Shawn David Brink writes some of the best Christian Horror fiction I have read. He never fails to have me tearing through the pages, having to know how the story ends. Pets For Legion is another hit. The battle between good and evil is fierce. The feeling of menace lurks on every page. The story flows smoothly, quickly, having me feeling like I can’t wait for what happens next. It pulls me along like a toddler with a string toy. I love Shawn David Brink’s ability to give me a unique look into the world of Christian horror.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
When local school paraprofessional Sasha James rescues a child from a mysterious assailant, she unknowingly marks herself as the next target. To survive this supernatural foe, she will need to search deeper than the physical, pray for power beyond the natural, and fight like there’s no tomorrow.
Genre: Christian, Fiction, Horror
242 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2021 by by Tell-Tale Publishing Group
Anyone that knows me, knows I love my vampires. It doesn’t matter whether they are sparkly or horrific, bring ’em on. When Patricia J Esposito offered me a chance to read her novel, Beside The Darker Shore, I was happy to oblige. It sounded different than the norm and I am always on the lookout for something different.
Governor David Gedden is responsible for the state’s vampire community. He has an obsession with Stephen Salando, an immortal dhampir. How far will he go to have Stephen? Will he become a killer himself? Will he become an ally with the community’s archrival?
Beside The Darker Shore by Patricia J Esposito is a m/m romance, but it is so much more than that. It’s a tale of love and obsession and corruption of a man who espouses truth. If you like dark, brooding vampires, this could be for you.
I really wanted to love Beside The Darker Shore by Patricia J Esposito, but it missed the mark, for me. The writing flowed and the tale was interesting, keeping me reading til the last page was read, but I didn’t find myself lost in the characters or the story. This is Patricia’s first novel and I have high hopes for her in the future. I’ll have my eye on her.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
What might the ethical Governor David Gedden give up for one man’s exquisite beauty? It’s terrifying to consider when the man is a destructive blood prostitute and David is responsible for the state’s peaceful vampire community. Blood sales in Boston are up, blood taxes support a thriving new nightlife, neighborhoods have been refurbished, and deaths by vampires have plummeted. David is assured reelection. However, the blood addict Stephen Salando has returned from exile with one unalterable plan: to turn the good governor into a vampire. Stephen is an immortal dhampir, whose beauty obliterates reason, who rouses in David a fierce desire he’s ignored his whole life. For David to have Stephen, he must ally with the community’s archrival. To have him, he must become a potential killer himself.
Genre: Fiction, Horror, MM Romance, Paranormal, Supernatural Vampires
248 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2011 by Eternal Press
ABOUT PATRICIA J ESPOSITO
I’ve been a writer of edgy paranormal fiction for most of my life, but always knew I had a romantic heart. My most recent fiction and poetry reflect that enduring quest for love and joy beneath the human struggle. I’ve had numerous stories and poems published in anthologies and magazines, received honorable mentions in “year’s best” anthologies, and been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. I work as a copy editor for law books and textbooks, when I’m not spending time with family, friends, books and music, or I’m off exploring the intoxicating realms of the imagination and chasing muses. Beside the Darker Shore is my first novel.
Omniviolence by Jones Worthington is one of those books that makes me wonder if it will ever become our reality. It all begins with Jackson Cross, a teenager that has nothing better to do than visit a slaysite, killing strangers with a drone. Kills are paid in crypto currency. Once his accounts are hacked, he is on the run with the hitman hired to take him out. Joseph “Bones” Carboni has had a change of heart and the race is on.
In this rapidly changing world of technology, it’s hard to predict our future. I love novels that make me think about…and, at times, fear what is to come.
Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington are an amazing duo. Omniviolence may not be my favorite novel by the authors, but it may be yours. How about it? Is anarchy and the downfall of our world as we know it of interest to you? Could you imagine our world becoming the Wild West with the weapons we have available to us? Who would be safe?
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Omniviolence by Jones Worthington.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Jackson Cross kills strangers with nothing more than a drone and a computer in exchange for crypto—all from his mother’s basement.
When his accounts are scythed, and he’s pegged at the top of the most popular slaysite, Jackson is ejected from his virtual comfort zone and forced to go on the run.
