This Time You Lose [Kindle Edition]

Chris Stralyn (Author)

Book Description

What would you do if street thugs invaded your home? What if you're a daycare provider, caring for a dozen children at the time? Lisa Kaamp, a most unlikely heroine, faces just such a nightmare in This Time You Lose, the suspense driven story of one woman's struggle to survive when she and the children she cares for become victims of a home invasion gone terribly wrong.

Lisa Kaamp operates a small childcare business out of her home in Nogeksum, Michigan. Highly respected and known for going the extra mile for her daycare kids, she thinks she's handled every daycare emergency possible. But nothing prepares her for the horror she now faces.

Lisa finds herself bound and gagged, four strange men in her home, and the daycare children held hostage in the next room. Terrorized by her captors as the authorities work to meet the ransom deadline, she tries negotiating with the men for the release of the children, but soon realizes they have no intention of letting anyone go.

With the deadline approaching, Lisa must do the unimaginable to protect the children and get everyone out alive.


***On September 1, 2012 This Time You Lose was named a Top 5 Finalist for The Kindle Book Review Best Indie Books 2012 Award.***

***In 2008 This Time You Lose was named a finalist in the TNBW Strongest Start Novel Competition. Four months later it earned the distinction of being a TNBW Readers Choice Top Ten Novel, and has remained on the Top Ten list ever since.***

Editorial Reviews

Review

This Time You Lose - A Readers Choice Top Ten Novel

"5 Stars! I'm so glad that I decided to give this book a chance - it's EXCELLENT! This Time You Lose grabbed my attention from the very first page, and I read it in one sitting! (Went to bed, and was up reading under the blankets until the early hours of the morning!) Very well-written book, a fast-paced and suspenseful read that kept me on the edge of my seat. Found myself actually saying "OH CRAP!" out loud at a few points. The writing is superb, characters are believable and likable and descriptions are vivid and visible - I felt as though I was right there alongside the characters. There is foul language and some violence, but it is tastefully handled and nothing is overly graphic. If you enjoy thrilling, suspenseful stories, definitely give this one a chance. You won't be disappointed." ~ Taylor Wilmering, writer - Hampshire, England

"Wow Wow Wow! What a story that could truly happen to anyone!" ~ Shellie Brewer, Goodreads.com

"Wow! This story takes off with a bang as you basically wake up alongside Lisa and are instantly thrust into her living nightmare. The tension is there throughout the entire book and it has the feel of watching some horrible hostage situation unfold on the news before your very eyes. This book actually gave me goosebumps at times! I was definitely on the edge of my seat, biting my finger nails. The story was definitely unpredictable. Another thing I loved was Lisa herself. What a tough cookie! She easily ranks high on my 'Bad-ass Heroine' list. I could only hope and pray that I'd have half the courage and cojones this woman possessed in time of true crisis." ~ Rachel Michaux, - Rachel's Reviews

From the Author

This Time You Lose is a Readers Choice Top Ten Novel, and has been read and reviewed around the world. You may view ALL of the reader reviews (306 total as of 5/20/13)  - collected from various sites worldwide - by visiting my website at  thistimeyoulose.com.

If you have already read This Time You Lose, please drop me a review and let me know what you thought. Reviews from readers like you help make my next book even better! :)

One last thing....if you are so inclined - please include your city/state/country along with your review so that I may add it to the "World Tour" maps on my website. There are no names on the map, just arrows showing the locations where This Time You Lose has been read and reviewed. :)   

Thanks for Reading!
Chris

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 386 KB
• Print Length: 294 pages
• Publisher: Chris Stralyn; 1 edition (November 11, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006KWKOEE
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,118 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Nail-Biting Read December 4, 2011

By Jamie Deacon

Format:Paperback

Can there be anything more terrifying than shooting awake in the dead of night to find a group of armed intruders in your home? Imagine then that you have a dozen children in the house along with you--children who have been entrusted to your care. This is precisely the nightmare Lisa Kaant is plunged into in this gripping debut.

This Time You Lose is a tension-filled novel packed with action and emotion, which had me biting my nails the whole way through. More than that, however, it's the story of one remarkable young woman. With her ability to show both courage and compassion in the face of terrible danger, Lisa is a true heroine and she will stay with me for a long time.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Development Dashed for Searing Suspense March 2, 2012

By MobileMinx

Format:Kindle Edition

** I won this book through a Bookplex giveaway **

This Time You Lose is the perfect choice for a suspense seeker. If you want to have a tense, tight and terror filled read from practically the first page to the last, you've found the right book.

The story relates the occurrences, over a day, in the life of child care provider Lisa Kaamp. She is accompanied by many supporting characters and one seriously sadistic antagonist. It is difficult to discuss my experience of this story without revealing key elements of the plot. Suffice it to say, there is a conflict that consumes the entire novel and is resolved very quickly at the end.

Herein, for me, lies the problem. The writing is done in real-time and presents an hour-by-hour capture of the action. However, it was sometimes unclear what the chronology was as events described occurred concurrently. The book would be well suited to a time stamp for each chapter, so that the reader can keep the timeline straight. I also found the unanswered question, which is threaded throughout, an unsettling feature. It's not clear if it is intentional, but the reader never knows why TITO, the depraved aggressor, targets Lisa so vehemently. I was left to wonder and this was not good when there was so much that transpired that seemed inexplicably evil. I don't mind some uncertainty, but this seemed to be an excessive amount and it detracted from my enjoyment of the story. As the novel reaches its climax, we have to hold our breath as we wait to find out how the situation is resolved. This state of protracted agitation is precisely the condition I was in for the whole book. It's the reason that I didn't award five stars.

Chris Stralyn is a very good writer. She uses language that is real, raw and appropriate for the character. She reveals dimensions of their personality through thought insights and memory recollections. Aspects of all ring true and the reader can find areas of relateability. The main characters are equally determined, though their goals are at odds. She writes TITO in such a way that one feels no mercy towards him. The insertion of her daycare charges and their families only layer the sensation assault, by displaying heroics and humanity simultaneously. The story is told through Lisa and her thoughts foreshadow as well as retell. Her singular focus drives the story and mirrors the accompanying police action. One wonders if they too would be able to withstand the travesties brought upon her and similarly survive.

Though we get to know the characters, the lack of exposition leaves the understanding to be situational. It would have been helpful to have more background. The story could have been a richer read and less break neck in its pacing. Though it would have made it a longer book, with those additions, we'd care about the characters because we know them and not because we know right from wrong.

This Time You Lose is a worthy effort and a worthwhile read. I would read this author again and recommend that thrill hunters find their way to this book.

36 of 49 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars It's ok May 26, 2012

By Addy

Format:Kindle Edition

It's a short read and it isn't all that bad for what it is. I will admit that I powered through from chapter 9 to the end of the book because I did want to see how it all ended up. A few things bothered me about it though which made it seem pretty unbelievable and overall left a bad taste in my mouth. I felt like I was watching a really cheesy episode of a crime TV show, if you're into that sort of thing.

The cops seemed more like the three stooges than anything else and always seemed 12 steps behind what was going on inside. I understand that this is sometimes the case, especially with that many hostages, but for such a seasoned negotiator, he sure didn't do much negotiating.

Also, how the heck were the parents in agreement all of the time, especially with how those scenarios could have played out? And 99% of the time, the kids listened and were obedient. I know they were probably scared into submission but after an entire day of being hot, hungry, and bored, I would have expected a lot more mischief from the kids.

Another thing I did't like (**spoilers**!!):

Ryan knew that his girlfriend was enrolling the baby in daycare because that's how he knew the house would be empty (she would have to enroll the baby late because Lisa would be out of town). Knowing that it was a daycare, why would you even bother breaking and entering? I don't remember if he knew Dan was a cop (and would therefore have guns which might actually be worth something) but if you're trying to score drug money, I'm pretty sure a daycare is the last place you'd go.

On that note, they act like this place was literally the last place they could go to steal stuff for drug money which I find hard to believe, given that they all have criminal records so I'm sure they have connections.

The heavy anti-gun tone really bothered me. It should be more like "why isn't the police officer safely storing his guns in a locked safe, especially when his wife runs a DAYCARE out of the house?"

If I had to read "She leaned her head against the wall" one more time, I was probably going to throw my Kindle.

Like I said, overall it's not bad for a quick read. If somebody is going to lend it to you or gift it to you, it's worth going through because it's definitely an interesting take on the hostage story, if nothing else. I just don't know if I would buy it.

More About the Author

I never intended to be a writer. Short-order cook, security guard, safety officer, childcare provider, and teacher were all titles I'd worn - but never writer. Then I entered an essay contest for "The Worst Vacation Ever" and won. Writing became my new hobby, and soon I had several articles in print with local publications. This was followed by a short story, The Khaki Pants, which was published by RDR Publishing in an anthology that went on to sell over a million copies.

A suspense thriller was my next undertaking, and in 2008 This Time You Lose was named a finalist in the TNBW Strongest Start Novel Competition. Four months later it earned the distinction of being a TNBW Readers Choice Top Ten Novel, and has remained on the Top Ten list ever since.

I continue to put pen to paper in my endeavour to appease the Muse within. I live in Michigan with my husband and family.