Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 370 - Trailblazer by Michelle Diener, Endgame by A.K. DuBoff

Trailblazer by Michelle Diener
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Tally Riva and her little friends. 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.



Endgame by A.K. DuBoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kira faces an even bigger challenge as a planet size ship arrives to use her section of space as building materials. While she has faced challenges before this one is more dangerous than all the others put together. While the challenge was large I found the story around it to be less exciting. There is additional world building and backstory but the presentation slowed the plot to a stand still. There was a final resolution to the aliens and Kira got information she needed about her upgrades. It was a nice ending to the four part series. It is not the last time to see Kira and friends. They will be back in a new series.

View all my reviews

Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 369 - Navigating the Stars by Maria V. Snyder, Sovereign by Jeff Hirsch

Navigating the Stars by Maria V. Snyder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lyra Daniels is very upset. Once again she most follow her parents to a new planet. That means she will leave her friends 50 years in the past even though for her it will be just weeks or months. This is a nice twist on Einstein and his theories adding to the plot. The plot gives Lyra more than she expected and puts both her and her family in grave danger. I loved how Lyra finally decided to both keep the past and look to the future. A very interesting coming of age story with many twists and turns. Great start to a new series.


Sovereign by Jeff Hirsch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Micah Cole is another one mad at his parents for taking him away from his friends. He is stranded on Sovereign, a new planet full of the unknown. I know what I expected Micah to find but was surprised when it turned out I was right. There were clues all along that he was not alone but I just did not catch on. A nice listen in the Audible original. Jesse Einstein does a great job with all the different voices.

View all my reviews

Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 368 - The Infamous Duchess by Sophie Barnes, Emergence by John Birmingham

The Infamous Duchess by Sophie Barnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Viola Cartwright is a very complex character. She has survived losing everyone she loved, some by death and one by deceit. Her story is as complex as her character. She is facing losing everything she has worked for and finds that she must trust even though it is very hard for her. This plot just kept getting more complex as Viola both looses and gains as the story progresses. I loved Henry Lowell and how he worked to overcome a past he invented to keep safe from marriage. Seems it was coming back to haunt him. Look for a interesting characters whose story will come up next. Love how this series just keeps moving in unusual ways. I also enjoyed hearing about the medical history that Barnes adds as an afterwards.

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


Emergence by John Birmingham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you love blood and gore this series is for you. In Emergence you will meet David Hooper, a more flawed and unlikely hero would be hard to find. Even he admits that he is usually not Nice Dave but Rotten Dave. How he changes into to a hero is unexpected. Something has escaped the deep and is killing his crew on the oil rig where he works. When he kills one he get more than he expected. He still is not a nice person but he does has some unusual memories and strengths. This is as I started with saying a lot of blood and gore. We follow not only Dave but also the monsters he is fighting. In the end he wins only to have his victory ripped from his hands and the win turns into a loss.

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


View all my reviews

Short and Sweet Short Story Reviews - #367 -Cat by Sandra R. Neeley, What Child is This by Rhys Bowen

CAT by Sandra R. Neeley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Orglo is a interesting character. He can become whatever his host needs and is really not a threat to the host. However that is not what most think and Orglo has been alone on an abandoned space station for years and has give up ever finding a host. Then Chloe lands in her damaged space ship and all of Orglo's dreams seem to come true. First he appears as a cat and then as Chloe's dream come true. This is a interesting short story with two well developed characters well worth the time you need to read it.


What Child Is This by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jack and Maggie Harris have just lost everything in a bombing raid on Christmas Eve. As they wander the streets lost and alone something unexpected happens. The result brings them more than they every expected. Their loses began before the war when their child died. As the title suggests they find both a child, new hope and a unexpected home. A easy to read short story that highlights the courage of the British people during World War II.

View all my reviews

Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 366 - The Women's War by Jenna Glass, Wild Country by Anne Bishop

The Women's War by Jenna Glass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am glad that this is the first of a series as book one ended on a real downer. Set in a world where there is women's magic, male magic and some that is both women are only property. The upper class feel that their only use is to provide male heirs. Then three women use their magic to change the game. Women are suddenly in control of when and with who they have children. There is some really complex world building throughout out the plot along with backstory to support the story line. There is also a large cast of characters both male and female that keep the story moving. The entire plot kept me reading as I wondered what would happen next. Along the way there were stops in several of the characters heads. As I said the ending was a real downer and it left so much up in the air. This build the world and set the state leaving a lot for the next book.

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


Wild Country by Anne Bishop
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love the world of the Others and have been really invested in both the world and the characters. I found that I was just not as invested in the characters in Wild Country. I enjoyed the story, liked when it ran parallel with a previous story set in Lakeside Courtyard, but I just did not identify with the characters until the very last pages. Bennett showed up in previous books as did some of the characters features in Wild Country. What happened in Bennett could have been prevented and I kept thinking that the choices the characters made did not really make that much sense. Still it was great to visit the World of the Others again and I look forward to the next book in the series.

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

View all my reviews

My Darkest Prayer by S.A. Cosby - Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway

My Darkest Prayer

by S. A. Cosby

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

GENRE:   mystery/suspense

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

BLURB:

Whether it's working at his cousin's funeral home or tossing around the local riff raff at his favorite bar, Nathan Waymaker is a man who knows how to handle the bodies. A former Marine and Sheriff's deputy, Nathan has built a reputation in his small Southern town as a man who can help when all other avenues have been exhausted. When a local minister with grandiose ambitions is found dead, Nathan is approached by his parishioners who feel the local police are dragging their feet with the investigation. What starts out as an easy payday soon descends into a maze of mayhem filled with wannabe gangsters, vicious crime lords, porn stars, crooked police officers and a particularly treacherous preacher and his mysterious wife. Nathan must use all his varied skills and some of his wit to navigate the murky waters of small town corruption even as dark secrets of his own threaten to come to the surface.

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

EXCERPT

I handle the bodies.

That's what I say when people ask me what I do for a living. I find that gets one of two responses. They drift away to the other side of the room and give me a sideways glance the rest of the night or they let out a nervous laugh and move the conversation in another, less macabre direction. I could always say I work at a funeral home, but where's the fun in that?

Every once in a while when I was in the Corps, someone would see me at Starbucks that modern mecca Wal-Mart in my utility uniform. Sometimes they’d catch me in my dress blues after a military ball just trying to grab something before heading back to the base. They would  walk up to me and say, “Thank you for your service.” I'd mumble something like “No, thank you for your support” or some other pithy rejoinder, and they would wander away with a nice satisfied look on their faces. Sometimes what I wanted to say was, “I took care of the bodies. The bodies with the legs blown off or the hands shredded. The bodies full of ball bearings and nails and whatever some kid could find to build his IED. I loaded the bodies up and dragged them back to the base, then went back out on another patrol and prayed to a God that seemed to be only half-listening that today wasn't the day that someone would have to take care of my body.”

But I don't think that would have given them the same warm and fuzzy feeling.

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

I asked the author Where are five places you might visit for inspiration for your books? See what he said:

SAC: I think the top five places I would love to visit would be in no particular order.

1. The city of New Orleans. I have never had the opportunity to travel to New Orleans but I would love to experience the history and architecture of the Crescent City.

2.  I want to go to the Great Pyramids in Egypt. Not so much for a direct inspiration for my specific type of writing but as  an inspiration to me as a man of African descent . To stand in front of those wonders of the world and realize that my ancestors built this with nothing but ropes and water and stone. It would be a moment I would never forget.

3. As inspiration for my current work in progress I went to see several drag races. The need for speed. The symbiotic relationship between a driver and his or her car. The thrill of pushing the envelope helped me get inside the head of my main character.

4.Redwood National Forest. Again this wouldn’t be a direct inspiration for a new story or book. More accurately this would be a motivation for my writing in general. It would be a chance ot commune with a part of myself that is often hidden by the trapping of modern life.

5. I enjoy going ot roadside bars. I grew up behind one and this had a lasting and profound impact on my work. The roadside bar is where the regular everyday person in rural America goes to find a bit of peace and jocularity in an otherwise dreary world. I like to sit at the bar sipping on a whiskey and listen to people talk. I don’t care about what they are talking about I am just listening to the cadence. the rhythm. It helps me find the notes for my dialog. It’s the best creative writing class i’ve ever taken.

~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

S.A. Cosby is a writer whose work has been published in numerous magazine and anthologies. His story "Slant-Six" received an honorable mention in Best Mystery Stories of 2016. His life experiences include being a retail manager, a bouncer, a forklift driver, a landscaper, a roadie, a construction worker, a mortuary attendant, and he once wore a cow suit when he worked for Chik Fil-A. He majored in English at Christopher Newport University and now lives in Gloucester, Virginia.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blacklionking73/

Twitter: @blacklionking73

Amazon: 

 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1940758866/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0

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

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION :

S. A. Cosby will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lily's Trust by Lilli Carlisle - Book Blast and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Lilli Carlisle will be awarding a copy of Omega's Choice + Ceva's Chance to 2 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

LOVE AND SACRIFICE

Omegas choose their mates, and Lily had been certain Jensgar would be happy she had chosen him. Instead, the former general of the king's army refused her, forcing her to the leave the pack she'd adopted. Humiliated and heartbroken, she returns to the Black Ridge Pack, only to find the pitying glances and hushed comments too much to bear. She has no home, and no one to call her own. Convinced she has no other choice, she flees to the forest to live as a wolf. She is shocked when Jensgar, in wolf form, comes for her, and slowly convinces her to trust him again. But the woods hold secrets, and danger. When Jensgar's life is threatened, Lily gives up everything to save the man she loves, and once again puts her chance for happiness in peril.

Read an Excerpt

He stepped onto his front porch and couldn’t help but stop to look at the display of color in front of him. Another gift from Lily. The blooms she’d coaxed to weave up the posts and across the railings stretched outward to reach the late afternoon sun.

Jensgar could picture the sunny day she’d given him this gift as if it were yesterday. She’d been working in the fields helping the pack farmers with planting their new crops. Lily had the gift of fertility, among others, and shared it with anyone who needed it. He had watched over her while she remained in the fields, not a hard task in the least. He felt a certain contentment when he was with her that he’d not felt in well over one hundred years.

Lily had spent most of the day out in the hot fields. He’d gone to her to escort her back to the pack house. She’d finished the second bottle of water he’d made her drink, not wanting her to become dehydrated, as they’d passed his cottage. She stopped midstride and stared at his humble home. He had been a bit self-conscious when she walked up to the gardens and sunk her hands into the earth.

Vines had sprouted almost instantly and wrapped themselves around the front railing before climbing up the timber walls. When she’d finished the front of his house, Lily stood back and viewed her creation with a satisfied smile. At the time, Jensgar hadn’t realized how poignant and appropriate her next words would be.

“Something to remember me by.” She’d smiled at him but nothing could hide her sadness.

Now, Jensgar buried his face in the soft blooms and breathed deeply. For a brief second he felt her presence, but all too soon it was gone. In time, Lily would understand that he’d done what was best for her future. She was a powerful omega destined to lead a pack, not to settle down with a has-been. Sure, he’d been the general of armies, chosen by the king himself, but now as he approached his four hundredth year it was only a matter of time before he’d be retired for someone younger.

About the Author:

Lilli Carlisle, lives outside Toronto, Canada. She’s a member of the Romance Writers of America and its chapter, Toronto Romance Writers. Lilli is a mother of two wonderful girls, wife to an amazing man and servant to the pets in her life. Lilli writes both contemporary and paranormal romance and believes love should be celebrated and shared. After all, everybody needs a little romance, excitement, intrigue and passion in their lives.

Connect with Lilli -

http://facebook.com/lillicarlisleauthor
http://twitter.com/LilliCarlisle
http://instagram.com/lillicarlisle

BUY LINKS:

http://www.boroughspublishinggroup.com/books/lilys-trust
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/lily-s-trust
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/922048
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130530610?ean=2940155970590
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/lilys-trust/id1451771182?mt=11
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NGTC5F3

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Romancing Rebecca by January Bain - Blurb Blitz and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. January Bain will be awarding a Paypal $25.00 cash payout to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Canadian romance writer Rebecca Fairfax thinks a few months living in an English castle will allow her to test out her research theories about the castle and get new material for her writing. Oh, and she’ll be able to carry out her Brass Ring Sorority sisters’ dare to kiss a duke, too. Only, the whole experience ends up changing her life in a way she could never have seen coming…

Ash Piers isn’t interested in peerage and titles. He’s a freewheeling playboy who’s adopted a hedonistic lifestyle after a disastrous love affair. He thinks the upstart Canadian is a gold-digger of the worst kind, kissing his father, the Duke of Piers, on first greeting, then getting engaged to him a moment later! But, damn, he’s attracted to the woman who’s living in his home for the summer. How’s he, a red-blooded Englishman, supposed to keep his hands off her as propriety and family demand?

But with the castle lurching from one crisis to another, Ash and Rebecca have to work together to ensure his family make it through events that threaten to tear everyone apart. And when an ancient and deadly danger looms, both Ash and Rebecca are forced to conquer all fear—physical and emotional…

Part madcap caper, part serious treasure hunting, the Brass Ringers never fail to entertain or get their way!

Read an Excerpt

“Perhaps I should carry you?” he inquired, his plummy voice tinged with concern.

“Perhaps that would be best.”

She looked into his eyes. Oh my, what a lovely shade of melting chocolate. Then she caught sight of the thief from the corners of her eyes.

“Stop him! The thief—he’s getting away.”

“I thought the matter had not been decided yet?” He raised a sardonic eyebrow, his mouth twitching. Strange, he seemed less worried about the real thief than she did.

“Your tour guide can vouch for me. He pointed the way before I gave chase. Plus, this guy”—she pointed at the slippery culprit still moving with obvious discomfort down the tunnel, holding onto the side while hopping on his one good foot—“gave the game away by announcing what was in the package. The Fabergé egg. How could he know that if I was the one to steal it?”

Hmm, those melting pools of chocolate. Are those flecks of gold? Hard to be certain in the dim light. He paid her words homage and his expression softened. “Of course, that does make a great deal of sense. Though he still might have seen you take it.”

“Duh, of course, it does.” She slipped into defensive mode. “And I did not take it—I’m not the one trying to sneak away.”

“Right you are.”

“You can let me go,” she said with reluctance. “And nab the guy.”

“Are you certain? I don’t want you falling and suing us.”

“For goodness’ sake, I’m not going to sue your ass. Though, on second thoughts, perhaps I should consider suing you for slander.”

He pulled away from her, leaving her instantly colder and bereft of the lovely sensation of being in La-La Land. She tugged off her helmet, letting her fair hair spill out over her shoulders. She fluffed it out with one hand for added emphasis.

“You wouldn’t happen to be a duke of something or other, would you?” she asked at his recoil, praying it was so. That would even make up for slugging through water and ruining her best pair of motorcycle boots.

“No, just an earl. The Earl of Craigmere to be precise. My father’s the duke, so I don’t inherit until he’s gone, which I hope is a long way off—at least most days. He can be a real ballbreaker about my life at times, though perhaps he has reason.” He ran a hand through his hair, disheveling the arrangement and only managing to look even more fetching. “Excuse my language. Ash Piers at your service. Why did you want to know if I’m a duke?”

About the Author:

January Bain has wished on every falling star, every blown-out birthday candle, and every coin thrown in a fountain to be a storyteller. To share the tales of high adventure, mysteries, and thrillers she has dreamed of all her life. The story you now have in your hands is the compilation of a lot of things manifesting itself for this special series. Hundreds of hours spent researching the unusual and the mundane have come together to create books that features strong women who live life to the fullest, wild adventures full of twists and unforeseen turns, and hot complicated men who aren’t afraid to take risks. She can only hope her stories will capture your imagination and heart as much as they do hers.

If you are looking for January Bain, you can find her hard at work every morning without fail in her office with two furry babies trying to prove who does a better job of guarding the doorway. And, of course, she’s married to the most romantic man!

If you wish to connect in the virtual world she is easily found on Facebook, her second home. Oh, and she loves to talk books…

Blog Address: http://januarybainjourney.blogspot.ca/
Twitter Name: https://twitter.com/JanuaryBain
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/january.bain
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6437282.January_Bain
Email address for fans - januarybain@xplornet.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway