Red Sky: A Raisa Jordan Thriller by Chris Goff is a novel that deals with conspiracy and terrorism in Russia and China.
I won Red Sky Book II in the Raisa Jordan Thriller series, and Chris Goff’s debut novel, Dark Waters. You can see my review for Dark Waters, Book I, HERE.
The Russians and Chinese are willing to take down a plane to stop the delivery of an envelope and Raisa must handle this delicately to avoid a Cold War…but she carries a big stick and knows how to use it in this frightening, intriguing, action packed spy thriller filled with danger and betrayal at every turn.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
When People’s Republic Flight 91 crashes in northeastern Ukraine with a U.S. diplomatic agent onboard, U.S. Diplomatic Security Service Agent Raisa Jordan is sent to investigate. The agent was escorting a prisoner home from Guangzhou, China, along with sensitive documents, and it quickly becomes apparent that the plane was intentionally downed. Was it to silence the two Americans onboard?
To avoid a diplomatic incident, Jordan must discover what the Americans knew that was worth killing hundreds to cover up. With Russia deeply entangled in the Ukraine and the possibility that China could be hiding reasons to bring down its own plane, tensions are high.
As international relations and even more lives hang in the balance, Jordan races to stop a new Cold War. Red Sky, Chris Goff’s pulse-pounding follow-up to Dark Waters, is yet another white-knuckle joyride for fans of Gayle Lynds.
Bullets fly, while a very ill young girl and her father witness two murders in an exchange gone wrong, drawing in two fierce women warriors who must band together in a battle against time in this fascinating novel of conspiracy, murder, politics, hidden agendas and terrorism that smacks of reality.
4 Stars
Raisa “Rae” Jordan, an agent for the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service, isn’t in Israel for more than a day before her predecessor is killed in a Tel Aviv square. Assigned to investigate the assassination of one of her own, she must also protect Judge Ben Taylor and his teenage daughter. They may be the sniper’s next target and are most certainly being threatened by a desperate cadre of terrorists with their sights set on the Secretary of State’s upcoming visit. But is an attack on the Secretary of State all that they have planned or is that just the beginning?
There are no protocols for this kind of a situation, and following the rules is exactly the kind of thing that could get the Taylors killed. To subvert an attack that could crush the fledgling peace in the Middle East, Jordan must trust her instincts and bring together a contentious team of agents from Israel, the U.S., and the Palestinian territories to uncover a conspiracy years in the making.
With millions of lives hanging in the balance, Dark Waters, Chris Goff’s explosive new thriller, is a series debut that mirrors global headlines and will have you frantically turning pages.
The Corpse with the Garnet Face by Cathy Ace is written along the lines of Agatha Christie, and has Cait, Bud and other quirky characters with long buried secrets searching for answers in this fun cozy, with lots of suspects to muddy the waters and keep the mystery alive.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The seventh book in the Cait Morgan series finds the eccentric Welsh criminologist–sleuth accompanying her husband Bud to Amsterdam to try to unravel a puzzling situation.
To Bud’s surprise, he discovers he has a long-lost uncle, Jonas, who’s met an untimely death. Bud’s mother assures him Jonas was a bad child, but, from beyond the grave, Uncle Jonas begs his nephew to visit the city he adopted as his home to delve into the life he built for himself there, founded on his passion for art.
With an old iron key as their only clue, Cait and Bud travel to Amsterdam to solve the cryptic message left by Jonas—and to honor the final wishes of a long-lost relative.
Who do you trust when your world unravels and everything you believed is a lie?
For the past fifteen years, The Office of Civilian Safety and Defense has
guarded the public against the rampant threat of terrorism. Teenagers
Tommy and Careen have never known life without Civilian Restrictions.
For them, there’s no social media. No one is allowed to gather in
public places or attend concerts or sporting events. Only a small,
select group of adults have driving privileges, but it’s a small
price to pay for safety.
