Review – Out Of Due Season: The First Transit by Benjamin X Wretlind @bxwretlind

What if society could start over?
Would we make the same mistakes? For one cult, the only way to find out is to try.

I won a signed hardcover copy of Out Of Due Season: The First Transit by Benjamin X Wretlind some time ago. It looked really good, but it is a big book, 544 pages, and a series, so I put it on hold. Then, I got a chance to grab Book II, Sunshine and Shadow: Exodus, or The Second Transit…then, a tour came up for Book III, All We Leave Behind: Transits Of Three. YAY!!!!!

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

First off, I am going to start with the fact that there will be nine books in this series. It’s science fiction, but so much more than science fiction. It is a study of humanity, the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is a saga, each book 500+ pages long, so be prepared when you sit down to read.

A lake. A floating corpse. Under the water, 131 more. A mass suicide? A cult?

Zachary is twenty five years old, and the body of his missing sister, Claire, was identified as one of the three hundred and twelve bodies found in the lake. He is a part of the dive team, whose job it is to recover the decomposing bodies. This is his first dive and even those prepared for what they found, were hard put to keep it together.

Claire had told him that he is detached from the world around him, so he is quick to adapt to the what ifs that life throws at him. I have a suspicious nature, and it is confirmed when Zachary receives an email from his dead sister, DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU HEAR.

Tigger’s best friend is one of the bodies found in the lake. They had been in the service together, then Darrell disappeared and Tigger got lost in a bottle. Tigger was injured in Syria, where he served as a Marine. He lives in a trailer with his drugged out girlfriend and a case of PTSD. BUT, he’s determined to get the real story about Darrell and the other COL members.

Kayla’s brother, Kenneth, was a victim of the Circle of Light, or COL. Or was he? She is black, deaf, mute, and a geointelligence specialist, spying on citizens, reading every email ever sent. She is on the run, because no one leaves the agency. I immediately thought of the deaf girl in Walking Dead, and how dangerous the world is for someone who can’t hear what’s going on around them.

Jorge an accountant finds out his father is missing. When he meets Kayla, he becomes her protector.

They are the Remainders, an unlikely group of people that come together, seeking answers. Will they be off on a wild goose chase, or hunting down a conspiracy?

I love when a book mentions the Pandemic, now that I’ve lived it first hand. I can relate to the lockdown imposed on the characters. The mounting chaos in the streets, the government clamping down, taking advantage of the situation. Riots, militia uprisings, police crackdowns, curfews, closed borders, government oppression…

…fifteen seconds to midnight

…fifteen seconds folks.

Is this our future? The clock was designed to keep people afraid, so they can be controlled. Their liberties, their freedoms can be taken away, one by one, until they are happy to be locked away in a detention center or an internment camp, or whatever the government wants to call their home these days.

Transit won! Going to Utopia, right?

The book was loaded with details, told from multiple points of view. There is so much going on, I try to put the pieces together, one page at a time, one day at a time. I am so happy that I saved this book to read at this time, because I now have two more books in the series. At 500+ pages each, I think that will keep me going for a while and maybe the wait won’t be too long for the rest of the books in the series, which will be nine…at this time. 🙂

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Out Of Due Season: Transit One by Benjamin X Wretlind.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A cult leader. A government tightening its grip. Competing global interests. A mysterious power source. What could possibly go wrong?

What if humanity had a second chance?

On a June afternoon, a body is discovered floating in a remote lake in northwestern Washington. When a recovery team attempts to retrieve it, they make a shocking discovery: 311 other bodies lie under the water, all members of a previously unknown religious cult. However, what appears to be a tragedy of immense proportions is only the beginning.

When a few relatives and friends of the victims discover inconsistencies in the stories, a small group bands together to learn the truth. As government agencies apply pressure for reasons unknown and civil unrest in the country makes communication and movement difficult, this tiny yet determined team unravels what may be the greatest event in recent—if not all—human history.

Something epic is about to happen in that remote lake, and as competing sides inch ever closer to the truth, the last pieces of the puzzle are revealed.

The First Transit is for those who follow the rules, while disaster awaits everyone else.

ABOUT BENJAMIN X WRETLIND (from Amazon)

Benjamin, a multi-genre author, ran with scissors when he was five. He now writes, paints, uses sharp woodworking tools and plays with glue. Sometimes he does these things at the same time.

He is the author of the dystopian novel Beneath Gehenna, the psychological horror Castles, Sketches from the Spanish Mustang (literary fiction), Sunset on Maior Pales (a sci-fi western) and other novels and novellas.

