Strong From The Heart by Jon Land is the eleventh book in the Caitlin Strong Texas Ranger series and I have been loving spending time with her. I usually receive an ARC, but this time I received a beautiful, signed, hardcover and I am so excited to add it to my collection of Jon Land books.
Many of us are aware of the opiod epidemic and Caitlin Strong will be facing it in Strong From The Heart by Jon Land. I wouldn’t want to be the culprits that she is seeking.
The Prologue reeled me in and my mind was whirling with the possibilities.
We start out with a wayward mailman who is on a mission, but it’s not to deliver his mail.
WTH…happened in Camino Pass? Caitlin Strong is on the case and will get to the bottom of it.
She has stepped into a snake pit and I am rooting for her, as she defuses a volatile situation at the Canyon Ridge Elementary School, where ICE attempts to pick up six children. We have the usual posturing between law enforcement divisions for control of the situation. She will not allow that, and her trusty friend Guillermo Paz is by her side. I love Caitlin’s attitude and the humor that Jon Land adds to his thrillers.
“Kids are safe and I didn’t even have to shoot anybody.”
Cort, her outlaw boyfriend is at the hospital after a call telling him his son ODed on opiates. Caitlin would stop at nothing to trace who was providing the drugs to him and the other kids at school. I love that Jon Land tosses in current events.
“Just one Texas Ranger, son?”
“You ever hear the motto, one riot, one Ranger? Because it’s damn near true.”
“You are like human flypaper Ranger, and wherever you go, the worst of the worse just sticks to you.” An apt description of Caitlin Strong, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Jon Land’s writing makes the story flow smoothly, increasing the danger and suspense over the course of the story. We have more than one story line going on and the past creeps into the present. Jon Land always gives us tidbits of Texas Ranger history and I love that.
I worry for some of my favorite characters, because they do not run from trouble and danger, they run towards it.
I had been waiting to read Strong From The Heart by Jon Land for when I really needed a pick me up, a get lost for hours book. I started reading during College Game Day (and anybody that knows me, knows I don’t want to be disturbed during football) and figured I would read during those dull moments, commercials, and half time. I finished it shortly after the Alabama vs Ole Miss game. I got so involved that I couldn’t put it down..
I needed some distraction from current events and I want to thank you, Jon, for helping me to get lost and escape through your words.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Strong From The Heart by Jon Land.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
In what Brad Meltzer
calls a “savory Tex-Mex tale, seasoned with all the ingredients of a
great thriller,” Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong digs for the truth behind
the Opioid Crisis in the next installment of Jon Land’s critically
acclaimed series
Mexico, 1898: Texas Ranger William Ray
Strong arrives in the border town of Camino Pass to transport a young
Pancho Villa to stand trial, but his plans are waylaid when he learns
all of the town’s children have been kidnapped.
The Present:
The drug crisis hits home for fifth generation Texas Ranger Caitlin
Strong when the son of her outlaw lover, Cort Wesley Masters, nearly
dies from an opioid overdose.
Determined to make those
responsible pay, Caitlin sets out to track down the dealer and pusher,
while trying to solve the inexplicable tragedy of a small Texas town
where all the residents died in a single night. When she realizes these
two pursuits are connected, she finds herself following a trail to the
truth of the crisis nestled hard in the center of America’s power base.
That
power base, comprised of politicians, Big Pharma, along with corrupt
doctors and drug distributors, has successfully beaten back all threats
in the past. But they have no idea what’s in store when the guns of
Texas come calling.
ABOUT JON LAND
Jon
Land is the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of 36 books,
including the bestselling Caitlin Strong Texas Ranger series that
includes Strong Enough to Die, Strong Justice, Strong at the Break,
Strong Vengeance and, most recently, Strong Rain Falling. The Tenth
Circle marks the second return engagement of his longtime series hero
Blaine McCracken on the heels of last year’s Pandora’s Temple which was
nominated for a Thriller Award and received the 2013 International Book
Award for Best Adventure Thriller. Jon’s first nonfiction book,
Betrayal, meanwhile, was named Best True Crime Book of 2012 by Suspense
Magazine and won a 2012 International Book Award for Best True Crime
Book. He is currently working on Strong Darkness, the next entry in the
Caitlin Strong to be published in September of 2014. He graduated Phi
Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude from Brown University, where he continues
to maintain a strong volunteer presence, in 1979.
Jane Blythe is one of my must read authors. Her romantic suspense does everything you want it to do and she covers dark and disturbing events, which draw me in like flies to honey.
I have been anticipating Emerald’s story and finally…I have it. I let the book linger on my Kindle for a little while because I knew this was the last sister to be found after their parents had sold them to human sex traffickers. It is fifteen years later….and this book sure took a turn I wasn’t expecting. Jane Blythe is good at that, so don’t get too comfortable. I am sure this is going to be a very bumpy ride.
“Ooh, she’s a pretty one.”
“How old?”
“Fifteen.”
“She’s not to be touched…she’ll either be sent to training or sent off with her new owner.”
Emerald is only fifteen, the baby of the family. It had only been a year since she quit sleeping with a night lite, even though she shared a bedroom with her sister, Sapphire. Her name matches her emerald green eyes.
She knew it was easiest to obey, though she wished the floor would swallow her up. She felt her dreams would never come true. She would not live a wonderful life, dying at an old age. Would she even make it to twenty? She didn’t care. She is afraid to live. Afraid to die.
Emerald gets to her owner, and I thought OMG, but she felt relieved. When you read Splintered Emerald, you’ll understand why we had conflicting thoughts, though I do see why she felt that way.
Ten days. Ten days until her eighteenth birthday. What then? She still held a tiny sliver of hope…hope that she would be rescued.
