Friday, March 29, 2019

Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 381 - Kierce by Veronica Scott, Secrets Never Die by Melinda Leigh

Kierce: A Badari Warriors SciFi Romance Novel (Sectors New Allies Series Book 6)Kierce: A Badari Warriors SciFi Romance Novel by Veronica Scott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Best thing after the two main characters - the hints about new characters and where the story arc will go in the future. Kierce is a new bread of Badari and he has to come to terms with what he can do. Elianna McNamee is a new character who is put into Kierce's cell. After the two are rescued Elianna's skills are vital to getting help from the Sector. This adds new and interesting characters while moving the plot forward. I loved Kierce and would love to have someone like him around.


Secrets Never Die (Morgan Dane, #5)Secrets Never Die by Melinda Leigh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Once again Cris Dukehart (Goodreads Author) (Narrator) does a great job. I love Morgan and Lance and look forward to their next adventure. As always danger stalks the story line as Morgan and Lance work to find a teenager and to prove he is innocent. There are some interesting new characters and a new possibility of a romance for Sharp. Another thrilling adventure that kept me listening.

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Thursday, March 28, 2019

Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 380 - Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci, In Her Sights by Katie Ruggle

Long Road to Mercy (Atlee Pine, #1)Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brittany Pressley (Narrator ), Kyf Brewer (Narrator ) do a great job with Long Road to Mercy. I loved the two main characters. Atlee Pine carries the story and she is well served by Bloom, her secretary. This is book one and the series started with a great story line and a plot that moves at a brisk pace. What starts simple becomes very complex and it held my attention for the entire time. The ending was the same as the beginning as what happened to Mercy is so much a part of who Pine is.


In Her Sights (Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters, #1)In Her Sights by Katie Ruggle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After a slow start things really picked up for Molly and her crew of bounty hunters. The main plot point in this new series is where is Molly's and her sister's mother, something that was not solved in book one. Her mothers disappearance brings on another big problem. John Carmondy just wants a chance with Molly and between the two they face danger together as well a solve the other big problem. Great cast of characters. The set up for the next book and the next sister who will find both danger and romance is in the last chapter. Interesting new series.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

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Trail-Blazer by Michelle Diener - Book Blast and Giveaway



Trailblazer
by Michelle Diener 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Sci-fi Romance

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

He's on a mission . . .

She's running for her life . . .

And if they get off-planet alive, she'll have to trust he won't reveal her darkest secret.

Tally Riva is not what she seems, and even she's not happy about it. Infected, invaded, she's not quite sure how to describe it, but on a disastrous mission to a ghost ship, something burrowed its way into her body. Into her mind.

When her commander decides the best cure for what he thinks is Tally's trauma is to send her on the famous Veltos Trail, Tally goes without revealing what's really behind her mental anguish. Anything to be seen as normal again, anything to ignore what she's afraid is happening to her.

But Veltos isn't the safe place it seems. The chosen military personnel lucky enough to be offered the chance to walk the Trail are supposed to be the only people on Veltos. But Ben Guthrie, a captain in Arkhoran Special Forces, knows they're not. He and his team have been on Veltos for a month already, tracking suspicious enemy activity, and he's gone undercover on the Trail in search of a satellite his superiors are sure has been shot down.

When Ben's worst fears become reality, and they find themselves hunted by a cunning enemy through the thick forests of Veltos, Tally and Ben fight together to survive. And Tally has to decide if accepting the changes inside her will save them both, or be her doom.

TRAILBLAZER is part of the Verdant String series but can easily be read as a standalone novel. Other books in the series include Interference & Insurgency (Two Novellas of the Verdant String), and Breakaway and Breakeven.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT

It had occurred to her more than once that this ship was very much to her own proportions. That everything she'd found was built for hands like hers. 

Could this be a lost Verdant String ship, from before the eight planets of the Verdant String had found each other? From those first centuries of space exploration?

Or even--her mind reeled at the implications--from another Verdant String planet, one they had yet to find?

Whatever it was, it was a major historical find.

She reached the halfway point across the walkway, and looked over the other side. It was more of the same, although there was also tanks that looked as if they'd once held liquid, now long dried up.

