned heartthrob, Bill Cotton, who moves from Texas sheriff to DEA agent to lowly attorney to loving nephew far too easily.

But it is the emergence of the mysterious six-foot Sigrid Hale that endows this story with its delicious sense of unease and sets the stage for Allie’s ultimate confrontation. Who Hale is and what Hale plans empowers this story with an ending so unexpected one wonders what the author could possibly have in mind for Allie’s future.

Lauren Roberts can be contacted at
reviews-reflections@verizon.net

"This is a richly textured novel with several criminal threads woven into the fabric of the plot; drugs, prostitution, wild sex, cross-dressing and abduction."

— Leonard Tourney, author of Time’s Fool

"A good read; imaginative, surprises, with lots of material, quirky characters, a fast beginning and satisfying ending."

— Diane De Avalle-Arce, author of Calabrinia Falling

“Sex, money and murder – Louise Gaylord gets it done like nobody else. A beautifully written page-turner with “best-seller” written all over it."

— Michael Levin, author of Stone Cold Sober

FIRST PLACE WINNER! "BEST BOOKS MYSTERY FICTION

—USA BOOK NEWS

"What a tension teaser and suspense catcher....all ready for a movie script."

— Ilse Kern

"I have developed a "Louise Gaylord cult..they are looking forward to seeing what Allie is doing."

— Gail Webster

“Sex, money and murder – Louise Gaylord gets it done like nobody else. A beautifully written page-turner with “best-seller” written all over it."

— Michael Levin, author of Stone Cold Sober

Heavenly Hearts

THE DISH / Martha Smilgis

2/15/05

WHO DUN IT: Birnam's clubhouse was the scene of a swell soiree and book signing by Louise Gaylord. Her second novel "Xs" is a chilling Manhattan tale that puts her up there with mystery queen Mary Higgins Clark. ... Bob Ledner's jazz combo gave Gaylord's party a Manhattan nightclub atmosphere and provided perfect background music for Direct Relief International's Thomas Tighe and wife Carrie when urbanely chatting with comely Caryl Beadel. ... Louise and her husband Ted are on the Opera S.B. Board, and support the Houston and Sarasota operas, which explained the presence of opera buffs -- handsome Chris Carroll, elegant Joan Rutkowski and industrious Steven Sharpe....

TIMELY HEROINES: Louise's tres sexy characters come from the voice of a hip young woman. "I watch TV to get my material," confesses the author, who didn't start writing until her three children were grown. Originally from Houston, Louise and Ted (in trucking biz) now rotate among Texas, Montecito and Adirondacks residences. (He's also on the Washington, D.C.-based boards of the Jamestown and Natural History Foundations.) ... Louise's writing career has been an arduous climb with requisite rejection slips (badges of honor!) until success came with her first novel "Anacacho," a thriller set in Texas. She praises the S.B. Writers Conference for inspiration and Little Moose Press. "Xs" is available at Tecolote and Chaucer's....