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Debut author, Amanda Gregory, introduces us to her novel, Fix: Tammy was only fifteen when she was introduced to the world of drugs. Five years later, she finds herself on the other side of the country in California. Life is different here compared to the small town she grew up in New Jersey, but Tammy is still up to her old tricks bumming at her polar-opposite, lifelong friend Alecia’s place. Her new beau, Randy, is anything but good with his cold, mysterious demeanor but how can she say no when he suggests a road trip to visit his relatives in Colorado? Along the way, they make a detour at the Bad Karma Club in Las Vegas where they meet an unruly group: Mark leads the group with his obnoxious personality, his sidekick Ty, Angel whose dark disposition makes her seem just out of reach, and Alpha whose mysterious, green eyes unravel feelings inside Tammy that she can’t understand. The moment she meets them she has this unnerving feeling like she has finally found where she belongs. Tammy’s adventure gets even more interesting when Randy goes out on a “business” trip the next day with Mark and Ty, leaving her to defend herself in an unfamiliar area with Angel who introduces Tammy to her crush Charlie. The all-around funny guy Charlie is a dream to be around except for the fact that he has his own entanglement in the drug ring among other things. The moment of bliss turns sour when the boys return from their trip as Tammy finds out who she can really rely on and is faced with crossroads ahead. She finally finds the “family” that she has always wanted but it comes with a price. Will she self-destruct just to belong somewhere, or will she find another way to have it all?  At first glance, this Young Adult story seemed rather superficial, typical of so many who have no real aim in life other than survival and trying to feel good. However, it graphically shows how easy it is to become addicted to narcotics. Opioids are a serious issue in today's world. Navigating through the teen years into adulting is very difficult. Most of us decide to do it on our own, without seeking help from those who have been down that path already, the previous generation. I was surprised by the depth of the story and I was pleasantly shocked by the ending. This is quite a good story. The scene-setting was good, not too much or too little. The characters really shined for me; they came across as quite real, with depth. The dialogue, inner and outer, was the best part of the book. I was drawn into Tammy’s world effortlessly and empathetically. The first person POV made a huge difference, I really appreciate the intimacy it provides. The mark of good writing on my score card. There are a few steamy sections and many instances of drug use. I enjoyed the story a great deal. I award a score of 4.8 stars to “Fix”, the score would have been higher except for a large handful of spelling errors. The author has corrected those errors, so your reading will be smoother.  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Fix-Amanda-Gregory-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/book/-fix https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fix-Amanda-Gregory-ebook You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/manderz19 https://amandagregoryauthor.com https://amandagregoryofficial.tumblr.com https://smile.amazon.com/Amanda-K-Gregory https://www.goodreads.com/author/Amanda_K_Gregory Tags: fiction, literary fiction, YA, road trip, addiction, romance Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction
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Award winning author, Trevor D’Silva introduces us to his novel, “Fateful Decisions”: A Wishing Shelf Book Award Finalist 2018 It’s 1915 in the heat of WWI. Two friends heading to England aboard the British ocean liner, RMS Lusitania, meet and fall in love with a charismatic woman. After battling for her affection, Rachel Williams makes her decision, beginning a journey that no one can predict or soon forget. For the next thirty years, Rachel is forced to live with the choice she made, as the dominos fall around her, sequentially. Is there a sinister force at work? Who can Rachel trust? Will Rachel ultimately regret her decision when she learns how it impacted others? Set in America and Europe, history and fiction intertwine, commencing with the sinking of Lusitania. Historical events like The Russian Revolution, Prohibition, The Great Depression and World Wars I and II also play important roles in the lives of the characters and the decisions they make to love, betray, forgive, and reconcile.  At first, it seemed to be very plainly written, almost simple. After a few dozen pages I began to enjoy the genius of the writing. I grew to appreciate the writing style and how the story was weaving back and forth. A beautiful tapestry was being built before my eyes with glowing threads of joy and mysterious threads of tragedy skillfully filling the warp and woof. Just like real life. It is no mystery why this book has won the accolades it has. They are well deserved. I love how the author blended so many important and earthshaking events into the story, it brought a flavor of realism that seldom is found. Clarity is the secret ingredient in all aspects of this book. The action is plentiful, scene setting is perfect, every word has earned its place on the page. The dialog is pleasing also, harking back to a different age. I award a score of 4.9 stars to “Fateful Decisions”, the score would have been higher except for a small handful of spelling errors.  