Audio/Book Review of Shadows Of The Past (Others of Edenton Book 2) by Brandy L Rivers

Book Title: Shadows of the Past (Others of Edenton Book 2)

Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance

Pages: 288
Audio Run Time: 8 Hrs 25 Mins

Author: Brandy L. Rivers

Date Published: 29 September 2013 (E-Book)

20 March 2015 (Audio Book)

Synopsis:

18+ Adult content

Haunted by memories of her past, Amethyst Lakes left her home to come to Edenton. She was ready to start a new life on her own after being stalked relentlessly.

Hayden Hunter is too busy being Sheriff to take interest in a woman.

That is until his officer drags Amethyst into his life. For the first time he wants to protect and claim.

There’s instant attraction between the two, but Amethyst isn’t ready for anyone since she found out her ex killed himself after she sent him away for good.

Preston has always protected Amethyst, and when he finds out something of legend and nightmares is coming for her, he’ll do everything he can to keep her safe.

Amethyst is either the catalyst to bring nightmares fully into this realm, or the one to end them. Can she find the power to stop the darkness, or will she wind up its prey?

Pretty little nymph, suspicious but sexy earth fae, cocky mage, and a nightmare of old.

Review:

Shadows of the Past by Brandy L. Rivers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a complimentary audiobook code from the author in return for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Others of Edenton series. I really enjoyed it!

This book is again narrated by Kelley Hazen Story Teller Productions. I really enjoyed her interpretation of the characters. Kelley Hazen's reading voice is lovely to listen to. I love her diction and she gave each character their own voice, which brought them to life. This helped me see them clearly in my mind's eye. I would definitely listen to more books narrated by this lady in the future.

Hayden Hunter is a very enigmatic character. I wasn't sure whether I liked him or not when I met him in the first book of the series, In Too Deep. He is extremely taciturn and mysterious, so I was looking forward to getting to know him a little better. He is a powerful Earth Fae, but doesn't seem to use his magic much. Being the Sheriff of the town of Edenton is not an easy job, but he makes it look like it is. He is well respected by the residents and, by the end of the book, I respected him too. When he meets Amethyst, attraction sparks fly.

Amethyst Lakes is a Water Nymph. I liked her, but on occasion found myself wanting to shout at her and tell her to pay better attention about things happening around her! She can be a little self-centered and a little self-pitying, but she has a good heart. Because she is a nymph, her power comes from sex and lust. She is not ready for a new relationship so soon after her ex killed himself, but after meeting the sexy Sheriff, he is a temptation she is determined to avoid. However, fate (or destiny) has other plans.

Having listened (as well as read) In Too Deep, I was eager to continue the series. I started to listen and was quickly hooked! I must admit that I was a little confused at first, because the story started by following a character called Sapphire, who was a very powerful Water Nymph. But, then I realised that it was a backstory for one of the characters and gave both Hayden and Amethyst a connection, even though remote. The story is told from several characters' point's of view, which gave it an interesting twist. We also get to know Preston, one of the council members, a little better. I must admit that I did feel sorry for him as the story unfolded. He is a really nice guy, who deserves to find happiness. I hope he does in the future. Carl, Amethyst's ex, is (or was) a warlock and a real piece of work. *SPOILER ALERT!!!* His "death" allows a Shadowfae to escape the prison Sapphire had imprisoned him in hundreds of years previously, and sets off a series of events that endanger the lives of several of the Edenton residents.

This story is just as fast paced as the first. There are several surprising twists that I didn't see coming and danger lurks in the corners. However, the only issue I had with this story was with the dialogue. I still felt that the dialogue was a little too "teen/angst ridden" for supposed adults and I found myself rolling my eyes on occasion. Yes, Amethyst is a young nymph, but I felt that some of her dialogue made her seem rather naive and a little immature for being in her early twenties. However, she does grow as a character and it was nice to watch her bloom. This story took me on a roller coaster ride of emotion, with lots of danger and action. I loved how the final showdown between Amethyst and the Shadowfae unfolded. It was extremely exciting and it had me sitting on the edge of my seat! The ending left me looking forward to continuing the series and will read or listen to the next book in the series, Falling Into Place as soon as possible.

Brandy L. Rivers has written an intriguing sequel in the series. I loved her fast paced writing style, and the flow was wonderful. Unfortunately, the melodramatic dialogue was the only thing that let this story down in my opinion. However, with that being said, I would definitely read more of her books in the future.

Due to explicit scenes of a sexual nature, I do not recommend this book to readers under the age of 18. However, I do recommend this book if you love hot erotic paranormal romances full of werewolves, vampires, fae, druids etc. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews

            

About The Author:

I've always loved books, especially about monsters and magic, so I started writing. I'm working on a prequel and the next few books in the Others of Edenton series, and I have a head full of stories to share.

