I’m sad to see the series end, but Allie Nighthawk deserves a little happiness.
H R Boldwood has included bits of Cincinnati history, so you know where to avoid when the zombies arise. LOL
All is a badass bitch, so beware when confronting her…about anything. I love her kickass and take names attitude. She rides a Harley, carries her trusty Ka Bar and Hawk,her custom 9mm along a backup Glock. She also carries a bag of Doritos. Even zombies love Doritos. To her zombie hunting is simple.
Step One: Lure deadhead
Step Two: Drop deadhead.
In Corpse Whisperer: Torn, Allie and Toussaint will have their final showdown.
Allie has a wild crowd hanging around her house, Nonnie her next door neighbor, Headbutt, her bitersniffing bulldog, her African Grey feather duster and a new addition to the bird family, Hyrum, the feather duster’s baby.
Allie will have some romantic moments and I, for one, think it’s about time. She deserves something good in her life every now and then.
I love everything H R Boldwood did to wrap up the series. We had some good people die and that is a necessary thing in a novel like Torn. Not everyone can get out of the zombified world unharmed. Allie kinda hits the lottery. Maybe she can afford a better snack than check flavored dog biscuits. She has some romance in her life and her nemesis is no more.
I laughed and cried. I sat on the edge of my seat with white knuckles and I leaned back in my seat, wiping the sweat off my brow. Or was that some zushi. LOL I will sure miss the Corpse Whisperer gang. I wish them luck in all their future endeavors. 🙂
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Corpse Whisperer: Torn by H R Boldwood.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
“Just after sunrise, I jumped on my Harley and hurtled toward Templeman’s Funeral Home, packing Hawk, my custom 9mm, a backup Glock, and a seven-inch Ka-Bar knife—the standard-issue zombie-hunter’s tool kit. Not that I’m standard-issue, by any stretch. I was born with the ability to raise the dead. It’s a genetic thing. Don’t ask me how it works. I didn’t write the playbook. I’m just living the dream.”
Allie Nighthawk faces a ghost from her past as she explores the fascinating and historic world of Cincinnati’s underground. When the Z-virus threatens world-wide contamination, it’s up to Allie to save the day. Is her magick strong enough to turn the tide? Or will doubt and inner demons stand in her way? And will those she loves survive?
H.R. Boldwood, author of the Corpse Whisperer series, countless short stories, and Imadjinn Award finalist, is a writer of horror and speculative fiction. In another incarnation, Boldwood is a Pushcart Prize nominee and winner of the 2009 Bilbo Award for creative writing by Thomas More College. Boldwood’s characters are often disreputable and not to be trusted. They are kicked to the curb at every conceivable opportunity when some poor unsuspecting publisher welcomes them with open arms. No responsibility is taken by this author for the dastardly and sometimes criminal acts committed by this ragtag group of miscreants.
I have read some Leslie Wolfe books and knew I was in for a good read, but I never anticipated how good. I should have begun sooner in the day, because I didn’t want to stop reading. I gave up in the wee hours of the morning, but picked it up to finish while drinking my coffee.
So many cringe worthy moments I can’t begin to describe them all. Just thinking about them to write this review has hair standing up on the back of my neck and shivers running up and down my spine. Is someone watching me?
Imagine being blind and paralyzed, totally at the mercy of those who ‘care’ for you.
Now, imagine, not all of them have your best interests at heart. I’m starting to get an ominous, horrifying feeling of someone orchestrating a sick game on her, but I have yet to figure out WTF is going on.
More than once I had to remember to pick my jaw up off the floor and close my mouth.
Hello movie people. The Hospital would make a great book to movie adaptation. The complex mystery and psychological torture she endures is sure to put the thrill in thriller.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Hospital by Leslie Wolfe.
5 Stars
I
should feel safe here. I don’t.
I
thought I had it all. The loving husband I married on a beach, sand
between my toes. The career I fought for. The beautiful home tucked
away between pines and mountains.
But my perfect life
crumbled when my husband betrayed me. And then it started. Everywhere
I went, someone was following me… But no one believed me. Were they
right? Was
I losing my mind?
Then,
one day, I wake up with a searing pain in my head, and only the sound
of sirens and distant conversations to pierce my confusion.
I’ve
been attacked. I’m
in the hospital.
It
should be reassuring. But all I can think is: I’m
trapped.
I
must escape. But I know I can’t trust anyone, and I’ll do
whatever it takes to save myself.
You
will never see the twists coming in this jaw-on-the-floor
gasp-out-loud rollercoaster from the no.1 bestselling author
of The
Surgeon.
Fans of Freida McFadden, Lisa Jewell and Shari Lapena won’t be able
to put it down!