She shivered, her sense of isolation and insignificance seemed amplified in this massive space, and she moved a little faster as she headed for the other side of the walkway.

A door blocked her way. She stepped close to it, but it didn't open automatically. She looked around for a button or handle, but there was nothing except a screen attached to one side.

She hesitated, then touched it, and it flickered on, an outline of a hand showing in pale gray.

A hand exactly the shape of her own.

Cautiously, she pressed her palm against it, and with a gasp that startled her, the door slid to one side.

She stepped into the room, and knew immediately it was the bridge, the center of the ship.

She lifted the light, but there was nothing in here, just chairs and machines.

There was one light, throbbing a dull red rather than glowing, and she walked up to it. She couldn't understand the label written above it, but she accepted what she was going to do.

She pressed the button.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Review:

I loved Tally Riva and her little friends and how she uses the group she belongs to to explain her abilities. What seems like a two week hike to help her get over being stranded on the ghost ship turns into a run for her life. Ben Guthrie like Tally is not what he seems and the two have to work together to survive. This has a great romance, good world building, and plot that keeps the action moving at a fast pace. The Verdant String series started with great stories and Trailblazer adds another to the mix. While this is part of a series it does stand alone. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction. Having worked in publishing and IT, she’s now very happy crafting new worlds and interesting characters and wondering which part of the world she can travel to next.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and children. When she’s not writing, or driving her kids from activity to activity, you can find her at her website, or online at Twitter and Facebook.


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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Michelle Diener will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 379 - The Cliff House by RaeAnne Thayne, Untouchable by Jayne Ann Krentz

The Cliff HouseThe Cliff House by RaeAnne Thayne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is a romance for everyone is The Cliff House. Daisy, Bea and Stella are a family and family sticks together. Turns out at least two have a secret they have not shared. Each of the women have to work to find the happiness they deserve and the journey is very interesting. All a held back by the past and all have to strive to find what they need for the future. A nice interesting story line with great characters and a plot that has both laughter and pain.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.


Untouchable (Cutler, Sutter & Salinas, #3)Untouchable by Jayne Ann Krentz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the final chapter in the Cutler, Sutter and Salinas saga. Jack Lancaster and Winter Meadows join in the search for Quinton Zane. Zane is after Jack and uses Winter to draw him in. Turns out Jack and Winter are more than a match for Zane. This had some fun elements as the story uses people from previous series as side characters. I loved how Winter and Jack complemented each other as they used their paranormal talents to survive. A nice ending to the series.

View all my reviews

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Where Sleeping Lies Lie by M. Naidoo - Book Blast and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. M. Naidoo will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

“Two men... two worlds... one desperate promise...”

If Anna had only known how the simple push of a button would turn her life upside down, she would never have pressed ‘Play.’

Just 22 seconds into the recording she’s hit by the realization that, if the voice in the thick German accent is right, she has been living with an unthinkable lie for the past thirty years.

There is only one way to find out: Follow the instruction left by a dead person and head back to Germany, to a life Anna has next to no conscious memory of.

To her surprise, she finds an unexpected ally in Peter, an old childhood friend whose law degree and language skills prove to be more than useful. Besides, he has the most gorgeous blue eyes and the uncanny ability to push Anna's buttons without the slightest effort. At every turn, their search for answers is littered with more lies and revelations.

Anna must ultimately decide whether even the noblest of ends, truly justify the means and whether some secrets should better stay buried.

“Mystery, history, and a twist at every turn. Brilliant characters and prolific storytelling... irresistible!”

Read an Excerpt

Erich had a much different recollection of the conversation that followed Anna's entrance into the garage two days ago. At that moment, he wasn't sure what hurt him more, seeing his daughter so devastated by the phone call, questioning what she had always thought to be true, or knowing that this was only the start of a series of revelations that would turn both their lives upside down. One thing was for sure; their relationship would never be the same. Yes, they had lied to her back then, but she was only five years old for god's sakes!...

A few minutes later he was watching Leni devour a double scoop of 'Cookies and Cream'. Aside from the color of her hair, she looked so much like her mother, down to the dimples on her cheeks. The freckles, however, reminded him of his late wife. If Lisa could only see her granddaughter. If she could only be here now to help him get through the next few weeks. What the hell happened back then?