I'm a stay at home mother with a wonderful husband who lets me write and write to my hearts content.

For more about me and my books, please visit:

Author Links:

Goodreads ; Amazon Author Page ; Facebook ; Twitter 

The Maze Runner

Read the first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series, perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent. The Maze Runner is now a major motion picture featuring the star of MTV's Teen Wolf, Dylan O’Brien; Kaya Scodelario; Aml Ameen; Will Poulter; and Thomas Brodie-Sangster and the second book, The Scorch Trials, is soon to be a movie, hitting theaters September 18, 2015! Also look for James Dashner’s newest novels, The Eye of Minds and The Rule of Thoughts, the first two books in the Mortality Doctrine series.

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run.

 

James Dashner

website

http://www.jamesdashner.com

genre

Young Adult

 

About this author

 

James is the author of THE MAZE RUNNER trilogy and THE 13TH REALITY series. He also published a series (beginning with A DOOR IN THE WOODS) with a small publisher several years ago. He lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains.

 

My review

 

With an easy and early hook, this book grabbed me and kept me entertained.

I loved the story, felt bad for the lossess, and now am looking forward to the movie. 

This is a middle grade YA novel but at 42 I really enjoyed it so I guess it is more of an all age novel than most.

The book is good. 

You will not regretting reading it.
WaAr

Relic

The authors

 

 

 

Douglas Preston

born

in Cambridge, Massachusetts, The United States   

website

http://www.prestonchild.com/

genre

Mystery & Thrillers

member since

April 2014

 

Lincoln Child

   

born

Westport, Connecticut, The United States

website

http://www.prestonchild.com/

genre

Mystery & Thrillers

 

The blurb

 

Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...

But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.

Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who-or what-is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?

 

My review

 

Here is the short and long of it. For characters you love to hate, read this book. For characters you root for from the start, read this book. For an old fashioned type of horror, read this book. I listened to this on audible and I have to say I adore the narrator, he made Pendergast and Augusta come alive for me and those who moaned and and and I felt I could strangle them. For entertainment level alone, this is well worth the read and I will most assuredly be investing in more books written by theHere is the short and long of it. For characters you love to hate, read this book. For characters you root for from the start, read this book. For an old fashioned type of horror, read this book. I listened to this on audible and I have to say I adore the narrator, he made Pendergast and Augusta come alive for me and those who moaned and and and I felt I could strangle them. For entertainment level alone, this is well worth the read and I will most assuredly be investing in more books written by these authors. Count the pupts to see my rating

Book Review of Cisco Bandits : A Gwynn Reznick Novel by Inge-Lise Goss

Book Title: Cisco Bandits: A Gwynn Reznick Novel

Genre: Crime Thriller

Pages: 304

Author: Inge-Lise Goss

Date Published: 22 April 2015

Synopsis:

Newly trained and ready to rock her first assignment, Gwynn Reznick is about to go undercover for the first time. She will investigate one of the highly private companies who call on Ruben Dordi’s Investigation Group. Ruben is the boss—and he also happens to be Gwynn’s boyfriend.

When Ruben gives Gwynn her assignment—to pose as an accountant for the Prudell Energy Company—Gwynn resists asking exactly what she’s supposed to be investigating. She knows Ruben has his reasons—she’s just not sure why they require her to go two months without even a hint as to why she’s there.

But things change quickly when Gwynn witnesses the death of a Prudell employee. It’s made to look like an accident, but when Gwynn learns that another employee died just before she arrived, it seems like a little too much of a coincidence.

When the CFO tells Gwynn about missing project files and data that just doesn’t add up, Gwynn finds herself suddenly in over her head. Will she be able to maintain her cover, follow Ruben’s orders, and get to the bottom of the mystery? Or will the killers get to Gwynn before she cracks the case?

Review:

Cisco Bandits: A Gwynn Reznick Novel by Inge-Lise Goss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the Gwynn Reznick series. I loved it!

Gwynn Reznick is a wonderful character. I really liked her when I first met her in The Cost Of Crude. However, I still wanted to shake some sense into her when she took unnecessary risks. I'm surprised that Ruben's temper didn't flare more often at her recklessness. But, saying that, she is quite resourceful and thinks quickly on her feet when in stressful situations.

Having read a couple of other books by this author, I couldn't wait to read this one. I started to read and didn't put it down until I reached the end. The action starts right from the beginning and doesn't let up. There are several surprising twists full of danger and excitement. This is a fast paced roller coaster ride of suspense, mystery and action. I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat during certain scenes. The story is told through mostly Gwynn's point of view, but a few other characters have their view shown too, especially Ruben and Holly.
It was nice meeting some of the members of Ruben's team again. I liked Holly, who certainly got the town talking! However, don't underestimate her, she's extremely deadly to boot! It did disappoint me that Ruben was not as prominent in this story, but I can understand why he wasn't.
I loved the way Gwynn has grown as an investigator, but she still has a lot to learn and I hope to find out what she has learnt in the next installment of the series.