Now a new, more deadly, terrorist threat looms: airborne chemical weapons
that can be activated without warning. The OCSD is ready with an
antidote to counteract the effects of the toxins. Three drops a day
is all it takes. It’s a small price to pay for health.
The day the disaster sirens signal the dreaded attack, Tommy shares his
last dose with Careen, even though doing so might hasten his death.
It’s a small price to pay for a friend.Follow Tommy and Careen as
they uncover a web of lies and deceit reaching to the highest levels
of the United States government and join an underground resistance
group that’s determined to expose the truth.
“Counteract is a novel for our times, but with a decidedly different plot twist.
Most dystopian thrillers focus on the devastating consequences of the
unleashed virus or poison on society, community, and the individual.
They become character studies of the protagonists and
antagonists.
“Tracy Lawson’s novel asks an even more disturbing question–what if the
real culprit was someone or something we trusted? I thought The
Hunger Games might be the Millennial generation’s version of George
Orwell’s 1984. Now, I think Counteract and the Resistance Series are
more primed to take that spot.”–SR Staley, author of St. Nic,
Inc., and the Tortuga Bay series.
**FREE on Amazon July 17th – 21st, then .99 cents
for the remainder of the tour!!**
“I loved the first book in this series so much that I jumped right into
the second one to continue the adventure. The Resistance Series is
another great YA dystopian adventure that combines elements of
thriller, romance, dystopian, and much more to create a well-rounded
story that is sure to appeal to many readers – it definitely has my
attention.”–TFL Reader, top 500 Amazon Reviewer
Knowledge comes with a price.
Tommy and Careen no longer believe the Office of Civilian Safety and
Defense’s miracle antidote can protect them from a terrorist’s
chemical weapons. After accidentally discovering the antidote’s real
purpose,they’ve join the fight to undermine the OCSD’s bid for total
control of the population.
Being part of the Resistance brings with it a whole new set of challenges.
Not everyone working for change proves trustworthy, and plans to
spark a revolution go awry with consequences far beyond anything they
bargained for.
Tommy and Careen’s differing viewpoints threaten to drive a wedge between
them, and their budding relationship is tested as their destinies
move toward an inevitable confrontation with the forces that
terrorize the nation.
Where does love fit in when you’re trying to start a
revolution?
“Dystopian YA literature needs more writers like Tracy Lawson! Lawson’s lean
writing style and idea-driven dialogue reminded me of the novels of
Ayn Rand, particularly Anthem, but Resist is much faster paced and
holds your attention from the beginning.
“Resist picks up right where the first book, Counteract, leaves off, and
readers are thrown immediately into the action. I also loved the way
Lawson doesn’t give her characters the easy way out–they are forced
to make decisions and suffer the consequences. These are real people
that anchor the story, even if the setting is not.” –SR Staley,
author of St. Nic, Inc. and the Tortuga Bay series
Nationwide food shortages have sparked civil unrest, and the Office of Civilian
Safety and Defense’s hold on the people is slipping. The
Resistance’s efforts to hasten the OCSD’s demise have resulted in
disaster, with Tommy Bailey and Careen Catecher taking the blame for
the ill-fated mission in OP-439.
Both teens struggle to survive the circumstances that force them into the
national spotlight—and this time, they’re on opposite sides. On
the run and exiled from the Resistance members in BG-098, Tommy makes
his way to a Resistance safe house in the capital.
The OCSD is preparing to monitor all under-eighteens with the Cerberean
Link, a device that protects them against hunger and sickness and can
even locate them if they’re lost. Tommy’s now living in close
quarters with Atari, an operative who has been assigned to sabotage
the Link. But does Atari plan to use it for his own
purposes?
Through it all, Tommy refuses to believe Careen’s loyalties have shifted
away from the Resistance, and he’s willing to assume any risk to
reconnect with her. Will they be able to trust each other when it
matters most?
The Explosive Conclusion to the Award-Winning Resistance Series
To Deny Freedom is to Deny the Human Spirit.