He knew he should have asked that question long ago. Instead, he had accepted that his wife did not want to talk about it and left it alone. Whatever she had discovered that day had changed the rest of their lives. "We're leaving." That was all she had said, with such cold determination that had left no room for negotiation. Less than two weeks later they had boarded a plane to LAX.

About the Author:M.Naidoo lives in Northern California with her husband, two daughters, and three dogs. Born and raised in Germany, she was able to draw on a wealth of memories and passed down stories for Where Sleeping Lies Lie.

When she is not in front of her computer, pounding out story lines and characters, she enjoys reading, movies, spending time with her family, and long walks on the beach - her proverbial 'happy place'. M's love for the shore line and ocean shine through in the vivid descriptions of the coast in her debut novel The Pelican.

"Juggling my life as a writer and a full-time 'real' job has its challenges. I don't get to spend half as much time as I'd like doing what I love, and there are never enough hours in the day. Still, I feel extremely lucky to be following my passion, and I am enjoying every minute of it. Getting here has been one heck of a ride!"

Like and follow M. Naidoo on social media

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMNaidoo
https://www.instagram.com/authormnaidoo/

For information about the author, her blog, upcoming releases, and more visit http://www.mnaidoo.com.

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NL34N26

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, March 25, 2019

Low Country Incantations by C.J. Geisel - Book Blast and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. C.J. Geisel will be awarding a paperback copy of "Lowcountry Incantations" to a randomly drawn winner (U.S. Only) via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Quinn Riley has just had her life turned upside-down. Life is about to get worse…and weird.

After losing her job, Quinn Riley goes on the hunt for another boring, nine- to- five when a split- second decision to save a dog turns into a nightmare. The ghost of a stunning young woman in a blue dress starts to follow her, she is forced to move in with a stranger named Caleb, and events in her life have her questioning everything she thought she knew. With the help of Caleb, a new Psychologist turned friend, and a magical root doctor, she navigates the blessings and dangers of her new life.

Read an Excerpt

Burn. It all needs to burn.

The thoughts raced through my mind over and over again, a record on loop. I’m shaking, match in my hand ready to strike. I picture Father and his evil smirk, reeking of beer and cigarettes, closing the door in my face as he prepares to defile Kailee. I hear her screams as if they were my own. Attempting to break the door down, the pain in my arm explodes, yet the locked entrance doesn’t budge. He must have wedged a chair under the door knob again. This wouldn’t be the last time. Mom comes to his defense, as always, declaring I’m full of it. She stands barefoot on the kitchen’s dirty linoleum floor, pregnant with another child that he would be sure to violate. I imagine her face, staring at me as if I were an abomination, making up lies about my own father to get attention. I was certain she could hear the screams echoing through the halls. How could she not care? The anger welling up inside of me seemed to grow exponentially, threatening to escape my throat and bellow into the wind. Her own flesh and blood was being beaten, assaulted by a monster while she stood in the kitchen, hands on her hips. She disgusts me.

About the Author:
CJ Geisel is the author of the paranormal crime thriller "Lowcountry" series. She lives in Florida with her boyfriend, family, and dogs. She is an animal advocate, especially for those who are misunderstood or disabled. She also loves baking, photography, and travelling.
br> Website: https://www.cjgeisel.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cjgeisel
Instagram: http://www.Instagram.com/cjgeiselauthor
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cjgeisel

Purchase links-

Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NF9LWR7
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Lowcountry-Incantations-CJ-Geisel/dp/1796311715/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0

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Saturday, March 23, 2019

Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 378 - The Spies That bind by Ally Carter, Nameless by J.N. Chaney

The Spies That Bind (Gallagher Girls, #0.5)The Spies That Bind by Ally Carter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cammie Morgan has always wanted to be a Gallagher Girl but when she arrives at the Gallagher Girl's school things do not go as she expected. This is a prequel to the Gallagher Girls series and is an introduction to some of the characters and how they become friends. A fun listen even if you have not read any of the series.

Rebecca Soler does a good job on the voices.