Inge-Lise Goss has written an intriguing thriller full of danger, mystery and suspense. This is the third book I have read by this author, and I find her writing greatly improved compared to her first book. I love her fast paced writing style and the flow of the story was wonderful. I am now looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Due to some violence, although not too graphic, I do not recommend this book to younger readers. However, I highly recommend this book if you love thrillers full of mystery, suspense, danger, action, adventure and romance. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but I would definitely recommend you read The Cost of Crude first. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews

          

About The Author:

Inge-Lise Goss loves the journeys where her characters take her, and she hopes her readers do too. She was born in Denmark, raised in Utah and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Utah. She is a Certified Public Accountant and worked in that field for over twenty years. She now lives in the foothills of Red Rock Canyon with her husband and their dog, Bran, where she spends most of her time in her den writing stories. There, with her muse by her side, imagination has no boundaries and dreams come alive. When she’s not pounding away on the keyboard she can be found reading, rowing, or trying to perfect her golf game, which she fears is a lost cause.

Goodreads ; Facebook ; Amazon Author Page ; Twitter

Book Review of The Chakra Diaries by Becca Chopra

Book Title: The Chakra Diaries

Genre: Spiritality

Pages: 220

Author: Becca Chopra

Date Published: 22 November 2010

Synopsis:

Balance your own chakras as you learn how these "energy centers" affect love and loss, health and happiness, life and death for the participants in a chakra workshop. You'll laugh, cry and and maybe even jump for joy as you experience their transformation with them!

Whether you're an avid yogi or yogini or have never heard of chakras, you'll find this look at the human condition and the miracles that can happen through forgiveness, love and energy healing to be both enlightening and entertaining.

You'll learn about:
Chakra Meditation
Chakra Yoga
Affirmations for Chakra Cleansing
Crystal Chakra Healing
Mind-Body Healing

This is not a how-to book. It's what happens when you put ancient teachings and modern lives into the same kitchen and raise the heat while cooking up great emotion. The Chakra Diaries is a literary romance, but with emotional, intellectual and spiritual nuances that would appeal to anyone interested in love, especially enlightened love. The villains in The Chakra Diaries are ones we all try to avoid: cancer, lost love, false beliefs, but it is these very perilous obstacles that drive the stories and finally lift the characters into their higher spiritual states through chakra healing and balancing.

Review:

The Chakra Diaries by Becca Chopra
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was contacted by the author for an honest review during a free promotion a couple of years ago. I agreed and downloaded a copy due to being interested in spirituality and the chakras. Unfortunately, due to my rather large reading list, I have only recently been able to read it.

This is a collection of stories that were quite interesting. They are a small insight into the lives of the people who, in one way or another, found themselves learning about chakras and opening themselves to spiritual and emotional growth through the teachings of Rebecca. Each story relates to a journey taken by the various characters and the emotional or physical barriers that have weighed them down over the years, which relates to the chakras of the body. These are the Root, Sacral, Solar Plexis, Heart, Throat, Third Eye and Crown chakras. Each chakra is represented by a colour: Red for the Root, Orange for the Sacral, Yellow for the Solar Plexis, Emerald Green for the Heart, Sky Blue for the Throat, Indigo for the Third Eye and Violet for the Crown.
The characters come from varied backgrounds and social circles. However, they all have found themselves at a crossroads in their lives. They are Estrella, Barry, Deborah, Sarah, Carol, Jean, Julie, Tony and Mark. Rebecca also has her diary entry included.
I loved meeting these characters and getting to know them better through their diary entries; they all come alive as their stories are revealed. The characters in this book take the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride as they struggle with their issues and undertake their journeys into spirituality.

However, I struggled to follow the chakra meditations at the beginning of each section. I don't know if it is just me being stubborn or lacking imagination, but I found I couldn't picture the exercises as described. I don't know if I was doing it wrong, or what the problem was. I must admit, I have even have trouble making my mind go blank by focusing on or imagining a plain white wall! Perhaps I'm too tense or self-conscious about meditating, even when I'm on my own. I have even tried listening to meditation CD's of crashing waves and whale calls in an attempt to calm the mind a few times over the years, but all that happens is that I get irritated by the repeated pattern of the sounds and end up switching it off and listening to the sound of nothing! Maybe I need to have a chakra reading to see what the problem is. I am usually open to nature spirits and believe in inner spirituality, but meditation is harder than it looks! Perhaps it's not my journey to take.