Eleven years have gone by…OMG…I would have lost all hope.
WOW! Fifteen years have gone by and Jane has gone off the rails with this one. My mind would never get to where she took me on my own. I am stunned and unable to see how we are going to reach a happy ending. Jane’s imagination knows no bounds and I love it!
I am trying to be careful about what I share with you, because this dark and evil story you need to read for yourself. And it kept getting worse. The physical torture may be surpassed by the mental torture, the innocence stripped away. The abuse, rape and beatings aren’t enough for Jane, she has gone even darker. AND I LOVE IT!
I don’t know what to think of Emerald. She is so lost, I don’t know if she can find herself, when she learns the truth. But, what is the truth?
There is an underlying story that I haven’t figured out. I thought of…but it doesn’t fit. I was curious how Jane Blythe would wrap up the book and the Hatcher sisters stories. She nailed it.
The Epilogue…I love Prologues and Epilogues. It is sweet, but I felt some pieces were missing. It doesn’t affect my rating THOUGH…5 well earned STARS it is!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Splintered Emerald by Jane Blythe.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Fifteen years is a long time to be missing.
Emerald Hatcher was the baby of the Hatcher family. Sweet, kind, compassionate, a dreamer who would give the shirt off her back to someone who needed it more than her.
But that was then.
What have fifteen years away from her family, tortured and abused, done to her?
The Hatcher sisters have been desperate to find the last sister and bring her home, but what they get is not what they bargained for.
Is anyone really ready for Emerald Hatcher to return home?
ABOUT JANE BLYTHE
Jane
has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark
and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in
because, well, who doesn’t love romance? She has one completed series,
Detective Parker Bell, and one new series, Count to Ten.
When she’s not writing Jane loves to
read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies.
She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and a 200+ collection of teddy bears.
She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and
Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!
MY REVIEW FOR THROUGH THE FURY TO THE DAWN BY STU JONES
Though I am not what I would consider religious, I love to read about angels and demons. I jumped on this series because I have read some of Stu Jones work and loved it. I am looking forward to reading what he says is a story of faith, conviction and redemption.
I can usually go wherever an author wants to take me and was easily lead into this series with Stu Jones’ ability to pen a great story and OMG, I am lost in this world. As I read, the pacing flows like a river and I am along for the ride. The evil is true EVIL and man descends to its basest levels. BUT…
God won’t forget his creation and has a chosen few that will rise to the occasion. Dark and gritty doesn’t begin to describe the levels Stu Jones goes to in order for us to join in the battle of Good vs Evil…and it will be a fight to the death.
Through the Fury to the Dawn reads like an apocalyptic/dystopian, paranormal/supernatural novel, with a heavy dose of religious influence. I immediately began reading Book II, Into the Dark.
All profits are donated to combat sex trafficking.
A huge thank you goes out to Amazon for the two months of free Kindle Unlimited, of which this series is not the only one I was able to finish.
5 Stars
MY REVIEW FOR INTO THE DARK BY STU JONES
I immediately began reading Into The Dark by Stu Jones as soon as I finished the first book in the Action of Purpose series, Through the Fury to the Dawn. I think this could be read as a stand alone, but I highly recommend beginning at the beginning.
We start at mourning the loss of someone I will miss dearly, but each character has their role to play and Stu Jones has no qualms about killing them off for the good of the story…and it definitely creates some emotional backlash for me.
We get an indepth look at some of the characters and how they came to be who they are.
Life has changed drastically since the destruction caused by WWIII.
Unputdownable! The nail biting, spine tingling suspense made me unable to stop fretting, racing through the pages. Bodies falling in grotesque manners, the sick, Malak, who is much more than a man of evil, Kane, Courtland, Jenna, Tynuk and Az….
I love the blend of genres and was amazed at how easily it was for me to accept the religious angle because it fits so well.
OMG. I had tears in my eyes as the brutal battles rage through the pages, losing some of those I have come to care for deeply. I love a series that maintains the same level of intensity throughout. It doesn’t happen often. Kudos Stu. Keep up the great work. AND…I’ll be checking out Book III right now.
5 Stars
MY REVIEW FOR AGAINST THE FADING BY STU JONES
Each book of the Action of Purpose series begins where the previous book left of. With that being said, I am all in and can hardly wait to get to the conclusion and find out what happens to all my friends.
In Against the Fading Light, Tynuk’s story is told and I love this young man. He is a believer, never wavering.
Kane and the gang are what family is all about, though they are not related.
As the showdown approaches, God’s talking and the angels are listening.
I AM LOVING THIS SERIES. I am not religious, don’t go to church, but this story and Stu Jones’ ability to tell it has blown me away. Amazing, awesome, uplifting, hopeful, heartbreaking, devastating…
I must warn you…put aside some time, because once you start reading about this battle between good and evil, you won’t be able to stop! The ending was all I could hope for and he kept me entranced, riveted, unable to quit until the last page was read.
P R Garcia is an amazing writer and I am soooo happy to have a copy of her latest book, The Bounty Hunter. If you like science fiction, you will love this. If you don’t, I would still highly recommend it. It just might change your mind.
WOW! INTENSE! A MUST READ if you are into science fiction…and if you’re not, this may change your mind. So much more than I expected, this wild rollercoaster ride had all my emotions roiled up. I was happy, sad, devastated, and satisfied. I felt like I had been run over by a truck by the time I was done. I loved the start and was immediately hooked on Biijun and Li-ara’s story. I don’t feel my review can convey my feelings, but I tried.