See
what readers are saying about The
Hospital:
“OMG!!!!…
Wow… insanely fast-paced, totally addictive… I binge read in one
sitting… I was literally glued to my Kindle on the edge of my seat…
So good!!!” Heidi Lynn’s Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Wow!!!… It
kept me completely on the edge of my seat biting my nails… I
could not put it down and ended up devouring it in one sitting of a
few hours!! An absolutely
addictive,
compelling page turner that will
keep you hooked from beginning to end!!” Bookworm86,
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“So
tense!Wow,
now I can breathe normally… jaw-dropping,
full of surprises and twists that kept me turning the pages so
fast!… had
me on the edge of my seat the
entire time, I
couldn’t put it down!…
You need to read this book!” moneisreading,
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Wow
wow wow!! I loved this
book!! What a heart-pounder!!… thrilling!! Lots
of action, suspense, drama with plenty of twists and turns!… I
highly recommend reading this one!” Goodreads reviewer,
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This
was a WILD
RIDE!!!…
I was trying to figure out who I could trust and my mind changed
constantly. Loved the ending… a CANNOT
PUT IT DOWN BOOK!!!”
Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Wow,
wow, wow!!! What
a book!… kept me guessing until the end… extremely jam packed
with twists. I
couldn’t pull myself away from my kindle reading this.
Fantastic.” Jessica’s
Book Biz,
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Had
me captivated from beginning to end!… I
couldn’t put this book down!”
Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Superb… I
couldn’t put it down,
don’t give in to the temptation to turn pages without working
through all the twists and turns!” NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“So
addictive… I
was hooked and found it hard to stop for a break! So
glad I did not have much planned for that day!!!!… WoW
I want more!!!”
Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Superb…
I didn’t want to put down. The
twists and turns were spectacularly clever and I doubted everything I
was thinking!”
NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“So
intense… I
had NO idea who did it, or what was going to happen next…
This book taught me TRUST NO ONE… fantastic…
I would absolutely recommend to a friend.” Reading
with Mama East,
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Leslie Wolfe is a bestselling author whose novels break the mold of traditional thrillers. She creates unforgettable, brilliant, strong women heroes who deliver fast-paced, satisfying suspense, backed up by extensive background research in technology and psychology.
Leslie
released the first novel, Executive,
in October 2011. Since then, she has written many more,
continuing to break down barriers of traditional thrillers. Her style
of fast-paced suspense, backed up by extensive background research in
technology and psychology, has made Leslie one of the most read
authors in the genre.
Reminiscent
of the television drama Criminal Minds, her series of books featuring
the fierce and relentless FBI Agent Tess
Winnett would
be of great interest to readers of James Patterson, Melinda Leigh,
and David Baldacci crime thrillers. Fans of Kendra Elliot and Robert
Dugoni suspenseful mysteries would love the Las Vegas Crime series,
featuring the tension-filled relationship between Baxter
and Holt.
Finally, her Alex
Hoffmann series
of political and espionage action adventure will enthrall readers of
Tom Clancy, Brad Thor, and Lee Child.
Leslie
enjoys engaging with readers every day and would love to hear from
you. Become an insider: gain early
access to previews of Leslie’s new novels.
OMG! I am blown away. Sue Coletta has taken ecothrillers and vigilante justice to a new level. Every time I think she can’t surpass herself, she goes and writes an excellent story such as Savage Mayhem. I know my words will not be able to express how much I enjoyed the book, but I will do my best.
Let’s start with the cast of characters. We have Mayhem,an Apache Warrior and serial killer. Then, we have Shawnee, a cat burglar and his partner. They will stop at nothing to protect those who cannot protect themselves from the Killzme Corporation…and this time it is the American Buffalo. Just a little note…I had seen a documentary on TV about the American Buffalo and I mentioned it to Sue. She was already writing about it in Savage Mayhem.
We have their feathered friends, Poe, who has a sibling rivalry going on with Shawnee. We have White Crow, who is the spirit animal of Mayhem’s wife. Sue has introduced a new crow, Odin, who has become enamored with White Crow. She makes them seem so real and they have their part to play in the battle. There are moments of sadness and laughter.
I have wondered, in the last couple of books, if there could be a romance between Mayhem and Shawnee. Savage Mayhem had some smokin’ hot moments and I loved it…and that’s all I’m saying about that.
I do want to say that it is best to read the series from the beginning. Mayhem and Shawnee are very different people. I love that Sue Coletta turned them into ecowarriors, determined to put the poaching KillzMe Corporation out of business, one villain at a time. She seamlessly weaves Indian folklore and tradition with danger and death.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Savage Mayhem by Sue Coletta.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Amidst the wild and unforgiving landscapes of Yellowstone Park, join Mayhem, a fearless Apache warrior and champion of the Natural World, and his partner and protégé, Shawnee, as they race against the clock to protect an American Buffalo herd from the ruthless Killzme Corporation.With a massive bounty on their heads and an army of killers on their trail, Mayhem and Shawnee must use all their cunning and survival skills to outsmart their enemies. They will risk it all to preserve the sacred lineage of the Innocent Ones.