Joseph “Bones” Carboni is an old-school mafia hitman with a lot of demons and one big problem: he’s developed a conscience. When tasked with slaying fifteen-year-old Jackson, Joe breaks rank. Now, he must decide if playing the hero is worth having a target on his own back.
Attacked from all sides and struggling to survive in a world where your elderly neighbor or an angry kid on social media can be your executioner, neither Joe nor Jackson realize they’ve become entangled in a global power struggle that could change what it means to be human.
* * *
This near-future speculative fiction thriller with a dose of satire explores the consequences of the democratization of technology, cryptocurrency replacing fiat, cancel-culture bleeding into the streets, the total disbanding of government, and the disenfranchisement of the next Generation—Generation Alpha.
A gripping tale of vengeance and redemption, this story plunges into the heart of our rapidly changing world and values, revealing a terrifyingly real and imminent future for humanity. We are on the brink of omniviolence.
A veteran law enforcement officer, Stu Jones has served in patrol, narcotics, criminal investigations, as an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics and as a team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. He is trained and qualified as a law enforcement SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics. Recently, Jones served for three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force – hunting the worst of the worst.
A Dragon Award Nominee, Jones is the author of multiple sci-fi/action/thriller novels, including the multi-award-winning It Takes Death To Reach A Star duology and Condition Black, written with co-author Gareth Worthington(Children of the Fifth Sun, A Time for Monsters).
Known for his infectious storytelling and blistering action, Jones strives to create thought-provoking reading experiences that challenge the status quo. When he’s not chasing bad guys or writing epic stories, he can be found planning his next adventure to some remote or exotic place.
www.stujonesfiction.com
ABOUT GARETH WORTHINGTON
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Gareth Worthington holds a degree in marine biology, a PhD in Endocrinology, an executive MBA, is Board Certified in Medical Affairs, and currently works for the Pharmaceutical industry educating the World’s doctors on new cancer therapies.
Gareth is an authority in ancient history, has hand-tagged sharks in California, and trained in various martial arts, including Jeet Kune Do and Muay Thai at the EVOLVE MMA gym in Singapore and 2FIGHT Switzerland.
He is an award-winning author and member of the International Thriller Writers Association, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and the British Science Fiction Association.
Born in England, Gareth has lived around the world from Asia, to Europe to the USA. Wherever he goes, he endeavors to continue his philanthropic work with various charities.
Gareth is represented by Renee Fountain and Italia Gandolfo at Gandolfo Helin Fountain Literary, New York.
For Peace And Purpose by Ethan Warrener is the second book in The Tucker Clan Saga apocalyptic and dystopian fiction series. Ella is the star of the show and her world is growing more dark and dangerous by the minute.
The Reverend is a character I love to hate. He may believe his way is the right way, but I see him manipulating religion to fit in a way that profits himself. I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him. LOL
Omar, the outsider is back again. I can’t figure out what his game is and wonder if he will be the death of the Tucker clan or someone that will help them.
There are lots of peripheral characters that have important parts to play. As with most apocalyptic and dystopian novels, there are the haves and the have nots. Slavery even rears its ugly head. We have genetically altered beings and I’m not sure if there is a person around that is completely human, that hasn’t been modified in some way.
The series took thirteen years to write and I am thankful that Ethan Warrener stuck with it. I love apocalyptic and dystopian novels, and always wonder how authors come up with such fabulous ideas. The Tucker Clan Saga is a trilogy and I can hardly wait to find out how Ethan will bring it to it’s conclusion.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of For Peace And Purpose by Ethan Warrener.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Things used to be simpler.
Now, as the Tuckers’ enemies hatch a secret plot for revenge, as a shadowy entity stalks the surrounding woods, and as new players enter the scene, Ella Holland’s world grows darker, more dangerous, and more twisted. The lines between good and evil, native and foreigner, friend and foe become ever more blurred in the Tucker clan’s struggle for peace and purpose.
Can Ella navigate this increasingly complicated world while still holding onto her convictions? Can she save those she loves without sacrificing her soul?
Ethan Warrener grew up in Southwest Missouri, which resembles West Virginia if you really squint. If he’s not writing or teaching, he’s spending any extra free time with his wife and kids or playing too many video games. As you might expect from a Midwesterner, he’s an occasional farmer, a regular churchgoer, and a huge metalhead. For Home and Hearth is his first novel fit to see the light of day.
OMG. Mimi Jean Pamfiloff had me in stitches, from the beginning of Dragon In Boots, to the very end. The characters, both human and those drawn from the imagination of Mimi’s mind, are fascinating and complex.
Jacqueline is the main character and there is more to her than even she knows. She runs a sanctuary for misfit critters and her biggest worry is making enough money to take care of them. That is how she finds herself working at a strip club and meeting characters that will change her life forever.
Mimi’s ability to create unique stories and characters is off the charts. Every time I grab one of her books, I know I am in for a treat. I eagerly begin reading and find it impossible to stop until the last page is read.
My thanks go out to Mimi Jean Pamfiloff and Paper & Silver, Inc for the opportunity to read Dragon In Boots.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
From New York Times bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes Dragon in Boots, a Paranormal Rom-Com with way too much baby oil, awkward dirty dancing, and a scorching hot love.
MEET DASH: MALE STRIPPER, ANIMAL LOVER, AND…DRAGON?
JACQUELIN
Jacquelin would do anything to save her struggling animal sanctuary—including bartending at a strip club, enduring drunken bachelorette parties, and putting up with her weirdo boss, who’s obsessed with all things pink.
But nothing could prepare her for Dash: the club’s star performer with abs you could grate cheese on and an ego bigger than his, ahem, moves.
From the moment Dash struts onto the stage, Jacquelin can’t decide if she wants to throw her drink at him or pour it over her head. “Is it just me, or is it scorching hot in here?”
When the women in the audience start acting like wild animals, Jacquelin knows something strange is going on.
Is Dash’s off-the-charts charisma driving her mad, or is there more to him than meets the abs?
DAMIEN
Damien, the immortal tailor, has tackled demonic fashion emergencies, violent vampires, and unhinged deities. But convincing Dash—a male stripper and, oh yeah, the last male dragon on Earth—to embrace his scaly destiny? That’s next-level absurd.
But Damien would do anything to win back Sky, the love of his life, who is, well, dead and needs a new body—something only a deranged goddess can arrange. A goddess who wants an army of dragons for her war.
Can Damien nudge the reluctant dragon into the mating game? Or will Damien lose the ghostly love of his life forever?
DASH
I’m the world’s greatest stripper. Not a dragon. Pass the baby oil.
Expected publication: February 25, 2025 by Paper & Silver, Inc.
ABOUT MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF
MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who’s sold over one million books around the world. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dreams.
Mimi lives with her Latin lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons (really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack, in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.
She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.
Second Chance by R M Demeester is a quick read. I have read some of her other books, so I didn’t hesitate to grab this one. There are some despicable characters and I love it when I have some villains that I can wish the worst for. Nicholas, I didn’t think much of him and I was hoping that Piper would show him the door. I wanted her to develop a backbone and tell them all where to go.
Second Chance is not one of my favorite R M Demeester books,, but it kept me interested enough to have to know how things would shake out for Piper. I was satisfied with the ending and I’m moving on to The Name Once Erased, the third book in The Girl Once Known series.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Second Chance by R M Demeester.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
When a second chance turns into something much more…Piper Happ’s dead-end life turns into the ultimate nightmare when her roommate and upstairs neighbor are both murdered.To further complicate things, Piper’s former best friend Nicolas is back in town. In high school, Piper would have done anything for him — until he moved across the country without warning or explanation. Against Piper’s better judgment, she seeks comfort and support from Nicolas, as she might be the killer’s next target.He wants a second chance, but she isn’t sure she wants to risk a second heartbreak.With a murderer on the loose, and danger lurking in every corner, is she putting just her heart in jeopardy — or her life as well?
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Suspense, Thriller
157 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 15, 2020
ABOUT R M DEMEESTER
R.M. Demeester, from Saskatchewan, loves being a mom, reading books, and writing. She’s been writing since she was very young. Today, she’s known for her stories in women’s fiction, romantic suspense, and thrillers. She also has a rescue dog named Gainer, a chocolate lab who passed away recently, but is still very much loved and missed. Her newest book, “The Girl Once Known”, comes out in February 2024.
The Name Once Erased is the conclusion to the trilogy, The Girl Once Known by R M Demeester. The series does need to be read in order.
The Girl Once Known series is character driven, told from multiple characters points of view. To me, it helps see things from different characters perspective, finding out their motivations for the things they do, and some of those things are down right ugly. Why do the characters think that secrets are best kept hidden? The past always comes back to haunt them. It’s better to face life head on, instead of carrying excess baggage.
Mira is the main character throughout the series and it was fascinating watching her grow and develop into a complex character that always tries to do the right thing.
I want to thank R M Demeester for the opportunity to read the entire series. If you love character driven stories, this is a series you don’t want to miss.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
SECRETS HAVE A WAY OF SURFACING…
Mira believes she has her family’s dysfunction under control—until her grandmother’s funeral stirs up long-buried questions. She has always believed her father’s side of the family is more stable than her mother’s, despite his past indiscretions. But an ancestry test links him to a hidden relative he swears he doesn’t know.
Determined to uncover the truth, Mira digs deeper. But someone is desperate to bury the past, along with her family name. Mira wants the secrets, betrayals, and old wounds to end with her—even if it means risking everything she her marriage, her children, and the family name she’s fighting to save.
After The Girl Once Known and The Bond Once Broken, the series reaches its thrilling conclusion in The Name Once Erased.
Genre: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
280 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 28, 2025
ABOUT R M DEMEESTER
R.M. Demeester, from Saskatchewan, loves being a mom, reading books, and writing. She’s been writing since she was very young. Today, she’s known for her stories in women’s fiction, romantic suspense, and thrillers. She also has a rescue dog named Gainer, a chocolate lab who passed away recently, but is still very much loved and missed. Her newest book, “The Girl Once Known”, comes out in February 2024.
Will Logan and his friends expose the lies that have haunted him for years, or will they be Dragged Down Deep into the swampy, secretive underbelly of a town that guards its mysteries with deadly intent?
Title: Dragged Down Deep
Author: Michael Okon
Pages: 331
Genre: Action Adventure/Monster
Logan Osborne has spent his life chasing the shadows of the past.
As a child, he watched helplessly as his father was snatched from a fishing boat by what he swore was a mermaid. No one believed him then. No one believes him now.
Determined to prove that mythical creatures exist, Logan is drawn back to the small coastal town where his nightmares began after another mysterious disappearance stirs the waters.
Teaming up with his pragmatic colleague Elliot Sheppard and his fiercely loyal friend Penny Swanson, Logan dives headfirst into an adventure packed with danger and deception. As they dig deeper, the trio faces resistance at every turn—a secretive agency with its own agenda, a suspiciously unhelpful police force, and Logan’s old flame, who may know more than she’s letting on.
What they uncover is far darker and more terrifying than Logan ever imagined: the truth about his father, the secrets of Minatuck, and the horrifying reality of the Mermaid of the Hamptons.
Will Logan and his friends expose the lies that have haunted him for years, or will they be Dragged Down Deep into the swampy, secretive underbelly of a town that guards its mysteries with deadly intent?
I have read a couple other Michael Okon novels and loved them, so grabbing a copy of Dragged Down Deep was a no brainer. His novels are not your run of the mill creature features or paranoramal stories. They stretch the imagination and I love it.
Dragged Down Deep is about mermaids…or is it? Logan Osburne saw the mermaid, when she snatched his father from their fishing boat. No one believes him. Would you?
Logan is a scientist, but not your run of the mill type of scientist. He searches for those creatures of legend, like the Thunderbird and…
Now, he’s older and he’s going home to prove once and for all that mermaids are real. People and animals are missing. Why are the police doing more of a cover up than an investigation? And…who are the men in black?
Michael Okon’s books never take me where I expect to go, and that is true for Dragged Down Deep. Above the water, in the water, below the water, there is danger. That doesn’t stop Logan, Elliot and Penny from doing their own investigation. They ignore the danger and return time and time again.
Dragged Down Deep by Michael Okon is a fast paced thriller with a mystery buried deep in the town’s history. Michael’s books that I have read have been stand alone, all in one story books, but I see where he could make this a series. There are plenty of legends out there to by proven true or false.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dragged Down Deep by Michael Okon.
5 Stars
Book Excerpt
The creature was indistinct in the dark night. A howl split the air, the noise somewhere between the lolling of a cow and with the shrillness of a siren. It traveled through Logan, making the fillings in his teeth hurt. If an elephant and a Tasmanian devil had a baby, it would have sounded like this, Logan thought inanely.
It began to move purposely toward them, its arms outstretched. Its eyes shone like blazing yellow neon, mesmerizing them. There was no place to hide in the tidal pool. Logan spun, pushing Elliot toward the parking lot.
“That was no turtle,” Elliot gasped.
Logan ran, his heart pumping feeling like it would jump from his chest. “Run!” he yelled.
They splashed heavily in the shallows; their feet weighted with water. Clamoring through the tide, Logan slipped, Elliot pulled him under the armpit propelling him forward. Their clothes were drenched, glued to their perspiring bodies, their feet heavy with trapped fronds and weeds. They made it onto the beach.
Logan was afraid to look behind them. “Move this way!” Logan pointed to a perimeter of shrubs lining the sand.
They took off, their arms slashed by the tall grasses. Elliot clutched his phone. He turned for a second, but Logan grabbed the back of his shirt to drag him through the reeds. “Not now, you idiot!” Logan screamed.
They could hear the heavy splashes of the creature following them. They burst out of the grasses, running at full speed onto the sandy area toward the car. The reassuring outline of the jeep greeted them at the same time a club grazed Logan’s shoulder.
Logan heard Elliot grunt with pain, the distinct sound of a fist meeting flesh echoing in the still night. Ham-sized hands gripped Logan’s shoulder, spinning him to plant a fist that landed under his right eye. The night went silent but for the sound of the roaring of the blood in his head. He felt the trickle of blood leak onto his lips after his nose connected with what felt like a brick wall. He was on his knees, looking down at two sets of biker boots, silver skulls dangling over the insteps right in front of him.
Logan caught sight of another pair of footwear, polished traditional lace-ups. He pushed himself up on all fours, reaching out and grabbing the legs connected to those shoes. He clutched a handful of beige trousers, the gabardine material slipping in his hand. He recognized the uniform. He felt rock-hard muscles underneath the pants leg. His assaulter kicked, Logan’s head snapping back to see a field of spinning stars. Their attackers were laughing. Logan was outraged.
They wouldn’t be laughing when the mermaid from hell pounced on them, he thought grogilly. He opened his mouth to let them know they were about to be surprised by the alleged wild dog or imaginary alligator but decided he’d have more satisfaction watching them wrestle with whatever was following them from the marsh.
A strong hand picked him up by the hair and another pounded his ribcage. He winced, his vision blurred, trying to see when the creature from the Black Lagoon would arrive like the cavalry.
Except that pursuer never arrived. It appeared that the monster had more brains than he and Elliot put together.
Logan listened vainly for whatever was following them to break through the marsh, but it must have been scared off. He chose that time to swing wildly, his fist finding a face that must have been hewn of stone. The impact stunned him more than the beating his ribs were taking. His arm went numb from knuckles to elbow.
His cheek landed in the dirt while Elliot was thrown against the car wheel. A baseball bat made contact with the windshield, showering them with shards of glass. The bat sailed through the air to smash the side mirror. More glass rained down on them.
Logan lay on his face, every bone in his body aching, his head heavy. He heard new footfalls, lighter one, followed by the sound of a plank of wood connecting with a body.
“Ow!” one of his attackers howled.
Next he heard several grunts, and the hard slam of bodies falling.
Logan picked up his head, his vision fuzzy to see two figures in wetsuits beating the crap out of his assailants. Tilting his head, he squeezed his eyes, discerning one was decidedly curvy and feminine. “Penny?” he asked, the word garbled by his swelling lips.
Running feet penetrated the fog that was swallowing his brain. Everything sounded muffled, as if he could barely hear it. There was a loud ringing in his ears.
“Done,” a woman’s voice came to him from far away. “Cowards,” she spat.
“What do you want to do with these too?” a male voice asked.
“Leave them. They’re harmless.”
“The boss isn’t going to be happy.”
“I said leave them,” the voice commanded.
Logan tried to rise, groaned and fell down into the wet sand. “Elliot?” his voice a thread.
“He’s coming around. We have to go!” a man’s barked.
The cold touch of a wetsuit made his skin goosebump as a person knelt next to him. He tried to roll over. Logan felt a soft hand brush back his hair. “Stop tilting at windmills, you silly man. Go back to school.” He caught sight of a smile with a mole on the upper lip.
Logan felt the blood drain from his head as it fell onto a cushion of grass.
“Did you see them?” Logan spit out a mouthful of dirt. He was sprawled on a small mound and couldn’t move.
“My eye is swollen shut,” Elliot’s voice was gravelly. “I feel like I got hit by a train. Am I imagining it, or were we rescued by the creature?”
“It wasn’t the creature.” Logan was breathless with the effort, wondering if he should share what he thought. “I think it was Aimee.”
“Aimee!” Elliot coughed. “What’s she doing here?”
Logan ignored the question; he was wondering the same thing.
Rising painfully to his knees he crawled over to where Elliot was propped against the wheel of the jeep. “Anything broken?”
“Only my pride. I feel like I’m trapped in an eighties crime drama. What are you doing?” he asked Logan, who was pulling his phone from his pocket with a battered hand.
“I’m calling the police.”
“I think that was the police,” Elliot retorted weakly. “What happened to your mermaid?”
Logan growled, “She’s not my mermaid.”
“Did you get any pictures?” Logan asked.
“Let me see with my good eye.” Elliot squinted as he looked at his screen. “Nothing good. Maybe it was one of those goons setting us up.”
Logan shrugged. “I couldn’t see much, but I know it was that monster, Mitch and his playmates,” he paused and continued, “And Aimee and some other guy.”
“You think she was working with them?”
Logan shook his head. “No, they beat the crap out of them. Mitch practically crawled out of here.”
“Are you sure it was Aimee? This is a major complication.”
Logan didn’t answer. He spoke into his phone. “Pen? Can you swing by the marsh, and Penny… don’t say anything to anyone.”
– Excerpted from Dragged Down Deep by Michael Okon, Chelshire Publishing, 2024. Reprinted with permission.
Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres, including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure, and self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with a degree in English and then later received his MBA in business and finance. Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling in his DNA. Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.
Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife and children.
Hold Strong was more than ten years in the making and the depth of the details reflects it. The weaving of fact and fiction makes for an epic read. I was quickly drawn into Sam Carlson’s story and learned some startling things about World War II that had my jaw hanging open.
The characters are described in vivid detail, as are the torturous times they are put through. I found myself totally engrossed in their lives and how quickly they had changed after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
If you are a fan of historical fiction and World War II, Hold Strong is a book you do not want to miss. The more than five hundred pages unfold, stirring emotions that run the gamut. I had never heard of the slave ships and what happened to them. I was shocked and struggled justifying the actions taken. The brutality heaped on the POWs from the Japanese was beyond understanding. To end on a happy note was a relief.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Hold Strong by Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, and Chris Crabtree. My thanks go out to Lake Union Publishing.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
From Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, and Chris Crabtree comes an epic and inspiring novel—based on true events—about love, heroism, and resilience during the darkest chapters of World War II.
Sam Carlson is a projectionist in small-town Minnesota, where fantasies unspool in glorious black and white—for him and for his sweetheart, college-bound math whiz Sarah Haber. When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Sam is sent to the Philippines and captured as a POW. Brutalized but unbroken by the Bataan Death March and POW camps, Sam is one of 1,800 starved and weakened prisoners herded into the cargo hold of a barbaric hell ship called the Arisan Maru, his survival doubtful.
Determined to use her math skills on the home front, Sarah is recruited to Washington, DC, into the covert field of code breaking. When Sarah intercepts a message about a Japanese convoy, the US Navy’s mission is sink the Arisan Maru and send it to the bottom of the South China Sea. Now, the lives of the two young lovers are about to inadvertently collide in one of the most shocking acts of World War II.
Anchored in an extraordinary true story and breathlessly recreated, Hold Strong is a one-of-a-kind novel that explores faith, courage, survival, and coming home against insurmountable odds.
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, World War II
555 pages, Hardcover
First published January 28, 2025 by Lake Union Publishing
ABOUT ROBERT DUGONI
Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 11 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, and The Keera Duggan legal thriller series. He has written several stand-alone novels including the historical novels A Killing on the Hill and Hold Strong, as well as the suspense novel The 7th Canon, and Damage Control. He has written the literary novels, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell – one of Newsweek Magazine’s Best Books of All-Time and Suspense Magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year, for which Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award. He has also written the critically acclaimed novel, The World Played Chess; as well as the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. His novels have been optioned for movies and television series. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and a four-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He has also been a finalist for many other awards including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.
Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than thirty-five countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.
Dr. Jeff Langholz is an award-winning teacher and writer whose work has appeared in more than 250 media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, National Geographic, and the Economist. His adventures span five continents and include stints as a rice farmer in West Africa with the US Peace Corps, a Fulbright Scholar in South Africa, a salmon fisherman in Alaska, a tree farmer in Central America, and a professional mediator in New York. He lives along Monterey Bay in California with his wife, dog, and two semiferal cats.
ABOUT CHRIS CRABTREE
From Indiana, Chris Crabtree attended the Indianapolis high school named after one of Hold Strong’s most heroic characters. His personal connection to the story also includes time spent in The Philippines, where the story starts. Chris served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone, West Africa, where he and Jeff forged their decades-long friendship. He is an award-winning high school History and Literature teacher at Costa Rica International Academy in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
I love vampire novels. Can’t get enough of them. When Valerie Twombly offered me a copy of The Vampire’s Curse, I quickly snatched it up. I mean, what’s not to like. We have a cursed vampire, Andrei Vladimiri, and a gypsy girl, Sonia Covaci, who will meet her destiny in Romania.
Sonia dreams of him and Andrei dreams of her. Their dreams become closer and closer together, and they both know it’s time they met. So, Sonia hops on a plane to Romania.
Andrei had been cursed by a witch that was angry that he didn’t choose her. Every vampire he turns becomes a vile creature that he is compelled to kill. He is separated from the rest of his clan. He is their king, but until or if he can break the curse, they will remain separated.
I love that Sonia takes the bull by the horns and if anyone can find a cure for the curse, I think it will be her. I love a strong female character and Sonia does not disappoint.
The Vampire’s Curse by Valerie Twombly is Book I of the Beyond The Mist series. I love the combination of vampires and gypsys, curses and fated mates, and it makes me wonder what comes next. I was quickly drawn in and didn’t quit until the last page was read.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Vampire’s Curse by Valerie Twombly.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
She’s fated to break his curse. He’s destined to kill her.
CURSED With his clan trapped and starving, vampire Andrei Vladimiri will stop at nothing to save them. But an ancient curse compels him to waste precious time hunting the vile creatures he creates every time he feeds. With the clock ticking, he weaves a trap to lure the fated female who can save them all.
FATED Sonia Covaci doesn’t believe her grandmother’s visions of the future. But when a purchased trinket brings dreams of a mysterious stranger, her small town American life threatens to spin out of control. Sensing he is in danger, she does the unthinkable and boards a plane for Romania.
Sonia follows her fate. Andrei moves in for the sacrifice. Never did he imagine the female destined to break the curse would become the woman he couldn’t afford to lose.
Award winning and bestselling author Valerie Twombly grew up watching Dark Shadows over her mother’s shoulder, and from there her love of the fanged creatures blossomed. Today, Valerie has decided to take her darker, sensual side and put it to paper.
When she is not busy creating a world full of steamy, hot men and strong, seductive women, she juggles her time between a full-time job, hubby and dog, in Northern IL.