That being said, this book may help those of you who would like to learn how to meditate or unblock chakras to allow the emotional energy within the body to flow better and bring about health in both mind and body. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews

           

About The Author:

I am fascinated by human emotions and have compiled the whole range I've encountered as a holistic health counselor into my novel, THE CHAKRA DIARIES. In the sequel, CHAKRA SECRETS, I share my own path to love and happiness, plus an instant healing technique anyone can use to balance their chakras and balance their lives.

BALANCE YOUR CHAKRAS, BALANCE YOUR LIFE, is a companion book to CHAKRA SECRETS, taking you step-by-step through the Dynamind instant healing process. If you'd like more love and happiness in your life, don't wait a minute more to buy this book and learn my secret.

Many of my readers have asked for information on food and the chakras, and if a chakra imbalance is related to food. Yes, indeed... so I've written THE CHAKRA ENERGY DIET. It provide the answers to why you have food cravings, are overweight or have health issues. The solution? A rainbow buffet of whole foods, exercise and relaxation techniques.

To experience how Chakra Meditation can help you become more grounded and centered, listen and download my free meditation at http://www.TheChakras.org.

When not reading, writing, meditating or doing yoga, I am a "wannabe" mermaid living on the Big Island of Hawaii and I try to enjoy each moment with my husband and baby. Aloha!

Author Links:

Goodreads ; Amazon Author Page ; Twitter ; Facebook ; Website

Book Review of Ruins (Sentinel Trilogy #2) by Joshua Winning

Book Title: Ruins (Sentinel Trilogy #2)

Genre: YA Dark Fantasy/Horror

Pages: 328

Author: Joshua Winning

Date Published: 18 May 2015

Synopsis:

Second instalment of the critically-acclaimed Sentinel Trilogy. In his desperate search for answers about the Sentinels, an ancient society of guardians that his parents once belonged to, fifteen-year-old Nicholas Hallow is tipped into a fresh nightmare of terrifying monsters - and even more sinister humans. AsNicholas is challenged to become a Sentinel, he must track down a mysterious girl with the help of a grumpy cat. Meanwhile, an uprising of evil threatens to destroy the Sentinels and send the world spiralling into chaos.

Review:

Ruins by Joshua Winning
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the Sentinel Trilogy. I absolutely loved it!

Nicholas Hallow is a fantastic character. I liked him very much when I first met him in Sentinel. He has dealt with tragedy and faced danger which has destroyed his world with more bravery than even I would have in the same situation. Now he finds himself on a quest to locate a girl with extraordinary powers to help him fulfil a prophecy.

I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this book ever since I finished Sentinel in 2013. It was well worth the wait! I started to read this story and didn't put it down until I had finished it a few hours later. I was hooked from the first page and found myself sitting on the edge of my seat often. This story is told through several different points of view, which gives the reader a broader understanding of what is happening when Nicholas is elsewhere.

The characters come alive as the tale unfolds. I loved meeting Samuel Wilkins again. He was Nicholas's parents friend. I liked his spirit! At 71 years old, he's still got a lot of it, though his health is not as good as it once was. Isabel is a unique character, and her snarky and sarcastic comments had me giggling! I liked her very much, to say that she's now a cat. It's amazing what havoc a misfired spell can do to your perspective! Malika is her usual evil self but, now that Diltraa is dead, she has her own plans to follow and will stop at nothing to see them through.
There are also two new characters introduced in this book. They are Dawn Morgan and Rae Walker. These two girls bring different perspectives to the story. I liked Dawn, who is rather shy and emotionally damaged after an event that changed her life. But, as she interacts with Nicholas, she comes out of her shell more. Rae is more enigmatic. She has not had an easy life either, but she has had more problems in her fifteen years than most will have in their entire lifetime! She also happens to have a deadly power that she is struggling to control.

There are several twists and turns in this book that I didn't see coming, but they just added to a totally enthralling read! I found myself on an emotional roller coaster ride from beginning to end. By the end of the book, I still had some questions that needed to be answered (although a few that were left over from the first book were) but I am now looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy as soon as I can!

Joshua Winning has written a fantastic sequel to his debut novel! I love his fast paced writing style, and the story flowed beautifully. This author is one to watch. He is one of only a handful of male authors who I have added to my favourite authors list and I can't wait to see what he will come up with in the future.

