Book Title: Copper Waters – A New Zealand Mystery (Annalisse Series Book 4) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 340 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: October, 2022 Content Rating: G. Book is for general audiences. No profanity. No graphic scenes. Crimes described briefly after-the-fact. Mild and limited romance
Book Description:
Annalisse Drury and Alec Zavos find themselves on opposing sides when an ex-lover from Alec’s past introduces him to his alleged son. With Alec distracted and their future engagement in limbo, Annalisse accepts a key to her dream cottage—situated on a picturesque sheep station on South Island, New Zealand—only this time, she travels alone.
But not long after her arrival she’s confronted by two peculiar deaths—either accidental, or the deliberate acts of a psychopath.
Local investigators are closing the cases too quickly and want Annalisse to exit the country before she reveals the town’s darkest secrets.
Will she return to Alec, or sacrifice their future together to expose it all?
Book Title: Copper Waters – A New Zealand Mystery (Annalisse Series Book 4) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 340 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: October, 2022 Content Rating: G. Book is for general audiences. No profanity. No graphic scenes. Crimes described briefly after-the-fact. Mild and limited romance
Book Description:
Annalisse Drury and Alec Zavos find themselves on opposing sides when an ex-lover from Alec’s past introduces him to his alleged son. With Alec distracted and their future engagement in limbo, Annalisse accepts a key to her dream cottage—situated on a picturesque sheep station on South Island, New Zealand—only this time, she travels alone.
But not long after her arrival she’s confronted by two peculiar deaths—either accidental, or the deliberate acts of a psychopath.
Local investigators are closing the cases too quickly and want Annalisse to exit the country before she reveals the town’s darkest secrets.
Will she return to Alec, or sacrifice their future together to expose it all?
Book Title: Copper Waters – A New Zealand Mystery (Annalisse Series Book 4) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 340 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: October, 2022 Content Rating: G. Book is for general audiences. No profanity. No graphic scenes. Crimes described briefly after-the-fact. Mild and limited romance
Book Description:
Annalisse Drury and Alec Zavos find themselves on opposing sides when an ex-lover from Alec’s past introduces him to his alleged son. With Alec distracted and their future engagement in limbo, Annalisse accepts a key to her dream cottage—situated on a picturesque sheep station on South Island, New Zealand—only this time, she travels alone.
But not long after her arrival she’s confronted by two peculiar deaths—either accidental, or the deliberate acts of a psychopath.
Local investigators are closing the cases too quickly and want Annalisse to exit the country before she reveals the town’s darkest secrets.
Will she return to Alec, or sacrifice their future together to expose it all?
Book Title: The Key to Circus-Mom Highway by Allyson Rice Category: Adult Fiction (18+) , 270 pages Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Women’s Fiction Publisher: The Total Human Press Release date: Jan 3, 2023 Content Rating: PG-13 + M because one of the characters swears a lot, and she drops some f-bombs. Also, there are short flashback scenes that reveal the mom’s history and it includes rape (not graphically depicted in the novel)
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My Review
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Okay, I confess. The cover for this book was the first thing that hooked me into wanting to read it. Then I read the description. What a cast of characters. And the locale. The southern states. That’s my stomping ground.
So, I opened the book and started reading. And before I new it I was half way through. It was getting really late and I shrugged. Already up too late, might as well see how it ends. What a hoot this was. I really enjoyed the characters, and their back and forth dialogue was spot on. Felt so real and familiar, like I recognized them. Have you ever read a book and thought you’d seen the movie? That’s how well the author showed me her story. And my funny bone got tickled often.
This book was not only a week long crazy road trip for the characters. It was a TRIP to read!
5 STARS
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Book Description:
In an attempt to secure an unexpected inheritance—and hopefully find a few answers—two estranged sisters and their newly discovered brother embark on a comically surreal trip through the Deep South to retrace the life of the mother who abandoned them as infants.
On a Tuesday afternoon, sisters Jesse Chasen and Jennifer McMahon receive a phone call notifying them that their birth mother has died, leaving behind a significant inheritance. But in order to obtain it, they must follow a detailed road trip she designed for them to get to know her—and that includes finding a brother they never knew existed.