Nameless: A Renegade Star StoryNameless: A Renegade Star Story by J.N. Chaney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Abigail and Clementine start this story but only Abigail is there at the end. This is another one that tells the past story of a characters featured in the Renegade Star series. There is a lot of world building and back story revealed. You also see the things that shaped Abigail and her world view. Abigail and Clementine end up in a world make up of violence. This is not a normal upbringing but explains a lot about Abigail.

View all my reviews

Friday, March 22, 2019

Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 377- Cry Wolf by Maggie Shayne, Wishes and Wellingtons by Julie Berry

Cry Wolf (Brown & de Luca, #4.5)Cry Wolf by Maggie Shayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is great to see Brown and de Luca again. It is also unexpected as the series seemed to have come to an end. Not so as the two work together to find out what and why a young boy is missing. Both Brown and de Luca are in top form. There is the missing boy, the famous mystic and of course Rachel who is not a you know what. Nice mix of characters, plot and action and as always a twist at the end.


Wishes and WellingtonsWishes and Wellingtons by Julie Berry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What do you do with a foul-tempered djinni. If you are Maeve Merritt you take two of your friends on a adventure and turn enemies hair green. Then you have one wish left and that leads to more trouble than you ever expected. I loved how Maeve grew as she had to work out how to save people, keep her djinni, and be true to her friends. This was a fun adventure and coming of age story where all well that ends well for Maeve and friends.

Jayne Entwistle brings the character alive in this fun story.

View all my reviews

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 376 -The Widening Gyre by Michael R. Johnston, Connections in Death by J.D.Robb

The Widening GyreThe Widening Gyre by Michael R. Johnston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great Start. Loved the characters, the backstory, the world building and the mystery. Then the whole thing just seemed to stop. The end left a whole lot to be desired. This is book one of a series but while one mystery was solved it left everything up in the air. I will pick up the next book just to see how everyone survives. At least I hope they survive.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.


Connections in Death (In Death, #48)Connections in Death by J.D. Robb
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love Eve and Roarke and always look forward to their next book. It is seldom that I am disappointed but Connections in Death just did not catch me. I did like the characters and the murder was well set up but the aftermath was just boring. Still a must read for fans of the In Death series. Can be read as a standalone but the series does follow a time line.

View all my reviews

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Evil Embers by Cristelle Comby - Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway



Evil Embers (Vale Investigation, book 2)
by Cristelle Comby

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Urban Fantasy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

After narrowly preventing the destruction of Cold City, PI Bellamy Vale needs a rest. Or rather, he needs a plain and simple vanilla case—no monsters or otherworldly creatures involved!

When foreign businessman Eli Smith shows up at his doorstep with a thick wallet and a request to find his missing sister, Vale doesn’t think twice before agreeing.

If he’d known body-hopping demons and smoke monsters came attached to this job, however, he might have.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT

The door slammed shut as something grabbed at me. And by “grabbed”, I mean “lifted me off the ground and rammed me into the nearest wall”.

The structure bent under the impact while a nightmare that would have fit in an old-school John Carpenter movie screamed at me. With my gas mask on, I never heard it coming.

Dazed, I glanced up and faced sharp, yellow-tainted teeth. They formed a circular pit of canines, ready to swallow my head whole. I pulled a knife from my boot and slashed the creep at the center of its mass. The fiend’s scream rose an octave as the cold steel struck home.

The creature dumped me back on the floor before dissipating into nothingness.

The attack sucked the air out of my lungs, and I spent the next few minutes coughing through the mask. I felt like kicking myself. I spent my first week here carving wards around the entire six-block area before going in for the first time. I should have known better than to cut one on this house’s front door and move on. I forgot the back door. That mistake left that damned poltergeist way too much room to attack.

The monster du jour was a ghost, an escapee from the realm of death—the Underworld, Hell, or whatever else you call the place people go to once they’re done with life. From what I knew, not everyone turns Casper in their afterlife. However, those who do become near-mindless creatures stuck in their own plane of existence. When they make it to our side of the border, they turn into full ectoplasmic savages.