Benjamin lives with his wife Jesse in Colorado.

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Giveaway & Review – Messengers Of The Macabre by Linda LoSchiavo @Mae_Westside

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I don’t read a lot of poetry, but every now and then I like to step outside my comfort zone. When I was offered a chance to read Messengers Of The Macabre by Linda LoShiavo, I couldn’t resist that cover…and who doesn’t like a little spookiness and goosebumps in their life?

My favorite was Hallowe’en Treats, where even the witch has to sample her candies. We have secrets and potions, footprints and succubus, we visit a mountain and learn about Emily Post’s Etiquette for Ghosts. We have a little something for everyone.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Messengers Of The Macabre by Linda LoSchiavo.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLUB

All Hallows’ Eve, Samhain, Day of the Dead… during this interval, the barriers between the two realms are thinnest. Normal turns paranormal; what’s natural becomes the supernatural. That’s when the messengers of the macabre are in their rightful element. Step inside this collaborative chapbook and embrace a haunted harvest of verses embracing bewitchment, boneyards, and all things that go… Boo!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Native New Yorker LindaAnn LoSchiavo, a Pushcart Prize, Rhysling Award, and Dwarf Stars nominee, is a member of SFPA, The British Fantasy Society, and The Dramatists Guild.
Elgin Award winner “A Route Obscure and Lonely,” “Concupiscent Consumption,” and “Women Who Were Warned” are her latest poetry titles.
Forthcoming: “Messengers of the Macabre” by Nat. 1, L.L.C. [Fall 2022] and a tombstone-heavy collection in hardcover by Beacon Books.
She has led a poetry critique group for two years.

LoSchiavo is a Prohibition Era historian and her Texas Guinan film won “Best Feature Documentary” at N.Y. Women’s Film Fest (Dec. 2021).
― ― links ― ―
https://linktr.ee/LindaAnn.LoSchiavo

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Review – Cursed By A Vampire by Susan Griscom #vampires @SusanGriscom

I was introduced to Susan Griscom from some freebies and I am so glad we met. I am super excited to share my review of Cursed By A Vampire by Susan, who kindly gifted me a copy.

I love the fabulous cover.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have read a lot of the Immortal Hearts of San Franciso series by Susan Griscom and enjoyed them immensely, so when I got my hands on Cursed By A Vampire, I quickly cleared my shelves of the books in my way and began reading. I mean, we’re talking about humans and vampires…

Some say vampires are monsters…they could make you drink their blood and turn you into one of them. A fate that most would shudder. Or…They can be compassionate and amorous creatures who would do anything to save the life of someone they loved…These are the vampires this story is about.

I can deal with either type, I love them all.

Susan Griscom writes with humor, from the poker table to the kids playroom cluttered with toys and such. I love a vampire that has his own fashion sense. Lane wore purple shorts, a green Tshirt and red flip flops. Kayden, one of the triplets, could conjure cartoon dragons. They love the planet, so seeing them driving down the road in a Tesla should come at now surprise. I smiled and read on.

Ari is a human that lives in a houseful of vampires, wanting to be one of them. He is a member of the family, run errands, managing the club, occasionally bouncing, while the guys play some of the best rock and roll around. I love it.

Abella is human too, and when the two meet, sparks fly. She refers to him as Hunky Dick and Ari thinks of her as his warrior princess, but you’ll need to read the book to find out why. She fights her attraction to him because she was cursed by a witch and falling in love with her could mean his death. Abella is a doctor, specializing in hematology. She lives with her vampire grandfather and is determined to discover a way for vampires to be out in the sunlight.

Cursed By A Vampire by Susan Griscom was a fresh look at a familiar tale. Her vampires were original, full of personality. The storyline was unique, with twists and action that kept me glued to the pages. There will be a happy ever after, so I feel I can share this:

“I hope that……didn’t mess with you manly parts.”

“Only one way to find out. My manly parts have been dying to say hello to your lady part.”

Some great dialogue made the characters come to life and I hope to visit them again soon.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Cursed By A Vampire by Susan Griscom.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Living with the DeMarco vampires has been a lifesaver for Ari. However, as a human, he’s always felt inferior; has always wanted to be turned, while his vampire friends have refused his one wish.

And then he meets Abella, and suddenly he isn’t sure what he wants anymore.

Abella is also human, although she too is familiar with vampires. Her grandfather is one. The half-witch who cursed her is a vampire. She’s learned to live with both her grandfather and the curse; was content with her life.

Until she meets Ari.

Now she’s living a nightmare, because falling in love could lead to Ari’s death, thanks to her curse.
What will these two ill-fated humans do?

Vampire Romance novels, rock star romance novels, paranormal romance
Vampire romance novels, vampires, witches and wizards, immortals, paranormal romance
Immortal Hearts of San Francisco, vampires, vampire romance, paranormal romance, witches and wizards

ABOUT SUSAN GRISCOM

Susan Griscom, writes paranormal and contemporary romance. She’s hooked on gritty romances and is a huge fan of superheroes and bad boys confronted with extraordinary forces of nature, powers, and abilities beyond the norm mixed with steamy romance, of course.

She loves those days when she gets to sit around in her sweat pants, doing nothing but writing emotionally charged stories about love and violence and drinking coffee.

She lives in Northern California with her romantic husband and together they have five great superhero kids and eight mini-superhero grand kids, so far.

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MY SUSAN GRISCOM REVIEWS

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Review – Devil’s Way by Robert Bryndza @RobertBryndza #DevilsWay #NetGalley

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I want to thank NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Devil’s Way by Robert Bryndza.

You can Preorder or add to your Amazon Wish List HERE and enter the Goodreads giveaway HERE.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Robert Bryndza’s novels have great covers. I love covers that arouse my curiosity, and fit the story inside. So put on your walking shoes and let’s follow the mystery of the missing boy.

The story sounded familiar to me and I wondered if it was taken from the headlines or I saw something on one of my TV show thrillers. If so, Robert Bryndza managed to make the story his on. The mystery grows, taking on a life of its own, becoming muddled in murder. We have suspects, but none of them stand out to me. Of course, I blamed the family first and kept telling myself, don’t get tunnel vision, manipulating the facts to fit my hypothesis.

Devil’s Way is a police procedural that takes us step by step through the mystery with Kate and Tristan. I kept trying to come to my own conclusion, but I do that with every book. Don’t you?

I love water, and so does Kate Marshall. She lived in a house that sits on the top of a cliff looking out over Thurlow Bay, England. Water is her friend, except when she isn’t paying attention and gets caught in a riptide. That is when she meets Jean.

Kate Marshall is a private detective, and ex police officer, working with her friend and partner, Tristan Harper. They’d become close, since she took him on as a research assistant seven years ago. She also owns a caravan park, but that has stories of its own. She has a son, Jake, who is now a college student. His father is a convicted serial killer, and she lost custody of him because of her drinking problem. She has been in AA for thirteen years.

Mysteries and police procedurals are always hard for me to rate. I love thrills, blood and guts, edge of my seat suspense, but then, I also like to have to follow the step by step process of solving a crime. Devil’s Way by Robert Brundza has all the elements we need to follow the investigation to its conclusion, with a twist and turn thrown in for good measure.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Devil’s Way by Robert Bryndza.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

THE TRUTH HIDES IN THE DARK
Kate Marshall’s investigation into a young boy’s disappearance sends her down an unexpectedly twisted path in a riveting thriller by multi-million bestselling author, Robert Bryndza.

When Private Investigator Kate Marshall is rushed to hospital after being pulled into a riptide current in the sea, the near-death experience leaves her shaken. During her recovery, she befriends Jean, an elderly lady on the same ward. Jean tells the harrowing story of how her three-year-old grandson, Charlie, went missing eleven years ago during a camping trip on Dartmoor.

By the time Kate is well enough to go home, she’s agreed to take on the case, but when Kate and her trusty sidekick Tristan start to look at the events of that fateful night, they discover that Jean has a dark past that could have put Charlie in jeopardy.

Was Charlie abducted? Or did he fall into Devil’s Way? A rushing river that vanishes into a gorge close to where they were camping.

When Kate and Tristan discover that a social worker who flagged concerns about Jean and her daughter was found brutally murdered shortly after Charlie vanished, it makes them question everything they thought they knew about the family…

Filled with twists and turns, Devil’s Way is the fourth Kate Marshall novel and the most gripping and satisfying yet!

ABOUT ROBERT BRYNDZA

Robert Bryndza

Robert Bryndza is an international bestselling author, best known for his page-turning crime and thriller novels, which have sold over five million copies.

His crime debut, The Girl in the Ice was released in February 2016, introducing Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster. Within five months it sold one million copies, reaching number one in the Amazon UK, USA and Australian charts. To date, The Girl in the Ice has sold over 1.5 million copies in the English language and has been sold into translation in 29 countries. It was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Mystery & Thriller (2016), the Grand prix des lectrices de Elle in France (2018), and it won two reader voted awards, The Thrillzone Awards best debut thriller in The Netherlands (2018) and The Dead Good Papercut Award for best page turner at the Harrogate Crime Festival (2016).

Robert has released a further five novels in the Erika Foster series, The Night Stalker, Dark Water, Last Breath, Cold Blood and Deadly Secrets, all of which have been global bestsellers, and in 2017 Last Breath was a Goodreads Choice Award nominee for Mystery and Thriller. Fatal Witness, the seventh Erika Foster novel, is now available to pre-order and will be published 7th July 2022.

Most recently, Robert created a new crime thriller series based around the central character Kate Marshall, a police officer turned private detective. The first book, Nine Elms, was an Amazon USA #1 bestseller and an Amazon UK top five bestseller, and the series has been sold into translation in 18 countries. The second book in the series is the global bestselling, Shadow Sands and the third book, Darkness Falls, has just been published.

Robert was born in Lowestoft, on the east coast of England. He studied at Aberystwyth University, and the Guildford School of Acting, and was an actor for several years, but didn’t find success until he took a play he’d written to the Edinburgh Festival. This led to the decision to change career and start writing. He self-published a bestselling series of romantic comedy novels, before switching to writing crime. Robert lives with his husband in Slovakia, and is lucky enough to write full-time.

You can find out more about Robert and his books at www.robertbryndza.com

MY REVIEWS FOR ROBERT BRYNDZA

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Review – O Is For Outbreak – A Horror Anthology @caverstraete

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Chris Verstraete is participating in the anthology and offered me a copy, so I will be reviewing her story separately.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW for The Rumor That Refused To Die by Chris Verstraete

“Do you mean that story wasn’t true?…It says the policeman died in 1950 after his car fell into a giant sinkhole. I thought newspapers had to print the truth?”

“You be the judge,” her teacher said.

The Rumor That Refused To Die by Chris Verstraete shows how quickly a story changes, from person to person and time to time.. Amanda takes her school assisgnment and runs with it, digging deep, and I love where Chris went with the story. It had me smiling, because I have seen a movie with a creature like this, so it was easy to visualize. What is released to the public is far from the truth, so being prepared is impossible. If you want to know the truth of anything, you must seek it out from many sources, and then you may still never know. After all, who really shot John F Kennedy?

MY REVIEW for the anthology as a whole

O is for Outbreak is a part of a twenty six horror anthology series. It is the fifteenth book, and if the other 14 were anything like this, I am sorry I missed them. Many of the thirteen short stories are pandemic related, so I think most of us can relate to them. Brain eating larva, viruses, insects, government conspiracies, the evil eye, a giant worm, and so much more had goose bumps running up and down my spine. I was caught up in the creepy and didn’t stop until I read the last story. The wonderful thing about an anthology, you can pick it up for a quickie no matter where you are.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of O Is For Outbreak

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

O is for Outbreak is the fifteenth book in an epic series of twenty-six horror anthologies. In this book you will find a selection of thirteen unsettling tales from some of the most talented independent horror authors writing today. From government conspiracies to historic plagues, otherworldly viruses to deadly insects, O is for Outbreak brings a wide selection of pandemic-inspired horror tales that will have you hiding away, face mask in place.

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New Release- City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita @IrisYamashita #CityUnderOneRoof #NetGalley

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I want to thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read Iris Yamashita’s debut novel, City Under One Roof.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love finding new author’s and sharing their debut novels, like Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita.

A blizzard in a small town in Alaska. Oh yeah, I am intrigued from the getgo. THEN, add 205 residents that all live in the same highrise. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right?

A boot with a foot. A hand. Washed up on shore. I have seen TV shows about the body parts that wash ashore in the Northwest. Really creepy and using this topic to get Cara to the small town of Point Mettier, Alaska, with her own reasons for wanting to investigate, begins the mystery and danger that is to follow.

I shiver as she drives through the tunnel. It is one way and switches directions every half hour. I felt a bit claustrophic with her. Two and a half miles. I get creeped out in the drive through car wash. LOL

The highrise used to be an army post, with tunnels because of the weather and to keep from being seen. Of course, kids are going to explore and even though I think I would be creeped out, I would have to explore too.

All towns have secrets, but small towns make it much harder to keep them. Everyone knows everyone. They live and breathe in the same space.

The descriptions of the highrise and the people are richly detailed. It made it easy for me to paint pictures in my mind. I love odd characters and City Under One Roof has its fair share. Are they on the run?

I could hear the wind howling, I could feel the icy cold.

Told, mainly, from three characters point of view: Cara, who is a detective from Anchorage, Alasksa, Amy, who is the teenager that found the body parts, and Lonnie, who came to live in the high rise after leaving a mental institution. She is one of the best characters, her and Denny. And Susie, always hanging out in the hallway.

City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita has all the elements I look for in a thriller, a fabulous location and the storm is a bonus, great characters, danger, intrigue and mystery.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A stranded detective tries to solve a murder in a tiny Alaskan town where everyone lives in a single high-rise building, in this gripping debut by an Academy Award–nominated screenwriter.

When a local teenager discovers a severed hand and foot washed up on the shore of the small town of Point Mettier, Alaska, Cara Kennedy is on the case. A detective from Anchorage, she has her own motives for investigating the possible murder in this isolated place, which can be accessed only by a tunnel.

After a blizzard causes the tunnel to close indefinitely, Cara is stuck among the odd and suspicious residents of the town—all 205 of whom live in the same high-rise building and are as icy as the weather. Cara teams up with Point Mettier police officer Joe Barkowski, but before long the investigation is upended by fearsome gang members from a nearby native village.

Haunted by her past, Cara soon discovers that everyone in this town has something to hide. Will she be able to unravel their secrets before she unravels?”

ABOUT IRIS YAMASHITA

Iris Yamashita

Iris is the Academy Award nominated writer for the movie LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, directed by Clint Eastwood. The film received a Golden Globe award for “Best Foreign Language Film” and was nominated for 4 Oscars®, including Best Original Screenplay. Her debut novel, CITY UNDER ONE ROOF, the first in a mystery series, will be released by Berkley Group in January, 2023.

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Review – A Reservoir Man by L J Ambrosio #ljambrosio

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Non, je ne regrette rien (No I don’t regret anything)

Reading A Reservoir Man by L J Ambrosio was me stepping outside my comfort zone and I am so glad I did. A Reservoir Man has a deeper meaning in the story than just a title for the book.

From the day he was born in 1947, Michael was looked at differently. He had a harelip and all the old wives tales and folklore made his life more difficult than it had to be, but his parents loved him, unconditionally. His innocence makes him a victim to those who prey on the naive. I love that he was able to rise above it. Some people are givers, some people are takers, and Michael is a giver. I love that he is an observer. I, too, like to people watch. We both have an affinity for benches, a great place to watch people from. He was used and abused, yet still kept moving forward. I felt so many emotions while reading A Reservoir Man. The story feels like a true life biography. AND, the ending….brought tears to my eyes. Well done, L J.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of A Reservoir Man by L J Ambrosio.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A Reservoir Man, critics have hailed this explosive and timely work as “a must-read coming-of-age story of 2022.” Twists and turns further pull the reader in to Michael’s action-packed tale, with powerful themes, from betrayal and family to secrets and identity. “Be sure not to blink because you just might miss a pivotal moment in Michael’s rousing, larger-than-life story.” –R.C. Gibson, Indiestoday. “This book is a dream, a gamble, a utopia, even.” — Kalyan Panja, Bookmarkks.

ABOUT L J AMBROSIO

Louis J. Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent agencies in Los Angeles and New York. He started his career as a theatrical producer, running two major regional theaters for eight seasons. He taught at over 7 universities in America. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning film producer and novelist over the course of his impressive career.

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Review – Protecting Falcon by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor

Protecting Falcon by Jane Blythe is Book III of the Prey, but the series is part of something so much bigger. There are many more books and authors putting their own spin on the Operation Alpha World.

About Operation Alpha

Operation Alpha is the fan fiction world for Susan Stoker’s SEAL of Protection, Delta Force Heroes, and Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Worlds. The books all have at least one of Susan’s characters in them. Check it out at Aces Press.

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have read numerous books in the Special Forces: Operation Alpha series and this is my third book in the Prey Security series by Jane Blythe. I have read a lot of Jane’s stories and eagerly crack the cover on every book I get my hands on. Protecting Falcon was no different. In fact, I was even more eager than usual, because I knew Hope was in dire straits and Cam was going to be the one to save her.

Hope is no wimp. She has a quiet strength about her. She had risked her life to help another slave, who happened to be Cam’s sister. He and his team were able to get Raven and her daughter out, but had to leave Hope behind.

Prey Security is owned by Cam and his five siblings. The whole family has a need to make sure Hope is rescued. She went above and beyond anything that could have been asked of her to help Raven and her daughter, Cleo.

Cam is a bit grumpy, like Walter Matthau in Grumpy Old Men. When he finds Hope, in a cage, wondering if she is alive, I think his heart skips a beat. He is quiet and she is a talker. What’s that saying about opposites attract?

“You’re really here for me?”

As soon as Hope said that my eyes teared up. I can visualize her, looking at him with soft eyes filled with wonder. Such innocence, considering the things that have been done to her by the traffickers and the evil man that revels in her pain and degradation. Little does he know, the things being done to her do not define her.

I knew how she came to be there because of reading Book II in the series, Protecting Raven, but Jane Blythe does fill in the blanks so the story can stand alone, but once you meet Prey Security, I think you may want to get each character’s story.

Jane Blythe kept me dragging myself through the Amazon rain forest, hunted, hurt, tired, hungry, thirsty, and falling for the handsome special forces man that came specifically for Hope. Danger surrounds them and getting out will not be easy.

Of course, they are going to fall in love along the way. Are any of us surprised? I would be let down if they didn’t. After all, this is romantic suspense. We have some fun dialogue and I love to smile while the characters are running for their lives. 🙂

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Protecting Falcon by Jane Blythe.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Sparks fly when opposites attract.

When Hope Delancey showed kindness to another slave, she never expected it to put her in the crosshairs of a dangerous man. After weeks of being held captive she’s rescued by a gruff, grumpy, intimidating soldier who obviously wishes he was anywhere but in Colombia rescuing her. But Hope sees through the cold exterior to the man underneath, a man she could fall in love with, a man who has already told her he has nothing to offer.

Falcon Oswald never again wants the responsibility of someone else’s life resting in his hands. But that’s exactly the position he finds himself in when he agrees to honor the promise he made to his sister to rescue Hope. Now they’re running for their lives through the Amazon rainforest, and as Hope impresses him with her strength over and over again he realizes walking away from this woman might prove impossible, even if its what’s best for her.

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

USA Today bestselling author Jane Blythe writes action-packed romantic suspense and military romance featuring protective heroes and heroines who are survivors. One of Jane’s most popular series includes Saving SEALs, part of Susan Stoker’s OPERATION ALPHA world! Writing in that world alongside authors such as Janie Crouch and Riley Edwards has been a blast, and she looks forward to bringing more books to this genre, both within and outside of Stoker’s world. When Jane isn’t binge-reading she’s counting down to Christmas and adding to her 200+ teddy bear collection!

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MY REVIEWS FOR JANE BLYTHE’S BOOKS

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Review – Weepers by Nick Chiarkas @chiarkas

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Woo Hoo, lucky me. I won Weepers by Nick Chiarkas…and Nunzio’s Way…in a giveaway.

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

It was 1951. Angelo and his father were walking the snowy streets in a New York City housing project, when his life was changed forever. His father disappeared and the seven year old boy felt he should have done something. This coming of age story kept getting better and better, the more I read.

The boy already knew the first rule of the jungle: If it moves away from you, it’s food: it it moves toward you, you’re food.

“By the time a boy hits his teens, he’s either prey, predator, or he has mastered his environment…respected by the weak and the predators.”

I can’t imagine growing up in such an environment and I can see why a child’s world can become so brutal so early in their life.

A priest, a Mafia boss, a police detective and Angelo, a gang member form an unlikely union.

Weepers made me think of West Side Story. I can see why it was voted best mystery novel. There is so much I would like to share, but I won’t. The more I read, the more involved I became in the characters lives, and I want you to find out about them for yourself. I immediately went into Nunzio’s Way, and………..well, that’s another story.

I checked out Nick Chiarkas’ bio and saw why the story felt so real to me. Be sure and take a look. He knows what he’s writing about.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

BEST MYSTERY NOVEL – JOHN E. WEAVER EXCELLENT READS AWARD & READERS’ FAVORITE WINNER – YA COMING OF AGE CATEGORY
The 1957 murder of an undercover cop in a New York City housing project has unexpected ties to the unsolved disappearance of a young father walking home in those same projects with his son, Angelo, on Christmas Eve six years before. The only witness to the cop killing is Angelo, now 13, while on his way to seek his own revenge in the early morning hours. The killers know he saw them. A series of gripping events forge a union between a priest, a Mafia boss, a police detective, and Angelo, a gang member. In the end, Weepers shows us that the courage of the underdog despite fear and moral ambiguity will conquer intimidation.