Fugitive Resistance fighter Tommy Bailey has come out of hiding to help rescue
Careen Catecher from the clutches of the Office of Civilian Safety
and Defense, where she’s been held and interrogated for information
about the rebel group. The OCSD is poised to launch the Cerberean
Link, a security device that will put all minors under constant
surveillance under the guise of protecting them.
Fearful that OCSD director Madalyn Davies’s bid for control won’t stop
there, the Resistance puts its own plan in motion to sabotage the
Link and oust Madalyn from the directorship. Just when everything
seems leveraged in the Resistance’s favor, treachery, lies, and
long-held secrets threaten to derail it all.
Will even a life together on the run be impossible for Tommy and Careen?
Or will the Resistance’s efforts convince the public to put their
fears aside and demand freedom?
This is a wonderful and enticing introduction to Careen, who is running from her past to start her life anew, and The Resistance Series that reeks of government conspiracy and danger…and I am hooked.
.
3 Stars
“What was our heroine Careen Catecher like BEFORE she became a firebrand
for the Resistance? Well, she was just a normal teenage girl trying
to survive college in the totalitarian state of Tracy Lawson’s
creation.” –review by Patrick Hodges
“Careen is a believable, strong female protagonist who, having survived a
harrowing terrorist attack, is now trying to survive [college] in a
new ‘Quadrant’ where she can’t seem to fit in.” –review by
Candace Williams
A strong heroine is made, not born.
Though Careen Catecher survived a terrorist attack when she was nine, her
childhood ended on that awful day. Now, nine years later, she’s
ready for her life to truly begin.
A full scholarship to a prestigious university far from her beleaguered
home quadrant seems like a dream come true, but when she arrives on
campus, she’s perceived as a charity case, despite grades and test
scores that prove she’s the academic equal of the best students there.
Careen knows she’s tough enough to survive just about anything, but
fitting in with her acquisitive peers—at least on the surface—is
necessary if she’s going to leave the past behind and claim the
stable future she craves.
But her past won’t stay buried. She’s only been at school for a few
weeks when a cryptic message from an unlikely friend raises questions
that may put her in danger all over again.
Check out this novella-length prequel to the award-winning Resistance
Series, “a promising new YA series about a totalitarian America.”
Tracy Lawson knew she wanted to be a writer from the time she could read.
In the first grade, she authored sixty-seven contact-paper bound
books through her school’s Young Authors program. Though that pace
proved impossible to maintain, she always intended to be a real
author one day.
While working toward her Bachelor’s degree in Communication at Ohio
University, she studied creative writing with the late Daniel Keyes,
author of Flowers for Algernon. After short stints as a media buyer
and an investigative analyst, she settled into a 20-year career in
the performing arts, teaching tap dancing in Columbus, Ohio, and
choreographing musicals. Though her creative energies were focused on
dance, she never lost her desire to write, and has a non-fiction book
to her credit: Fips, Bots, Doggeries, and More, (McDonald &
Woodward, 2012).
Tracy’s love for writing Young Adult fiction is sparked by all the wonderful
teens in her life, including her daughter Keri, a college student.
Counteract is Tracy’s first novel.
“I’ve been reading this series basically since it first came out, and
honestly I really still love the characters and all of their weird
interactions. As the conclusion to the series, Revolt is
not one of those books that gives you a neatly tied bow on a package
and tells you it’s over. It has twists, turns, and you’re going to be
in for yet another adventure with the Resistance crew.”
“So, this series that I’ve been reading since the beginning is over.
What’s a girl to do? Restart from Book One, of course!”
Can’t Get Enough of the Resistance Series?
Wanna know what happened the night of the car accident that changed Tommy
Bailey’s life forever?
Take advantage of this limited-time offer:
Get a FREE PDF of Shatter: Tommy’s Prequel to the Resistance
Series, which includes a gallery of the amazing artwork
created for the series! This prequel will NOT be available on Amazon.