The dead guy I stepped over near the open back doorway was proof enough of that. What was once an engineer working for the city now had his chest cavity cut down to the bone and his head severed from his body. Blood splatters all but drowned out the muted yellow of his shredded biohazard suit. Judging from the angle of what remained of his corpse, he was trying to flee the house when the poltergeist got him.

“Dammit,” I muttered as I tightened the straps on my gas mask. Whoever this engineer was, I was pretty sure he didn’t come in here alone, which meant I may have to explain what a six-foot PI in a surplus army jacket, a gas mask right out of the First World War and second-to-thirdhand leather gloves was doing in an area strictly reserved for city workers and engineers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, on the shores of Lake Geneva, where she still resides.

She attributes to her origins her ever-peaceful nature and her undying love for chocolate. She has a passion for art, which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.

She is the author of the Neve & Egan Cases series, which features an unlikely duo of private detectives in London: Ashford Egan, a blind History professor, and Alexandra Neve, one of his students.

Currently, she is hard at work on her Urban Fantasy series Vale Investigation which chronicles the exploits of Death’s only envoy on Earth, PI Bellamy Vale, in the fictitious town of Cold City, USA.

Twitter :

Website :


Goodreads :


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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Legend of Song de Light by Kaitlynzq - Book Blast and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

The author will be awarding 2 $15 gift cards to her book boutique, 2 $10 gift cards to her book boutique, and 4 $4 gift cards to her book boutique to randomly drawn commenters (8 winners) via Rafflecopter.

 Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.


The stories within Legend of Song de Light
connect, unfold, interweave many character’s stories needs, feelings, desires, dreams

their threads as two crescent moons connected under the firelights
that layer the chords, and form the lyrics

all of you entered my world as dawn’s awakening sky of soft palette my garnet heart melted in iridescence to bloom in sun’s rays glow in night’s depth as the stars echo the rhythm of my heart my insides sigh and expand in delight harmonious blend as our lives circle the melody
The audiobook is recorded in Kaitlynzq’s voice with a blend of music like a heart’s wave into downloadable mp3 files.

An audio book that is interwoven in the Lovecontu Song de Light Lovecontu series that includes

Ancient Script of Lovecontu audio poem
Legend of Song de Light audio book Legend of Song de Light audio play
Lovecontu Song de Light Lovecontu audio set

Listen to the synopsis: https://youtu.be/j2XiCz03N0Y

Read an Excerpt

“...Danseur pulls ballerina into him, their eyes speaking the volumes in their hearts as he lifts her above to hold a cherimey for an eight count. He draws her into him again, and upon her signal, tosses her high in the air for a leatur to land softly in his arms. Danseur reimey, as ballerina performs an intricate olor fu de ar, a bea uh li, triple tizpin, turns back to Danseur, and magnifi-gras-se-susay. Danseur catches her right on cue. Joined hand to hand, they geeté, geeté, adream petite into the final truset luh-es-aglo lift, and return encircled with their eyes speaking the volumes in their hearts...”

“...The development process of this collection included the use of a paint brush to add to the photos the undercurrent of feeling within them, and when the four piece panorama is placed side-by-side, a gentle stream is seen that carries this private story...”

About the Author:
My fictional stories are written from the inside view of a character’s interior heart-that beautiful, vulnerable, intimate space feelings, desires, needs, dreams a blend of delicate feather ripples of heart waves needs, feelings, dreams, desires quiet, gentle heart strings tender, continuous soft, vulnerable air mist circles, weaves to caress a sonic sea of heart’s breath

Woven into audio books that are recorded in my voice with a medley of music as a heart’s wave into downloadable mp3 files;

audio plays adapted from the audio books, and layered into pdf files like a heart’s song;

audio poems that are multiple poems designed to connect to form a story as a heart’s breath;

and audio sets that are sets of these interconnected stories with elements from each story that interweave in one another as heart’s wave, heart’s song, heart’s breath.

https://kaitlynzq.com
https://kaitlynzq.boutique
Blog: https://kaitlynzq.com/blog/
vlog: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFAc7uEIdMGMrxLFzym5y6g
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18554610.Kaitlynzq
Contact Information

melodicprose@kaitlynzq.com or contact page: https://kaitlynzq.com/contact

Purchase Links:

https://kaitlynzq.com/legend-of-song-de-light-audio-book
https://kaitlynzq.boutique/legend-of-song-de-light-audio-book/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 375 - Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin, Vox by Christina Dalcher

Native Tongue (Native Tongue, #1)Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a book that has stuck with me for years. In this world women are property, denied civil rights and banned from public life. Written by Suzette Haden Elgin a PHD in linguistics it highlight the importance and power of language. It is one I recommend for anyone who read Vox (the next book in this post) and The Handmaidens Tale. The characters are  very well drawn, the world building is clear and concise and the language fascinating. The book is no longer in print but it is well worth your time to find a copy.


