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Archive for the ‘reviews’ Category

What’s New On My Bookshelf #311 and The Sunday Post

Posted: May 5, 2019 in giveaways, reviews, What's New on My Bookshelf
Tags: fuonlyknew, my weekly news, The Sunday Post

bookshelves photo: Bookshelf bookshelves.jpg

This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.

I’m also linking up with The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

~~~~~

Some chit chat.

Over the past two weeks I’ve been sharing how my Sega was sprouting it’s new leaves.

This was three weeks ago.

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Here it is one week later.

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It has doubled in height!

And check it out now.

20190504_101035

To give you an idea of how large this is, it now stands about a foot taller than me and I’m 5 feet 8 inches tall.

The leaves are still soft. They get quite sharp once they are completely grown in.

Have a lovely Sunday everyone.

~~~~~

My new books this week.

None! I couldn’t believe it when I checked. No new books this week. I blame it on my new job. Been too busy to shop. LOL

~~~~~

And 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.

~~~~~

Books reviewed this week. Click on the covers to read them.

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Review and Giveaway ~ The High Court by Chris Ledbetter

Posted: April 29, 2019 in Fantasy, giveaways, reviews
Tags: fantasy, giveaway, review

Book Title: The High Court by Chris Ledbetter
Category: YA Fiction, 290 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Month 9 Books
Release date: October 16, 2018
Tour dates: April 1 to 30, 2019
Content Rating: PG (some profanity (damn, ass), no f-bombs, some kissing, no sex scenes, some violence, nothing gory or graphic)

My Review

I sure had fun with the first book in the series and was curious what would happen as the story continues.

This starts up right where it left off. Zeus returns to school for the next term. I thought the adventures and entanglements were fast and furious before and they were just as exciting this time around. Peer competition is strong, danger once again rears it’s ugly head, and when the trials begin the story really takes off. Anything can and does happen, and when the going gets tough, these young gods join forces and face the challenges together.

I’m all for character development and the author does a good job of giving us flawed characters that he allows to stumble and fall, pick themselves back up, and grow from experience. With them being mythical beings, that just adds to the excitement.

I got answers to some questions from the first book and new ones were added, keeping my interest piqued for where things were headed next. I’ll be waiting for the next chapter in these young god’s lives.

~~~~~

Synopsis

High atop Mount Olympus, dawn breaks on a new academic term. Normalcy has returned to campus following a harrowing expedition into The Underworld to rescue kidnapped students by Zeus and his fellow Olympians. Now, as they prepare to testify in The High Court, Hyperion will be tried for the attack on Crete and death of Anytos. Kronos will stand trial for the murder of Mount Olympus Prep’s Headmaster Ouranos.

As the trials draw near, Mount Olympus Prep students and faculty are besieged repeatedly by a race of gargantuan stone and earth giants. Under heavy assault, the Olympians are forced to flee to the volcanic island of Limnos to regroup. Meanwhile, a toxic poison Zeus has carried with him since a prior fight with a dragoness, creeps toward his brain.

In a race against time and beasts, Zeus and his friends must find a way to survive not only the toxin ravaging Zeus’ body, but also the giants who grow stronger after every attack, and somehow make it to the The High Court alive.

To read reviews, please visit Chris Ledbetter’s page of iRead Book Tours.

Buy the Book:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Walmart

Ebay ~ Indiebound

Chapters Indigo ~ The Book Depository

Add to Goodreads

Watch the trailer:

Meet the Author:

Chris Ledbetter is an award-winning author of short fiction and novels for young adults. “Jason’s Quest,” a short story retelling of the Jason and Medea Greek myth was published in the anthology, Greek Myths Revisited. His first full-length novel, Drawn earned him two awards, Library of Clean Reads Best YA 2015 and Evernight Publishing Readers’ Choice Award Best YA 2015, as well as a USA TODAY “Must Read” recommendation. His second novel, Inked, concludes that duology. The Sky Throne is his newest young adult series. It includes, thus far, The Sky Throne and The High Court.

He’s a proud member of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) and a strong supporter of the Need for Diverse Books. He now writes and lives in Wilmington, NC with his family, including three cats

.Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram

Enter the Giveaway!

Ends May 7, 2019

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

What’s New On My Bookshelf #310 and The Sunday Post

Posted: April 28, 2019 in Freebies!, giveaways, reviews, What's New on My Bookshelf
Tags: fuonlyknew, my weekly news, The Sunday Post

bookshelves photo: Bookshelf bookshelves.jpg

This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.

I’m also linking up with The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

~~~~~

Some chit chat.