Weepers has received finalist status for the Best Novel of 2016 by the Public Safety Writers Association(PSWA), the Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA) best mystery/thriller novel of 2015, the Best Young Adult Novel for 2016 by Bookvana, and the Best Crossover (Mystery & Young Adult) for the 2017 Best Books Award.

ABOUT NICK CHIARKAS

Nick Chiarkas grew up in the Al Smith housing projects in the Two Bridges neighborhood on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

When he was in the fourth grade, his mother was told by the principal of PS-1 that, “Nick was unlikely to ever complete high school, so you must steer him toward a simple and secure vocation.” Instead, Nick became a writer, with a few stops along the way: a U.S. Army Paratrooper; a New York City Police Officer; the Deputy Chief Counsel for the President’s Commission on Organized Crime; and the Director of the Wisconsin State Public Defender Agency.

On the way to becoming an author, he picked up a Doctorate from Columbia University; a Law Degree from Temple University; and was a Pickett Fellow at Harvard. How many mothers are told their children are hopeless? How many kids with potential simply

Website / Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / Bookbub

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Giveaway & Review – The Color Of Trauma by Hollie Smurthwaite @H_Smurthwaite

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MY REVIEW

The Color of Trauma by Hollie Smurthwaite was an awesome surprise for me. I thought it would be a good fit. The premise had a twist and finding something different is very unusual. Needless to say, it made the book very hard to put down in the wee hours of the morning.

I love that Kiera is not a ‘young adult’, but a mature woman. She has a gift that leaves her with few friends, spending many hours alone, and sex…well, she has a friend that money can buy.

She is a memory surgeon. She does most of her work for free, taking on one or two big paying jobs a year. She couldn’t tell you why she does them, but it does give her clients a little bit of peace. She takes a traumatic experience a person has suffered, erases the facts from their mind yet leaving the memory that something bad did happen, and takes it as her own. She has a driver, no need for a license, because her ‘job’ has triggers that muddles her mind and her actions, making it too dangerous to drive.

Chicago has a serial killer and Dean Matthson is the head detective on the case. He, and others at the precinct, call her and others like her memory munchers. It is an apt description, though it does sound kinda rude. He knows it is frowned on using them for an investigation, but he is going to do it anyway. The clock is ticking and it won’t be long before another life is lost.

I love the character of Kiera. She may come across as weak, but stand back when she gets her hackles up. She can take care herself, doesn’t back down from a fight, and has some spicy language. I love that she finds humor amongst the darkness, in the dialogue. It’s not bad enough that the trauma she takes into her mind, her home life left a lot to be desired. Her scars were invisible, but that doesn’t mean there is no pain, pain that can be debilitating.

If Kiera ever wrote a memoir, which she would never do, she would title it The Color of Trauma Is Pink…The worst memories were always a shade of pink.

I can understand someone’s fear over memory surgeons abilities, but everything good can be used for bad. Some major damage could be done, but so much good could come from it too. It’s that age old question: Just because you can do something, should you?

The attraction is quick, instalove, maybe, but when you feel the spark how do you avoid the fire? It would take a special person for her, but also for him. Dean is a homicide detective. He never knew when he would be called out or when his shift would end. They both have baggage and I am eager to see how they handle it. I feel confident there will be some kind of happy ever after…won’t there?

The psychopath serial killer finds a target and zeroes in on her. He had researched her, reading lots of articles. He thought if he ever wrote a memoir, he would name it The Psychopath And The Empath. I knew this would happen, but that’s okay.

There was one blip that bothered me, but maybe because I saw something similar in one of my favorite TV crime shows. I thought about it for a minute or two and wondered how much time passed during that blip. That could make a huge difference that is not always easy to determine.

I am loving the The Psychic Color series by HollyieSmurthwaite and I can hardly wait to see what she does in Book II, The Color Of Betrayal, Jolene and Cass’ story.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Color Of Trauma by Hollie Smurthwaite.

4 Stars




The Color of Trauma
The Psychic Colors Series
Book One
Hollie Smurthwaite

Genre:  Paranormal Romantic Suspense, PNR
Publisher: Hollie Smurthwaite
Date of Publication:  August 30, 2021
ISBN:978-1737118916
ASIN: B09B2QWV52
Number of pages:  358
Word Count: 95,000 words
Cover Artist: Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations

Book Description:

Experiencing another’s past could end her future . . .