Biijun is a Huntsman, a Bounty Hunter. He is all man, a warrior whose life is devoted to his work. Li-ara lives alone, after the death of her husband, with her faithful companions Kii and Beta, two canines. I would love to have them for my friends and protectors. They are highly intelligent and will lay down their lives for those they love. They play a huge part in the story. Unforeseen circumstances bring them together to face the fight of their lives.
The romance is so sweet, naive and innocent on both their parts, but he cannot stay with her. His life is devoted to being a Hunter, never showing his face to outsiders. Will he sacrifice the Helmet for love?
P R Garcia writes some powerful novels. Her characters make me worry for them, hope for them, want to call out to them as I’m reading, telling them to not go out the door. She makes me want to race through the pages to find out what will happen next, yet I slow down and enjoy the journey.
I teared up as…the children…and I do love that P R Garcia adds a touch of realism, the fact that no matter how hard we try, sometimes circumstances are beyond our control.
The danger is intense, brutal, savage, lurking in the dark, right around the corner, waiting… We have plenty of sadness, but the bravery and hopefulness lessens the pain. The world P R Garcia created is full of battles, lives lost, but love, family, friendship, sacrifice, loyalty and respect are in abundance. She has become a must read author for me.
WARNING: For Part III, find a quiet, solitary place where you will not be disturbed, have some tissues handy, and be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster. AND I loved every minute of it. I kept putting the book down, savoring the moment, not wanting it to end. I was so choked up at the last pages my throat hurt. It took a while to get through because I couldn’t see through the tears in my eyes. Even though it was so emotional and filled with sadness, I also felt relief when I was done. Mr Wonderful was sitting beside me, laughing at me.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Bounty Hunter by P R Garcia.
5 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
When he lands on a planet, he’s there to kill. But when his heart is caught off-guard, this world could claim his last breath…
Notoriously
known as “The Hunter,” BiiJun D’Kolor must hide his empathy on the job.
Armor-clad and virtually invincible, the skilled bounty hunter sets his
feet on a desolate asteroid to end the life of a rapist. But when an
alluring figure distracts him long enough for a vicious fanged bear to
attack, the assassin discovers what it means to be the prey.
Rescued
by the mysterious woman, his bloody trail attracts a pack of wild dogs
hellbent on making him their next meal. And now thrown together to make a
stand against a ruthless enemy, the wounded man feels the spark of
something he has never known: affection and love.
Will the Huntsman’s near-fatal brush with fate open a destiny he has rejected for decades?
The Bounty Hunter
is a whirlwind science fiction romance. If you like deeply drawn
characters, savage settings, and conflicts between duty and dreams, then
you’ll love P.R. Garcia’s compelling tale.
ABOUT P R GARCIA
P.R. Garcia grew up in rural Michigan and is the youngest of three. She became a lover of Science Fiction at an early age when her parents took her to the movies. She was hooked the moment she heard Patricia Neal tell the robot Gort in The Day the Earth Stood Still “Klaatu barada nikto”. Inspired by what was possible, she and her dog spent many days in the fields behind her home fighting aliens and investigating unexplored planets. Her love continued to grow, and while in high school, the series Star Trek hit television, boosting her fascination with what might be out there. Her friends still comment on how she skipped the football games to stay home and watch each episode. When in her thirties, she became an award-winning basket weaver and continued in this craft for three decades. Upon retiring from her job of thirty years, she moved to San Diego, California. She volunteered for five years as a guide on the Whale Watching Boats, teaching people from around the world about the Pacific Ocean’s aquatic life.
At sixty-two, Ms. Garcia began to write her Europa Saga, a tantalizing, ten-part sci-fi series of intrigue, suspense, and mystery. Her saga is a fresh retelling of the story of Atlantis and its inhabitants. The books span six thousand years and four generations. Her story launched her into the world of a best-selling author.
Global warming, deforestation, pollution of our air and water, species loss, and the devastation of Earth itself are all subjects dear to Ms. Garcia’s heart. She has incorporated those themes into her later books, including books seven through nine of the Europa Saga and Extinction 2038. Her upcoming book Guardians of Earth and the sequel Guardians of Earth II, which should be released in early 2021, also deals with these subjects. If you’d like information on ways you can help stop global warming and other green topics, sign up for her newsletter.
Ms. Garcia also writes children’s books. A Cat for William is based on an authentic story about how a stray cat helps a man cope with a disabling disease. She is working on two more children’s books: The Story of Sudan: The Last Northern White Male Rhino and The Christmas Crayons, a story about a homeless boy who finds happiness in a box of crayons on Christmas Day. For more information, go to her web page: http://www.prgarcia1.com.
I am a huge fan of Michael F Stewart and was excited when I got my
hands on Heart Sister, an amazing story that is a perfect example of The
Butterfly Effect in Chaos Theory.
The wonderful cover for Heart Sister definitely fits the story inside.
I love the cover and it definitely relates to the book and means so
much more after reading Heart Sister by Michael F Stewart. Michael speaks from the heart in this fabulous story of a young boy that searches for the people that received his sister’s organs.
The characters are fully developed, richly detailed and I love how
Michael F Stewart shows them growing and changing. Emmitt steals the
show. It’s not awful enough that he lost his sister, but he lost his
twin sister.
The movie that Emmitt is making was a different take on the story
than I expected, but a wonderful way to tell the tale. Anything more,
you will want to learn for yourself.
My heart goes out to him. I love him. He is doing everything for his
mother, to pull her out of her paralyzing depression, but so much
happens and many lives are changed. His sister gave them life, he helps
them live it.
The butterfly effect is an idea that is more
commonly used in chaos theory. it shows that a small change can make
much bigger changes happen; that one small incident can have a big
impact in the future. The ripple in the pond….