I’ve settled into my new job and they are keeping me busy. I finally had a day off after working 21 in a row between both jobs. This weekend I have off and am going to spend it reading outside and enjoying the pool!

Last week I shared how my Sega was sprouting it’s new leaves.

20190420_091419

Here it is one week later.

20190427_113929

It has doubled in height!

Have a lovely Sunday everyone.

~~~~~

My new books this week.

This puppy will arrive on May 7th!

~~~~~

And 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.

~~~~~

Books reviewed this week. Click on the covers to read them.

~~~~~

Review and Giveaway ~ The Sky Throne by Chris Ledbetter

Posted: April 26, 2019 in Fantasy, giveaways, reviews
Tags: fantasy, giveaway, review

Book Title: The Sky Throne by Chris Ledbetter
Category: YA Fiction, 300 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Month 9 Books
Release date: April 18, 2017
Content Rating: PG + M (No f-words but there may be some mild profanity, and mild religious expletives such as “damn”, “hell” and “Oh God!”, some depictions of violence. No drug use or underage drinking. Some semi-mature themes – suggestion of sexual misconduct by certain characters, but not the actual performing of it.)

My Review

I’ve often enjoyed reading books about Greek mythology, whether fiction or non. When I came across The Sky Throne, the idea of a coming of age story about Zeus sounded like fun.

The author ‘s knowledge and research were very apparent and helped refresh my rusty memory on key players and secondary ones, while also spinning his own tales, changing things up and making this even more fun.

There’s some romance. Zeus really does like the ladies. At one point I feared a love triangle. Not a fan of though so, luckily, it didn’t really play that way through the whole book.

And being a coming of age story, the characters felt younger, reacted appropriately for youth who believed they were going to live forever, and they got into all sorts of mischief. I liked learning about how they were before they became adults, all powerful and arrogant. Everyone was a kid once.

I’m not going to go into details here as the book is a long one, but the author doesn’t bog you down with too much detail. I’ll conclude saying it was fun. Loads of fun.

~~~~~

Synopsis

Duality dwells at every turn, and an adolescent Zeus will learn that all too well when Hyperion attacks his family on Crete.

When the dust settles, his mother is unconscious and his best friend left for dead.

Stacking epic insult upon fatal injury, Zeus discovers the woman who raised him is not his biological mother. But to ensure her safety while she recovers, a heavy-hearted Zeus leaves her behind to seek answers at Mount Olympus Preparatory Academia.

Zeus embarks on a quest to discover who ordered the attack on his home, avenge the death of his friend, and find his birth mother. When some of his new schoolmates vanish, Zeus’s quest is turned upside down, and the only way to make things right is to access the power of The Sky Throne, confront a most dangerous enemy, and take his life back.

On his way to becoming king of the Greek gods, Zeus will learn to seize power, neutralize his enemies, and fall in love.

To read reviews, please visit Chris Ledbetter’s page of iRead Book Tours.

Buy the Book:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Book Depository ~IndieBound

Quail Ridge Books ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon.ca ~

Amazon AUS

Add to Goodreads

Watch the Trailer:

Meet the Author:

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram

Enter the Giveaway!

Ends May 7, 2019

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

The Taine McKenna Adventures ~ Reviews and Giveaway

Posted: April 25, 2019 in Action/Adventure, reviews, Science Fiction, thriller
Tags: Action, giveaway, review, sci-fi, thriller

Into the Mist

Taine McKenna Adventures Book 1

by Lee Murray

Genre: SciFi Action, Thriller

A hot, steamy jungle. people with their own agenda’s, and something big and ravenous stalking them. Sure does sound fun. And it was.

The author’s descriptions immediately put me in the jungle with the character’s. All of them have to deal with the harsh environment. But, that’s not the only problem. Something huge, primordial stalks all of them, and it’s right at home in the jungle. Perfect camouflage until it strikes, leaving not much more than blood splatters to show someone was ever there.

I’m always looking for stories where the character’s have to struggle against the environment as much as the creature stalking them. And I liked the mythical aspect when the local legend comes into play. Made for a deeper, more thrilling reading experience for me.

This would be great to see on the big screen. I’d have to buy the DVD. It’s a keeper.

When NZDF Sergeant Taine McKenna and his squad are tasked with escorting a
bunch of civilian contractors into Te Urewera National Park, it seems
a strange job for the army.

Militant Tūhoe separatists are active in the area, and with its cloying mist
and steep ravines, the forest is a treacherous place in winter.

Yet nothing has prepared Taine for the true danger that awaits them.
Death incarnate.

They backtrack toward civilisation, stalked by a prehistoric creature
intent on picking them off one by one. With their weapons
ineffective, the babysitting job has become a race for survival.

Desperate to bring his charges out alive, Taine draws on ancient tribal wisdom.
Will it be enough to stop the nightmare? And when the mist clears,
will anyone be left?

Goodreads * Amazon

Into the Sounds

Taine McKenna Adventures Book 2

My Review

I’ve become really fond of Taine and his cohorts. They are double tough and do the dirty work. Taine is actually on a bit of a vacation when his special talents are called upon again. There’s no rest for the wicked and once again the wilderness isn’t the only thing he has to contend with. It’s what lurks out of sight and what’s in the water that could spell disaster.

This second book was every bit as fun as the first one. Plenty of action, some hair raising encounters and I liked where the author went with the ending. Neat and with a twist.