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Fateful-Decisions-Trevor-DSilva-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/fateful-decisions-trevor-dsilva https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fateful-decisions-trevor-dsilva You can follow the author: http://trevordsilva.com https://twitter.com/TrevorDAuthor https://www.instagram.com/trevordauthor https://www.pinterest.com/trevor_dsilva mailto:trevordsilvaauthor@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/Trevordsilvaauthor/ Tags: historical fiction, fiction, war, finance, romance, military, murder, adventure, suspense, thriller Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Debut author and air force veteran, Gaylan Wright, introduces us to his memoir, “Slave to the Dream: Forever in Pursuit”: Just because you grow up and do bad things, doesn’t mean you were brought up that way. This book will appeal to readers who are interested in a story about overcoming desperation, achieving personal transformation and the wisdom gained from a life of trials and triumphs.  I enjoyed this memoir quite a bit. It was entertaining and there were a lot of stories from his time in the air force. That resonated with me because my dad was an air force reservist and I was in the Oregon Air Guard also. The author’s years as a child were pretty rough and tumble having 11 siblings. There are many lessons to be learned in his story. I appreciated the author’s candid confession that he made a lot of mistakes, we all do. He demonstrated growth as he sought to improve himself as a human being and a man. I award “Slave to the Dream” a score of 3.3 stars. The score would have been a lot higher except for a large handful of spelling errors I found in the book.  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Slave-to-the-Dream-Gaylan-D-Wright https://www.goodreads.com/-slave-to-the-dream https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/slave-to-the-dream-gaylan-d-wright You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/votewright4wyo https://www.facebook.com/votewright4wyo https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylan-wright-sr Tags: memoir, action, romance, military, air force, drugs, sex Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multi-genre, multi-volume author, Maggie Plummer introduces us to her wonderful story about living like a hippie in the 70s, “Bell-Bottom Gypsy: A Jessie Morgan Novel”: A wild 1970s ride – an adventurous coming of age journey along America’s back roads. At twenty, Jessie Morgan is fed up with just about everything. It’s September 1971 -- time to drop out, tune in, and turn on. She leaves college and Detroit in the rearview mirror, hitting the road in her 1965 yellow Volkswagen convertible. Wandering byways from Kentucky to Key West to Montana, Jessie is out to experience everything. She didn't count on meeting a man like Twisty. WARNING: BELL-BOTTOM GYPSY is New Adult Fiction recommended for mature readers due to 1970s-era sex, drugs, and cussing.  This story is a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it. I graduated from high school in 1971. Growing up on a small farm in a small town, I didn’t do anything wild. I moved to San Francisco shortly after. I met a lot of hippies and other counterculture types. This story rings with a great deal of truth on many levels. Many young people were abandoning the traditions of their families in various ways and were looking for something to anchor their life to. The scene-setting is marvelous, I could see everything in my mind, the dialogue was quite good also. Action left nothing to be desired. The writing is excellent! This book gives a great snapshot of the journey, one young woman travels, in an interesting period of American history. I award a score of 4.9 stars to “Bell-Bottom Gypsy”, the score would have been higher except for a couple of spelling errors I tripped over. I am happy to report those pesky errors have been fixed, your reading pleasure will be improved.  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/bell-bottom-gypsy-by-maggie-plummer https://www.goodreads.com/-bell-bottom-gypsy https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bell-Bottom-Gypsy-Jessie-Morgan-Novel-ebook You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/authormaggiep https://maggieplummerauthor.weebly.com https://www.facebook.com/authormaggieplummer Tags: coming of age, women’s adventure, women’s action, fishing, traveling, rock and roll, drugs, alcohol Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Debut author, ileso DMC introduces us to his exciting, YA novel about the afterlife, “The Request for Lambency”: The entire world, set in the near future, has changed since the discovery of these ‘requests.’ New businesses and services are created to capture this significant moment after death. All religions are forced to translate what this peaceful, yet unusual occurrence means with the consensus being that their supreme being is allowing one sentimental object to be taken into their afterlife. Social media erupts with new apps to track these request videos as the global public has an addiction to them. Powa is a teenager who partially uploads a request video that creates a social media frenzy. She successfully leaves summer school to escape her pursuers who happen to be an aggressive corporation that is grossly invested in the well-being of the human body. To make matters worse, a government agency whose assignment is to authenticate all request videos, services, and businesses is demanding to view that video in its entirety. Unable to determine friend from foe, she confides in an unacquainted classmate who convinces her to take a journey from her hometown to San Diego’s Comic-Con as they pick up his slightly unusual friends along the way. Along the way, they learn of other cruel measures companies are willing to invest in having their device be the object of ‘the request.’ They soon discovered that to be more difficult than they had anticipated. Only one corporation was the exception to this rule. They believe the final piece to the puzzle lies with Powa even though she is convinced other celestial forces are at play.  I find I really enjoy stories that include some aspect of spirituality, regardless of the genre, and this story does not disappoint me. It blends an earthly perspective of spirituality and science fiction in a pleasing manner. I am committed to no spoilers, but I will say this, some of the action gets very exciting! The dialog of teens and young adults was a lot of fun, the characters were very believable, I laughed out loud many times. Most of the scene-setting was tight, almost too tight at times. A little more description would have improved the movie in my mind. The plot was woven skillfully with plenty left to carry into the next book. I enjoyed this story so much; I award a score of 4.2 stars to “The Request for Lambency”. The score would have been a lot higher, but I stumbled over quite a few spelling errors.  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Request-Lambency-ileso-DMC-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-the-request-for-lambency https://www.amazon.co.uk/Request-Lambency-ileso-DMC-ebook You can follow the author: https://www.ilesodmc.com https://twitter.com/DmcIleso https://facebook.com/IlesoDMC https://www.instagram.com/ileso_dmc Tags: conspiracy, science fiction, teens, comic con, Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Debut author Paul A. Sheppard introduces us to his gritty, fantasy adventure “The Wolf We Feed”: "Set in Amleth, a rugged land divided by decades of bitter strife with a landscape and belief system heavily influenced by my time in Scandinavia. The Wolf We Feed is an action-packed fantasy adventure." Tirith's life is turned upside-down when Drake, her twin brother, abandons her after they were raised and trained in isolation. Unable to live under the perceived tyranny of their grandfather, Drake sets off into the world looking forward to an adventure. Arriving in the dystopian city of Náströnd, Drake finds a new mentor and becomes involved in a bloody coup to eliminate the city's ruling class. Amid plots and counter-plots, conflict and betrayal a determined but uncertain young woman undertakes a treacherous journey to meet her father for the first time, overcomes racial bias in a foreign land, and learns the truth about her family's sinister past. What she discovers leaves her with no choice but to find her brother and attempt to save him from the violent life he has chosen. But does he want to be saved? THE WOLF WE FEED, a coming-of-age story about two siblings that face hard truths about where their loyalties lie...  I was ready for a good fantasy story, elves, dwarves, perhaps a dragon and a prince without a kingdom. That is not what I found after reading a few pages in this book. The story starts in the middle of a skills trial that would cause any modern-day, special forces member spend some time in planning, which is what the brother and sister team did to defeat their expert teacher. This story explores so many powerful themes and brings them all to life quite credibly, faithfulness and treachery, family and enemies, acceptance and prejudice among others. I found the writing to be exemplary; the characters really come to life and are filled with plots and schemes. The scene-setting is well done in every environment, the dialogue gave me many chuckles. This story was so much fun, I hope there is going to be more. I award 4.8 stars to “The Wolf We Feed”, the score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found.  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Wolf-We-Feed-P-Sheppard-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-the-wolf-we-feed You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/writingnomad999 http://www.paulsheppardwrites.com/ https://www.instagram.com/thewritingnomad999 Tags: action, adventure, war, mountains, desert, swords, bow and arrow, weapons, spies, politics, Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multi-volume author, Lawrence Oliver, introduces us to his debut novel, “The Last Marines”: Having been replaced by robots and drones, veterans Ben Corbin and Sam Garrett go into business for themselves towing derelict vessels and space junk out of the shipping lanes around Mars. Business was good, but a couple of malfunctioning service robots forced them to return to Earth for replacements. Aliens attacked the freighter they’d booked passage on, slaughtering and feeding on the crew and passengers. Only Corbin and Garrett managed to hold their own until they could hide in stasis pods. 200 years later Earth and her colonies, governed by the Commonwealth of Nations, are at war with a race of aliens known as the Nineteenth. Not with the Gar Rei Jhi who had attacked Corbin and Garrett so many years past. That war had been fought and humans lost. The Nineteenth is a new alien threat whose origins and motives are unknown. What information humans have on this new enemy comes from the uneasy alliance with the Gar Rei Jhi who’ve been fighting an even longer war with the Nineteenth. Though long ago, Corbin and Garrett’s history with the Gar Rei Jhi hasn’t been forgotten. They are to be ambassadors serving at the pleasure of the same aliens that attacked them. Thrust into a new age of engineered soldiers, interplanetary politics, and self-aware robots, Corbin has to quickly decide who he’s going to trust as he journeys back to the Mars colony. But his search for truth may come at the cost of his life, and the fate of the Commonwealth may rest on his decision.  I didn’t know robots could be so sassy and sarcastic. Some of them are downright funny. Scary robots? No, it’s some of the aliens that are scary. Reading this book was a great pleasure! Sci-fi is my number one favorite genre. The author is not new to writing and his skill shows in this book. He catches the angst of a guy who is 200 years out of his era so effectively. The people around him are quite ably represented also. His characters really seem to be alive. I love the plotting; the pace is perfect and very exciting. The dialogue is very funny at times, and solemn when appropriate. I award a score of 4.8 stars to “The Last Marines”! The score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found. These errors have been corrected, your reading experience will be better. I really hope the author writes more in this series, prequel and sequel. This is easy to picture as a trilogy and maybe more.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/LAST-MARINES-Lawrence-N-Oliver-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/book/-the-last-marines https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wolf-we-feed-s-a-sheppard You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/Ollie3104 https://www.lawrencenoliver.com https://www.facebook.com/LawrenceNOliver Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multi-genre, multi-volume author Wayne Kerr introduces us to his third book in the Reggie Swan series: Trapped on a train with a ruthless killer… The Kettle Valley Railway was established over a hundred years ago. The line connected the communities around Lake Okanagan with each other and to the West Coast. In 1964 passenger service ended and 1989 saw the final freight train travel its rails. The majestic steam engines are running once again, providing scenic tours for locals and tourists. Reggie Swann and her friends board a special late night running of the Okanagan Express. They are treated to gorgeous valley lights, good food and wonderful company, until things go horribly wrong. A whiteout storm strands the small train on one of the highest trestle bridges in North America. Then, to make matters worse, one of the passengers is murdered. When all the evidence points at Alan Swift, Reggie’s boyfriend, the PI has a few hours to prove his innocence before the police take over the case. A cunning and callous foe seems to be one step ahead of the detective at every turn. When Alan is hauled off the train in handcuffs Reggie appears to be beaten, unless the Black Swann has another trick up her sleeve… Another Black Swann Investigation  I love these books, set mostly in the beautiful Pacific Northwest; the story about Reggie Swann’s survival in prison (the first book) and growth since reentering free society, after being unjustly framed, (the second book) are quite well written. I thoroughly enjoy Wayne’s mastery of the English language; he is economical with his words and yet paints a great picture of the fluid action and wonderful scene-setting. The dialogue is a lot of fun and very realistic. Many different factors come into play, even the weather as in real life. I also appreciate the homage to one of the greatest mystery writers ever, Agatha Christie and her renowned “Murder on the Orient Express”. Just like Poirot, Swann’s wits are pitted against a deranged, uncaring foe and the defender of law and order wins out over duplicity and treachery. I award 4.9 stars to “Murder on the Okanagan Express”, the score would have been higher except for a handful of spelling errors. The spelling errors have been corrected, so your reading will be smoother.  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/murder-on-okanagan-express https://www.goodreads.com/-murder-on-the-okanagan-express https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Okanagan-Express-Black-Investigation-ebook You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/waynekerrnovels http://www.waynekerrnovels.com/ You can write Wayne: waynekerrnovels@gmail.com I have already reviewed the first book in this series: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/framed-black-swann-investigations-book-1-by-wayne-kerr I have reviewed the second book in the series: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/a-pinot-noir-to-die-for-a-black-swann-investigation-book-2-by-wayne-kerr I have reviewed another exciting book by Wayne Kerr https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/-ric-a-dam-doo-the-snow-devils-by-wayne-a-d-kerr