I cannot say enough about this novel, which is inspired by Micheal F Stewart’s own life.
Heart Sister has it all…fun and games, grief and misery, laughs and
tears..and the way Michael presented it was heartbreakingly and
heartwarmingly wonderful.
Even though Heart Sister is aimed at middle grade, to me, Michael F
Stewart’s novels are excellent for all ages. He sends a subtle message
that I hear loud and clear.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Heart Sister by Michael F Stewart.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
After Emmitt’s twin sister, Minnie, dies in an accident, his world
goes sideways. He’s lost his best friend and it feels like his family
is falling apart without her. But Minnie was an organ donor and Emmitt
soon receives an anonymous thank you letter from one of the transplant
recipients. Inspiration strikes, and he decides to try and put his
sister back together, in spirit. He’s going to track down each organ
recipient and film them to show his parents Minnie’s selfless act and
help them move on. But when each recipient falls short of his
expectations and the star of his film, the girl who received his
sister’s heart, refuses to meet him, Emmitt has to turn to extreme
measures to find her. What he doesn’t know is that his “heart sister”
is hiding an agonizing secret, one that could push Emmitt to the
breaking point.
ABOUT MICHEL F STEWART
Michael F. Stewart is winner of both the
2015 Claymore Award and the 2014 inaugural Creation of Stories Award
for best YA novel at the Toronto International Book Fair.
He likes to combine storytelling with technology and pioneered
interactive storytelling with Scholastic Canada, Australia, and New
Zealand’s, anti-cyberbullying program Bully For You. In addition to his
award winning Assured Destruction series, he has authored four graphic
novels with Oxford University Press Canada’s Boldprint series.
Publications of nonfiction titles on Corruption and Children’s Rights
are published by Scholastic and early readers are out with Pearson
Education.
For adults, Michael has written THE SAND
DRAGON a horror about a revenant prehistoric vampire set in the tar
sands, HURAKAN a Mayan themed thriller which pits the Maya against the
MS-13 with a New York family stuck in the middle, 24 BONES an urban
fantasy which draws from Egyptian myth, and THE TERMINALS–a covert
government unit which solves crimes in this realm by investigating them
in the next.
Herder of four daughters, Michael lives
to write in Ottawa where he was the Ottawa Public Library’s first Writer
in Residence. To learn more about Michael and his next projects visit
his website at www.michaelfstewart.com or connect via Twitter
@MichaelFStewart.
Finding Lyla by Cate Beauman is the tenth book in the series and I am lovin’ every minute I spend with them. Each book can stand alone, but past characters make visits into current and future novels, so I recommend you begin at the beginning so you don’t miss anything.
Finding Lyla by Cate Beauman is the tenth book in the LA Bodyguard series and I have been lovin’ each and every one. It’s good to be back with the gang and watch as two characters find each other, adding to the Bodyguard family.
The men may be strong, but so are the women, each with their individual personalities that makes for a new storyline and romance that slowly develops, filled with difficulty. If it isn’t their own need to protect themselves, it is a bad guy trying to make their life hell.
Lyla struggled to enter the world, being delivered by Caesarean. When Cate Beauman described the delivery, her being tied down, I had flashbacks. My child was born in the ’70s and the times sure were different than they are now. I too was tied down, then gassed. Does not make for fond memories.
Her mother, Mina was the a prima ballerina in Russia, so when Lyla was born she was labeled as the Princess of Russia, expected to follow in her mother’s footsteps, which she did. She made a name for herself with her amazing talent and was now dancing for the Manhattan Ballet. Trouble arises when she returns to Russia during a turbulent and dangerous political climate. Her father is the US Ambassador to Russia, so she feels she has no choice.
Collin is a bodyguard with Ethan Cooke Security. When he is tasked with being Lyla’s bodyguard, he jumps at the chance. Just coming out of a bad relationship and a previous job, he doesn’t look forward to returning to an empty apartment.
I found myself laughing at their dialogue from the moment they met.
I immediately fell in love with the characters. They are beautiful, inside and out. I think you may find yourself enamored with them too.
WOW. The danger, intensity of the suspense, and sexual tension is off the charts. The political intrigue kept me on my toes and I’m glad Collin is well versed in survival. They will need it.
Lyla is naive in the ways of the world. She has devoted her life to ballet. She does have some wonderful friends, very little romantic experience, but ballet is her be all, end all.
Nail biting, edge of the seat, nonstop action that threatens lives across international lines. Brutal moments are tempered with sweet ones. Every time I think I am reaching the happy ever after, Cate Beauman delivers another blow.
Finding Lyla, even though I expected a LOT, delivered more than anticipated. That is why Cate Beauman is a master of her craft.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Finding Lyla by Cate Beauman
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Principal Dancer Lyla Markovik-Avery is always on the go. Grueling practices and endless performances rule her busy days—and things are about to get more hectic. Russia is rolling out the red carpet for their beloved star, despite the string of violent terrorist attacks that have rocked the nation.
Bodyguard Collin Michaels’ life is falling apart. His long-time relationship recently ended. He’s trying to start over, but that’s easier said than done. Luckily, Collin has a new assignment on the horizon: keeping a beautiful ballerina safe for the next three weeks.
Collin finds comfort in Lyla’s easy friendship, but that all changes after a night out on the town. Simple feelings become complicated—something Collin can’t afford, especially when tragedy strikes and Collin realizes Lyla’s caught in the middle of a dangerous plot for revenge.
Collin and Lyla are forced to flee. They need to reach the border before it’s too late, but the odds are stacked against them in a country that wants them dead. With time running out, Collin formulates a risky plan that might be their only chance of making it out alive.