~~~~~

On leave, and out of his head with boredom, NZDF Sergeant Taine McKenna
joins biologist Jules Asher, on a Conservation Department deer
culling expedition to New Zealand’s southernmost national park,
where soaring peaks give way to valleys gouged from clay and rock,
and icy rivers bleed into watery canyons too deep to fathom. Despite
covering an area the size of the Serengeti, only eighteen people live
in the isolated region, so it’s a surprise when the hunters stumble
on the nation’s Tūrehu tribe, becoming some of only a handful to
ever encounter the elusive ghost people. But a band of mercenaries
saw them first, and, hell-bent on exploiting the tribes’ survivors,
they’re prepared to kill anyone who gets in their way. As a
soldier, McKenna is duty-bound to protect all New Zealanders, but
after centuries of persecution will the Tūrehu allow him to help
them? Besides, there is something else lurking in the sounds, and it
has its own agenda. When the waters clear, will anyone be allowed to
leave?

“Murray pretty much nails small unit tactics.” ‒ Justin Coates, author of
The Apocalypse Drive

“A fantastic blend of military fiction, a very real primordial monster,
and powerful mythology.” ‒ Paul Mannering, author of Hard Corps,
Hell’s Teeth, and Eat.

Goodreads * Amazon

Into the Ashes

Taine McKenna Adventures Book 3

My Review

This is the third book in the series and it took off and steam rolled all the way to the end. I really enjoyed the first two books and was pretty sure Lee Murray would make me happy again. She did that, for sure.

There is so much I loved that I wish I could tell you. There’s the time when…, and those guys were…., and Taine drew a bead on….. The whole book was jammed with action and suspense, along with some scenes where I was really worried about some of my friends. The bad kept on coming and I didn’t see a way out for these people. There might not be any dinosaurs or sea monsters in this newest adventure, but there’s something just as deadly.

I’m happy to say the series keeps getting better for me and this is my favorite one yet.

