Tag Archives: read in 2024

$20 GC & Review – Silver Bells by Sandy Lender @goddessfish @sandylender

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SILVER BELLS: A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY

Sandy Lender

GENRE:  Horror

MY REVIEW

Such a great cover that hides the horror inside.

Ivy Light is visiting her best friend for Christmas. She will get more than she bargained, both good and bad.

The Harris’ have a security guard by the name of John Knightley, after the husband receives a threat. He will regret allowing the rest of his team to have the holidays off.

A fire next door leads to a full house, when they open their doors to the homeless family.

The spirits have a beef against those who built their houses on sacred ground. We all know what happens when the spirits take offense. They fight back.

Silver Bells by Sandy Lender is a quick read with enough horror to keep me curious, having to know how the story will end. So, if you are looking for something wicked for the holidays, you might want to take a looksee.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Star

BLURB

There’s more than the Christmas Spirit hovering around Reindeer Creek this holiday
season. An eerie backdrop to her dearest friend’s new home disturbs Ivy Light, but the Harris family’s personal security detail—the debonair John Knightley—intrigues her greatly. The handsome gentleman has his hands full with his client being stalked by more than unethical business moguls. There are hybrid wolf-bear creatures and a manipulative side chick to worry about, after all. It’ll take extra Christmas cheer for Ivy to bring comfort and joy back to her best friend amid the tragedies and paranormal threats this year. 

Join in the festivities at Reindeer Creek! And help the families at the Harris house divine what’s reality, who’s a foe, and how to thwart the evil side of a spiritual war.

EXCERPT

She clearly heard the click of the coat closet door as Harry finished depositing Professor Thackery’s outerwear and listened for their footsteps to join them. John would have a fit if he could see this. Each one of us lined up here at the window, exactly where he told me not to have us. Of course, John hadn’t indicated he was prone to fits of anger when his orders were balked. He rolled with the punches nicely. He’d probably smirk at her with that way too sexy mouth.

Enough of that thinking.

The snowman-gnome worker had made it half-way up the ladder and stopped. Because her attention was focused on Mr. Heggs, his plastic-looking hair, and the diminutive chainsaw he now fired up with a whine-and-whir, she lost track of his partner. Would that fellow try to approach the front door next? Try to breach the stronghold?

She wanted to move everyone to an interior room. “Maybe we should all—”

Lexie shrieked as a blur of gray wintery mix slammed into the worker outside. Both ladder and chunky gnome crashed over in a fast-motion slam to the ground.

Snow exploded along the footprint of the falling ladder. And as stark red sprayed up from the chainsaw’s grinding whir-and-scream against bone and metal, Ivy grabbed Lexie and spun her away from the gore. She buried the child’s face in her shoulder, away from the horrifying thrashing that ended long before the crimson shower.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Sandy Lender is an international best-selling poet and award-winning author of fantasy, literary fiction, poetry, and short story work. She’s a construction magazine editor by day and author of #GirlPower fantasy novels by night, living in Florida to help with sea turtle conservation and parrot rescue. You can follow her author page on Amazon, check her website at SandyLenderInk.com, or subscribe to her newsletter at https://bit.ly/SSReNews.

With a four-year degree in English and thirty-year career in publishing, Sandy’s successes include traditionally and self-published novels, hundreds of magazine articles, multiple short stories in competitive anthologies, a handful of technical writing awards, a handful of creative writing awards, and the 2023 Michael Knost Wings award. Sandy’s been writing stories since she was knee-high to a grasshopper when her great-grandmother shared her odd little tales of squeaky ghost-spiders around an apartment complex in Southern Illinois. The stories have developed to include strong young ladies working with dragons to save worlds from terrible fates, but those pesky spiders still show up from time to time.

There’s always something brewing at Sandy Lender Ink headquarters where some days, you just want the dragon to win.

  • Visit SandyLenderInk: www.SandyLenderInk.com
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  • Grab the ebook of Silver Bells: https://books2read.com/u/4Nlap6
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Review – Poppy and Marigold by Meg Welch Dendler @MegWelchDendler

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

My first introduction to Meg Welch Dendler’s writing was when I met Bianca. She is one of those authors that quickly added to my must read list. I am excited to be back with Poppy And Marigold, two young girls that come from two totally different worlds.