ABOUT CATE BEAUMAN
International
bestselling author Cate Beauman is known for her full-length,
action-packed romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County.
Her novels have been nominated for the National Excellence in Romance
Fiction Award, National Indie Excellence Award, Golden Quill Award,
Writers Touch Award, and have been named Readers Favorite Five Star
books. In 2015, JUSTICE FOR ABBY was selected as the Readers’ Favorite
International Book Award Gold Medalist, while SAVING SOPHIE took the
Silver Medal. SAVING SOPHIE was also selected as the 2015 Readers Crown
Award winner for Romantic Suspense and FALLING FOR SARAH received the
silver medal for the 2014 Readers’ Favorite Awards.
Cate makes her home in North Carolina
with her husband, two boys, and their St. Bernards, Bear and Jack.
Currently Cate is working on Deceiving Bella, the eleventh novel in her
popular Bodyguards series.
P M Terrell is a prolific writer and a favorite of mine. A Struggle for Independence is a walk through the Ireland of yore. I am glad to have you joining us.
I am amazed at how much I love A Struggle for Independence. I love a lot of details and well researched novels, along with fictional characters that make me forget they are not real, but historical fiction never used to be high on my list. I want to thank P M Terrell for changing that and supplying me with many wonderful hours of reading.
Independence saw his carriage approaching and the entire atmosphere of the house, along with her mood, became oppressive. He entered the castle and spit out her name, Independence, with the disdain he felt for the country’s thought of freedom in 1916 Ireland.
Stratford, Independence’s husband, runs his household like a tyrant. I immediately despised him. Her marriage to him had been arranged and happiness was in short supply. She had her secret life and…one night opened her eyes and changed her life forever.
Independence’s growth and development were a joy to read about. The trials and tribulations she goes through during war torn Ireland are frightening, disturbing, and all too familiar. It’s easy to visualize the unrest and reasons for it. Hungry, homeless, nothing to lose, cornered like a cat up a tree, pursued, enslaved, treated as a possession…not surprising they rose up and bit back…harshly. A reminder that history repeats itself.
P M Terrell’s historical novels spring to life with vivid characters and descriptions of the countryside. She is an artist, using words instead of paints to create her masterpieces. Her ability to merge fact and fiction makes reading about history an awesome adventure into the past.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of A Struggle for Independence by P M Terrell.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
It is 1916 Ireland, and Independence Mather has settled into a routine in an arranged and loveless marriage when she meets architect Nicky Bowers. She falls in love with the charming and attentive Irishman, but Nicky holds secrets. When she discovers he is an Irish rebel on the eve of the Easter Rising, events propel her into the midst of the rebellion. From Dublin’s GPO to Saint Stephen’s Green, she races to discover whether he is yet alive or he is one of those cut down by seasoned British forces arriving to put down the rebellion. At a crossroads in her life and in Ireland’s history, she must make a decision that will change her life forever: she can remain the wife of a British loyalist, or she can risk losing everything to be with the man she loves.
Set against the sweeping vistas of Ireland from Dublin to the Wicklow Mountains, terrell brings alive a tumultuous time in Ireland’s history, interweaving historical events and the people that gave their lives to ensure Ireland’s independence.
ABOUT P M TERRELL
p.m.terrell
is the pen name for Patricia McClelland Terrell, the award-winning,
internationally acclaimed author of more than 21 books in four genres:
contemporary suspense, historical adventure/suspense, computer how-to
and non-fiction.
Prior to writing full-time, she founded two computer companies in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. Among her clients were the Central Intelligence Agency, United States Secret Service, U.S. Information Agency, and Department of Defense. Her specialties were in white collar computer crimes and computer intelligence, themes that have carried forward to her contemporary suspense.
She has been a full-time author since
2002. Vicki’s Key was a top five finalist in the 2012 International Book
Awards and 2012 USA Book Awards nominee, and The Pendulum Files was a
national finalist for the Best Cover of the Year in 2014. The Tempest
Murders was one of four finalists in the 2013 International Book Awards,
cross-genre category.
Her historical suspense, River Passage,
was a 2010 Best Fiction and Drama Winner. It was determined to be so
historically accurate that a copy of the book resides at the Nashville
Government Metropolitan Archives in Nashville, Tennessee.
She is also the co-founder of The Book
‘Em Foundation, an organization committed to raising public awareness of
the correlation between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. She
is the organizer and chairperson of Book ‘Em North Carolina, an annual
event held in Lumberton, North Carolina, to raise funds to increase
literacy and reduce crime. For more information on this event and the
literacy campaigns funded by it, visit www.bookemnc.org. She is also the founder of The Novel Business, mentoring authors in the business end and selling of books.
She sits on the board of the Friends of the Robeson County Public Library. She has also served on the boards of Robeson County Arts Council, Crime Stoppers and Crime Solvers and became the first female president of the Chesterfield County-Colonial Heights Crime Solvers in Virginia.
I am a huge fan of Michael F Stewart and was excited when I got my hands on Heart Sister, an amazing story that is a perfect example of The Butterfly Effect in Chaos Theory.
The wonderful cover for Heart Sister definitely fits the story inside.
I love the cover and it definitely relates to the book and means so much more after reading Heart Sister by Michael F Stewart. Michael speaks from the heart in this fabulous story of a young boy that searches for the people that received his sister’s organs.
The characters are fully developed, richly detailed and I love how Michael F Stewart shows them growing and changing. Emmitt steals the show. It’s not awful enough that he lost his sister, but he lost his twin sister.
The movie that Emmitt is making was a different take on the story than I expected, but a wonderful way to tell the tale. Anything more, you will want to learn for yourself.