A deadly wash of lava and rocks, as wide as the Waikato River, surged around the house, taking the line of least resistance. The side of the house exploded in flames. Taine had no time to take it in because the front wheels of the Unimog were lifting in the swell, the air blackening with the smoke and stench of immolating tyres.
“Hine, go!” Read croaked. Grabbing Brooker by his shirt, he dragged him back onto the Unimog.
She jumped clear, landing near Taine as the lava surged around the Unimog. Carried on the broiling wave of lava, it circled in a bizarre ballet, Brooker and Read still inside.
Floating.
Dammit. Taine had to get them off now. That truck was a toaster oven bobbing on a sea of red heat. “Read!” “I’m sending Brooker to you. Line-out style. Be ready!”
Taine had to hand it to him: as ideas went, it was gutsy. With the bed of the Unimog still floating above the flow, there was a chance it could work.
“Hine, we’re going to have to catch Brooker.”
Hurry it up, Read.
Standing as close as they dared, Taine and Hine braced themselves…
The Unimog circled.
Come on!
The vehicle came around. Read bent his knees, grabbing Brooker by the overalls below his hips. When the vehicle neared the lava’s leading edge, Read thrust him upwards, Brooker jumping as best he could.
Brooker yelped.
Dammit. He was going to fall short. Taine stepped forward, his boot searing at the edge of the liquid rock. He leaned out and yanked Brooker to him, while, crouched low, Hine caught the boy’s trailing leg before it hit the lava.
Taine snatched his own foot back.
“Fuck me! That was close,” Brooker panted, his chest heaving.
One down, one to go. What if Read leapt and missed? Taine glanced at Hine. He could spare her that at least. “Help Brooker to the twin cab,” Taine shouted. “I’ll get Read on the next pass.”
Suddenly, Lefty was there, pushing Hine out of the way. “It’s okay. I’ll do it. You get clear.” The soldier hefted Brooker over his shoulder, carrying him down the driveway, where Miller was backing up the truck, slowing just enough to allow the men to pile on.
The Unimog was like a raft on the rapids, the viscous current pulling it towards the middle of the lava-river.
“Read!” Taine yelled.
“Is Brooker safe?” Read called over the roar of the lava.
Taine glanced back. Lefty and Pringle were lifting Brooker onto the truck while, on the flatbed, Parata dragged him in.
“He’s safe. Read—” Taine jumped back as a spray of lava spurted off the surface.
“I know, I know. I’m coming. Just waiting until the…” he trailed off.
“Matt,” Hine whispered.

No longer content to rumble in anger, the great mountain warriors of New
Zealand’s central plateau, the Kāhui Tupua, are preparing again
for battle. At least, that’s how the Māori elders tell it. The
nation’s leaders scoff at the danger. That is; until the ground
opens and all hell breaks loose. The armed forces are hastily
deployed; NZDF Sergeant Taine McKenna and his section tasked with
evacuating civilians and tourists from Tongariro National Park. It is
too little, too late. With earthquakes coming thick and fast and the
mountains spewing rock and ash, McKenna and his men are cut off.
Their only hope of rescuing the stranded civilians is to find another
route out, but a busload of prison evacuees has other ideas. And,
deep beneath the earth’s crust, other forces are stirring.

“INTO THE ASHES is a kick-ass thriller with twists you will never see
coming! Lee Murray serves up a nail-biter of a weird-science action
adventure. Brava!” —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling
author of DEEP SILENCE and V-WARS

Goodreads * Amazon

Lee Murray is a Bram Stoker-nominated writer and editor horror
fiction, and multi-award-winning writer of dark speculative fiction
(Sir Julius Vogel, Australian Shadows). Her works include the Taine
McKenna adventure series, and supernatural crime-noir series The Path
of Ra (co-written with Dan Rabarts). She is the editor of ten dark
fiction anthologies, the latest being Hellhole: An Anthology
of Subterranean Terror (Adrenalin Press). Lee lives with her
family in New Zealand where she conjures up stories from her office
overlooking a cow paddock.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

The Body In The Wetlands by Judi Lynn ~ My Cozy Review

Posted: April 24, 2019 in Cozy Mystery, reviews
Tags: cozy mystery, review

The Body In The Wetlands

A Jazzi Zanders Mystery

by Judi Lynn

The Body in the Wetlands (A Jazzi Zanders Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Lyrical Underground (April 23, 2019)
Paperback: 208 pages
ISBN-10: 151610840X
ISBN-13: 978-1516108404
Digital ASIN: B07FZN7CVT

My Review

Cozy mysteries are one of my favorite genres and I’m always looking for a new theme. I loved the idea of house flippers. I watch those shows all the time. So, I eagerly started reading the book.

Cozies have lots of characters, Some central to the story and some secondary ones that make the story more genuine. I swear I recognize some of them. There were some fun ones in this mystery. And the author did a wonderful job of bringing them to life, helping me to connect with them, even the ones that had died my nefarious means.