For the next week, this ill-assorted trio treks across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia to meet their mother’s old friends, from circus performers to a juke joint owner, each of whom delivers a shocking vignette into the life of a young mother traumatized by loss and abuse. Along the way, these three siblings—Jesse, whose fiery exterior disguises a wounded, drifting musician stuck in a rut; Jennifer, whose carefully curated family life is threatened by her husband’s infidelity; and Jack, whose enigmatic Jackie, Oh! persona in the New Orleans drag queen scene helps him escape the nightmares of Afghanistan that haunt him at night—must confront their own demons (and at least one alligator). But in chasing the truth about their real mother, they may all just find their second chance.
This uproarious debut novel is a reminder that sometimes, the family you’d never have chosen may turn out to be exactly what you need.
Heartbreak and Humor: Life is a Layered Experience
Here’s what I hope that readers will take away from my novel The Key to Circus-Mom Highway.” The novel is about family, forgiveness, and the absurdity of the world we live in. Even when serious themes are at play, there are also humorous things all around to keep you laughing if you pay attention (in the book, as in life). That’s an important takeaway because life itself is a layered experience. We might be experiencing great challenges, difficult setbacks, and heartbreaking loss. But… there is also beauty around us at all times; and ridiculous, humorous things; and people who care about us.
A few of the life themes that I explore in the book, layered throughout the ongoing string of humorous events, are 1) how our first impressions of people aren’t always the most accurate, and how those impressions–especially negative ones–can change as we get to know that person better; 2) how, even with people who initially seem very different from us, we can find common ground as human beings; 3) how we put up defensive walls to protect ourselves after we’ve been hurt, and how those walls often keep out the people who love us and who might be trying to help us; 4) how we don’t have to be ruled by our past experiences and the things that have hurt us–we can decide at any moment to start anew and be a phoenix rising from the ashes; 5) how things in our lives can change in a heartbeat–our relationships, our external circumstances, etc.–and we can choose to allow our habitual reactions to change as well; and 6) when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable with others and change our perceptions and take down our defensive walls, we actually feel less alone in the world because we can feel the love and support that surrounds us.
The biggest thing I hope that people take away from the book when they read that final page and put it down is a feeling of happiness, satisfaction, and hopeful about the potential second chances in their own life.
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Meet the Author:
Allyson Rice is a writer, mixed media artist, and a producer with Atomic Focus Entertainment, currently splitting her time between Los Angeles, CA, and Rehoboth Beach, DE. She’s a graduate of Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication. After spending many years as an actress on stage and on television, she left acting and spent the next decade running yoga/meditation retreats, women’s retreats, and creativity retreats around the country. After that, she pivoted to focus on her own creative work. In addition to her writing and art, she’s also a photographer.
Some random bits of Allyson trivia:
She’s been skydiving, paragliding, bungee jumping, ziplining through a rainforest, and scuba diving with stingrays;
she has an extensive PEZ dispenser collection;
she played Connor Walsh on As the World Turns for seven years;
she’s been in the Oval Office at the White House after hours;
she’s related to the Hatfields of the infamous Hatfield/McCoy feud; and
Also available from Allyson is her line of women’s coloring books (The Color of Joy, Dancing with Life, and Wonderland), and The Creative Prosperity PlayDeck, an inspirational card deck about unlocking and utilizing your creative energy in the world. They’re available on www.Allyson-Wonderland.com.
She’s currently at work on her second novel and her fourth women’s coloring book.
Also, anyone who signs up for Allyson’s periodic author newsletter on her website will be entered in a drawing to have a character in her next novel named after them, and a free book will be given away in each newsletter to a subscriber!
Book Title: Love is In the Air (Adventures in Harmony series) by Karen M. Bobos Category: Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7), 44 pages Genre: Valentine’s Day Fairy Tale Publisher: Bobos Babes, Ltd. Release date: Jan 2023 Content Rating: G for children ages 3 to 10
Book Description:
It’s Valentine’s Day, and the magical sisters and their favorite babysitter accidentally put a love spell on the kingdom. They must stop the enchantment before it’s too late!
It’s Valentine’s Day in the enchanted land of Harmony and the kingdom and all its magical creatures are abuzz celebrating. When the King and Queen leave their three daughters-Angel Scarlet, Princess Daphne, and Fairy Cora-with Ali the Alligator, so they can spend a romantic dinner together, the sisters are excited for a fun night with their favorite babysitter.
Ali and the girls decide to make a love perfume in the castle’s garden. But when Angel Scarlett wants to use her wand to help stir the ingredients, an enchantment of love mistakenly wafts over the kingdom and all its inhabitants. Can the girls stop the enchantment before it’s too late? Or maybe it is just what the creatures needed, after all.
The little girl inside me had so much fun with this story. A magical kingdom. Adorable characters, animal and human. And a fun project that lands them all in a big pickle. What’s not to love. And I don’t want to forget the wonderful, colorful illustrations. I peered at them again and again. Finding something new and fun each time. The band made up of llamas cracked me up. There are also these fun bubbles inserted on some of the pages that explain the meaning of some words. I bet some people will be surprised to learn about peanuts. It was all good fun and I’d love to read more in this series.
5 STARS
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GUEST POST
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An Angel, A Princess, and a Fairy
I am often asked why the main characters, who were inspired by my real daughters, are not all princesses. Afterall, they are the daughters of the King and Queen. Why the Angel, Princess, and Fairy titles?
I created my books to entertain my daughters. At the time, I didn’t even know if I was going to publish them. My husband nicknamed our little girls his angel (Scarlett), princess (Daphne), and fairy (Cora) since birth. He wanted them to have different, regal, and magical nicknames. We always worked hard to highlight each of our daughter’s individuality and beautiful gifts. We purposely chose names that didn’t sound alike, end alike, or start with the same letter.
If I gave all three of them princess titles, they wouldn’t have understood why. In my chapter books, which will be releasing in 2024 (fingers crossed), I explain how they receive their magical powers and why they have different titles.
As for their individual powers, well, that was purposeful as well. Each character has a magical power to help a fellow creature in need. Angel Scarlett has heavenly skin that can bring beauty to something dark and grim. Princess Daphne has the ability to immediately bring happiness and comfort to a creature feeling sad. Cora has speed and enchanted hearing.
When Scarlett was born, we called her our angel. She was born with a rare skin disease called Ichthyosis. The doctors didn’t think she would live a long, normal life. We had prayer groups all over the world praying for her. Within in one week, we were told that by the grace of God, we could bring her home from the hospital. She is our angel on earth. I wanted her skin to be magical instead of something that prevents her from living a normal life. Thus, I gave her skin powers in my books.
Daphne is hilarious. She says things that are absolutely hilarious and that only an adult would understand. This is where her character is often seen making her sisters laugh and hence them saying “oh Daph!” She is also very in tune with her feelings and others feelings. She is a big hugger. It seemed very fitting to have her have the power to immediately make someone feel comfort.
That leaves Cora … our little wild child. She is always running around and has so much energy. She also doesn’t listen to me very well. So, I gave her the power of speed and enchanted hearing … I’m hoping the law of attraction will take place and make her listen better. A mother can dream.
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Meet the Author:
Karen M. Bobos is the multi-award-winning author of the Adventures in Harmony series, which was created in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. While living in a city of unrest, her family left Chicago to stay with her mother in Northwest Indiana for several months. She and her husband were determined to keep life filled with wonder and magic for their three daughters, Scarlett (6), Daphne (5), and Cora (3). The Adventures in Harmony series was created to entertain her daughters during their stay at Gigi’s home and is filled with characters from the sisters’ world. Everyone deserves to escape to a land filled with love and adventure where creatures co-exist and happiness awaits.
Eva Mackenzie is back with a brand-new psychological thriller called Last Known Location and it will be available on February 9th!
Read on for details and a chance to win a 8GB Kindle Paperwhite!
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Last Known Location
Expected Publication Date: February 9th, 2023
Genre: Thriller/ Psychological Thriller
The past has a killer obsession…
Gwen’s life has turned into a nightmare after an ongoing feud with her neighbor turns volatile. Malicious allegations and police intervention drive Gwen out of her home for a long weekend, where she meets a mysterious, handsome stranger named Noah on the local hiking trail.
Gwen’s never fallen for someone so quickly, but when he’s gone by morning, she never expects to see him again.
Three days later, Gwen is working in the ER when Noah is brought in with unexplained injuries and no memory of what happened to him.