Poppy is a twelve year old Blue. All her life she was taught that Blue is superior to all the other colors. When she meets Marigold, a tangerine colored girl and her family, her world is turned upside down. She found she isn’t superior in their world. In fact, she is the ignorant one. Her eyes are opened. How can she return and obey the 50 Rules governing her world after all she has learned? If she is found out, she will be sent to the Detention Center, but how can she go back and pretend nothing has happened?

When Red attacks them the answer presents itself.

Poppy And Marigold is written for ages six to eighteen, but it is so thought provoking, for me, that I think it is a book for all ages. Anything that gets my mind spinning is a good thing, and Poppy and Marigold did just that, in a fantastic and wonderful way. I think it sends a message in an easy to understand way. Just because we’re different doesn’t mean we’re better…or worse.

I can see how there can more books in the making, as we discover how the other colors live and how they are closer than Poppy could possibly know.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Blue citizens are absolutely superior to all others, especially ignorant, uncivilized Orange. Poppy has been taught this relentlessly for twelve years. But when she accidentally crosses the forbidden border and is befriended by Marigold—a tangerine-skinned girl—and her kind-but-quirky family, Poppy is forced to rethink everything. Questioning that Blue is Best or the rest of the 50 Rules governing Poppy’s world would get her sent to a dangerous Detention Center. Or worse. But how can she return to her blindly obedient, anti-Orange life now that she knows the truth?

  • Genre: Childrens, Science Fiction, Teen, Young Adult
  • 218 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication October 1, 2024 by Serenity Mountain Publishing

ABOUT MEG WELCH DENDLER

Meg Dendler has considered herself a writer since she was honored in a picture book contest in 5th grade. Beginning serious work as a freelancer in the ’90s while teaching elementary and middle school, Meg has over one hundred articles in print, including interviews with Kirk Douglas, Sylvester Stallone, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. She has won contests with her short stories and poetry, along with multiple awards for her best-selling Cats in the Mirror alien rescue cat children’s book series. “Bianca: The Brave Frail and Delicate Princess” was honored as Best Juvenile Book of 2018 by the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, and “Snickerdoodle’s Shenanigans” won that same honor in 2024. Now a retired teacher, Meg holds a BA in Journalism/Public Relations, an MA in Early Childhood Education, and has been teacher certified in three states. Meg is also an editor/proofreader for independent and self-publishing authors, with over 80 books completed since 2015.

Meg and her family live in NW Arkansas. Visit her at www.megdendler.com for more information about upcoming books and events and all of Meg’s social media links.

MY MEG DENDLER REVIEWS

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Does It Meet The Hype? It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover @colleenhoover

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Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Does it meet the hype? Romance is not at the top of my favorites list, but It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover met all the requirements of a romance, with a little extra. I want to warn you of there is a trigger, domestic abuse.

Colleen Hoover’s writing is so good, she could probably write a menu and everyone would want to read it. Even though the story was predictable, I enjoyed it. The characters were interesting and I do like an author that spreads the flaws around.

If you are a romance lover, I can’t help but think It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover will hit all the bases for you.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up — she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

ABOUT COLLEEN HOOVER

International and #1 New York Times bestselling author of romance, YA, thriller, women’s fiction and paranormal romance.

I don’t like to be confined to one genre. If you put me in a box, I’ll claw my way out.

My social media username is @colleenhoover pretty much everywhere except my email, which is colleenhooverbooks@gmail.com

Founder of www.thebookwormbox.com charity and Book Bonanza.

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Review – Ashes Never Lie by Lee Goldberg #netgalley #ashesneverlie @LeeGoldberg

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MY REVIEW

It’s been a while since I’ve read a Lee Goldberg novel and I must say, this was not one of my favorites. Every time I though it was going to ‘get there’, it didn’t. It doesn’t stop me from looking for more of Lee’s books to read. Could it be because he is a mainstream author I have high expectations?

The dialogue seemed forced. The back and forth banter seemed mean spirited, by the tone of the writing. I know it wasn’t meant that way.

We seemed to be all over the place and there was more than one bad guy doing bad things.

We have the politics of different police forces trying to run things, and that read true.

Gotta remember this is an ARC and there may be changes made, writing tightened up. The characters and mystery were fleshed out but it had an amateur feel to it, maybe a rushed feeling that I sure don’t expect from a mainstream author. That being said, I’ll still have my eye out for more of his work.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Ashes Never Lie by Lee Goldberg.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Star

GOOREADS BLURB

The secrets hidden in smoldering ashes hold the fate of a city in an explosive thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.

Vacant homes in a new housing development are erupting into flames in broad daylight with no apparent cause. It’s a perplexing mystery for dogged arson investigator Walter Sharpe and his restless new partner, Andrew Walker, an ex–US marshal who craves action.

But as they puzzle over the blazes, another home miles away burns to the ground, leaving a man’s corpse in the ashes and homicide detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone demanding answers. The burn patterns and charred body tell Sharpe a bizarre story that only creates more questions for Eve. So the four detectives team up to find the answers. Their investigation into the two unrelated cases leads to one shocking discovery after another.

Now they must gamble their lives to unmask a brilliant arsonist, crack open a massive swindle, track down a desperate fugitive with a terrifying secret, and race against time to save thousands of people from an agonizing death.

  • Genre: Arson, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
  • 286 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication September 24, 2024
  • Series: Sharpe & Walker, #2

ABOUT LEE GOLDBERG

#1 New York Times Bestselling author Lee Goldberg is a two-time Edgar Award and two-time Shamus Award nominee whose many TV writing and/or producing credits include “Martial Law,” “SeaQuest,” “Diagnosis Murder,””Hunter,” “Spenser: For Hire,” “Nero Wolfe,” “Missing.” “Monk” and “The Glades.” He’s also the co-author of the Fox & O’Hare series with Janet Evanovich (The Heist, The Chase, The Job, The Scam, The Pursuit etc), “The Walk,” “Watch Me Die,” “King City,” the “Dead Man” series, as well as the “Diagnosis Murder” and “Monk” series of original mystery novels.

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Review – The Compass Killer by Michael Geczi @MichaelGeczi

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Compass Killer is part of The Serial Killer Anthology, which will include five books, by Michael Geczi. Each book has a unique focus and The Compass Killer is about a serial killer, Travis Newsom, who has a last wish. He wants to know more about the people he killed and all those around them who were affects. Of course, I know you can’t believe what a psychopath says, but Reverend Stan McLogan feels by helping the serial killer get what he wants, he can find out about other killings. Quid pro quo. He is interested in learning more about their emotions and spirituality of those on death row.

I love reading about serial killers, but I don’t know if the why of their killings is ever answered. I love trying to decipher their motivations, which can probably never be known.

As the deadline approaches for his execution, I can’t help but think he deserves what is coming for him. As the clock ticks down, I can only think he has overstayed his welcome on this earth. Will he give the Reverend the list of his victims before he is put to death?

We learn about his killings, how his victims were chosen and how they died, leaving a compass on top of their bodies. All except one, why was that different.

As I approached the final pages of The Compass Killer by Michael Geczi, I was surprised at the fabulous ending. I never saw it coming. Well done, Michael.

I want to thank Michael for the opportunity to read and review The Compass Killer by Michael Geczi.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

The new addition to The Serial Killer Anthology! Get it today!

Facing execution, Arizona death-row inmate Travis Newsom, “The Compass Killer,” has a last wish: he tells Rev. Stan McLogan he wants to learn more before he’s dead about the families and friends of his victims as well as the family he abandoned. McLogan thinks it’s a great opportunity to identify additional victims that Newsom may have killed beyond the ones he left small round compasses on in 1998 after murdering them. He asks his friend, Santa Monica Detective Nour El Masry, if she’ll help with the research.

The task is far from straightforward, however. McLogan’s prison discussions with Newsom take surprising psychological twists and turns, reflecting both men’s own agendas. El Masry’s research raises questions about Newsom’s background and what he’s sharing. And Arizona politics put the execution at risk.

As deadlines approach, McLogan questions his involvement with the prisoner, and Newsom discovers the young minister is a formidable adversary and not the naïve soft touch he imagined. El Masry, meanwhile, finds new information about the origins of Newsom’s life of lies and violence.

The Compass Killer, the fourth book in the Serial Killer Anthology, brings together elements of the series’ three previous stories: The Deadly Samaritan (McLogan’s parents and a 1992 serial killer case); Killer Dead, Victim Alive (Santa Monica Detectives Greg Nichols and Mollie Granger), and Hunting a Cat in Dogtown (Nour El Masry, Nichols and Granger).

ABOUT MICHAEL GECZI (from Amazon)

Former Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Associated Press and Dallas Morning News writer and editor; Wall Street executive; best-selling author; communications/crisis consultant and university instructor (University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism). Also author of Futures: The Anti-Inflation Investment. Lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with his wife, Lisa.

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Review – Legacy Of Blood by Heather Graham @heathergraham #netgalley #legacyofblood

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MY REVIEW

Whenever I see a Heather Graham book up for grabs, I do not hesitate. I grab it. I want to thank NetGalley and and Mira for the opportunity to read Legacy of Blood (The Blackbird Files, #3).

Special Agent Jeanette LaFarge is on her way to Paris, not for a wine tasting, but to discover why murder victims are being drained of their blood. History is repeating itself, and it’s not vampires that are running the countryside.

I am familiar with the Krewe of Hunters and am excited to meet the team of Blackbirds.

Jeanette will be paired up with Daniel Murray, who is new to being a ghost whisperer. They will need all the help they can get to discover who is behind the killings.

It didn’t take me long to single out one suspect, among the many others. I find out I am right about her and to discover those she is working with, that was not so easy.

I love ghost whisperer novels, where the ghosts are peripheral characters that help solve the mystery. To have some romance thrown in adds another element, and I am not surprised because of how closely the characters work together.

We have plenty of danger and suspense as the complex mystery deepens and I am all in.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

In the streets of Paris, someone wants to paint the town red…

When Special Agent Jeanette LaFarge is called in to investigate a vineyard in the Reims region of France, the last thing she expects to find is multiple bodies with every vein bled dry. It’s yet another case tailor-made for Blackbird. Joining her is recent recruit Detective Daniel Murray, eager to use his newfound abilities to track down whoever is terrorizing Paris and its surrounding areas.

With each ashen victim grows the realization that those responsible weren’t inspired by vampiric creatures of the night but by Elizabeth Báthory herself. The Hungarian noblewoman’s unspeakable crimes against her people are being reenacted in both the City of Lights and across the French countryside. Unless the two of them act quickly, the upcoming harvest promises to yield blood instead of wine.

  • Genre: Ghosts, Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural
  • 326 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication: September 24, 2024 by MIRA
  • Series: The Blackbird Files, #3

ABOUT HEATHER GRAHAM

 Also published as Heather Graham Pozzessere and Shannon Drake.

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell’s Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette’s Shadows, and for Harlequin’s mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books.

Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children’s charity.

She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards frorn Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight.

Heather loves travel and anything have to do with the water, and is a certitified scuba diver. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.

Website  /  Facebook  /  Twitter  /  YouTube

MY HEATHER GRAHAM REVIEWS

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Review – Of Vows And Betrayal by R G Angel #rgangel #midnightreaders

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I’ve read a couple of R G Angel’s books, so when I was offered a chance to read Of Vows And Betrayal, I jumped on it. I love the Mafia and revenge stories.

Fifteen minutes. From the time Javier said I do, to the moment his wife’s heart stopped beating, his world fell apart, and Ophelia’s father was at fault. He’d waited fifteen years to make him pay. Too bad Ophelia had to pay the price for Javier’s revenge on her father.

After the death of her mother, Ophelia came under the control of her father, a member of the Gambino crime family. She was the result of an affair her mother had and now she is under his care. He keeps a tight rein on her, controlling her every action…or so he thinks. Even with a bodyguard dogging her every step, she still manages to visit her mother’s closed flower shop, her church and some of her friends. She doesn’t fit in with the rest of the ‘family’, and that’s just fine with her.

As Ophelia and Javier draw closer, the line between crime boss daughter and bodyguard becomes blurred. Javier’s desire for revenge becomes more complicated.

I’m was about halfway through before it really got going for me and Javier and Ophelia came together in some sizzling hot lovin’ that’s burning up my reader.

But life is never that simple and Ophelia was presented with an offer she couldn’t refuse. From here on, it was a total surprise to me. R G Angel made it impossible to look away. BUT, the story isn’t over and I look forward to seeing Ophelia come into her own. I have a feeling she won’t be sitting around letting others make life decisions for her.

Once you’re in, you’re never out, so stick around for what comes next.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

In a world where loyalty is rare and trust is easily broken, can love rise from the ashes of vengeance?

Javier
Fifteen minutes. That’s all it took for my world to shatter. From the moment I said ‘I do’ to the moment her heart stopped beating, my happiness turned into a relentless nightmare. Fifteen years of meticulous planning have led to this moment—my chance for revenge against the man who destroyed my life by killing my wife. But protecting his daughter was never part of the plan, and now everything is more complicated than I ever imagined.

Ophelia
Living under my father’s oppressive rule feels like a prison. My world is turned upside down when Javier Vargas, a brooding and enigmatic bodyguard, is assigned to protect me. Little do I know, his true mission is darker and more personal than I could ever imagine. As forbidden desires ignite and hidden truth unravel, can we overcome the tangled web of our pasts to find a future together?

  • Genre: Billionaires Romance, Mafia, Millionaires Romance, Romance
  • 350 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication September 23, 2024
  • Series: Corrupted Dynasties, #1

ABOUT R G ANGEL

On top of being an International Bestselling Author, I’m a trained lawyer, world traveller, coffee addict and cheese aficionado.

When I’m not busy doing all my lawyerly mayhem or writing Contemporary Romance with heart, heat and a little darkness, alpha heroes and strong heroines and because I’m living in rainy (yet beautiful) Britain, I mostly enjoy indoor activities such as reading, watching TV, playing with my crazy puppies.

I hope my stories will make you dream and will bring you as much joy as they brought me by writing them.

If you want to know any of the latest news join my reader group R.G.’s Angels on facebook or subscribe to my newsletter!

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MY R G ANGEL REVIEWS

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Library Love Review – Eruption by Michael Crichton & James Patterson #michaelcrichton #jamespatterson

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Eruption by James Patterson and Michael Crichton

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

When I saw Eruption, it’s gorgeous cover and Michael Crichton’s and James Patterson names, I virtually hopped over to the library and grabbed me a copy. Michael Crichton had passed away before he could finish the novel, and James Patterson picked up the torch.

A once in a century volcanic eruption is about to destroy the Big Island of Hawaii. If that isn’t enough, there is a military secret that could cause a worldwide catastrophic event.

Did Eruption live up to its hype? Well, the pacing kept me ‘flipping pages’ wondering how they were going to get out of the mess they are in. Maybe it also contains a warning to us mortals. Sometimes the things we do come back and bite us on the ass. This could have been one of those moments, but through the valor and bravery of many, the worse case scenario was avoided. Just goes to show what can happen when everyone works together.

All in all, it was worth the wait, a month or so, to get a copy from my library.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A history-making once-in-a-century volcanic eruption is about to destroy the Big Island of Hawaii. But a decades-old military secret could turn the volcano into something even more terrifying… Now it’s up to a handful of brave individuals to save the island – and the entire world.

Two of the bestselling storytellers of all time have created an unforgettable thriller. The master of the techno-blockbuster joins forces with the master of the modern thriller to create the most anticipated mega bestseller in years. Michael Crichton, creator of Jurassic Park, ER, Twister, and Westworld, had a passion project he’d been pursuing for years, ahead of his untimely passing in 2008. Knowing how special it was, his wife, Sherri Crichton, held back his notes and the partial manuscript until she found the right author to complete it: James Patterson, the world’s most popular storyteller. Eruption brings the pace of Patterson to the concept of Crichton: the most anticipated mega-thriller in years.

  • Genre: Military, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller
  • 432 pages, ebook
  • First published June 3, 2024 by Little, Brown & Company
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Review – After The Fall by Gerry Gainford #GerryGainford

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MY REVIEW

After The Fall by Gerry Gainford is an apocalyptic, dystopian, science fiction novel that kept engrossed in the story of a Washington State that lies in ruins. Nuclear bombs, computer viruses and plagues run rampant. I love that Haley tools around on a motorcycle that she manages to keep running because of her engineering knowledge.

All hell breaks loose when she makes a run for it, after her friend, Jimmy, is murdered.

Haley had left her girlfriend in Dublin and is trying to get back to her. Made me think of Darryl in Walking Dead and I’m curious to see how she is going to cross the ocean to get home. It’s bad enough that she has to dodge those who want her dead, radiation sickness, and plagues. I love a strong, female protagonist that manages to keep her humanity, yet does what is necessary to protect herself, including killing those who would kill her first if she didn’t defend herself.

The world building created a desolate landscape and the pacing made it as hard for me to stop as it did for Haley. The characters run the gamut, but many have lost their humanity. They take what they want, with no regard for their actions. Much of the collusion was hidden from me and I love how Gerry Gainford was able to keep me in the dark. It made it all the more dangerous, not knowing who to trust (NO ONE).

I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Haley left Dublin for a six-week internship in Seattle.

Four years later and she’s living in the ruins of Washington State after the world fell in a cascade of nuclear bombs, computer viruses and human plagues.

When she is accused of her friend’s murder, she flees into the night, with one destination in mind. Home to Marley, the love she left behind.

To escape her pursuers, skip around the swathes of chemical and radioactive waste, avoid the Kings, a roaming gang of marauders, she will need to use every bit of engineering knowledge she has.

Can she make it across the continent and an uncrossable ocean to finally get home?

Does home still exist, or did it perish in the Fall?

  • Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fiction, Science Fiction
  • 331 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published August 19, 2024 by yodacats books
  • Series: The Engineer And The Apcalypse, Book I

ABOUT GERRY GAINFORD

Gerry Gainford is a nerd who spends the workday talking about computer security.

The rest of the time he lives in Los Angeles, with a wife and kids where he likes to go camping, ride motorcycles, do woodwork badly, tell bad jokes, drink good beer and write.

He’s originally from Ireland and hopes some day to know what he wants to be when he grows up.

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Review – Hells & High Water by Alex Andre #alexandre #hells&highwater

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The action is fast paced right out of the gate and the race to St Louis is on. All Aboard.

The first book of the E Apyocrypha series, Lost & Found, spotlights Yun Mi. The second book, As & When, spotlights Aileen, and the third book, Hells & High Water, spotlights Kat. I love the eye catching covers.

Kat is an Islander without an island, but she is also a warrior and will do what is necessary to save her people. She didn’t ask to be a leader and her people don’t seem to want her as one either.

I love when Kat meets Yun Mi and negotiates a reprieve from a death sentence for the Islanders. As they negotiate a truce, we begin to see them grow into more complex characters. I love them both and would love for them to become fast friends. They would make a great team. Even the peripheral characters are able to break my heart and piss me off.

I love apocalyptic/dystopian novels, whether they have zombies or all technology is wiped out in one fell swoop, leaving them raiding, taking from others, struggling to stay alive. The more creative the author, the more invested I get in their world. And Alex Andre has created a world to get lost in. I have a love/hate relationship with an author that kills off one of my favorite characters, even when it adds to the story line, and Alex Andre is not afraid to put me to the test.

Hells & High Water is a novel filled with good and bad, sorrow and happiness (more than once, I cried and laughed), adventure and sacrifice. Each book got progressively better and Hells & High Water was unputdownable. I was familiar with the characters’ worlds and I had to know what was going to happen to who, at times leaving me breathless..

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Technology is power, especially in the world where both are sparse. Would those possessing the knowledge be persuaded to share?

Drawn by a vague rumor of an industrialized state out west, Golden Dragon Shang, a visionary hierarch obsessed with all things tech, departs on an irrational journey beyond the edge of the known map, dragging three reluctant sidekicks along.

A fierce raider disowned for insubordination needs all her fighting skills to survive, but even they can’t carve the path to her true self. A young smuggler is forced by betrayal to turn his criminal mind to the legit side, for the people who despise him. A soldier struggling with his homeland’s troubling past must quash his personal demons to forge alliances with those he detests, or none on the expedition have a chance.

Unsure of their destination and facing dangers known and unknown, they travel through desolated wilderness half a continent away from home. Their armored train is formidable yet not invincible, and not every enemy is foreign. Survival demands smarts, grudging collaboration, and sacrifice—but will that prove enough?

  • Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fiction
  • 442 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication September 28, 2024
  • Series: The E Apocrypha, Book III

ABOUT ALEX ANDREA (from Amazon)

Alex has lived on three continents, is fluent in three languages, suffers an unhealthy interest in linguistics, and never has enough time to get to all the books on his ever-growing To Read list.

He has always appreciated (and envied) select authors’ ability to string words into elegant sentences and tie those sentences into intricate plots.

The time has come for him to try his own hand in the craft.

The E Apocrypha is his first series of novels.

MY ALEX ANDRE REVIEWS

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