Now for the mystery. It all starts with a missing man. But soon, two dead bodies are discovered and the why and whodunit part begins in earnest. I followed along as the investigation got going and was happy that I couldn’t figure it out easily.

I hadn’t read the first book in the series before I read The Body In The Wetlands. That didn’t stop me from enjoying this book, quickly getting familiar with the characters and their relationships to each other, and having a fun time reading along as the author dropped clues and finally gave me the villain.

I’m happy to recommend this book and now plan on going back to the beginning to see what I missed.

~~~~~

Synopsis

High summer in River Bluffs, Indiana, is always sweltering and sweet. But the heat is really on when a decidedly dead body turns up in the neighborhood.

When established house flippers Jazzi Zanders and her cousin Jerod donate a week’s worth of remodeling work to Jazzi’s sister Olivia, they’re expecting nothing more than back-breaking roofing work and cold beers at the end of each long, hot day. With Jazzi’s live-in boyfriend and partner Ansel on the team, it promises to be a quick break before starting their next big project—until Leo, an elderly neighbor of Olivia’s, unexpectedly goes missing . . .

When the friendly senior’s dog tugs Jazzi and the guys toward the wetlands beyond Olivia’s neighborhood, they stumble across a decomposing corpse—and a lot of questions. With Jazzi’s pal Detective Gaff along to investigate, Jazzi finds her hands full of a whole new mystery instead of the usual hammer and nails. And this time it will take some sophisticated sleuthing to track down the culprit of the deadly crime—before the killer turns on her next . . .

About Author Judi Lynn

Judi Lynn received a Master’s Degree from Indiana University as an elementary school teacher after attending the IPFW campus. She taught 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades for six years before having her two daughters. She loves gardening, cooking and trying new recipes.

Readers can visit her website at www.judithpostswritingmusings.com and her blog writingmusings.com.

Purchase Links

Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play

~~~~~

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

April 23 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

April 23 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

April 24 – I’m All About Books – GUEST POST

April 24 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW

April 25 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW

April 25 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

April 26 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 26 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

April 27 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

April 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

April 28 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

April 28 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

April 29 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 29 – Brooke Blogs – CHARACTER GUEST POST

April 30 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

April 30 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

May 1 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW

May 1 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

May 2 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

May 2 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

May 2 – Ascroft, eh? – GUEST POST

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Drewsilla The Shelter Puppy ~ Excerpt and Review

Posted: April 22, 2019 in Children's books, reviews
Tags: children's picture book, review

DREWSILLA THE SHELTER PUPPY by Karen Carew Oakes, Children’s Picture Book, 22 pp., $16.64 (paperback) $3.03 (Kindle)

Title: DREWSILLA THE SHELTER PUPPY
Author: Karen Carew Oakes
Publisher: Archway Publishing
Pages: 22
Genre: Children’s Picture Book

My Review

This was an adorable story about Drewsilla, one of an orphaned litter of puppies who is too shy and gets overlooked for adoption. She reminded me of being the last one to be picked for team sports and I felt so sad for her. But, as it would happen, she is the one that must choose. Get over her shyness and find that perfect forever family.

Such a warm, sweet story and the illustrations are bold and fun. I recently read an interview with the author and the fact that this is a true story and the illustrations are created from real photos makes this story even more endearing. I had such fun reading about Drewsilla and it will become a family favorite for those who invite her story into their homes.

~~~~~

When Drewsilla and her siblings are tiny puppies, an accident steals
their mother away. A kind stranger rescues them and takes them to a
shelter, where the staff works around the clock to care for the pack of
newborns. Soon, her brothers and sisters begin to thrive. Drewsilla has a
beautiful black coat, intelligent eyes, and ears that stand straight
up.

Drewsilla, though, is scared. She seems afraid of everyone and
everything and hides in the back of her cage when families come to
visit. As her friendly siblings each get adopted, lonely Drewsilla
remains. The staff even worries that she might never find a home. Then,
one day, something amazing happens.

The Johnsons come to the shelter to look at another dog and see
Drewsilla, who miraculously finds the courage to stop hiding and say
hello. All shelter dogs deserve the chance to find a loving family, and
this is the true story of Drewsilla — how she overcomes her fears, finds
her family, and gets a second chance at a happy life.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

______________________

Then one day, the Johnsons came to the shelter. They had
looked on the shelter website for available dogs they wanted to see. Drewsilla, was not one of them. It just so
happened that they would have to pass directly in front of Drewsilla’s cage. As
they passed something amazing happened. Drewsilla came to the front, stood on
her hind legs, poked her nose out of the bars, and begged for attention. Mrs.
Johnson bent over to see her. It was love at first sight. The Johnsons asked to
open the cage so they could see her.

Karen Carew Oakes, has been writing for many years and her articles
have been included in the Lutheran Advent, as well as an article in
several magazines. She is a mother and grandmother. She lives in
Helotes, Texas with her two schnauzers Ella and Mackenzie. Her stories
are based on true experiences her children encountered growing up.Visit her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/karencarewoakes.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

What’s New On My Bookshelf #309 and The Sunday Post

Posted: April 21, 2019 in Freebies!, giveaways, reviews, What's New on My Bookshelf
Tags: fuonlyknew, my weekly news, The Sunday Post

bookshelves photo: Bookshelf bookshelves.jpg

This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.

I’m also linking up with The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

~~~~~

Some chit chat.

No talking about work this time! LOL It’s all about spring and green and blooming!

My Sega is going crazy. In the picture below, the soft, green leaves sticking up out of the middle are around 8 inches tall. Two days ago they weren’t there!

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And the flower that won’t be named is back. I didn’t even see these when they started poking out of the ground!

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Aren’t they awesome. They make me think of pink pineapples. LOL I have next weekend off and plan to clean out the beds so they can thrive. And I’ll be sharing pictures of Flora and the banana trees then.

20190420_091446

Have a lovely Easter Sunday everyone.

~~~~~

My new books this week.

~~~~~

And 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.

~~~ ~~

Books reviewed this week. Click on the covers to read them.

~~~~~

Josephine Baker’s Last Dance ~ Excerpt and Review

Posted: April 18, 2019 in fiction, Historical, reviews
Tags: biography, fiction, historical, review

JOSEPHINE BAKER’S LAST DANCE

by Sherry Jones, Biography/Historical

304 pp., $11.00 (paperback) $11.99 (Kindle)

JOSEPHINE BAKER’S LAST DANCE
by Sherry Jones
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 304
Genre: Biography/Historical

My Review

I’d only known Josephine Baker as a famous Parisian singer and dancer. Then I happened to watch the movie which revealed her life from her desperate, dark beginning to her triumphant final scene, sharing her many romances, her fight for equal rights and the oppression of the Nazis, along with her drive to affect change, leaving me breathless and in tears. Sherry Jones managed to do the same in her novel, adding her own touches to make the story even more in depth and thrilling. You may know the singer and dancer, but this slightly fictional account of her life reveals insights into her thoughts and feelings and I found it fascinating.

From the author of The Jewel of Medina, a moving and insightful novel
based on the life of legendary performer and activist Josephine Baker,
perfect for fans of The Paris Wife and Hidden Figures.

Discover the fascinating and singular life story of Josephine Baker—actress, singer, dancer, Civil Rights activist, member of the
French Resistance during WWII, and a woman dedicated to erasing
prejudice and creating a more equitable world—in Josephine Baker’s Last
Dance.In this illuminating biographical novel, Sherry Jones brings to life
Josephine’s early years in servitude and poverty in America, her rise to
fame as a showgirl in her famous banana skirt, her activism against
discrimination, and her many loves and losses. From 1920s Paris to 1960s
Washington, to her final, triumphant performance, one of the most
extraordinary lives of the twentieth century comes to stunning life on
the page.

With intimate prose and comprehensive research, Sherry Jones brings
this remarkable and compelling public figure into focus for the first
time in a joyous celebration of a life lived in technicolor, a powerful
woman who continues to inspire today.