As this book is a Young Adult fantasy, I highly recommend this book (and series) to young readers aged 12+ and to adults who love YA stories filled with witches, demons, supernatural beings, danger and adventure! - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews

        

About The Author:

Joshua Winning was born in Cambridge, but don't hold that against him. He's attempted to escape reality for most of his life by writing. As a child, that involved poring diligently over anything by C.S. Lewis or Robin Jarvis.​

When he's not writing about Sentinels, Joshua can usually be found watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer, The Wire and Daria. He also works as a freelance journalist, writing about movies for Total Film, Little White Lies and movieScope.​

Joshua currently lives in North London with his cat Mia. Unfortunately, she's not a great conversationalist, but he's working on it.

Author Links:

Goodreads ; Twitter ; Facebook ; Website ; Amazon Author Page

Embryo by J.A. Schneider



J.A. Schneider

Goodreads Author

url

https://www.goodreads.com/JASchneider

born

in The United States

gender

female

website

http://jaschneiderauthor.net

twitter username

JoyceSchneider1

genre

Mystery & Thrillers, Suspense

influences

Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie
Ira Levin

member since

March 2010

About this author

 
Wheaton College, Norton MA (French Lit Major, unofficial minor in Spanish to annoy the French Dept & squeezed in Russian)
Sorbonne
Exchange student in Soviet Union (where I got arrested for spreading anti-Soviet propaganda - ha! Wound up in a Soviet hospital cuz I fell down a ravine during a hike in the Caucasus Mts near Sochi. It wasn't bad. Docs in Sochi were nice...)

Former Staffer at Newsweek Magazine

Author of the EMBRYO series:
Embryo
Embryo 2: Crosshairs
Embryo 3: Raney & Levine
Embryo 4: Catch Me
Embryo 5: Silver Girl

Wife, mom, love reading & writing - especially thrillers & medical thrillers. (Doctors-&-Cops!) Decades of being married to a physician who loves explaining medical concepts and reliving his experiences meanWheaton College, Norton MA (French Lit Major, unofficial minor in Spanish to annoy the French Dept & squeezed in Russian)
Sorbonne
Exchange student in Soviet Union (where I got arrested for spreading anti-Soviet propaganda - ha! Wound up in a Soviet hospital cuz I fell down a ravine during a hike in the Caucasus Mts near Sochi. It wasn't bad. Docs in Sochi were nice...)

Former Staffer at Newsweek Magazine

Author of the EMBRYO series:
Embryo
Embryo 2: Crosshairs
Embryo 3: Raney & Levine
Embryo 4: Catch Me
Embryo 5: Silver Girl

Wife, mom, love reading & writing - especially thrillers & medical thrillers. (Doctors-&-Cops!) Decades of being married to a physician who loves explaining medical concepts and reliving his experiences means that there’ll be medical angles even in “regular” thrillers I write. I live with my bunch in s. Connecticut, USA.

Please come visit me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JASchneiderA...
Or Twitter https://twitter.com/JoyceSchneider1

 

A terrifying serial killer who just targets couples, and leaves taunting notes for the NYPD signed CATCH ME... At a loss, police request the help of doctors Jill Raney and David Levine, police friends and detectives on their own. Both have helped when cops' hands are tied, or in ways that even police forensics never imagined.

But this killer, a sharp shooter, is always a step ahead. He wears gloves and disguises, shoots victim pairs at random with an unregistered gun, and leaves no physical evidence or eyewitnesses. He's enraged to hear that David is also a crack shot, and intrigued with the couple's adopted little son, Jesse, almost one year old, dubbed by the media "the miracle baby," and already showing signs that he is as intuitive as his mother...

The killer draws closer, gripping New York City and the entire nation in horror, pulling Jill and David into the worst terror they have yet encountered

 

My review

Click on the pic to get your copy. 

 

 

Without a doubt the best book in the series thus far

 

More malice, more evil, better character formation due to natural time progression.

A fast pace, a nice twist and tension enought to carry you through a thunderstorm with no power

 

I am a big fan of this author and getting to be a bigger and bigger fan after every completed book.

 

WaAr

Jeff LaFerney brings you Lost and Found

 

Click here to go to Amazon to buy your copy

 

 

The blurb

 

In 1939, a sole Jewish smuggler immigrates to America to preserve a heritage Hitler hoped to erase. In 1944, two spies enter the United States on a mission to track down one man and a treasure of missing Spanish gold. In 2014, the immigrant’s son, his mind deteriorating from dementia, disappears, but not before he leaves his grandson clues, thrusting him into a mystery seventy-five years in the making. Blake Nolan and his girlfriend set out to unravel clues that could not only set secrets from history right again but also lead to two priceless treasures. With his grandfather’s life in the balance and suspects hot on Blake’s trail, will what was lost be found in time?

 

 

 

About the author

 

Jeff LaFerney is currently a full-time language arts teacher where he lives in Davison, Michigan. After coaching basketball for most of his career, he decided to write books instead and took on his new hobby. Now he spends his free time reading, writing, and editing books. He and his beautiful wife have two young adult children. His Clay and Tanner Thomas series focuses on a father and son team who use parapsychological abilities to solve mysteries. Jumper is a time-travel science fiction adventure. Jeff also has a blog called The Red Pen where he usually infuses humor to share about himself or to give inspiration or writing tips. h1ttp://jefflaferney.blogspot.com/

 

The review

 

Lost and Found by Jeff LaFerney

This is the second book in about 30 days that I have read with a YA male as the hero.  I am very impressed in finding more and more authors filling a very real gap in YA reading.  Not all readers are girls.  So to find a good boy doing the right thing is a positive reinforcement I cannot help but endorse.

The book is far more however than a simple plot line of a hero saving the day.

It is about the effects of Dementia on a family, mother, inflicted grandfather, and grandson.  The added stress of having a father on active duty abroad is totally overshadowed by the very real problem of living with a person in the early phases of dementia.  I found this a stunning twist and a very insightful one.  I think fiction is much like Mary Poppins; a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down.  To raise awareness of day to day life, the real import of the family unit, community etc is more readily available for everybody let alone the youth when dressed up in a truly fast paced plot. 

The mystery part of this story is stunning, working against the clock, saving riddles relayed by an old man with dementia to save that very man’s life is what the main plot is all about.  Naturally we have a girl, a really nice one whom somewhat reminded me of Hermione in Harry Potter, she is pretty, smart and unconcerned about life outside of her own reality.  Not bothering trying to become prom queen, this girl is somebody who knows who she is and likes what she sees, so do we, the readers.

The grandpa….awh.  I fell in love with him from the first mention.  I was rooting for him when all gave up. 

Character development is really well done as is setting.  This town came alive for me and the volunteers at the search and rescue added to my idea of rural America where community still means something if not for some, everything. 

The historic aspect is what got me to initially pick up this book.  I love WWII.  I love the history, the conspiracy the general “educated” guess work.  Some of these educated guess work really rings true and rocks. 

All in all, a must read book aimed for the YA male but accessible to all.

What makes this such a good read is the ease of reading, the smoothness of plot.

Get a copy if you have a teen who wants to read but has difficulty finding books for YA male’s. 

 

 

Book Review of Lost and Found by Jeff LaFerney

Book Title: Lost And Found

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 289

Author: Jeff LaFerney

Date Published: 28 April 2015

Synopsis:

In 1939, a sole Jewish smuggler immigrates to America to preserve a heritage Hitler hoped to erase. In 1944, two spies enter the United States on a mission to track down one man and a treasure of missing Spanish gold. In 2014, the immigrant’s son, his mind deteriorating from dementia, disappears, but not before he leaves his grandson clues, thrusting him into a mystery seventy-five years in the making. Blake Nolan and his girlfriend set out to unravel clues that could not only set secrets from history right again but also lead to two priceless treasures. With his grandfather’s life in the balance and suspects hot on Blake’s trail, will what was lost be found in time?

Review:

Lost and Found by Jeff LaFerney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review 6*

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is a fantastic YA mystery/thriller. I LOVED it!

Blake Nolan is a wonderful character. I really liked this young man. He is kind, loving and incredibly gorgeous! He finds himself on an exciting but dangerous adventure when his grandfather, who suffers from dementia, goes missing.

This is a fantastic tale woven through a real life event. The second World War saw atrocities that have left the survivors reeling even after seventy-five years. Not only was the loss of life an outrage, the loss of possessions, either by theft or destruction, has left deep emotional scars within the families affected. Precious heirlooms and significant historical documents and paintings were either pillaged or destroyed by a regime that did it's best to wipe out a whole race. In this story, we are taken on a journey back to 1939 and a war torn Germany and a Jew by the name of Yosef Bloomberg. His journey to the USA is fraught with danger, but he bravely sets off to create a new life for himself after his release from Dachau. The story then jumps ahead to 2014, where Blake finds himself on a treasure hunt for his grandfather, who has gone missing. But, as the mystery of his grandfather's disappearance grows, he finds himself unraveling the clues to a past that will affect his future.

When the author approached me to review this book, I said yes immediately because having read a few of his other books, I knew I was in for an exciting read. I was not wrong! This story hooked me from the first page and had me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I read this book in one sitting, as I didn't want to put it down! There are several twists and turns that kept me riveted and I found myself guessing for most of the story as to what happened to Matthias Bloom, Blake's grandfather. When the big reveal happened, I was completely surprised. I love the red herrings the author had thrown into the reader's path. They had me thinking one thing when in reality, it was a completely different scenario. The history used in this story is well researched, and I loved the way the author blended the horror and danger of that time into a story that is not only believable, but sad and joyous at the same time. The characters are extremely lifelike and relatable, and the action and danger is intense. I reached the end of the story and my first thought was "Wow!". I had a book hangover from this book and struggled to begin my next read for quite some time. Avid readers will know what I mean when I say that, but for those who don't know what it means to have one of those: A book hangover is where a book affects you so much that you can't stop thinking about it for several hours or days. This book was that intense. I can't wait to see what else this author is working on!

Jeff LaFerney has written a fantastic young adult mystery/thriller. I love his writing style, which is fast paced and exciting, and the flow is wonderfully fluid; each scene flows into the next seamlessly. He is one of the few male authors who has made it onto my favourite authors list and I am looking forward to finally reading Bulletproof, his third book of his Clay and Tanner Thomas series, next.

I highly recommend this as a "MUST READ" to not only teens aged twelve to eighteen but to adults too, who are looking for an exciting read. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews

     

About The Author:

Jeff LaFerney is currently a full-time language arts teacher where he lives in Davison, Michigan. After coaching basketball for most of his career, he decided to write books instead and took on his new hobby. Now he spends his free time reading, writing, and editing books. He and his beautiful wife have two young adult children. His Clay and Tanner Thomas series focuses on a father and son team who use parapsychological abilities to solve mysteries. Jumper is a time-travel science fiction adventure. He also has a blog called The Red Pen where he usually infuses humor to share about himself or to give inspiration or writing tips.

Author Links:

Blog

Goodreads

Amazon Author Page

Facebook

Russian Hill by Ty Hutchinson

Click on the link to get your copy

Russian Hill (Abby Kane FBI Thriller #3)

byTy Hutchinson (Goodreads Author)

Russian Hill (Abby Kane FBI Thriller, #3)4.08 of 5 stars4.08 · rating details · 83 ratings · 21 reviews

In the first book of the thrilling Chasing Chinatown trilogy, a killer is loose in San Francisco, and he’s collecting body parts.

SFPD has no witnesses and no suspects, but FBI Agent Abby Kane believes a dead hiker found ten miles north of the city is the key to solving those crimes.

The detective involved with the case thinks Abby might be chasing a ghost down a rabbit holIn the first book of the thrilling Chasing Chinatown trilogy, a killer is loose in San Francisco, and he’s collecting body parts.

SFPD has no witnesses and no suspects, but FBI Agent Abby Kane believes a dead hiker found ten miles north of the city is the key to solving those crimes.

The detective involved with the case thinks Abby might be chasing a ghost down a rabbit hole, but the more Abby digs, the more she begins to think the killer is playing a game and there's an audience cheering him on

 

My review

 

A better than usual thriller in this genre, I really had fun reading this book. 

It is a wee bit gory but never without need.
The story moves fast, the characters comes accross as real and the ending was simply spectacular.

All in all, I would say this is a good bet to past more than an hour or two in a world not your own.  I hope, if your a serial killer then this might not be for you.

WaAr

 

About the author

 

Ty Hutchinson

Goodreads Author

url

https://www.goodreads.com/TyHutchinson

website

http://tyhutchinson.com/

twitter username

latersbra

genre

Mystery & Thrillers

member since

February 2010

About this author

Hello. My name is Ty Hutchinson. I'm glad you stopped by.

I'm the author of the best selling Abby Kane FBI Thrillers, featuring the short and feisty Abby Kane. She made her debut in Corktown, which became a Kindle #1 best seller shortly after its release. I also write the Darby Stansfield Thrillers. Readers have described them as Tarantino meets The Office with a splash of romance.

You can visit my blog at tyhutchinson.com for the latest on my books. Be sure to take the Darby Poll while you're there. I love hearing from my readers, so feel free to email me at thutchinson @ me dot com

 

 

Let me tell you a little something - I only have a minute

 

Gimme a mininute

 

So if you are wondering why I had no author on WaAr for April here is the truth

I had people ask

I had people demand

I had not a single person that had the good manners to say HI, How are you..

I do not need a paragraph people, but if you want something from me, if you want me to put in effort and money in PROMOTING YOUR stuff, then feel free to say hello.

 

Manners, it is free, and it is something I fail at often but I try, oh I try to make it right once I realize I have acted like a brat.

 

 

My second rant

 

Blurbs..

Authors, I do not care if Kirkus, The Pope, The President of South Africa Jacob Zuma, Robert Mugabe or Oprah read and left you a review, I want to know what your book is about NOT what others think after they read it, especially if you are so confused that you are not sure in which one of the 20 genre's you have listed your book falls in....then give me a blurb.  Cause guess what, without one I accept you cannot write and I move on.....