VoxVox by Christina Dalcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was our Science Fiction Book Club selection for March. Vox like Native Tongue is written by a linguistic and highlights the importance of language. In this book women are again denied rights and are stripped of free use of language. They can use only 100 words a day. While the story was a little uneven it still highlights how easily the world can go backwards and groups can have their rights stripped away. As a group we agreed that this was a great read for establishing discussion. In fact it lead to a very long and varied meeting where thing happening today were brought out and compared to events in the book. In Vox language

Saturday, March 16, 2019

Short and Sweet Audio Book Reviews # 374 - Winter World by A.G. Riddle, Smoke Eaters by Sean Grigsby

Winter World (The Long Winter #1)Winter World by A.G. Riddle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First of a Two book Series, Winter World tells a good story. The plot is simple. The Earth is cooling at a fast rate and no one know why. Enter our two main characters. One is the only survivor of the attack on the space station. The other is a prisoner who survives a takeover by the prisoners. Together they work to find and stop the cooling. There is some mystery in the book as why the man was in prison is keep a secret until the end of the book. The plot is very character driven and is fast paced. There are interesting support characters who add to the realistic feel of the story line. The world building and back story are well done again adding to the plot. While there is a solution by the end there is still a threat left to be faced in the next book.

This is told from alternating views from the two main characters. Edoardo Ballerini and Amanda Leigh Cobb do a great job with those voices as well as the voices of the various characters. I enjoyed Winter World and I have the next book on my wish list.


Smoke EatersSmoke Eaters by Sean Grigsby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Smoke Eaters is a thrill a minute journey as Cole Brannigan has to learn to battle dragons. These are not the nice kind either. I loved following Cole and found the world building fascinating. Look for some very different dragons and some different uses for the same. Cole has an interesting back story and other characters help flesh out what and how and why dragons have appeared. I loved Cole and Sherry, his wife, and how the story ended for the two of them.

The Narration by T. Ryder Smith was spot on fitting the emotions in the story with the appropriate voice.

View all my reviews

Friday, March 15, 2019

Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 373 - Unto Us a Son Is Given by Donna Leon, Hot Texas Sunrise by Delores Fossen

Unto Us a Son Is Given (Commissario Brunetti, #28)Unto Us a Son Is Given by Donna Leon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It was great being back in Guido Brunetti's world. Once again Donna Leon walks us through Venice letting us visit a place a world away from our everyday. She has such a great way with words and pacing holding our attention while painting a picture of everyday life for Guido, his co-workers, and family. Woven into that is a background for what is to come. Other background stories are woven into the plot adding to the feel of being with Brunetti as he works out the cause and result of one man's deception. This series has yet to get old. I love the flow and the pace of the books and look forward to more visits with Brunetti.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.


Hot Texas Sunrise (Coldwater Texas, #2)Hot Texas Sunrise by Delores Fossen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What do you do when your best friend dies and wants you to raise her children. That is the dilemma driving the plot in Hot Texas Sunrise. The kids are interesting, the adults helpful, and the problems are many. I loved the way Cleo and Judd react and how they work together. It was also great to see how they worried about how events would affect the other. Great characters, interesting plot and some fun moments kept this a hard to put down story.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

View all my reviews

Thursday, March 14, 2019

The Tursiops Syndrome by John C. Waite - Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway




The Tursiops Syndrome
by John C. Waite 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Thriller

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

How do you get a nuke into the heart of the city? Maybe a dolphin can help. From Author John Waite, the tale of a police detective who matches wits with a mad scientist and terrorists intent on destroying America. When detective Hickory Logan joins Park Ranger Kevin Whitehead investigating the mysterious death of a dolphin she finds herself sucked into a far deeper whirlpool. Can she and Kevin stop the tide of terror that threatens to kill thousands or will they be fodder for a nuclear fireball?

A newspaper review described Tursiops thus: "The writing is, well, wonderful. Waite has a gift for dialogue and story-telling, and his plot is adventurous and perfectly paced. "

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EXCERPT

A scrabbling behind him took Red’s attention from the house. He turned to see a young man wearing medic bars leaning over Jessie’s prone body. He watched as the medic fingered Jessie’s throat, looking for a pulse. 

“Got it,” he muttered. “She’s alive. Gotta keep her that way.”

He reached into a small canvas bag and pulled out a red-lensed flashlight, a plastic bag and tubing. Squatting next to Jesse, he shoved her sleeve up her arm and inserted a needle into a vein. 

He looked up at Red.

“Saline,” he said. 

“You a doc?” Red asked.

“Close as you’re gonna get out here.”

“I’m going for a medevac,” he said and vanished into the darkness.

Red watched Jessie. She didn’t move.  He couldn’t tell if she was  breathing. But the medic had said she was alive. 

“Well…fuck me,” she groaned.

“God damn. Jessie.” Red said.

“Red?” Her voice trembled. “Is that you? Am I dead?”

“Medic.” Red yelled. “Jessie, don’t move. Just don’t move. You’ve been hit. The medic says you’re alive and he went for a medevac.”

Headlights flipped on, and an engine cranked several vehicles back in the convoy. Other lights were coming on around him now, and he could see Jessie, her face masked by the blood-soaked bandanna stuffed into the bullet furrow.

“God, it hurts. How bad?” she asked, not moving.

“Jess, I don’t know. Just don’t move…please. The medic will be right back.”

“I screwed up, huh. Anybody else hurt?” 

As if on cue, a jeep crunched to a halt at Jessie’s feet, and the young medic jumped out. 

“Bird’s on its way,” he said as he knelt beside her. 

Jessie grabbed his arm.

“Am I gonna die?”

The medic took her hand.



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Environment teaches an author a lot.

        I grew up in the suburbs of a big city. Not just any city. At the time I didn’t realize that New Orleans was unique. But even back in the 50s and 60s its nature leaked across the municipal boundaries and gave daily life a pungent flavor. That aspect of it began to dawn on me when I started college, which was only an hour’s drive from Canal Street. But it might as well have been in another state and another time zone.

        Even as a kid I could walk anywhere in Kenner, our suburb, and not feet threatened. Of course, I knew I could run fast and duck if I ran into a dangerous situation. But I never had to utilize that particular talent.

        That freedom sweetened life for me beyond the emotional bounds that many residents of other big cities enjoy.

 I imagine there were drug and prostitution problems there even then, but nothing like the street corner dealers and sex trade that exists today. Back then the cops were good guys, even when they weren’t.

        And there wasn’t the now omnipresent social media and on-the-spot television available to criticize every misstep a well-known figure made.

        None of that directly affects the heroesand heroines who people my stories. But I think that social gumbo enabled me to understand how such characters fit into their environment. And how what they do affects that environment. It lends flavor to how those characters interact.

        Being able to see in my mind’s eye those characters affected by their environment helps me to tell their stories.


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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Thousands of author John C Waite’s words flew past Alpha Centauri years ago,  heading for the center of the galaxy, perhaps sparking an arthropod’s grin in route. Waite, a degreed journalist and retired Merchant Mariner has numerous writing and broadcasting awards to his credit, and millions of words in print and broadcast media. Originally from New Orleans he has called Panhandle Florida his home for fifty years, but still retains a taste for things Creole and Cajun. A recreational and professional sailor, his travels have covered the Caribbean, the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, portions of south and Central America, Canada, Hawaii, Ireland, Britain, and Europe. John resides in Pensacola, Florida. He is a father to four, and grandfather to four.  His books are available on Amazon.

https://twitter.com/johngllgskns1

The book will be on sale for $0.99 during the tour.


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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

John C. Waite will be awarding a $50 Gift Certificate to Nuts.com to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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