Purchase Josephine Baker’s Last Dance in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats on Simon and Schuster’s website (available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, BooksAMillion, Indiebound, Kobo, and other sites). Learn more about Sherry’s books at www.authorsherryjones.com

Just before she entered the stage door, a
drop of rain hit her on the head. No, that was not a bad omen, only a
reminder to do her best, to shine like the star she was, or would be.
Wilsie came running up—Mr. Sissle was there, but Mr. Blake had yet to
arrive. “You’ll knock ’em dead, Tumpy. Just do your dancing and forget
the rest.” Josephine didn’t need to be told that. She was ready.

She flexed and stretched her arms as she
walked with Wilsie across the stage, past the musicians gathering,
trumpets and saxophones and drums and a clarinet, down into the
auditorium, where a slender man spoke to a white-haired man at his side.
He turned his head very slightly and looked her up and down from the
corners of his shrewd, hard eyes. His mouth pursed.

“How old are you?” he’d said before Wilsie
had even introduced them. The stage door opened, and a very
dark-skinned man with a bald head hurried in, talking about “the damned
rain,” scampering down the steps, striding up the aisle, shaking water
from his clothes.

“Eubie Blake,” he said, smiling, holding out his hand to her.

“This is Tumpy, Mr. Blake, the one I told you about,” Wilsie said. “She’s here to audition for Clara’s spot in the chorus.”

The man with Mr. Sissle—the stage
manager—motioned to her and she followed him up the stage steps. Did she
know the songs? Could she dance to “I’m Just Wild about Harry”?
Josephine wanted to jump for joy. She pretended to watch as Wilsie
showed her the steps, which she already knew as if she’d made them up
herself. Josephine stripped down to her dingy leotard, tossed her
clothes on a chair, then ran and leaped to the center of the stage. This
was it. She bent over to grasp her ankles, stretching her legs, then
stood and pulled her arms over her head.

“Ready?” Mr. Sissle barked. The music
started, and she began the dance, so simple she could have done it in
her sleep. Practicing in the Standard, she’d gotten bored with it and
had made up her own steps, throwing in a little Black Bottom, wiggling
her ass and kicking her legs twice as high as they wanted to go, taken
by the music, played by it, the instruments’ instrument, flapping her
hands, step and kick and spin and spin and squat and jump and down in a
split, up and jump and kick and spin—oops, the steps, she didn’t need no
damn steps, she had better ones—and kick and jump and wiggle and spin.
She looked out into the auditorium—a big mistake: Mr. Blake’s mouth was
open and Mr. Sissle’s eyes had narrowed to slits. Don’t be nervous, just
dance. Only the music remained now, her feet and the stage.

When she’d finished, panting, and pulled
on her dress and shoes, Wilsie came running over, her eyes shining. “You
made their heads spin, you better believe it,” she whispered, but when
they went down into the aisle Josephine heard Mr. Sissle muttering.

“Too young, too dark, too ugly,” he said.
The world stopped turning, then, the sun frozen in its arc, every clock
still, every breath caught in every throat. Mr. Blake turned to her,
smiling as if everything were normal, and congratulated her on “a
remarkable dance.”

“I can see that you are well qualified for our chorus, Tumpy,” he said, and on his lips, the name sounded like a little child’s.

“You have real talent, and spark, besides. How did you learn to do that at such a young age? You are—how old?”

“Fifteen,” she said.

Mr. Sissle snorted, and cut Wilsie a look.
“Wasting my time,” he said. Mr. Blake looked at her as if she’d just
wandered in from the orphanage.

“I’m very sorry, there’s been a mix-up,” he said. “You must be sixteen to dance professionally in New York State.”

“I’ll be sixteen in June,” Josephine said. Her voice sounded plaintive and faraway.

“We need someone now.” Mr. Sissle folded
his arms as if she were underage on purpose. Mr. Blake led her toward
the stage door, an apologetic Wilsie saying she hadn’t known. Mr. Sissle
followed, talking to Mr. Blake about adding some steps to “I’m Just
Wild about Harry,” saying they should put in some kicks, that he’d been
thinking about it for a while. Uh-huh.

