Hotline To Heaven [Paperback]

Darrell Bain (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2004

Ed "Boilerroom" Tanner is a scoundrel, a scam artist who makes his living bilking the public. His last partner has in turn swindled him out of all of his money. It is the Christmas season, and as he is walking along the streets of downtown Houston, wondering where he is going to sleep the night, he tosses one of his last coins into a Salvation Army pot, just for luck. Violet, a young Salvation Army woman with the face, figure and voice of a veritable angel thanks him. Immediately, he decides to seek shelter that night at the Salvation Army mission where she works. And thus begins the most unlikely partnership in the most unlikely of endeavors this side of heaven: God's Fan club, where, for a fee, believers vie for the chance to write God and get an answer in the mail. When these two opposites fall in love it is anybody's guess at the outcome, but you will be laughing and crying until the end, rooting first for one and then the other as their affairs become inextricably entangled.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Darrell Bain's cast of characters and fun plot will have the reader looking for more of his work!" --Cindy Penn, Senior Editor of Word Weaving.

"I enjoyed its incorrigible hero, the wide-eyed, luscious Violet and the suspense..." --Joey Hill for Stateport Pilot News Southport, NC.

"...A delightful and funny tale of corruption, fraud and deceit mixed in with love, innocence and faith." --Iris Leach for Sharpwriter.

About the Author

Darrell served in the military and his two stints in Vietnam formed the basis for his first published novel, "Medics Wild." While Darrell was working as a lab manager at a hospital, he met his wife Betty. He trapped her under a mistletoe sprig and they were married a year later. Darrell and Betty now own and operate a Christmas tree farm in East Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 175 pages
• Publisher: Twilight Times Books (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931201250
• ISBN-13: 978-1931201254
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,057,111 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I have read about 20,000 books in my lifetime, much of it science fiction but history, mystery, war, popular and historical fiction as well. I also write and have a variety of books published in print and as e-books. I like to write humor and adventure/mystery/science fiction/suspense/thriller novels and short stories. I have worked in the medical field, am a Vietnam Veteran and currently live and write in east Texas where my wife Betty and I owned a Christmas tree farm until two years ago. I like to correspond with fans and can be reached through my web site, www.darrellbain.com We have two dachshunds that I've written about. I currently have about fifty books in print.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Hysterical!!, February 17, 2005

By 

Rebecca Henderson (Johnson City, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hotline To Heaven (Paperback)

Hotline to Heaven is simply hysterical! Parts of the book had me laughing so hard I had tears coming from my eyes. There's some romance, some mystery, an interesting plot, and a lot of publicity for the Salvation Army. All in all, a great book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, February 3, 2001

By 

C. Penn "WordWeaving" (Greenville, SC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hotline To Heaven (CD-ROM)

Darrell Bain pushes the envelope of plausibility in this lighthearted, entertaining tale of a con artist and the woman who steals his heart. HOTLINE TO HEAVEN is the story of a con artist who falls victim to his own weaknesses in this humorous tale of love and duplicity.

Ed Tanner just pulled off the greatest con. Too bad that he took a bimbo to Las Vegas to celebrate and she absconded with the money. With very little left in his pockets, Ed drops a quarter into the Salvation Army's coffers and meets the beautiful, extremely innocent Violet. Soon his finds his way to the Salvation Army's shelter, and into the heart of Violet.

Despite other's protests, Violet invests her life savings in Ed's new scheme. While she believes he's sincere, Ed has a brilliant idea to line his pockets yet again. He starts God's Fan Club with Violet at the forefront, looking like an angel. He isn't, however, prepared for his heart to be swept away by the innocent.

Ed introduces Violet to the simple things of life such as pretty clothes, jewelry and alcohol. Soon she finds herself swept away on the publicity and excitement of her new life, completely unaware that the man she loves is planning to leave her high and dry.

While Violet's innocence is almost unbelievable, the sharp contrast she provides to the Ed's world provides the reader with sparkling entertainment. The book is a quick read, with a wonderfully deft voice that leaves the reader quite satisfied by the end. Darrell Bain's cast of characters and fun plot will have the reader looking for more of his work!