Tags: private investigator, woman, sleuth, mystery, procedural, police Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction. Debut author, Robert A. Tayler, introduces us to his first volume in the “A Tide of Times” series: IS THERE A PIRATE LURKING INSIDE EACH ONE OF US? Florida and the Caribbean Sea have a rich history of Pirate lore. The Golden Era of Piracy, from 1665 to 1730, is replete with romanticized tales of high-seas romances, epic sea battles, daring sword fights, and hoards of captured treasure. These tales belong to the distant past...don't they? On December 2, 2003, Roger Petrie and his brother Tom were lost at sea, their cargo ship Belvedere seemingly disappeared without a trace. The Coast Guard rescued them from a deserted Caribbean island two years later, wondering why they were dressed so outlandishly. Once back to modern civilization, Roger resolved to forget the past and build a normal life, marrying Rebekah in 2006. They had two children, Riley and Drake, and moved to Sarasota, FL to put down permanent roots. Tom, however, reveled in their alleged past exploits. He moved to Sarasota as well, to be near Roger's family. Riley loved pirate lore, and Tom eagerly stoked her love, constantly regaling she and Drake with fanciful tales of their past deeds. Roger dismissed Tom's stories as utter fabrications. But evidence - ancient weapons, valuable coins, names of ships and captains long since vanished - begins to surface, seemingly giving credence to Tom's stories. In addition, Roger is talking in his sleep, uttering the names of people and ships that Rebekah finds actually existed. As the evidence mounts, people are beginning to wonder - did something incredible, something unbelievable, happen to the Petrie brothers after their ship went down? If so, what were they doing in the Caribbean the two years they were lost?  I dreamed of being a pirate when I was a young boy, also a cowboy, fighter pilot and an astronaut. Reading this book was a little like returning to that dream, but not nearly as romantic and far more deadly. Stories about time travel are some of my favorite and this story exemplifies that category so well! I love the tension that Roger is slowly floundering in. The question of what will people think is a biggie. The author plays that song so well. I enjoyed reading this story so much. It’s quite well written, the dialogue shines, the scene-setting is delightful and the action is vigorous without being too detailed. The balance was perfect for me. I award 4.8 stars to “Plundering the Past”, the score would have been higher except for a few spelling errors.  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/PLUNDERING-PAST-Tide-Times-Novel Paperback only at this time, ebook is coming soon. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42106679-plundering-the-past https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/plundering-the-past-robert-a-tayler You can follow the author: twitter.com/robertatayler17 https://robertataylerauthor.com facebook.com/robertataylerauthor https://www.instagram.com/robertatayler mailto:robertataylerbooks@gmail.com Tags: sea adventures, historical fiction, time travel, Caribbean Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multi-volume author, Brian Lee Meyer introduces us to the second volume in the series of “Sons of Zeruiah: The Betrayals of King David”: The ringing of swords can be heard in Israel once again. While war has brought Abishai and Joab wealth and prestige, new threats are emerging. As the trumpets of battle call, one brother will struggle to build the home and family for which he has always yearned; the other will grapple with his very sanity. At the worst possible time, they will face betrayal from the person they least expect. Can they escape infamy and rise to glory a second time? Will they even survive long enough to do so? Sons of Zeruiah: The Betrayals of King David is the climactic sequel to Brian Lee Meyer's breakout novel. The story maintains its historical and cultural authenticity which readers enjoyed in The Mighty Men of King David. Betrayals crescendos with action, heartache, and brotherhood right up to the satisfying finish.  This is an amazing story! If you are a fan of historical fiction or biblical fiction this is exactly what you have been looking for! This sequel is every bit as good as the first story. The story really comes alive on so many levels. I love that it’s told in first person POV. It brings such intimacy to the story. Brian puts muscle, sinew and flesh on the bare-bones of the days of King David, as told in the Bible. The characterizations are magnificent, the scene-setting is terrific and the action is jaw-dropping! This story would make a great movie. I award 5 stars to “Sons of Zeruiah: The Betrayals of King David”!  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Sons-Zeruiah-Betrayals-King-David https://www.goodreads.com/-sons-of-zeruiah-betrayals-of-king-david You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/blmeyerstories https://www.brianleemeyerstories.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Brian-Lee-Meyer-154704661915171/ Tags: biblical fiction, historical fiction, military action, war adventure Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction |
Who am I?An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. Archives
October 2019
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