 

Book Review of For Love or Money (Sweet Remix) (Golden States Hearts Trilogy Book 1) by Kathy DiSanto

Book Title: For Love or Money

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 158

Author: Kathy DiSanto

Date Published: 1 April 2015

Synopsis:

A semi-sweet remix of Kathy's award-winning romantic comedy, sensual but not explicit!

“Whoever said a kiss is just a kiss never locked lips with Brent Maddox.”

Small-town practical to the soles of her size fives, high school English teacher Jen Casey has one weakness—she’s never been able to resist a dare. Ergo, when her BFF Candy Johnson throws down the triple-dog dare gauntlet, Jen has no choice but to accept the challenge. She e-mails former-classmate-turned-millionaire Brent Maddox, offering advice for the lovelorn.

But, really. Is it her fault Celebrity Magazine published the e-mail instead of forwarding it?

See, that’s the problem with dares in Jen’s experience—they almost always have dire consequences. Like Brent Maddox showing up on her doorstep—tall and golden and sexy as sin—determined to get payback. Like finding herself a reluctant guest at his sprawling Malibu hacienda, sentenced to a week of the same high life she blames for his romantic snafus.

Of course sparks start to fly. She’s only human, and Brent is an unexpectedly endearing hunk and a half. Unfortunately, Jen isn’t built for quick and steamy affairs. She’s been dreaming of that love of a lifetime man, and now she’s falling fast. She can run before it’s too late, or stay and take the biggest gamble of her life. Brent promises nights filled with passion, but will he ever offer his heart?

Review:

For Love or Money by Kathy Disanto
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is the first book in the Golden States Hearts Trilogy. I absolutely LOVED it!

Jen Casey is a wonderful character. I liked her a lot. She is a high school English teacher, who also happens to be completely unable to resist a dare. This compulsion to prove that she can do anything anyone dares her to tends to lead her into trouble. But, will her latest dare prove to be more than she can handle?

This is a fun, lighthearted and entertaining read. This book was originally published as a Loveswept Romance. I used to love reading romances from that series, though I have no idea if they were a division of Mills and Boon or a completely different company. Nevertheless, when I heard that this book was being re-written and updated for the 21st Century, I grew excited. Having previously read a science fiction novel by this author, when she offered me the opportunity to read this book, I jumped at it.

I started to read this story and was quickly hooked. The characters are likable and lifelike. I love Jen's impulsive behaviour and, even though she should know better than to accept dares, she is just crazy enough to go through with them. I did, on occasion, think that her best friend Candy is one of those people who knows exactly which buttons to press to get a reaction. She takes perverse pleasure in winding Jen up and watching the feathers fly, so to speak. I did like her, though. Brent Maddox is a complex character. I liked him, as well as his response to Jen's e-mail. I found myself smiling through some of the dialogue, which to some may sound a bit cheesy, but that's part of the charm of this story, and the comedic situation that Jen finds herself in. The descriptions of the people and places are quite vivid and this meant I could picture each scene in my mind's eye with ease.

In a way, this story was a little bittersweet for me because I haven't read a sweet romance like this for some time, and it reminded me of how much I loved to read them. I cut my romance eye teeth on books such as this as a teenager and read them faithfully for many years. As an adult, my reading habit has seen a shift in genres, but I will always have a soft spot for romances such as this one. I can't wait to read the second book in the trilogy!

Kathy DiSanto has written a fantastic, sweet contemporary romance. I love her writing style, which is neither too fast nor too slow and the flow is wonderful; each scene flowed into the other like liquid. I am a huge fan of this author and will definitely read more of her books in the future.

As this book does not contain explicit scenes of sex (although there are some sensual ones), I highly recommend this book to teens (aged 15 upwards) and adults who love sweet contemporary romances. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews

        

About The Author:

Kathy's publishing career dates back to 1997, when she published a two-book romance series with Bantam's Loveswept line. The first book in the series, For Love or Money, won a 1997 Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award.

In 2012, Kathy self-published two thrillers. Amanda's Eyes, the first book in a series featuring crime reporter A.J. Gregson, is a paranormal thriller that has garnered a 4.4★ average on Amazon and was a semi-finalist in Kindle Book Review's 2014 Best Kindle Book Awards. Her second thriller, Why Live?, is dystopian science fiction.

Current projects include the sequel to Amanda's Eyes, remixes of her two romance novels, and posts to her blogs Write Minded (on the writing life) and Momma D's Diary (a humorous look at aging and retirement).

As a communications specialist with a major university, Kathy wrote more than one hundred features for print and the web. Now retired and writing full-time, she enjoys meditation; reading; live performances by her sons (both professional musicians); brisk walks with her rescue dogs, Molly and Lucy; and playing handy gal around her 92-year-old, 4-square home in Martinsburg, WV.

Author Links:

Amazon Author Page ; Twitter ; Facebook ; Goodreads