There is no line Shawnee and Mayhem won’t cross.
Even murder.
As the danger intensifies and the clock winds down, will they be able to save the herd? Or will this be the mission that finally breaks them?
Published April 11, 2024 by Crow Talons Publishing
Series: The Mayhem Series #9
ABOUT SUE COLETTA
Sue Coletta is an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog as one of the “Top 100 Crime Blogs on the Net” (Murder Blog sits at #5) for four years in a row. And recently, she appeared on an Emmy award-winning true crime show.
Sue also blogs at the Kill Zone, a multi-award-winning writing blog, and writes two serial killer thriller series (Tirgearr Publishing) and narrative nonfiction/true crime for Globe Pequot, trade division of Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group.
For readers, she has the Crime Lover’s Lounge, where members will be the first to know about free giveaways, contests, and have inside access to deleted scenes (if available). As an added bonus, members get to play in the lounge. Your secret code will unlock the virtual door.
BONUS: When you join Sue’s community you’ll receive two free killer reads!
Sue lives in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire with her husband, and begins each by feeding all the wildlife in her yard. Her favorite “pets” are a murder of crows who live free but come when called by name.
I love to read books that I can relate to real current events and An End To Kings by Ryan Schuette does that in a fantastical way. He includes things like political upheaval, civil liberty and climate change. Ryan Schuette’s master storytelling makes this an epic fantasy you won’t want to miss and I am excited to pick up where we left off in A Seat For The Rabble.
I love the illustrations. Illustrations always add something extra for me.
Political intrigue arises around every turn. No one can be trusted and some of the betrayals broke my heart for the characters that it happened to. One sticks out in a big way…
Sara is one of my favorite characters and her tragic life breaks my heart. She is a good person and too young for the horrors brought to her life. She is a child, struggling, facing things beyond her years. I have feared for her since I met her, especially when she lost the one person she could count on.
Zur had been kidnapped and Lorana was determined to find him. I thought there might be more to him than we see in the beginning. The same goes for Sara and the Mad Lady. I feel they will play a prominent role in what is to come for the Kingdom. What that role will be is yet to be determined.
Eden, what the hell?
Anyway, let’s get into the conflict that rages, as the rebels unite to get their Seat, but how can you band together when you can’t get along? When people are pushed into a corner with nothing to lose, they will fight back.
Because the king died without naming his successor.Jason must prove his right to wear the crown for the Kingdom of Loran and will have to face the Kingstrials. I love that the king’s daughter, Lorana was ruling the kingdom, though no one ever acknowledged it. After all, they cannot have a Queen as a leader…can they? For now, she is tasked with keeping the wolves at bay until a king is crowned.
The battles are savage, a brutal and bloody slaughter. The betrayals and cowardice allow tragic injustices to occur and more than one leaves me speechless. Ryan Schuette’s ability to pump up my emotions to a point where I want to throw my ereader against the wall makes me hesitate, putting the book down to pull myself together, then picking it up again….because I HAVE to know what happens next. On and on I read, wondering who will live and who will die.
An End To Kings by Ryan Schuette is intense. It has everything you can possibly want in an epic fantasy. And that ending, I can hardly wait to see what will become of my favorite characters in the next book. It is sure to be an amazing adventure.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of An End To Kings by Ryan Schuette.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
In the highly anticipated conclusion to A Seat for the Rabble, former NPR reporter Ryan Schuette returns to Odma, a richly detailed world not unlike our own. Riven by social injustice, wealth inequality, and ancient magic, the Kingdom of Loran stands on the brink of war . . . and the bastard prince, Jason Warchild, means to save it.
With an army of Cloudlanders at his back, Jason marches to the Kingstrials, where he must kill his rivals—including his zealot uncle, Shaddon—to claim his father’s crown and return peasants to power. But winning this deadly game will take more than martial skill and an army. If he fails to win all three Trials, he’ll need the fractious Worthy Assembly to crown him directly—or he’ll lose the kingdom, along with his head.
As class anger festers, Jason’s allies find themselves embattled. At the capital, Princess Lorana Eddenhold navigates her realm’s troubled politics to stamp out plots against her half-brother, even as she dreads Prieslenne Edenia’s return. In the west, Rathos Robswell risks his life to persuade the Loyal Company’s firebrands to cease their infighting and see the bastard prince—along with the dream of a just realm—through a crucible of swords, dragons, and griffons.
Only supernatural forces seem to see all ends. Accompanied by a sorcerer, Zuran races against time to confront the real evil . . . the one exploiting chaos in a kingless land.
Praise for A Seat for the Rabble and An End to Kings
“From its electric first pages, Schuette’s epic adult fantasy debut grips with a rich, tense, multi-perspective story of a kingdom in unrest. . . . A journalist, [he] writes crisp, compelling scenes that demonstrate an understanding of power, conflicted loyalties, and the ways that history—both ancient and recent, true and made up—powers contemporary conflicts.” —BookLife by Publishers Weekly (Grade: A)
“Schuette’s extensive world is an enticing one. Religion, class systems, and past events play large parts in the conflict. . . . Griffins fly; swords cleave; and the unsuspecting are sometimes slaughtered. . . . Yet the fighting and feuding are matched in such a way to keep the intriguing plot moving swiftly. The competing interests make for a curious, highly detailed, engrossing fantasy.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Masterful storytelling and epic worldbuilding make this a must-read for fans of political fantasy. Ryan Schuette weaves a complex world of political intrigue, class conflict, and the pursuit of power in this enthralling epic fantasy.” —ALEXANDRIA DUCKSWORTH, Independent Book Review
“If you like getting marooned in a book, so far removed from real life that there’s no need for rescue, then A Seat for the Rabble was made for you! . . . [It’s] a sumptuous feast for the mind.” —NICKY FLOWERS, Indies Today (Rating: ★★★★★)
Genre: Dragons, Fantasy, Fiction, Mythical Creatures, Sword and Sorcery
554 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 9, 2024
Series: A King Without A Crown, Book II
ABOUT RYAN SHUETTE (from his website)
Schuette:Pronounced SHOO-tee
Hi there. I’m a writer, editor, illustrator, and resume consultant with past lives in politics, foreign aid, nonprofit management, and the lingerie industry. I’m also a reporter who’s written for National Public Radio, Al Jazeera America, and numerous other media outlets. In 2015, PBS’s NOVA recognized a feature of mine for NPR as one of its top 10 stories in science education that year.
Fun facts about me: I’ve met three presidents (including the one in the photo), written a novel, and lived and worked for a year in Uganda as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. While in Uganda, I freelanced as a reporter, bounced around several countries, and got malaria a few times (wouldn’t recommend it). I also took a short course in international law at the University of Oxford.
I’ve started and run both a nonprofit and company, and just recently decided to make good on a few life goals by writing an original fantasy fiction novel and drawing cartoons professionally. I’ve lived and worked in Washington, D.C., and hold a master’s in journalism and public affairs from American University.
Life is short, so make sure you spend it doing something you love. Bonus points if it improves our species.
Leave No Trace (National Parks Thriller, #1) is a collaboration between Jon Land and Jeff Ayers. I am excited to be on the adventure, traveling coast to coast to sniff out the danger.
The headers for each short chapter include snippets of the history of the National Parks. I love the combination of fact and fiction.
First stop on our adventure…Danny and his family are visiting the Statue of Liberty. He is very observant and notices something is not right. Before he can say or do anything, there is an explosion. The Prologue set the hook and I am looking forward to hanging out at the National Parks, even under such trying circumstances.
Agent Michael Walker of the National Park Service is on the case and he’ll be working with Gina Delgado of the FBI. I love diverse characters. Michael has a prosthetic foot. Gina is the youngest FBI ASAC and a Latina woman to boot.
A young boy walks up to Michael and asks, “Have you seen my parents?” He becomes the most important witness because of the vital information he has. Does it put a target on his back? What do you think?
The more they investigate, the deeper, more terrifying the conspiracy grows. No one or no thing can be one hundred per cent protected. Michael and Gina will be mobile, putting out fires and defusing catastrophic bombs.
Jeremiah is out for revenge after his family’s home was taken by the Park Service.From coast to coast, no national treasure is safe from those that want to tear them down, not caring how many innocent lives they take with them. A conspiracy surrounds the investigation and reaches within the government. What is their agenda?
I’m getting a terrible feeling. Hold on to you ASS people! Knowing Jon Land, I was waiting for the danger and suspense to ramp up. I was moseying along before thinking these rogue military terrorists were not alone, but now…I quit taking notes because from here on out, mum’s the word.
I felt jaw dropping suspense, anger and rage, and outright shock at the depths people go to and the reasons for it..I don’t know who to trust.
Opposing forces will, eventually,collide. Who will be left standing? The addition of Danny appearing here and there, is a touch that I love. I feel there is a warning here. The government might want to rethink the selling of any old military equipment, bases, etc.
Explosive. Too real! I can let my mind go there.
The shifting points of view, can be a tool for creating suspense and a need to know, or a detriment, slowing down and interrupting the pace and tempo. For me, it was the former.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
In a daring, brutal act of terrorism, an explosion rocks and topples the Statue of Liberty. Special Agent Michael Walker of the National Park Service is awakened by his boss with that news and sent to New York as the agent-in-charge. Not long after he lands, he learns two things – one that Gina Delgado of the FBI has been placed in charge of the investigation as the lead of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and two, that threats of a second terrorism attack are already being called into the media. While barred from the meetings of the Joint Task Force for his lack of security clearance, Walker finds a young boy among the survivors with a critical piece of information – a video linking the attackers to the assault.
As a radical domestic terrorist group, led by a shadowy figure known only as Jebediah, threatens further attacks against America’s cultural symbols, powerful forces within the government are misleading the investigation to further their own radical agenda.
Genre: Action and Adventure, Conspiracy, Mystery, Suspense, Terrorism,Thriller
352 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 27, 2024 by Minotaur Books
Series: National Parks Thriller, #1
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.
It all began in the year 2030, when a virus rendered more than a billion people blind. Genetic engineering brought sight back to the people, but a price will be paid. I love when an author fills in the highlights from the previous book, so if The Price Of Rebellion is your first book by Michael C Bland, you will not be lost, though I definitely recommend beginning with The Price Of Safety.
Dray Quintero is labelled an enemy of the state. He created something he thought would benefit mankind, but we all know how things can be twisted and corrupted.
The core group of characters, Dray, Raven, Jex and Senn, have come to feel like family to me, but the peripheral characters are vital to the story. The all have their part to play.
There is so much action, so many tragic moments, that I couldn’t stop reading. The technology is truly frightening and makes me wonder…could this be our future? Genetic engineering, robotics, the environment, and the need for power. Looking at current events, we all know how power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
We end the book by finding out what happened to Talia…who was the most tragic part of the first book, for me. She was a child genius, with the courage to put herself in the line of fire. I was heartbroken when she died and the quote below gives you a hint as to why she was such a favorite character of mine. She is in fourth grade:
“Your daughter argued with the teacher,” the principal announced.
“She was pandering to me,” Talia said.
“Do you even now what that word means?: the man asked.
Talia looked up at me with her big brown eyes, “My god. It’s an epidemic.”
Her dad may have needed to hold in his laughter, but not me.
OMG!!!!!!! What a cliffhanger ending. I don’t know whether to congratulate Michael or throw my ereader through the wall!!!!!!! He tells me the wait for this book was because of the pandemic and he thinks it created an even darker book. Okay, I want to thank him for that, because the things he puts his characters through are tragic and inspiring at the same time. He, also, tells me the twists and turns, and horrors and sorrows, will be worth it in the end. I am counting on it.
I can’t think of anything I would change, other than to make it one book and give it to me all at once. That would make one gigantic book and I would be lost for days.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Price Of Rebellion by Michael C Bland.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
BEST SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL OF THE YEAR – Indies Today (2022) BRONZE MEDAL – SCIENCE FICTION – Readers’ Favorite (2023) MEDALIST – DYSTOPIAN FICTION – The BookFest (3rd place, Fall, 2023)
It’s 2047. Secrets have been revealed. And Washington wants revenge.
Dray Quintero learned an ugly truth: the leaders in D.C. are fake. They’ve stolen the identities of those elected to Congress and are determined to stay in power, using his own technology against him and the rest of the population.
After revealing the dangers of their mandated implants to his fellow citizens, and calling on everyone to rise up, Dray joins the already-underway rebellion. But his joining is as much to free the U.S. as it is to avenge his daughter’s death. Before he can strike, The Agency attacks with devastating consequences. Dray and the other survivors are forced to run as Agents hunt them.
Then Dray makes a discovery that could change the nation.
As he and the rebels prepare a bold offensive, his wife, Mina, broadcasts a preposterous claim. He’s forced to choose between the rebellion and a desperate hope. Between family and country.
What he does will change everything.
The Price of Rebellion is the action-packed second installment of The Price Of series from multiple-award-winning author Michael C Bland.
Michael C Bland is a founding member and the secretary of BookPod, an invitation-only, online group of professional writers. He pens the monthly BookPod newsletter where he celebrates the success of their members, which include award-winning writers, film makers, journalists, and bestselling authors.
His novel, The Price of Safety, was chosen as a Finalist of the 2020 Indie Book Awards for both Science Fiction and Thriller, and is the first in a planned trilogy.
Michael currently lives in Denver with his wife Janelle and their dog Nobu.
I quickly discovered why To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee has become a classic and won the Pulitzer Prize. I was immersed in the struggles of a lawyer, a widowed father, raising two young children, while defending a black man charged with raping a white girl.
All the darkness of the times came through the story, racism, classism, and violence in the Deep South during the 1930s. My disgust and anger brought a tear or two to my eye.
Scout, an eight year old girl had me in stitches. Her older brother, Jem, matures as the story develops.
I was smiling and laughing at their thoughts, their innocence, and their vivid imaginations.
“Maybe he died and they stuffed him up the chimney.”
The sophistication of the writing stands the test of time!
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
‘Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.’
A lawyer’s advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee’s classic novel – a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man’s struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.
Genre: Classics, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Harper Lee, known as Nelle, was born in the Alabama town of Monroeville, the youngest of four children of Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Cunningham Finch Lee. Her father, a former newspaper editor and proprietor, was a lawyer who served on the state legislature from 1926 to 1938. As a child, Lee was a tomboy and a precocious reader, and enjoyed the friendship of her schoolmate and neighbor, the young Truman Capote.
After graduating from high school in Monroeville, Lee enrolled at the all-female Huntingdon College in Montgomery (1944-45), and then pursued a law degree at the University of Alabama (1945-50), pledging the Chi Omega sorority. While there, she wrote for several student publications and spent a year as editor of the campus humor magazine, “Ramma-Jamma”. Though she did not complete the law degree, she studied for a summer in Oxford, England, before moving to New York in 1950, where she worked as a reservation clerk with Eastern Air Lines and BOAC.
Lee continued as a reservation clerk until the late 50s, when she devoted herself to writing. She lived a frugal life, traveling between her cold-water-only apartment in New York to her family home in Alabama to care for her father.
Having written several long stories, Harper Lee located an agent in November 1956. The following month at the East 50th townhouse of her friends Michael Brown and Joy Williams Brown, she received a gift of a year’s wages with a note: “You have one year off from your job to write whatever you please. Merry Christmas.”
Within a year, she had a first draft. Working with J. B. Lippincott & Co. editor Tay Hohoff, she completed To Kill a Mockingbird in the summer of 1959. Published July 11, 1960, the novel was an immediate bestseller and won great critical acclaim, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961. It remains a bestseller with more than 30 million copies in print. In 1999, it was voted “Best Novel of the Century” in a poll by the Library .
Angels, demons, ghosts,the walking dead…I am so all over the Veil of Shadows series. So many elements that I love. Combine some Walking Dead, some Lucifer, some Supernatural, some Charmed and I am in Heaven…Hell…and everywhere between. I didn’t realize I had Sparrow Man sitting on my ereader until I went to write a review for the first book of the Veil of Shadows Omnibus by M R Pritchard. It has been patiently waiting to be read since 4.7.16 and after reading it, I was sorry I had waited so long. The good thing about waiting, is now I have the entire series. No waiting to find out the final solution and you will need the entire series to get it.
Sparrow Man
“I was alone. Waiting for my fiance to get home -” “His name is Jim?”
Meg sets out to find him…alone. Every step is dangerous and she is ill equipped to handle it on her own. It’s a good thing she comes across Sparrow. Is it be chance or fate? She thinks he’s crazy. Obsessive about collecting feathers. About Jim, I didn’t see that coming at all. About Meg, I knew something was up with her. After all, she is the star of the show, so she has to special in some way. About Sparrow, his identity slowly came to me, but I didn’t grasp the full story. As Meg finds out her history and lineage, the full betrayal brings her to her knees. I am super pissed off for her and I would love to be there and help her kick some demon ass. The familiarity with The Walking Dead, Supernatural and Lucifer made reading Sparrow Man wicked good and easy to visualize the action. Sparrow Man laid the foundation for the entire series, which needs to be read in order. It did end in a good place with no cliffhanger. I will be devouring Nightingale Girl, Book II, ASAP.
Nightingale Girl
It didn’t take long for me to become enamored with Nightingale Girl. She is outgoing, vivacious, gets around on roller skates, and is locked in the dungeon by her father. She is a bit off, as is Sparrow, her brother. They are under a curse and the only way to lift it is for one of them to serve their time as a Hellion. Their father was a coward and refused to go, so it falls to Sparrow. I feel Nightingale and Meg will be good friends and Nightingale begs her to bring her to Hell with her and Sparrow while he serves his time. It’s so bright in Heaven that Meg goes around with sunglasses. She carries a machete that Lucifer gave her, created in the bowels of Hell and will only cut for her. It made me think of Michonne in The Walking Dead and Mazekeen in Lucifer. She is half dark and half light, trying to figure out where she really belongs. I think the car situation is funny. Hell gets jeeps and Heaven gets Cadillacs. Meg and Sparrow’s relationship in Hell makes me think of Phoebe and Cole in Charmed with some vampiric moments thrown in. Oh, and Noah…I love the ghostie guy. Danger is all around and when it’s time for Meg and Nightingale to leave, Sparrow must stay behind. We end with:
“Monsters aren’t so bad.” Good ol’ Nightingale is here, haunting my dreams…”He’s your monster now, Meg.”
Scarecrow
Scarecrow picks up where Nightingale Girl left off, so the series needs to be read in order. Meg is being hunted. Not just by demons and angels, but she is on the America’s Most Wanted list. Enter her lawyer, Reuben. She doesn’t know it yet, but she gets more than she bargained for with Reuben. She travels from Heaven to Hell to the Earthly plane and back again. Sparrow wants her to return to Hell to be with him, but I don’t blame her for being hesitant. Sooner or later, she will have to choose between the dark and the light, good and evil. The zombies are rising, choices will be made…AND, WOW, that ending. I sure didn’t see it coming….and I LOVE IT.
Raven King
Meg reminds me so much of Michonne (The Walking Dead) and Mazekeen (Lucifer) as she swings her machete, lopping off heads of the walking dead and demons, battling good and evil, inside and out. She must find Sparrow to restore the balance across the planes, as the dead run rampant through Heaven and Hell. The Hellions and Angels body count rises. I am saddened at the loss of some wonderful characters, but sometimes they gotta go for the good of the story. Isn’t that right M? I love how Meg orbs around the planes in a ‘Charmed’ fashion. Meg had been alone for so long, her heartache is a new feeling for her. Vibrun is a brutal, savage ruler. Power mad, greedy. If you stand by his side, be very careful. He is like a rabid dog, liable to bite the hand that feeds him. Where is God, as all this is going on? The ending…OMG!!!!!!
Nightjar
We pick up where we left off. Meg poofed and brought blood and the smell of death back to Hell with her. Skeele had been at her side when she was broken and bloody before, and he’d be by her side again. Hell needed her. She brought light to Hell’s darkness. Thrush, Noah & Nightingale’s baby, are the the heart of Nightjar. We have some lighthearted, laughable moments, and I love when an author gives us those feel good moments when a story is so heavy. Teari’s sorrow is deep and I love that, though she is an angel, she is Meg’s friend and Meg has not given up on healing her wounded body. Everyone knows that Hellions lie, but Angels are just as proficient at lies and deceit. Gabriel, her father, will make a choice…and we have another jaw dropping ending…AND I LOVE IT!
Night Owl
Skeele has been by Meg’s side, sticking like glue. He may be a bit grumpy, but whatever she needs, he is there. She doesn’t know how he feels, but his insecurity makes him feel unworthy. He doesn’t know the secret she harbors. He makes himself weak, loosing weight because he feels she needs the blood and he starves himself so she can have what she needs.
I have pledged my life to her, he thought, why does she despise me? I make her physically ill. She can’t even look at me.
I chuckle here, chuckle there. I’m loving Jed and Shay. I love that they want a dog. I love that they sit around the table eating dinner in Hell, like a Lifetime Christmas movie.
Why is she running? No, no, no. But, this adventure ended up being so much fun…for me.
He should stay so I don’t wind up fucking a log in the backyard.
Meg had me cracking up. There is so much I want to share, but I don’t want to spoil anything. I am reveling in Meg’s story. She is finally accepting her role.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Veil of Shadows!!!!!!!! The world she created is filled with adventure, romance, danger, love, Heaven meets Hell, the walking dead roam above and below, and fate and destiny are woven into a spellbinding fantasy. Does god have a plan?
I am awed by M R Pritchard’s writing and she is definitely at the top of my must read list! This is the second mind blowing series of hers that I have read! The Phoenix Project was the first.
5 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
Some people are cursed. Or in Meg’s case, damned. She’s on the run, harboring a deadly secret. Sparrow, an unexpected travel companion, knows she’s hiding something more profound. Unimpressed by tales of her sinful past, he hungers for the truth, especially about the day she killed those seven men.
Meg finds, the Seven Kingdoms of Heaven are far from wonderful. Meg’s promise to never leave is tested as Sparrow’s behavior grows strange, yet again. As the daughter of an Archangel and the Devil’s own spawn, Meg knows paradise comes with complications. Love, however, has the power to change even a world-weary country girl, even if it means losing her mind.
There is no rest for the wicked. Meg’s determination to forge her own path leads her to the Earthen plane, where she battles personal demons and seeks a new life. But the absence of Sparrow is a heavy burden, and Nightingale haunts her dreams. To make matters worse, an unknown hand keeps unleashing zombies nearby, forcing Meg to confront her heritage.
The relentless monsters of her world show no mercy. Without wings and Sparrow by her side, Meg struggles to find her place in her realm. She hatches a plan to rescue Sparrow, but it spirals into disaster.
Haunted by Sparrow’s shocking betrayal, Meg faces a breaking point. Caring for an amputee Angel and two refugees from the Earthen plane adds to her mounting pressure. With King Gabriel imprisoned and a kidnapped baby Thrush in her care, time is running out to prevent Thrush from sharing the Nightjar’s fate.
Revenge and redemption collide, forcing Meg to confront her inner demons and desires. Will her quest for vengeance consume her, or can she find the strength to protect those she holds dear? In a race against time and her own turbulent emotions, Meg’s choices will determine the fate of those she loves.
As Meg grapples with the heartbeat in her womb and the constant threat to her friends, she decides it’s best to disappear. Fleeing to the Earthen plane to hide and plan her next move, she encounters mysterious assistance amid thunderstorms and insatiable hungers. Will Meg destroy the one man who would follow her through hell and high water?
Discover a world where love battles darkness, destinies entwine, and wickedness knows no rest in this thrilling dark fantasy romance omnibus.
ABOUT M R PRITCHARD (from Amazon)
M. R. Pritchard is a two-time Kindle Scout winning author, her short story “Glitch” has been featured in the 2017 winter edition of THE FIRST LINE literary journal, and her short story “Moon Lord” has been featured in Chronicle Worlds: Half Way Home (Part of the Future Chronicles). M. R. Pritchard holds degrees in Biochemistry and Nursing. She is a northern New Yorker transplanted to the Gulf Coast of Florida who enjoys coffee, mint chocolate, cloudy days, and reading on the lanai.
Visit her website MRPritchard.com and sign up for her newsletter. You’ll get a monthly newsletter with updates, day to day shenanigans, and book deals.
Book Title: Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times®, Vol. 1 by Pam Gittleman Category: Children’s Fiction (ages 2 to 5), 46 pages Genre: Children’s Picture Book Publisher: Mascot Kids, an imprint of Amplify Publishing Group Release date: Oct 3, 2023 Content Rating: G. Suitable for everyone.
MY REVIEW
The thick, shiny pages of For Kinder Times by Pam Gittleman calls out to the children to be touched. Each rhyming fairy tale has been tweaked and includes the three kind mice, with questions and emoticons at the end of them. I love interactive books that ask the child to participate, making them feel as if they are part of the story. The Kinder Times shows how easy it is to be kind to others, no matter where you are.
5 Stars
Book Description:
What happens when Three KIND Mice put their heads (and bodies!) together to get some cheese on top of the counter? Will Humpty Dumpty be left in pieces when his friends notice that he’s fallen off the wall? And who will get bags of wool–and toys and books–from Baa Baa BRIGHT Sheep? Read all about the beloved characters from traditional nursery rhymes in this endearing collection of eight updated rhymes that nurture kindness, empathy and gratitude!
Pam has been an early childhood music educator for over twenty-five years with a passion for singing, rhyming, reading stories, and making music with preschoolers.
When Pam noticed that some children seemed unfamiliar with traditional nursery rhymes, and that parents and teachers were avoiding them because of their outdated, dark, and inappropriate nature, she set out to modernize them. Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times® provides a memorable way to build language, musicality, and literacy through songs, stories and rhymes that nurture kindness, empathy, and gratitude. The inclusion of resources that support social and emotional learning (SEL) make it easy for parents and teachers to engage with the children they love.
The rhymes in the book can also be enjoyed as songs on the Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Timesalbum recorded by Raffi and Lindsay Munroe, as well as in videos on theNursery Rhymes for Kinder Times® Show on YouTube. (www.linktr.ee.com/forkindertimes)
Aside from making music with young children, Pam loves dogs and dark chocolate. She lives in New York with her husband, and loves when her children, grandchildren, and granddogs come to visit!
Pam collaborated with Dan and Catherine Markowitz for art and design of the book.
Book Title: And the Trees Talked Back by Frederick J. Burns Category: Children’s Fiction (ages 3 to 7), 48 pages Genre: Children’s Book Publisher: Frederick J. Burns Release date: Nov 4, 2023 Content Rating: G. Suitable for everyone.
MY REVIEW
All I had to do was see the cover, read the title and know that I had to have this book. I love everything to do with trees, whether naked, clothed, or anything in between.
This oversized book, with wonderful illustrations, and a young girl who can talk to trees is sure to spark the young ones imaginations. Like seeing shapes in clouds, she sees faces in trees. I have seen things in trees too. Amanda has a huge heart and capacity for empathy. I smiled through the entire book and cannot imagine a child not enjoying this wonderful, magical adventure with Amanda.
5 Stars
Book Description:
Meet Amanda, an extraordinary child with a unique gift — she can talk to trees.
Living in a quaint village with a mystical forest, Amanda’s life takes an enchanting turn when she seeks out her inquisitive cat, Daisy. As the sun sets and the moonlight casts its glow, the duo embark on a thrilling night-time adventure.
As Amanda encounters ancient trees, she uncovers a world she never knew existed, where wisdom and acceptance coexist with fear and hatred. Amidst the rustling leaves and haunting shadows, she confronts the duality of nature, discovering the true meaning of good and evil. Her bonds with nature deepen and she learns to navigate the world where choices shape destinies.
And The Trees Talked Back is a heartwarming tale of wonder, friendship, and self-discover that will captivate readers of all ages.
Burns, always an artist on the inside, breaks through his trial attorney exterior at age 63, to write and illustrate his first children’s book, AND THE TREES TALKED BACK. Three years in the making, Burns strives to convey a world where commonalities are more important than differences, where empathy is more important than distain and where making friends is more important than creating enemies. With no formal art training, Burns enjoys working in and learning new mediums and styles. His art has won awards in juried competitions, been displayed on billboards, in government offices, the D’Amour Museum of Fine Art, and now graces the cover of Dave Brinnel’s second CD, ALONE. His detailed illustrations of trees using pen and ink with washes of watercolor have been compared to the fantastical illustrations of Arthur Rackham and Maurice Sendak. Burns lives in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts with his wife, Heather and two dogs, where he is developing ideas for his next book.