My heart goes out to him. I love him. He is doing everything for his mother, to pull her out of her paralyzing depression, but so much happens and many lives are changed. His sister gave them life, he helps them live it.
The butterfly effect is an idea that is more commonly used in chaos theory. it shows that a small change can make much bigger changes happen; that one small incident can have a big impact in the future. The ripple in the pond….
I cannot say enough about this novel, which is inspired by Micheal F Stewart’s own life.
Heart Sister has it all…fun and games, grief and misery, laughs and tears..and the way Michael presented it was heartbreakingly and heartwarmingly wonderful.
Even though Heart Sister is aimed at middle grade, to me, Michael F Stewart’s novels are excellent for all ages. He sends a subtle message that I hear loud and clear.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Heart Sister by Michael F Stewart.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
After Emmitt’s twin sister, Minnie, dies in an accident, his world goes sideways. He’s lost his best friend and it feels like his family is falling apart without her. But Minnie was an organ donor and Emmitt soon receives an anonymous thank you letter from one of the transplant recipients. Inspiration strikes, and he decides to try and put his sister back together, in spirit. He’s going to track down each organ recipient and film them to show his parents Minnie’s selfless act and help them move on. But when each recipient falls short of his expectations and the star of his film, the girl who received his sister’s heart, refuses to meet him, Emmitt has to turn to extreme measures to find her. What he doesn’t know is that his “heart sister” is hiding an agonizing secret, one that could push Emmitt to the breaking point.
ABOUT MICHEL F STEWART
Michael F. Stewart is winner of both the
2015 Claymore Award and the 2014 inaugural Creation of Stories Award
for best YA novel at the Toronto International Book Fair.
He likes to combine storytelling with technology and pioneered
interactive storytelling with Scholastic Canada, Australia, and New
Zealand’s, anti-cyberbullying program Bully For You. In addition to his
award winning Assured Destruction series, he has authored four graphic
novels with Oxford University Press Canada’s Boldprint series.
Publications of nonfiction titles on Corruption and Children’s Rights
are published by Scholastic and early readers are out with Pearson
Education.
For adults, Michael has written THE SAND
DRAGON a horror about a revenant prehistoric vampire set in the tar
sands, HURAKAN a Mayan themed thriller which pits the Maya against the
MS-13 with a New York family stuck in the middle, 24 BONES an urban
fantasy which draws from Egyptian myth, and THE TERMINALS–a covert
government unit which solves crimes in this realm by investigating them
in the next.
Herder of four daughters, Michael lives
to write in Ottawa where he was the Ottawa Public Library’s first Writer
in Residence. To learn more about Michael and his next projects visit
his website at www.michaelfstewart.com or connect via Twitter
@MichaelFStewart.
Cate Beauman’s Aftermath Of Secrets Release Celebration!
AFTERMATH OF SECRETS
The Carter Island Trilogy, Book 2
RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2020
MY REVIEW
Aftermath by Cate Beauman is Book II of the Charter Island series and picks up where book one left off, though it is Molly and Brad’s turn to be in the spotlight. I don’t know why Aftermath fell a little flat, unless it was because I was blown away by Secrets in the Glass and read it immediately after, and it didn’t grab me, like the first one. Could it be because I wasn’t as invested in the characters and their outcome, like I was with Callie and Nate?
One drunken night had ruined Molly and Brad’s lifelong friendship. Molly, Brad, and Molly’s brother, nate, had been like the Three Musketeers. They both missed it, though they didn’t know how to fix it. With romantic suspense a lot comes down to communication. Who would make the first move?
When the characters mentioned watching Friends reruns, I thought, isn’t Friends always on cable somewhere. LOL I watch them all the time. I love little touches like this that make it easy to relate to moments in the characters lives.
Molly is easy going, but she is a tomboy and not shy about saying what she thinks. I love Molly thoughts about fashion…sneakers, jeans and a sweat shirt. And makeup? What’s that? She is the opposite of Callie and I think that’s why they make such great friends. Sounds like someone I could be friends with too. They can fill in the blanks and help navigate some of their troubles, all while building a friendship.
Molly’s sister, Gwen, is the opposite when it comes to fashion. I love when she is dressing her for a New Year’s ball and she looks in the mirror, all glammed up, and says,”Holy crap.” I busted out laughing. Been there, done that.
Brad’s brother, Jordan, appeared, I thought his timing highly suspicious and Brad is leery.
I knew a shitstorm was brewing, it’s just, what kind of shit storm will it be.
I have read a lot of Cate Beauman’s books and love them. I’m not sure what happened with Aftermath. The beginning seemed a little choppy. I was already invested in the characters and wanted the best for Molly and Brad, but, for me, it never reached the level of Secrets in the Glass. I would recommend reading Secrets in the Glass first and feel Aftermath keeps Carter Island on the map.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Aftermath by Cate Beauman.
4 Stars
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
When The Secrets Of The Past Threaten To
Destroy The Future…
Boston’s Most Eligible Bachelor has it all:
good looks, a great career, and plenty of wealth and prestige. But Bradley
Sanderson’s charmed life quickly falls apart when scandal rocks his famous
family. Arrests have been made; the media circus has begun, and Brad’s been
tasked with the daunting chore of restoring the Sandersons’ good name. Moving
back to Carter Island and picking up the pieces hasn’t been easy, especially
when the one person he needs the most won’t give him the time of day.
Bakery owner and island resident Molly Carter
is loyal to her core, but that doesn’t mean Brad’s homecoming hasn’t left her
torn. Brad’s darkest days aren’t lost on Molly, but reaching out to her
lifelong friend isn’t so simple when she’s forced to guard her heart. Everything
changed when she woke up alone after their sexy summer night.
The complications keep coming when Brad’s
long-lost brother shows up in town, bringing the remnants of his checkered past
with him. Forgiveness and redemption are possible for all, until new secrets
come to light that may have dire consequences.
*A contemporary romance with twists of mystery and suspense
5
Stars!“I’m
a big sucker for a good love story, especially one that has drama. Aftermath Of
Secrets by Cate Beauman provided both in a beautiful way. I was swept in by the
characters, their wants, and desires.” -Shannon Winings, Readers’
Favorite Book Awards
EXCERPT
“So,
what now? The tree’s officially decorated. It’s just you, me, hot chocolate,
and…a movie?”
“Scrabble,”
Brad decided. His family wasn’t going to ruin one more moment of his night.
Molly’s
left brow winged up again. “Scrabble?”
He
nodded. “By the Christmas tree—something we’ve never done before. I didn’t get
a chance to kick your ass after Thanksgiving dinner this year.”
She
flashed him one of the grins that lit up her face and made his pulse race.
Damn, she was spectacular. “I’ve kicked your ass the last two years in a
row, which is odd because didn’t you go to Harvard?”
He
laughed, rolling his eyes at the ceiling. “You’ve gotta come up with something
else.”
“But
it was Harvard, right? And Harvard Medical School after that?”
“Yeah,
it was both of the Harvards.” He reached out, tugging gently on her hair.
“Let’s do this, brat.”
She
pulled the game out of the basket beneath the coffee table. “Oh, let’s indeed.”
They
brought their mugs and plate of treats with them as they moved to lie on their
stomachs across from one another and set up the game under the lights of the
tree.
He
selected his preliminary tile and grinned when he drew a letter A and
Molly a G. “Looks like I go first.” He drew his seven tiles and let out
a hoot as he studied his selection. “And here we go.” He laid out quit in
the center of the board. “That looks like fourteen points.”
She
glared as she pulled her tiles and looked at her pieces. “Beginner’s luck.”
He
sent her a mischievous smile. “We’ll see.”
Molly
beamed. “Got one.” She laid out an S, L, and T.
His
brow shot up. “Slut?”
“And a double word score for eight points.
Don’t be jealous.”
“I’m
not. First move, and I’m winning.”
“For
now, but it’s early days, Ivy League. Early days.”
He
laughed as she did. Christmas tree decorating, Scrabble, and plenty of smack
talk with Molls. Her five nights of fun idea was turning out to be the ultimate
gift.
ALSO PART OF THE CARTER ISLAND NOVELS SERIES
SECRETS HIDDEN IN THE GLASS
The Carter Island Novels, Book 1
MY REVIEW
Secrets Hidden in the Glass is a looooong book and I have a lot to say. Once I started, I only put it down to eat, use the facilities, and sleep. The characters quickly became my friends and I went on one hell of a ride, filled with danger and suspense. It has so many elements I love in a book, my page and a half of notes is going to have to be severely edited.
Callie desperately needed a vacation and felt the magical affects of the island her first day there. She was in desperate need of sleep and it found her as soon as she sat down. She awoke more refreshed than she had felt for months.
She had already met the sheriff and, like the island, she felt an immediate attraction when he poked his head out from under the sink he was fixing in the home she was renting. He felt the attraction too and, seeing he was her landlord and neighbor, felt he would have many opportunities to get to know her better.
Callie is an artist, working in stained glass, and fame has not been kind to her. She prefers spending her time working on her art to hobnobbing with those who want a piece of her. She built a very high wall to protect herself.
Nate slowly dries the mortar that holds the wall,allowing it to fall and the light, along with her emotions were coming out in a slow way, relaxing in the small moments of getting to know someone. She steps outside herself not knowing why, just that it felt right. Their romance is a slow build with many uncertainties and danger.
The island life was what she needed. The people are real, easy going and not overbearing, even though they know she is famous, though she has no idea they know and is surprised by it when she finds out. All this reminds me soooo much of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Callie is relaxed, happy, but knowing Cate Beauman this is foreplay for the danger lurking in the background. I keep waiting and waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. The slow, subtle buildup is spent getting to know everyone, including the dark memories that put a bullseye on Callie. It does get hot and heavy, but not in the ‘I like you, let’s do it” manner.
I am soooo curious how she came to be abandoned at four years old. She has all the issues that go along with it. That explains why she holds people at a distance.
...love and attachment meant fear and pain for Callie.
When Callie’s adopted mom told Nate that as a child she would get up in the night and sleep in front of the door so she would know if they tried to leave her, it broke my heart. It’s the little details that Cate Beauman adds to the story that allows me to SEE what is happening.
“It crossed my mind to knock him out a couple of times, but then I would have needed to arrest myself…” says Nate.
Be prepared for tears, laughter, passion, danger, and hours of nonstop reading, because Secrets Hidden in the Glass by Cate Beauman is the complete package. I am BLOWN AWAY.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Secrets Hidden in the Glass by Cate Beauman.
5 Stars
BOOK DESCRIPTION
The secrets of the past are always closer than we think…
Stained glass artist Callie Davis is in desperate need of a
vacation. Burnt out and on the edge of a nervous breakdown, she’s fleeing the
pressures of her career and is taking refuge on Massachusetts’ tiny Carter
Island. Callie yearns for long, lazy days and pretty walks on the beach—blessed
solitude and an escape from the complications of her life. Then she bumps into
gorgeous Nate Carter and everything changes.
Sheriff Nathan Carter couldn’t be happier now that the height
of the summer season has finally come and gone. After four endless months,
tourists have packed their bags and headed for the mainland. The quiet days of
autumn are about to befall the town—the way Nate and his fellow Sandersonians
like it best.
But nothing ends up quite the way Nate expects when he meets
the beautiful blonde with the big blue eyes. Callie’s pretty smiles hide
secrets—deep, dark mysteries that could cost them both their lives if they
continue digging into the past and cross a killer’s path.
*A contemporary romance with twists of mystery and suspense
“Great
character’s, fantastic plot, it is a book to sink into. You feel the magic of
the island…” Amazon Verified Review
“Even throughout the nail-biting scenes, and
moments of terrible sadness, you feel the rise of love sneaking back into the
picture.” Amazon Verified Review
Amazon Rating: 4.5/5
Goodreads Rating: 4.4/5
ABOUT CATE BEAUMAN
Cate Beauman is the multi-award-winning, international bestselling author of The Bodyguards of L.A. County series and the Carter Island Novels. She is known for her full-length, action-packed romantic suspense and contemporary stories.
Cate’s
novels have been named Readers’ Favorite Five Star books and have won the
Booksellers’ Best Award, Maggie Award for Excellence, the Holt Medallion Award,
two-time Aspen Gold Medal, two-time Readers’ Favorite International Gold Medal,
three-time Readers’ Favorite International Silver Medal, and the Readers’ Crown
Award.
Cate
makes her home in New Hampshire with her family and their St. Bernards, Bear
and Jack.
I received an email from Nick’s Reader’s Club with all those beautiful covers lined up in a row. Do you wonder who’s watching you now? LOL
Also, Dead Meat: Day 1 is free, while Nick has heavily discounted Day 2 And Day 3, so now is the time to jump in. You can also read for free on Kindle Unlimited. Happy reading.
The Dead Meat series by Nick Clausen covers the apocalyptic/dystopian world he has created on a day by day basis. I highly recommend reading the series in order as each book picks up where the previous book left off.
It is so easy to visualize and relate to the storyline because we are going through it now, sans the zombies. I began reading this before Covid-19, but the characters careless actions read too much like real people’s disregard for others in spreading the disease. All it take is one person to break the rules, one moment of carelessness, others thinking, oh, it will be alright. It only takes one person to set off an explosion.
Day 4 is longer than the other books. It seems to grow as I meet new characters and keep up with the old ones.
I could not stop reading this action packed, heart in my throat, nonstop suspense with tension that left be a bit sore from my muscles being clenched so tight.
OMG…you better be prepared to lose some of your friends along the way, because Nick Clausen doesn’t hesitate to kill them off in gruesome, tragic, heartbreaking fashion.
AND…he ends with my emotions reeling as I mourn, yet I have hope.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day 4 by Nick Clausen.
5 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
The dead have awakened. Driven by insatiable hunger. In eternal search of fresh meat. The infection spreads like the plague. Nothing stands between the undead and humanity. Is it too late to save the world from disaster?
The end of the world one day at a time
In this new apocalyptic zombie series from the author of They Come at Night and Human Flesh, we follow events day for day as the world slowly decends into mayhem and the zombies take over. Don’t miss the thrilling ride!
For fans of The Walking Dead and The Orphan Books.
Day 4 of the zombie apocalypse
The story picks up from Day 3. Dorte, a young doctor, desperately tries to find a cure for her sister, who got scratched by one of the infected. It’s a race against time, and it’s only the beginning of another day in hell.
By Day 4, the infection begins to spread across nation
borders, and it looks like none of the governments will be able to
contain it. Is it too late to save the world?
★★★★★ “Definitely the best day yet!”
★★★★★ “This series just gets more and more exciting”
★★★★★ “had me hooked from the first page”
EXCERPT
Henrik has turned away to go back inside the bedroom and pack a fresh set of clothes, when Kirsten screams.
He
spins around and sees Finn come lunging out from Jennie’s old room,
throwing himself at Kirsten, who backs away into the wall in a vain
attempt to get out of reach. But it’s too late, and Finn bites down hard
on her neck.
Kirsten’s scream turns even higher and more piercing.
Oh, Jesus Christ!
Henrik
runs down the hallway and grabs Kirsten’s flailing arm. He begins
tugging hard to get her away from Finn, but Finn acts like a predator
who just caught his breakfast and isn’t intent at all on letting it go.
He bears down harder with his teeth, growling and blowing bubbles in the
blood from Kirsten’s throat. He also reaches up and grabs her by the
grey hair, yanking her head sideways.
Kirsten screams again, very
high-pitched, but a little weaker than before, and for an awful moment,
she looks like a piece of toy torn between two big kids, as Henrik pulls
her one way, while Finn pulls her the other.
“Let go of her!”
Henrik shouts, and then, without thinking, he lets go of Kirsten with
one hand in order to throw a punch at Finn. His knuckles connect with
the old guy’s temple, and his jaw pops open for a moment, as he blinks
his dead eyes and staggers backwards, loosening his grip on Kirsten’s
hair and allowing Henrik to pull her free. She almost collapses into his
arms, and Henrik half drags, half lifts her backwards down the hallway,
away from Finn.
But the neighbor quickly regains his bearings and
comes waddling after them, arms stretched out, the lower part of his
face smothered in blood …
ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN
Born 1988 in North Jutland,
where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest
childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up
until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been
studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of
psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a
much more powerful pull on me.
I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In
fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book,
Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at
14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got
praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and
trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should
be an author.
That day I made a promise
to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and
started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a
half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the
rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could
feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The
thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the
publisher and came out a year later.
I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot
of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more
free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That
way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the
characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come
from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.
![A Struggle for Independence by [p.m. terrell]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51xtggGImNL.jpg)