Soon, Gwen can sense someone stalking her home and vandalizing her things. She can’t help but think her ex will never let her go, or is this mysterious man’s past catching up with him?
How can she protect herself from an enemy she can’t identify?
Last Known Location had me all over the place right from the beginning…. in a good way. It’s tagged as a psychological thriller and that’s just what you get. And the cover is perfect for what’s inside.
The story begins with a hike in the woods, a place Gwen uses to escape her problems with an unrelenting ex-boyfriend. Their jobs throw them in close proximity to each other. Makes it hard to respect the restraining orders.. As does the fact they live within a stone’s throw of each other.
On her walk, she comes across a stranger. Good looking and friendly but a bit vague about where he’s from or who he is. That’s all explained later when he lands in the hospital Gwen works at and he has no memory of who he is. Things really start to get interesting. Who’s doing what to who? So many questions and no obvious answers for me. It kept me reading into the night. And when the ending came, whoa, I really didn’t see that coming.
4 Stars
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About Author Eva Mackenzie
Eva Mackenzie is an author who enjoys twisty, emotionally engrossing tales. She is a wife and mother living on the east coast. When she isn’t writing, she is spending time with her family, training for her next marathon or reading stacks of suspense novels. Some of her favorite authors are Minka Kent, Dean Koontz, Tami Hoag, and Lisa Jackson.
An epic story of love, loss, friendship, and survival under the most hellish of conditions, Hell Holes: A Slave’s Revengeis the award-winning prequel to the Hell Holesseries of alien invasion novels.
After killing his father, alien demons teleport a fifteen-year-old boy, his mother, and his sister to Hell, a desert world in the Demonic Empire. With survival far from certain, they have just two choices: to live as useful slaves or die as demon food. As the boy becomes a man, he must decide just how much he must collaborate with his demon masters to survive. But can he live long enough to take his revenge and regain his freedom without losing his humanity and his very soul?
Winter 2022 Pinnacle Achievement Awards – Winner – Science Fiction Category
2021 Top Shelf Magazine Book Awards – Runner-up – Fiction/Fantasy Subcategory
July 2022 BooksShelf.com Book Awards – Finalist – Fiction Category
2021 The Wishing Shelf Book Awards – Finalist – Adult Category
ReadFree.ly – 50 Best Indie Books of 2021
SERGEANT, our three-year-old German Shepherd, woke me from a pleasant dream by barking her head off and scratching at the cabin door. I glanced at my alarm clock. It was just after three in the morning, and much too early for her to need to be let out to do her business. She was also far too excited for that to be the problem.
“What is it, girl?” Dad called. “Are the raccoons back again?”
Sergeant ignored him and continued barking.
I thought I heard a deep growl coming from outside my window. “I think it’s a bear, Dad.” I groggily dragged myself out of bed, stepped into my slippers, and headed downstairs.
Dad was already there, taking his hunting rifle down from its home over the fireplace. He checked it to ensure it was loaded while I pulled Sergeant back from the door.
Grizzlies occasionally break into empty cabins looking for an easy meal. Still, I’d never known one to bust into one that was occupied, and a dog could usually be counted on to keep them at bay. Besides, it was late summer when their food was plentiful.
“What is it, Robert?” Mom asked. She was halfway down the stairs with Sarah just behind her.
“Probably just a bear,” Dad answered.
We had a thick solid door with a strong lock, so I wasn’t too concerned. I just hoped that it wouldn’t break a window because I’d be the one Dad would send into town to buy the glass to replace it.
Boom! The door rattled as something massive struck it. Sergeant growled, jerked her collar out of my hands, and bounded to the door. She pawed at it, barking like mad.
I was just about to run forward and grab her when there was a deafening bang. Ripped right off its heavy hinges, the door flew across the room, knocking Sergeant sideways and narrowly missing me before crashing into the dinner table.
Dad raised his rifle and fired just as a huge, wolf-like creature charged into the room. The bullet struck it squarely in the middle of the chest, dropping the monster to the floor.
We all gawked at the nightmarish beast lying at Dad’s feet. We’d never seen or even imagined such an animal. Easily four times the size of a timber wolf, the beast had neither fur nor anything you could call skin. Its massive brick-red muscles and yellowish bones and tendons were clearly visible as were the finger-long fangs and large, triangular teeth in its gaping mouth. Its yellow eyes with horizontal pupils stared blankly up at us while it bled blood the color of crude oil.
“What the hell is that?” Dad exclaimed as a second such beast burst into the house and bounded over the body of the one he had shot. Before he could react, it sank its teeth into Dad’s neck and shook him like an orca shaking a seal.
Several things happened almost simultaneously. Mom and Sarah screamed. The gun flew out of Dad’s hands and slid past me into the kitchen. Sergeant whined and bolted out the door as I sprinted to retrieve Dad’s rifle.
Grabbing his gun, I started to turn back to face the monsters when someone yanked the rifle right out of my hands. No, not someone. Some thing!
A grotesque, little, ape-like monster no more than three-feet-tall stood in front of me holding Dad’s rifle in one hand and a sword to my neck with the other. The imp had short little horns and stared at me with yellow, goat-like eyes. Like the hellhound, it was totally naked and seemed to have no skin covering his heavily muscled body.
Perhaps those huge muscles were what made me feel certain he was male despite his lack of any obvious indicator of his sex. The imp grinned, flashed an impossibly wide mouth full of shark-like teeth, and shook his head. His intent was unmistakable.
Wresting my gaze away from the imp’s hideous face, I looked up to see a second, sword-carrying imp motioning for Mom and Sarah to come down from the stairs. They, however, were transfixed by the sight of the hellhound feasting on Dad’s body. The one he’d shot had staggered to its feet, the wound in its chest miraculously healing before our eyes. The hellhounds snarled and growled at each other as they bit off softball-sized chunks of flesh and swallowed them whole.
I was having a nightmare! The worst nightmare of my life. I was asleep. I had to be.
The imp in front of me poked my stomach with the tip of his sword. It hurt! What? It shouldn’t hurt. You don’t feel pain in dreams. I glanced down and saw a little circle of blood staining my pajamas.
I wasn’t dreaming! Two wolf-like monsters were eating my dad, and two diminutive demons with swords had taken over the house. I couldn’t imagine how things could get any worse, but they did.
The devil, who was completely naked like the imps, walked in through the open doorway. There he stood with his long swept-back horns, his cloven hooves, and his red naked body. The only things missing were a pitchfork and tail. Tall and far more muscular than any Olympic athlete, he looked around the room with yellow, goat-like eyes, just like those of the imps and hellhounds.
The devil pointed at my mother and sister and barked out a series of incomprehensible sounds. They had to be words in the demonic language of Hell. Several of the syllables were so weird and spoken so rapidly that they were difficult to grasp and impossible for any human to repeat.
The imp standing at the base of the stairs motioned with his sword for Mom and Sarah to come down. Then the devil said something else, and the imp in front of me motioned for me to join them. Mom and Sarah were crying, their shoulders shaking uncontrollably as they watched the hellhounds feasting on Dad’s body. We hugged, and I did my best to make them turn their backs on the horrific scene. But there was no way we could ignore the horrible sounds the hellhounds made as we waited to learn our fate.
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To Hell and Back
Hell Holes Book 3
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The beautiful young photojournalist, Aileen O’Shannon, is not who she seems. For centuries, she has been a demon hunter, a sorceress who has tracked and killed small bands of demons that occasionally crossed into our world. But that changed when she joined Dr. Jack Oswald’s expedition to study one of hundreds of huge holes that mysteriously appeared overnight in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle. Instead of small sporadic incursions, hordes of demons now pour from these hell holes like water from a sieve. With bombing little more than a losing game of whack-a-mole, Earth’s armies are unable to destroy the portals. When Jack suggests a desperate plan, he is drafted to join Aileen and a team of other sorcerers and Army Rangers to travel to the demon homeworld. Once there, they will unleash a plague virus and set off a nuclear bomb to destroy the portal complex. It’s a suicide mission. But Aileen has given Jack’s wife her word to bring him back safely, and the demons have already killed three men under her protection. Just how far will Aileen go to avoid losing another?
When hundreds of huge holes mysteriously appeared overnight in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle, geologist Jack Oswald picked Angele Menendez, his climatologist wife, to determine if the record temperatures due to climate change was the cause. But the holes were not natural. They were unnatural portals for an invading army of demons. Together with Aileen O’Shannon, a 1,700-year-old sorceress demon-hunter, the three survivors of the research team sent to study the holes had only one chance: to flee down the dangerous Dalton Highway towards the relative safety of Fairbanks. However, the advancing horde of devils, imps, hellhounds, and gargoyles will stop at nothing to prevent their prey from escaping. It is a 350-mile race with simple rules. Win and live; lose and die…
It started with mysterious holes appearing overnight in the tundra of the North Slope in Alaska. A team of seven, including Jack, a geologist, his wife, Angela, a climatologist, Aileen, a reporter with a secret power, and four others are hired by Exxon Mobil to investigate. When the very hounds of Hell crawl out of one of the holes and start killing, the team races south on Dalton Highway, one of the ten most dangerous roads, trying to reach Fairbanks and safety. Soon, imps and gargoyles join the hellhounds in pursuit. Only three of the team members make it to the SUV and begin their escape. The Demon War has begun.
Jack told his story of how it all began in the first book. Now, Angela tells what happens next.
As the three survivors race down the highway, they encounter more and more demons. And the demons have some surprising tricks up their sleeve that don’t bode well. It’s attack after attack. Every time it seems like they’ve found safety, it goes to hell in a hand basket. Even the military, with all of their technology and weapons, don’t stand a chance.
After what I’ve just read, I have now decided that if there’s ever an apocalypse, I’ll take zombies over demons any time. Some of these of creatures are dumber than a box of rocks, but they are guided by higher demons, smart ones, and can inflict major damage.
The author sure doesn’t give his characters a break. And he keeps the action and suspense at full throttle. How many demons are there? Do they have a weakness? And most important, how do we stop them? The answer is one you can’t begin to imagine.
I take from the ending that there’s more to come. I have an idea where it will go and sure excited to see how that works out.
4 Stars
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What Lurks Below
Hell Holes Book 1
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It’s August in Alaska, and geology professor Jack Oswald prepares for the new school year. But when hundreds of huge holes mysteriously appear overnight in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle, Jack receives an unexpected phone call. An oil company exec hires Jack to investigate, and he picks his climatologist wife and two of their graduate students as his team. Uncharacteristically, Jack also lets Aileen O’Shannon, a bewitchingly beautiful young photojournalist, talk him into coming along as their photographer. When they arrive in the remote oil town of Deadhorse, the exec and a biologist to protect them from wild animals join the team. Their task: to assess the risk of more holes opening under the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the wells and pipelines that feed it. But they discover a far worse danger lurks below. When it emerges, it threatens to shatter Jack’s unshakable faith in science. And destroy us all…
I love unexplained acts of nature. Makes for such a chilling plot. When holes start appearing in the Arctic Circle , a team of experts is sent to investigate. Once they arrive, things get worse as more holes appear. And then something straight out of Hell crawls out. A horde of otherworldly creatures that have only one thing in mind. Killing mankind. With nowhere to run, the team seeks shelter in an old station. But the horde won’t be denied, and like an octopus with a sealed bottle full of yummy bait, they will find a way in.
I was almost rubbing my hands together in twisted anticipation before I started this one. Mysterious holes appearing. Something beyond imagining crawls out. The fate of mankind hangs in the balance. Oh yeah. I knew I had to read this book.
There’s a mixed bag of character’s. Ones you come to like and respect and some not so much. The author doesn’t seem to mind killing off either one. Keeps you on edge when things get down and dirty. Which doesn’t take long at all.
The story is strong and there’s a sub plot that makes things even more interesting. Also, the blend of science fiction and horror leaves the story wide open for the author to go in many different directions.
The ending. Well, it’s an end, but also a cliff hanger. That’s because this is really the beginning of something much bigger. I’ll be grabbing the next one immediately. Got a good feeling about this series.
4 Stars
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Donald Firesmith is a multi-award-winning author of speculative fiction including science fiction (alien invasion), fantasy (magical wands), horror, and modern urban paranormal novels and anthologies of short stories.
Prior to retiring to devote himself full-time to his novels, Donald Firesmith earned an international reputation as a distinguished engineer, authoring seven system/software engineering books based on his 40+ years spent developing large, complex software intensive systems.
He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife Becky, his daughter Sera, and varying numbers of dogs and cats.
Canter with a Killer (A Horse Rescue Mystery) Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Setting – Arkansas Crooked Lane Books (October 11, 2022) Hardcover : 304 pages ISBN-10 : 1639101802 ISBN-13 : 978-1639101801 Digital ASIN : B09S3G8PDD Perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Mollie Cox Bryan, Amber Camp’s debut novel will have you galloping through the pages, as a horse rescue owner races to find a killer and clear her name.
Mallory Martin left her marriage and her unfulfilling job to move back to her hometown of Hillspring, Arkansas, and start a horse rescue. It’s everything she’s been missing, with paddocks of happy horses and one very quirky donkey. But when her cantankerous neighbor and longtime critic, Albert Cunningham, is found murdered in his fancy show barn, Mallory becomes suspect number one. Since Sheriff Grady Sullivan is ignoring all good sense and focusing only on Mallory, she decides to take matters into her own hands.
Aided by her best friend, Lanie, and rescue volunteer Tanner, Mallory races headlong into the investigation in search of the real killer. But horses and murder aren’t the only thing on her mind when she meets Albert’s handsome son, Braydon. Sparks fly, and soon she’s got a new boyfriend. But there’s a case to be solved, and she redoubles her efforts to learn the truth.
The suspects mount quickly. There’s Albert’s girlfriend, Kathleen, who was on the farm when he was murdered; organic farmer Heather Rogers, who accused Albert of contaminating her creek; and Philip Atwood, who’d been trying for a right-of-way across Albert’s farm. None of the evidence is holding up though, and Mallory learns that she’ll need to take the reins on this investigation if she’s going to clear her own name.
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MY REVIEW
When Mallory moves back home and starts a horse rescue, her neighbor, who owns a successful horse training business, is none to happy. The manure hits the fan when he’s found dead and she becomes the prime suspect. The sheriff has blinders on and only sees Mallory as the killer and the race is on to find the culprit and prove her innocence.
I really liked Mallory and the other characters in the book, except the sheriff. He just wouldn’t consider any other suspect. I really concentrated on what was being shown to me and had several of my own suspects. Imagine my surprise when the thrilling reveal came and I was so wrong. LOL My love of cozies I was reaffirmed with this delightful cast, twisted mystery, one wacky donkey and horses galore.
5 STARS
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About Amber Camp
Amber has lived in Northwest Arkansas for twenty+ years, working as an RN at a rural hospital in the area. She has a menagerie of animals that includes dogs, cats, horses, chickens, and what has been described as the Mule from Hell, which may or may not be a slight exaggeration. Writing has always been a focus in Amber’s life, something she describes as “food for my soul.” An avid reader since grade school, she enjoys multiple genres and is always looking for new authors to add to her favorites. Amber is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.
Wasn’t it just Christmas? Time sure flies. Finally started taking down holiday decorations. It’s so much more fun putting them up. LOL Now I’m decorating for Mardi Gras. Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler – Let The Good Times Roll. I’m not planning on attending any balls but might take in some parades and catch some loot!
Looking forward to chatting with you and have a great new week!
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This weeks reviews.
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Here are some FREEBIES for ya.
Click on the covers to get your copies. Remember to make sure they’re still free before you hit that buy button.
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERBOUND
from VAULT Comics Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
The Science Fiction, Fantasy, and spooky stories young readers imprint from VAULT Comics!
Count on a flurry of activity around all WONDERBOUND
original graphic novel middle grade titles!
Here’s a list of all of the titles & authors participating in the tour! Check out each individual
blog/Instagram/or booktok (schedule below) for more details on each book!
.
GHOSTER HEIGHTSby Corey Landsell, Kelly Mellings, & Lisa Larose (Illustrator)
I always enjoy books that teach me something. I learned about Judaism and had a very fun and exciting adventure also. Lots of wonderful, genuine characters and great graphics made this a quick, exciting read.
4 STARS
~~
Wrassle Castle : Learning The Ropes
MY REVIEW
Lydia is quirky and determined. Living in the shadow of her famous brother, she’s determined to bust out and entering the wrestling competion could be her best bet. But her brother is accused of treason and her goal has changed.
I was totally in Lydia’s corner. She won me over and made me laugh. Wrassle Castle is a series I’ll continue reading. Friendship and adventure await. Equally fun was The Author’s corner at the end of the book.
4 STARS
~~
Wrassle Castle: Riders On The Storm
MY REVIEW
The story continues and Lydia is more determined than ever to continue rising in the ranks of wrestling. She’s just as determined to rescue her best friend and free her brother.
More fun, some problem solving and lots of exciting wrestling matches made this reader happy I continued with the series.
4 STARS
~~
Wrassle Castle: Put A Lyd On It
MY REVIEW
I started the last book with hope for a satisfying conclusion for Lydia, her friends and her brother. Got all of that, along with a deepening mystery and some great wrestling moves.
The title says it all. Good clean fun.
4 STARS
~~
Poiko: Quests & Stuff
MY REVIEW
Such a fun bunch of adventures. Poiko and Kenzie meet some interesting characters as they deliver packages and do a bit of problem solving along the way.
I adored these two and loved the graphics. A book that covers lots of life’s hurtles and how friendship helps smooth the bumpy road.
5 STARS
~~
Ghoster Heights
MY REVIEW
I wish there’d been more books like this when I was a young girl. Ghoster Heights is one I’d have begged my parents to buy for me so I could read it over and over. So much enjoyment to read and such expressive and colorful illustrations and genuine characters. Well, maybe not ghosts, as they aren’t real. Or are they? LOL Good clean fun and I’ve already read it twice.
5 STARS
~~
Hello, My Name Is Poop
MY REVIEW
Will Poupe has just two more days until school lets out for the year. Will he survive those two days? Could be a challenge when, on day one, he sits on the school bully’s lunch. Oops. That’s how he earns the name, Poop. And the story is one big can of worms after that.
Will’s poop powers were fun and kind of…eww. Even if you can’t choose your superpower, you can learn from it.
Great graphics and sure did bring back memories of those long ago school days.
4 STARS
~~
The Brothers Flick
MY REVIEW
While this story is about boys, with girls rarely entering the plot, I still connected and was so wowed by the illustrations and strange occurrences going on. Devoured it in no time and surprised myself by how much fun I had.
5 STARS
~~
Kenzie’s Kingdom
MY REVIEW
When I was young I had an imaginary world that I could travel to filled with exciting people and creatures. I has such grand adventures. Kenzie’s Kingdom reminded me of that. I adored the story and the characters and loved the illustrations and world building.
4 STARS
~~
Verse: The Broken Half
MY REVIEW
At the end of the book the author shares that this book started as some fun doodling and morphed into a great fantasy adventure story. Boy, did it ever. I was sucked right in. Turning the pages and devouring the illustrations. Action packed, with loads of suspense and some great characters and world building. The ending was a cliff hanger and I sure was glad I had the second book so I could jump right back in.
4 STARS
~~
Verse: The Second Gate
MY REVIEW
I enjoyed this even more than the first book. The characters have new challenges, the artwork is incredible and there’s never a dull moment. Whether as anime or real living breathing human actors, I think this series would be amazing on the big screen. I’d be first in line to see it.
5 STARS
~~~~~
Giveaway Details:
1 winner will win finished copies of every book featured in the WALKING
IN A WINTER WONDERBOUND from VAULT tour, US Only.
1 winner will win eBooks of every book featured in the WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERBOUND from VAULT tour from iBooks, International.
![The Silver Stag (The Wild Hunt Book 1) by [Yasmine Galenorn]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51MidHq+00L._SY346_.jpg)
![Oak & Thorns (The Wild Hunt Book 2) by [Yasmine Galenorn]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51hJwKUjdIL._SY346_.jpg)
![Iron Bones (The Wild Hunt Book 3) by [Yasmine Galenorn]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/610Mw4FvZlL._SY346_.jpg)
![A Shadow of Crows (The Wild Hunt Book 4) by [Yasmine Galenorn]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51uyYNHtASL._SY346_.jpg)
![The Hallowed Hunt (The Wild Hunt Book 5) by [Yasmine Galenorn]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51G4gU7R3bL._SY346_.jpg)
![Gypsy Magic: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel: (Poppy's Potions) (Haven Hollow Book 1) by [J.R. Rain, H.P. Mallory]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51+UAAvD+tL.jpg)