Here’s how it works:
Purchase Revolt:
Book Four of the Resistance Series on Amazon for $2.99:
Horses rising from shadow, fire, ash and light, danger and suspense that had me shucking and jiving, flawed characters that had me eating out of their hands, and a storyline that had me twisting and turning to the end left me with a warm fuzzy feeling and a few chuckles in this paranormal/supernatural romantic fantasy that I highly recommend.
Welcome to Christmas In July and One Sentence Review for Fufar the Christmas Monster by A J Cosmo.
I have been collecting his wonderful illustrated children’s books for some time now, waiting for the perfect opportunity to share. If you are looking for something to entertain your youngster over the summer, consider some A J Cosmo reading.
Fufar comes to us in a cute poem, filled with wonderful illustrations any child would want to reach out and touch, and, if you wonder, does Santa really see all the naughty…just look at his creative way of making the best out of the worst.
Welcome to Christmas In July and One Sentence Review for A Bear of a Christmas by A J Cosmo.
I have been collecting his wonderful illustrated children’s books for some time now, waiting for the perfect opportunity to share. If you are looking for something to entertain your youngster over the summer, consider some A J Cosmo reading.
When one of the cubs asks, “Mom, why doesn’t Santa visit bears?”, this cute story unfolds as mama bear tells them why Santa doesn’t visit them on Christmas Eve, and Bo Bo’s solution to the problem puts a smile on my face, making me believe the saying, Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
The Big Bully Donkey found out what it was like when the shoe is on the other foot, but sometimes ‘the hero’ will surprise you…and the message is…keep your mind open and it’s all about teamwork.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The three horses Jack, Max, Lax and their friend Donkey are back!
In Horse Valley it is a perfect day to go kite flying. Jack, Max, Lax, and Donkey decide to get creative by putting together their own homemade kites. However, Donkey’s kite doesn’t turn out very good. No matter how hard he tries to get it to fly, it just keeps tumbling to the ground.
How will poor Donkey get his kite to fly? Well, a friendly goose named Gusty is delighted to help him out.
In this Horse Valley Adventure, Donkey learns not to give up when all seems hopeless. They all learn a lesson about helping others and true friendship.
If you are looking for something to add to your child’s reading list for the summer, look no further than The Three Little Horses and the Big Bully Donkey by Liana – Melissa Allen.
This adorable illustrated Three Little Pigs retelling had me smiling as the story plays out, with a few twists and turns created especially for the horses and beautiful pages that will unfold to the delights of any child.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB: (ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH, “los tres caballitos y el burro bravo”). “The Three Little Horses and the Big Bully Donkey” is a tale (based on the “Three Little Pigs”), about three little horse brothers who suddenly lose their house that is destroyed by a fire. The young horses are totally alone and thrust into the reality of having to depend on themselves and each other against a bully donkey, who wanders the forest wrecking homes and bullying the other animals. This warm-hearted tale promotes strong values and has a fun premise. Written and humorously illustrated in vivid color throughout by Liana-Melissa Allen, the story is a proven winner for reading aloud to children.
Who is to say what the future holds and the road to success in Patenting Peter by Jason Werebeloff is twisted and perverted, leading to much anguish in Peter’s life in this eerie, creepy, futuristic, science fiction short story that left me a bit disgusted, amused and thinking, “Am I really paranoid if Someone Is Watching Me?”
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB: My wife says the Bureau isn’t watching me. She says there aren’t cameras in my contact lenses. No microphone in the ‘vitamin pill’ they made me swallow on the submarine into Tokyo.
She says I’m paranoid. That I should get off the couch, and find a job.
But there’s a glowing number in the bottom-right corner of my vision. And each time I move, each time I yawn, or slouch, or laugh too loudly, the number ticks upwards.
My wife says the Bureau isn’t watching me.
She would say that. She works for them.
Plunge into Patenting Peter, a psychological sci-fi thriller.
4 Stars
Amazon
3 Stars