“Come and see us in New York after your
birthday, doll,” Mr. Blake said. “You never know when we might have an
opening.” He opened the door and let the rain pour in before shutting it
again. He looked at Josephine’s thin, optimistic dress. Where was her
umbrella? She hung her head. He stepped over to retrieve a black
umbrella propped against the wall and handed it to her. She took it
without even knowing, her thoughts colliding like too many birds in a
cage. She would have to stay in Philadelphia, she had failed—too young,
too dark, too ugly—she should have lied about her age, what had gotten
into her? Showing off, that was what.

And now Mr. Sissle disliked her, and she
would never get into their show; it didn’t matter how many times she
went back. As she stepped out into the rain with that big umbrella in
her hands unopened and felt the rain pour down her face; she was glad,
for now they would think it was water instead of tears, but when she
looked back, Wilsie was crying, too, in the open doorway.

Seeing the men watching from a window, she
stopped. They wouldn’t forget her; she’d make them remember. She walked
slowly, her silk dress dripping, while Mr. Sissle gesticulated with
excitement as he stole her ideas—authentic Negro dancing were the last
words she’d heard—and Mr. Blake looking as if he wanted to run out
there, scoop her up, and carry her back inside.

( Continued… )

© 2018 All rights reserved. Book excerpt
reprinted by permission of the author, Sherry Jones. Do not reproduce,
copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is
used for promotional purposes only.

Author and journalist Sherry Jones is best known for her international bestseller The Jewel of Medina. She is also the author of The Sword of Medina, Four Sisters, All Queens, The Sharp Hook of Love, and the novella White Heart. Sherry lives
in Spokane, WA, where, like Josephine Baker, she enjoys dancing,
singing, eating, advocating for equality, and drinking champagne.Her latest novel is Josephine Baker’s Last Dance.Website: http://authorsherryjones.com

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The Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell

Posted: April 17, 2019 in horror, reviews
Tags: Horror, review

THE HUNGRY MOON
Ramsey Campbell
Publication date: Apr 2019

My Review

I’ve enjoyed some of Ramsey Campbell’s other books. Been dipping my toes into his horror stories for some time. When I read the blurb for The Hungry Moon I was really intrigued.

The story was slow at the start. There are a lot of characters and I couldn’t always tell them apart. But I started to get into it when I learned just what was in the cave and how the Druids had used it to vanquish their enemies a couple of thousand years ago. Some really weird, fun stuff started happening. Ramsey went a little into the out of and I’m always into that.

But this is where the connection to the characters was important. And I just didn’t feel it. If I’d cared about them. things would have been much more scary.

So, to sum things up without including spoilers. I enjoyed some parts and other parts felt lacking.

Would I read more of Ramsey’s books? Yes. This might not have been quite my cuppa tea, but having enjoyed some of his other books, I’d grab another if the synopsis caught my fancy.

~~~~~

Synopsis

In the town of Moonwell, old rituals are still alive. Right-wing evangelist
Godwin Mann isn’t about to let that continue, so he descends into the pit
where the being who’s been worshipped by the Druids for centuries is said
to dwell. What emerges is a demon in Mann’s shape, and only the town’s
outcasts can see that something is horribly wrong.

Amazon

~~~~~

Author Ramsey Campbell

Hungry Moon Ramsey Campbell
FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing.
Launching in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more
established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
Ramsey Campbell was born in Liverpool in 1946 and still
lives on Merseyside. The Oxford Companion to English
Literature describes him as “Britain’s most respected living
horror writer”. He has been given more awards than any
other writer in the field, including the Grand Master Award of
the World Horror Convention, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror
Writers Association, the Living Legend Award of the International Horror
Guild and the World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2015 he was made an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores
University for outstanding services to literature.
His novels The Nameless and Pact of the Fathers have been filmed in Spain,
where a film of The Influence is in production. He is the President of the
Society of Fantastic Films.
AWARDS:
The Hungry Moon, British Fantasy Award, Best Novel, 1988
Grand Master Award, World Horror Convention, Atlanta, Georgia, 1999
Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror Writers Association, 1999
Living Legend Award of the International Horror Guild, 2007
A Life Achievement Award, World Fantasy Awards, 2015

~~~~~

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Archive for the ‘reviews’ Category

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ORDER YOUR COPY:

What’s New On My Bookshelf #309 and The Sunday Post

Josephine Baker’s Last Dance ~ Excerpt and Review

The Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell