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book reviews |
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Multi-volume author, April E. Faulkner introduces us to her first novel in the Nature’s Fury series, “Darkness Falls”: As Nature tires of human destruction, two sisters must face a changing environment that stands between them and survival. When Quinn and Riley set out on a family vacation with their parents, the trip ends before it begins. Mother Nature interferes with their plans, setting off a sequence of events that thrusts the teens into a hostile landscape. Stranded, with limited supplies, struggling to figure out who they can trust along the way, they must determine how to survive Nature’s evolving fury.  This is a really good story. The author really knows how to spin a tale. Writing in First Person point of view is something I really like. As long as the author avoids head-hopping, I hate head-hopping, everything gets so confused. This author does a very good job of maintaining the POV, nice and clean. Faulkner also balances the story so well with action and dialogue. The dialogue is so funny at times, I found myself laughing quite a bit. The characters are very believable, all of the major players are developed very well, they are real individuals, not cardboard cutouts. The scene-setting and action help the story to move along at a good pace, the flow is smooth and varies from scene to scene. Just like it should. “Darkness Falls” is quite well written and gets a score of 4.9 stars. The score would have been higher if not for a few spelling errors. These errors are fixed, so your reading pleasure will be the smoother.  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Darkness-Falls-Natures-Fury-Book-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-darkness-falls https://www.barnesandnoble.com/darkness-falls-a-e-faulkner You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/AuthAEFaulkner http://authoraefaulkner.com https://www.facebook.com/authaefaulkner https://www.instagram.com/authoraefaulkner Tags: Dystopian, fiction, coming of age, science fiction, YA, climate, catastrophe, family, relationship Copyright © 2020 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction
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Multi-genre, multi-volume author Veronica R. Tabares introduces us to her latest time traveling adventure in “True Story of the Perfect 36”: When the Rossi household wakes to a world radically changed, Vanessa is the only member of her family who realizes something is wrong. The timeline has shifted—and it quickly becomes obvious that it’s up to her young daughters, Maddie and Becca, to fix it. Philip is from the future, but he’s also to blame for setting the timeline askew. Which makes Maddie and Becca view him with distrust and loathing. They will never forgive him for causing the death of their beloved father. Never! But they will work with him. It’s the only way things can be set right again. Together, the time travelers hop a freight train to 1920s Nashville to ensure the Nineteenth Amendment is passed, giving women the right to vote—and correcting history. But their hilarious journey hits some bumps along the way, and by the end of this adventure, it’s more than Philip’s ego that’s bruised.  There is far more at stake than the life of their father, but I can’t tell you because that would be a spoiler. Sorry. I can tell you that this story is a lot of fun! I love stories about time travel. My favorite subset of science fiction. The plotting is exceptional! The events and the things that happen because of choices are very well done. The author is quite good at dialogue also, the characters really stand out. The humor flows well, I laughed out loud quite a few times. Laughter is good medicine. The author’s skill at scene-setting leaves nothing to be desired in this action-packed adventure. The action is easy to follow. I award a score of 4.9 stars to “True Story of the Perfect 36”. The score would have been higher except for a couple of spelling errors. Those errors have been fixed so your reading pleasure will be all the better.  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/True-Story-Perfect-36-Veronica-Tabares https://www.goodreads.com/-true-story-of-the-perfect-36 https://www.barnesandnoble.com/true-story-of-the-perfect-36-veronica-rubine-tabares You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/veronicatabares http://veronicatabares.com https://www.facebook.com/VeronicaRTabares https://www.pinterest.com/tabares0420 https://plus.google.com/+VeronicaRTabares/posts Here is a link to the author’s previous book: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/time-without-by-veronica-r-tabares Tags: time travel, science fiction, adventure, humor Copyright © 2020 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction Multi-volume author, Elizabeth Jade introduces us to her two books, “Akea: The Power of Destiny” and “Akea: His Mother’s son”: This husky, wolf story is a new addition to the great animal fiction tradition of Jack London and Erin Hunter, where the story is told through the eyes of the animals. Elizabeth Jade has created a captivating coming of age story which also teaches children about friendship and loyalty, and that being different doesn’t mean you can’t belong. It is a captivating chapter book for 8-12-year-olds. Akea is born into a family of sled dogs and a life that follows a predictable path, but from the day she first sees the lone wolf, Kazakh, Akea knows her future lies beyond the safety of her home. Kazakh is well aware of Akea's destiny and the pack laws he will break to help her reach it. Regardless of the challenges ahead, he must make sure this young husky will be ready, even if it means his life. The heart-wrenching sequel to Akea - The Power of Destiny. Akea is no ordinary husky and taking her place as Wolf Queen was just the first step in the journey set out for her by the Great Wolf. Akea's world turns upside down when humans raid their home, scattering the pack and capturing her hybrid son. Salvador struggles to adjust to a life in captivity quickly realising not everyone approves of his mother's rise to Wolf Queen. When the Great Wolf sends him warning dreams, Salvador discovers his true purpose for being there.
These are lovely books; they each have an exciting story well suited to the preteen and young teen age group. The author has created a believable world around the idea of families or packs of wolves. We know that wolves are very intelligent and coordinate their hunting activities. I thoroughly enjoyed both of these stories. They read well and show great creativity. The personalities and pack structure are well developed, including having a mythos and something akin to a religion. I found all of it very interesting. The line drawings are quite nice and help younger readers stay involved in the story. These are wonderful chapter books for intermediate readers and above. The scene setting was quite good and the use of the environment was exceptional. I enjoyed the dialogue and the activities of daily living for the wolves. The action sequences were well planned and executed. The violence was not very explicit to preserve the sensibilities of younger readers. I award these two books, “Akea: The Power of Destiny” and “Akea: His Mother’s Son” a score of 4.9 stars each, the score would have been higher except for a few spelling errors in each book. The errors have been corrected, so your reading pleasure will be smoother.  You can buy these books:
https://smile.amazon.com/Akea-Power-of-Destiny-Elizabeth-Jade-ebook https://smile.amazon.com/Akea-His-Mothers Son-Elizabeth-Jade-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-akea---the-power-of-destiny https://www.goodreads.com/-akea---his-mother-s-son https://www.amazon.co.uk/-akea-power-of-destiny https://www.amazon.co.uk/Akea-his-mothers-son-Elizabeth-Jade You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/AkeaWolfStories http://www.elizabethjade.org http://www.facebook.com/AkeaWolfStories http://www.instagram.com/akeawolfstories.author http://www.pinterest.com/AkeaWolfStories Tags: Children’s books, middle grade, MG, nature stories, nature fiction, wolf fiction, animal fiction, Copyright © 2020 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introductions Amazon debut author, Jan Anderegg, introduces us to her fantasy novel, “JULU”: There is a magical land just beyond our imaginations called Jirvania; where stories grow. Muse faeries gather ripened “story-pearls” and carry them to writers, musicians, and poets here in our world. In the heart of Jirvania stands The Great Library, where every story is collected by the library’s guardian, Karel. This library is a portal to other times and places where one can step into stories and experience them first hand. Homework has never been such fun. When eleven-year-old Jack Lemoine finds an opal dragon egg in Mystic, Connecticut, he discovers the real world is not what he thought. Dragons, unicorns, faeries, centaurs, and countless others do exist. Unfortunately, so do witches, ogres, goblins, and monsters, and they want Jack dead, yesterday. It has been prophesied he will one day save Jirvania, with the help of a magical opal dragon, Julu, but evil disrupts time itself, leading to the annihilation of Jirvania, seven years before Jack comes of age. Imagination ceases to exist. Libraries, art galleries, concert halls, and theme parks vanish. Our lives become meaningless and empty. Jirvania's lone survivor, Karel receives a visitor from the stars, urging him to change the story. Meanwhile, back in Mystic, Jack and his friend, Mia are thrown into a fantastical adventure when Julu hatches and takes them back in time to protect them. Through her stories, they learn that family, friendship, and love are the threads that bind us together, no matter who or what we are and hope is often found in the most unexpected places. Can Karel change the story and save our imaginations?  I love fantasy almost as much as science fiction and this delightful story incorporates both. The author has created a fully living world that sits in an adjacent dimension to ours, and we need it so bad. Jirvania is the source of all artistic inspiration in our world and it is under the direst of threats. I was so enthralled by Jan’s writing, I was reminded of one of my favorite stories, “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe”. Jan’s writing is exceptional; her scene-setting is exquisite, every bit is so easy to imagine. The dialogue flows smoothly and the action leaves little to be desired. While this book is aimed at children, kids of all ages will love it, from nine to ninety. I award a score of 4.9 stars to “JULU”, the score would have been higher except for a handful of spelling errors. The errors have been fixed, so your reading will be the smoother.  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Julu-Jan-Anderegg https://www.goodreads.com/julu https://www.barnesandnoble.com/julu-jan-anderegg You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/Janilou https://www.julu.blog https://www.facebook.com/Janilou2018 https://www.facebook.com/JanLucy2017 Tags: sword and sorcery, magic, time travel, dragon, music, poetry, art Copyright © 2020 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction By John W. NoyesDebut author, John Noyes, introduces us to his first-in-the-series, action thriller, “Those Deep Below”: Fast moving, page-turner sci-fi thriller! Twists and turns of the story will keep you wondering what will happen next! A terrifying adventure in a world based on the Inca Empire. Rezi was a relatively unimportant member of the King's household until her unique talent for singing was discovered and she was made a personal attendant to the King. As her friendship with the King grows, rumors begin to circulate comparing her to legendary Nightingale for her ability to soothe the King's troubled heart through song. Not everyone is pleased by the comparison, especially the King's wife, Queen Qhush'qunca. The Queen is a ruthless and sadistic person who jealously guards her status as the first wife to the King. Threatened by Rezi's friendship to her husband, Qhush'qunca decides to take revenge on the girl. However, when the King unexpectedly dies, both Rezi and the Queen are buried alive with the rest of the household in the dead King's massive tomb. Trapped together underground, Qhush'qunca takes her revenge by repeatedly torturing Rezi and binding them together through an arcane ritual. Desperate to escape both the Queen's wrath and the Tomb, Rezi must turn to the other denizens trapped with her, including the misshapen priests of the Cults of the Condor and the Winged Serpent. But, can there be any trust between those below? Well-placed twists and turns to this adventure will have you practically jumping out of your seat cheering Rezi on! Spring/Summer 2019 this book will also be available as a large-print edition and also on Barnes and Noble website. If any business would like to be involved in branding this book as a movie, music or other means, please go to the Publisher's website at: https://www.storiesforpublication.com/. This is Book 1 in the series of three. Please check out https://www.storiesforpublication.com/ to see a variety of books that the Publisher recommends from fiction to nonfiction.  This is the first novel I have read about ancient Mesoamericans. The Inca’s are a fascinating people. This story rings with authenticity and the details are luscious. The burial cave for the king and his retinue is a wonderful setting and full of mystery. The author handles the lighting and lack of light quite well, he engages multiple senses. The characters all play their roles to the hilt, with a wonderful sense of desperation. I enjoyed a lot of the banter and sarcasm, the dialogue made me laugh many times. The action was quite brutal at times, the use of naturally occurring poisons was very interesting. All in all, this was a great story and a lot of fun to read. I award “Those Deep Below” a score of 4.5 stars. The score would have been a lot higher except for a large number of spelling errors. You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Those-Deep-Below-thriller https://www.goodreads.com/those-deep-below-the-inti-series-book-1-thriller You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/JNoyes16 johnwnoyes.com Tags: Inca, fiction, adventure, murder, historical fiction, royalty, king, queen Copyright © 2020 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multi-volume, multi-genre author, Garry Peterson introduces us to his solution to managing a business and outstanding customer service, “Who Put Me in Charge?”: BENEFITS TO READING THIS BOOK • Understanding your business role and responsibilities • Managing expectations for yourself and your team • Setting short-term and long-term goals and reaching them • Creating a blueprint for taking any size company or entity to the NEXT LEVEL • Building accountability and discipline in any and all improvement processes • Engaging with a plethora of stories and exercises to build your self-esteem • Adding a wide scope of “lessons learned” to your skill set going forward • Developing a TOOL BOX to handle any leadership or management issue raised • Applying nuggets of wisdom and experience into your own demanding workplace • Expanding your experience base with actual knowledge from successful activities • Having the ultimate “go-to” reference guide for your constant use • Finding a way to have FUN solving serious problems or issues and LOVING your job  I really enjoyed Garry’s book. I see a tremendous amount of truth in his book. I had a twenty-year career in retail management and twenty years in construction. Now, I am running my own business and loving it. I learned one very important principle, no matter what kind of business you are in, there is always a customer with a problem that is hoping you will solve that problem for him or her. First and last. If you can solve the problem for each customer you will stay in business for a long time. Garry’s book is a marvelous road map for doing exactly that, no matter what size of business you have. He has a plethora of stories. They are laced with humor and the application is easy to understand. His writing style is straight forward and well thought out, backed up by years of experience. I award “Who Put Me in Charge?” a score of 4.7 stars, the score would have been higher except for a small handful of spelling errors. The publisher has corrected those errors in the ebook.  You can buy this book:
https://rdrpublishers.com/who-put-me-in-charge-getting-to-the-next-level-by-garry-j-peterson https://smile.amazon.com/Who-Put-Me-Charge-Getting-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-who-put-me-in-charge? You can follow the author: http://petersonadvisorsgroup.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/garry-peterson https://www.facebook.com/garry.peterson https://twitter.com/GarryPeterson Copyright © 2020 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Lessons Learned as a First-Year Teacher by Victor Z. StanhopeDebut author and multi-year teacher, Victor Stanhope, introduces us to his book, “The Teaching Mirror”: An Introspective and Honest Analysis of a Teacher’s First Year’s Experiences. One out of every ten first-year teachers leave the profession after that frightful first year – and author Victor Z. Stanhope knows why. Despite the expansive list of books and resources geared towards helping first-year teachers, none of them illuminate the realities of the first-year teaching experience. THE TEACHING MIRROR: LESSONS LEARNED AS A FIRST-YEAR TEACHER is the first book to explore a first-year teacher’s experience through analyzing journal entries written before and throughout the school year. This book synthesizes the author’s journal entries and experience into lessons for first-year teachers to help them better cope with their upcoming or current life as a new teacher. This book is very helpful for new teachers in that it: •Provides incoming first-year teachers with an honest and practical perspective of the experience. •Connects with and addresses first-year teachers’ emotions and worries. •Offers applied tips and exemplifies their effectiveness. •Illustrates the author’s failures, remedies, successes, and learned lessons.  Victor Stanhope (a pen name) has provided an insightful look at the work-life a first-year teacher might well expect to experience. While student-teaching and interning might ease the shock of the transition from the cocoon of academia to the harsh reality of beginning a teaching career, there is no denying the shock of the new experience in the best of situations. Victor’s story is very candid and quite engaging, I really enjoyed his story-telling style. His descriptions of his failures and successes make a great difference in the entertaining nature of his book. There are a lot of good lessons that can be applied in other situations in life. I greatly appreciate his willingness to share what worked and what didn’t. Much of life is experimenting to determine what will bring the desired results and what won’t. I award a score of 4.8 stars to “The Teaching Mirror”, the score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found. The publisher has corrected those errors in the ebook. You can buy this book:
https://rdrpublishers.com/the-teaching-mirror https://smile.amazon.com/Teaching-Mirror-Lessons-Learned-First-Year-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-the-teaching-mirror You can follow the author: https://theteachingmirror.com Tags: teaching, education, memoir, biography Copyright © 2020 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction A fictional representation of life with mental illnessMulti-volume, multi-genre author, Roberta Glacken, introduces us to her recent fictional story about mental illness in “The Fruitcake Factory”: Follow the lives of several mentally ill patients in a psychiatric facility and what life holds for them in the outside world. 100% of all proceeds will go to Mental Health charities. I just want to spread awareness and stop the stigma.  Mental illness knows no boundaries and is not a respecter of persons at any level. Mental illness manifests in so many different ways and intensities, that nearly any person could be diagnosed as mentally ill, even for a short period of time. I have known many people who are or have been mentally ill. Some recover and some don’t. I think this book does a good job of showcasing the struggles mentally ill people endure, some internal and some external. This book is quite funny at times. Without denigrating anyone, those trying to help frequently have their own struggles that can get in the way of delivering true aid. I like the upbeat ending, showing success for a couple of people even as they mourn the untimely defeat of another. The real genius is in the dialogues, the interactions with everyone in and out of the institution. I give “The Fruitcake Factory” 4.5 stars, the score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Fruitcake-Factory-fictional-representation-illness-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-the-fruitcake-factory You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/robertaglacken robertaglacken.com/ Tags: psychology fiction, biographical fiction, mental health Copyright © 2020 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction. (The Blood Inheritance Quartet Book 2) Multi-volume, fantasy author, M. Ainihi introduces us to her latest book in the Blood Inheritance series: In this sequel to Rise, Amanda searches for the link between herself and the visions that afflict her. Unsure if the people she observes are the cause or the cure of all her troubles, she focuses on the two she feels the deepest connection with, the shy healer Emily and the brave Kiami, who can control humans with her song. For years, Emily has endured her parents’ harsh treatment without her curse showing itself, but when her best friend has an accident, she cannot ignore the compulsion to save her. She’s afraid to return home, and the wisps, glowing beings of light, seem to be her only allies as trouble and magic follow her everywhere she goes. Before Amanda knew about the seven realms, she longed to know her mother. Now her inherited gift is the very thing she fears most, and even as she fights to keep her shadow magic at bay, she can feel it growing inside her. Plagued by nightmares and haunted by a new vision of Emily, a cryptic accusation may just send her tumbling over the edge. Kiami’s magical abilities have always been nurtured by her guardians, but when she suddenly finds herself abandoned, she becomes desperate to find anyone that’s immune to her song. So when Amanda and her jinn companion seek her out for help, she agrees. As their paths intertwine, the world around them becomes increasingly dangerous. There is a dark power determined to prevent them from understanding the truth, and as the teens get closer to unraveling the mystery, it becomes clear that they will have to work together if they want to survive long enough to figure it out.  This story is getting more and more interesting as a continuation of “Rise”. The stakes are rising and the risk is for Amanda is growing. The tale is getting quite good. We learn more about many of the characters and they endure trials of various kinds. If anything, the scene-setting is lusher than the first book. The action and dialogues are improved also. I particularly enjoyed the variety of realms the author has created. Such a good story, easy to get lost in. I award a score of 4.6 stars; the score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found.  The author has chosen this avatar to represent her.
You can buy this book: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Blood-Inheritance-Novel https://www.goodreads.com/-lost-by-m-ainihi https://www.barnesandnoble.com/lost-m-ainihi You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/m_ainihi https://mainihi.wordpress.com I have reviewed the first book in the series, here is the link: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/rise-a-blood-inheritance-novel-by-m-ainihi Tags: Teen, Young Adult, Sword and Sorcery, Fantasy, dark, Horror Copyright Mark Schultz 2019 except for the author’s introduction Debut author, Kate Recore, introduces us to her shocking memoir, “Brain Storm”, about being misdiagnosed as an adult-onset epileptic: “The most difficult thing about being misdiagnosed with a mental illness is the more you fight it, the crazier you seem.” At the age of twenty-three, Kate Recore began to suffer from a common brain disease. Although signs pointed directly at epilepsy, her neurologists misdiagnosed her with mental illness. For almost a year, Kate struggled against her worsening mind-altering seizures without any medical help. She lost her memory of the past, and her dreams for the future. After finally being tested and properly diagnosed, her journey through epilepsy began. Many years of failed drug therapies stretched before her. She battled against doctors who refused to consider the importance of their patient's quality of life, never changing course to help her manage her disease. Finally finding a true caregiver, Kate became well again. With a new drug and a new place to call home, she learned to let go of who she was, and love who she is. Misdiagnosis affects over twelve million people in the United State every year, and is considered the country's third-leading cause of death. While told against the backdrop of one patient's life, Brain Storm: An Electrifying Journey resonates with anyone fighting the overpriced, inadequate American healthcare system. By fearlessly adding her voice to the demand for better care, Kate Recore hopes to blaze a trail for all patients calling for help, and needing to be heard. “It seems inappropriate to call an autobiographical account of epilepsy and medical malfunction a page turner but, in fact, that is what BRAIN STORM is—a story that keeps you turning the pages. Kate Recore educates us on the reality of health insurance, doctoring, diagnosis, functional brain damage, epilepsy, and familial influence without losing the thread of her plot, a plot created from lived experience. You will read because it is interesting. You will learn because it is unavoidable. You will be inspired because you will be awakened. Don’t miss this one.” ~Dr. Lynette Louise (The Brain Broad – www.lynettelouise.com) award-winning neurotherapist, humanitarian, director, speaker, writer, brain-change expert, author of MIRACLES ARE MADE: A Real-Life Guide to Autism  I thank Kate for her bravery to reveal so much of what she went through and for sharing how to live a life without most of her memories from the past. I can’t argue with Lynette, this story kept me on the edge of my seat, just like a medical thriller! The scariest part is it’s true! Kate was on the verge of losing control of her life for so long. The fact that she was able to leverage a couple of lucky breaks provides welcome relief from the suspense of her memoir. Besides being betrayed by her brain and her body, some of the medical “professionals” were of little help, not listening to the patient. One more indictment of our healthcare system, seeking to maximize profits and minimize expenses can leave the patient hanging out in the cold. The people who were closest to her were great assets in her life. Each had an important role to play. One of the smoothest reading books I have read in a long time, I award five stars to “Brain Storm”!  You can buy this book:
https://rdrpublishers.com/products/brain-storm-an-electrifying-journey-by-kate-recore https://smile.amazon.com/brain-storm-kate-recore https://www.goodreads.com/-brain-storm-kate-recore You can follow the author: http://www.recoreink.com/recoreink https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-recore https://www.facebook.com/kate.recore https://twitter.com/recoreink Copyright © 2020 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction A small god, a handful of followers and the end of the world |
Who am I?An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. Archives
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