Review – Back In The USSR by Patrick D Joyce #PatrickDJoyce

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MY REVIEW

I think Back In The USSR by Patrick D Joyce is a book that young adults and teens would love, an adventure of mystery and political intrigue. AND, if you grew up with The Beatles like I did, and love adventure, I think you may interested too.

Harrison George and Prudence accidentally become involved in the search for the missing White Album by the Beatles. There are others that want it too, gangsters and spies. Harrison grows up quickly, as he and Prudence try to figure out WHY.

I would, normally, give a book like Back In The USSR, a three rating, but Patrick D Joyce gave me more than I expected. It is well written, with a pace that kept me turning pages, wondering what all the fuss is about. He includes much of the Russian culture, their ‘fear’ of the West and the music that could cause a rebellion.

Running through the streets of Russia, dodging the bad guys, Harrison and Prudence learn how far music lovers will go to feel a moment of freedom and joy.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Back In The USSR by Patrick D Joyce.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

They ban rock.

They breed fear.

But one record spins out of control.

When Harrison George, teenage son of American diplomats, arrives in Cold War Moscow for winter break, he plans to daydream and hang out with his friend Prudence Akobo, street-smart daughter of foreign correspondents.

Instead, he and Prudence stumble onto the trail of the Album, a long lost Beatles relic and priceless symbol of freedom in a country where rock music is banned.

Chased by treasure hunters, gangsters and spies, they don’t know who to trust. If they don’t find the Album first, they could end up missing — or dead — themselves.

Harrison and Prudence face a choice. Will they be pawns in a game of global conflict, or can they help a maverick KGB agent on a mission of personal redemption?

For fans of young adult thrillers like Alex Rider, Code Name Verity, and I Must Betray You, and readers of all ages who love the music of The Beatles.

ABOUT PATRICK D JOYCE

Patrick D. Joyce grew up in diplomatic outposts throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas. He writes thriller novels and poetry, and has been a newspaper reporter, political scientist, and medical practice manager. He’s a huge Beatles fan and loves all kinds of music.

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Giveaway – Spindrifts by A M Mawhiney @XpressoTours

Spindrifts
A-M Mawhiney
Publication date: November 24th 2021
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult

Racism, climate change, and violence are in the past. The new world values respect and collaboration with others. But are there secrets lurking in the shadows of the Land of Hope? What truth about the past is being covered up?

When fifteen-year-old Fania returns from Immersion, she is shattered to learn that the next phase of her education is at home with Alicia, her granny. She had hoped for something far grander that would prepare her for an important role with the Earth Project. Their two strong personalities clash as Fania begins to learn more about the past and her family’s role in it.

As Fania grows in confidence and power, she starts to wonder exactly what secrets Alicia is keeping in her underground lab. After Fania discovers the truth, she finds her calling: one that has the power to change everything.

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EXCERPT:

Fania’s Journal: An excerpt from Spindrifts by A-M Mawhiney © 2021

I’m supposed to write in my journal every day. Sure. Like that’s the best use of my time. They said it’d be a private place to think, but I’ve wondered about that. I can think in my head without writing my thoughts. Just in case, I always use my disconnected tablet for the real journal, encrypted with three protective codes and in a language I developed myself. I know this might be over the top, but I’ve felt better knowing no one can read my actual journal. So, people can read how excited I am about my apprenticeship, but privately I’m totally dissed. I really want to learn about people From Away, and instead I’m apprenticing with Granny, my great-grandmother, who’s spent most of her life close to home in her research laboratory, two miles down an ancient mine shaft. It used to be where they studied mysteries of the universe! How the heck did that work?

I’ve always loved Granny. I’ve felt as though we’ve had a special relationship, and I’ve missed spending time with her. I just never thought they’d give me a responsibility so far removed from what I really want to be doing.

Ezma told me I’ve many skills and a strong aptitude for analytical thinking. I know what that means. It means sitting in an underground lab every day for the rest of my life. I guess I wasn’t very good at hiding my feelings because Ezma felt she had to remind me what Granny does is very important. Then she asked me a curious question.

“Do you know what she does?”

Well, of course I do! I explained, “Granny is the researcher who found the serum. She said it was a fluke.”

That comment made Ezma laugh, hysterically almost. “Well, Fania, you’ll find there’s a lot you can learn from Alicia. I hope you’ll keep an open mind.”

When I boarded the transport to head home after two years at Immersion, my patch reminded me to change my timer back to the village’s schedule. The health patch is a misnomer; it’s actually an up-to-date example of bio-merged nanotechnology. This latest gen’s so far advanced compared to the primitive models my grandparents used when they were young—those things they wore on their wrists. Now the healer implants the technology at birth where it merges with our brainwaves. It has reciprocal transformational capabilities, but I’ve been told there are limitations so it can’t change the basic personality or natural abilities of anyone. The patch transmits and receives communications, monitors personal health data, and provides all my reading materials. Everyone in our territory has them, so far as I know.

Author Bio:

A-M Mawhiney was deeply moved by the events of 2020 and the cries from advocates fighting for equity and justice for people living precarious lives because of structural barriers and discrimination. As a former social worker and academic she has spent her career seeking ways to improve lives of marginalized learners through inclusive education for all students. Mawhiney has hope for a better future for us all. Her vision of what this might look like inspired her to write Spindrifts.

Anne-Marie lives in Sudbury, Ontario, in the territory of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek in the Robinson-Huron Treaty Area, with Dave McGill and their canine companion, Charlie.

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Giveaway – The Darker The Skies Bryan Prosek @iReadBookTours @BryanProsek


 

Book Details:

Book Title:  The Darker the Skies by Bryan Prosek
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17),  292 pages
Genre: YA Science Fiction 
Publisher:  CamCat Books 
Release date:  November 2022
Content Rating: PG. It’s very clean.
Book Description:

It only takes one to make a difference.

Just days before Jake Saunders plans on proposing to the love of his life, Jake is called upon once again to save his home, Earth. The Earthen Legion troops and its allies think they’re battling only pirates, but a new, more powerful foe from another galaxy flanks their forces and invades, in search of a weapon the planet didn’t even know it had.

When Jake learns that this new enemy was responsible for the death of his father many years ago, he realizes he can finally face his true nemesis. The odds are stacked against Jake, but with the help of his friends and allies he’s made along the way, he must rally the remaining Legion troops and retake Earth before it’s too late. The fate of Earth and the fate of his love, rest in the balance.