Kiera Brayleigh is a memory surgeon. In the ten years since her “gift” manifested, she’s helped dozens of women deal with trauma by removing their horrific memories—burns, rapes, tortures.  It pays well, but she holds those moments, making her a fiery mess. The bizarre request from a Chicago homicide detective is the last thing she needs.

Detective Dean Matthson is burdened with an uncanny ability to get inside the minds of criminals. In a dead-end hunt to capture a serial killer, he risks his hard-earned reputation by doing the unthinkable: recruiting a memory surgeon to probe the mind of a comatose victim.  

Kiera might appreciate the cop’s dimples and his commitment to the job, but only an idiot would agree to experience a rape-murder victim’s last memories. Kiera, it turns out, is that idiot. Dean’s dedication and calming presence challenge Kiera’s distrustful nature, and she finds herself falling for Dean even as he struggles with his own demons. 

Can two broken people find love? 

When the killer discovers Kiera’s on the case, he realizes she is exactly what he needs to relive his kills. Dean and the killer both close in on their targets, and it becomes a race to catch the monster before he catches Kiera.

The Color of Trauma is a thought-provoking paranormal romantic suspense novel with an unconventional heroine, dark themes, and psychological drama.

Amazon      Kobo      BN      Indiebound


“I’m not sure how much Ms. Morten has shared with you, but—”

Kiera lifted a finger; thankfully, her index. “Dr. Patty told us you had questions about memory reading as it might apply to one of your cases. Read memories aren’t admissible in court. You’re wasting your time.”

“I don’t need evidence like that,” Dean said, deciding not to point out that Patty hadn’t graduated yet and wasn’t, technically, a doctor.

“Whew,” the blond he didn’t recognize said. “It’s one of the frustrating things about what we do.” The memory surgeons all winced when she spoke, though the blond didn’t appear to notice.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

She beamed. “Amy Carter.”

“Do you mind telling me what’s your specialty?”

“Bitching and complaining,” Kiera replied in a tight voice.

Amy’s lips compressed, but she didn’t say anything. Was Kiera the group’s bully? Was that how she controlled the narrative? Everyone looked to her, even Patty.

Kiera sighed. “Dr. Schwartz is the expert in the field. Look into his research. Gilfoile and Roberts are hacks, and the rest don’t know shit but still want to capitalize on the memory-surgeon thing.”

He wrote down “Schwartz” in his notebook, surprised at her generosity. “Thank you.”

She stared at him with those blue eyes that didn’t blink enough. “That all?”

“Not quite.”

“Yeah, I figured.” She shook her head. “They don’t fully understand how memory works, so it’s going to be a while before they figure out how we’re able to access people’s memories and how they can be removed and kept in someone else’s mind. We can’t help you with the science stuff.”

“I’m more interested in how it works from a practical standpoint.” He directed his questions at everyone else, but the only one looking directly at him was Kiera. Fine. If he won her over, the others would follow. “I’m trying to ascertain what you can and can’t do.”

“Why?”

No time to finesse. With his attention still on Kiera, he handed Brittany Kolchek’s picture to Ramon and asked him to look and pass it on.

“I’ve never seen her before,” Ramon said. “Is she missing?”

Dean waited until everyone had viewed the photo, because he didn’t want to give them the opportunity to refuse.

Beth looked last, and she studied Brittany for several seconds. “She seems nice.” Then she walked the photo back to him.

“Her name is Brittany Kolchek,” he said. “She’s in a coma.” As a group, they cringed, even Kiera. Good—they cared. “The doctors say she won’t wake.”

“You don’t want information. You want one of us to jump into her memories,” Kiera said, her face as hard as her voice.

“We believe she’s the third victim of a serial killer targeting young women. All three scenes have little physical evidence. This might be our only chance to catch a break.” When nobody spoke or moved, he added, “He’ll kill again.”


About the Author: 

Hollie Smurthwaite is a paranormal romantic suspense author of The Color of Trauma and The Color of Betrayal. The Color of Trauma was the winner of the 2020 Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project in adult fiction. She lives in Chicago with her husband, son, and too few pets. In past lives, she’s been a checkout clerk, massage therapist, office manager, recruiter, magazine staff writer, pepper spray hawker, and belly dancer.












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