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Multi-volume author Alexa Spagnoli introduces us to her latest book, “Queen of Diamonds”: 2004 – Chicago gangster Nick Nicoletti was dying of heart failure. Who could he trust to help him keep control of his criminal enterprises before it was too late? Who had the cold-blooded killer instinct and cunning required to do what his businesses required and would accept the mantle he had to bestow when his time came? No man in Chicago could fill his shoes, as far as he was concerned. But he knew a woman who could. It had been twenty years since Cyn Hardy breezed into Las Vegas from small-town Michigan, a wide-eyed eighteen-year-old innocent looking for excitement in her life. During that time she married the son of mobster Joe Spagnoli, became the owner of the largest call-girl service in Sin City, and survived the murders of her husband, then her father-in-law, and finally her twenty-year-old son. As she was immersed in grief, her father-in-law’s closest friend, Nick, sent for her. Cyn had something no one in Chicago had – Nick’s complete trust. And she owed Nick big time. So Cyn Spagnoli was back in the Mafia again, learning Nick’s gambling and loan-sharking businesses and his specialty – assassination, tapped to become his successor.  I truly enjoyed this sequel to “Mafia Madame”! I loved the concept. Cynthia Spagnoli exemplifies the strong female protagonist. While grieving the deaths of her closest family in Nevada she steps up to the plate when asked to and accepts the responsibility wholeheartedly. This book is so well written. The authors make a great team. I thoroughly enjoyed the dialogues; the action was good and an appropriate amount of scene setting makes for an easy-to-read story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I award 4.8 stars to “Queen of Diamonds”.
You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Diamonds-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/queen-of-diamonds You can follow the authors: @SinCityMadame http://www.mafiamadame.com http://www.facebook.com/Alexa-Spagnoli @Johnldeboer http://www.novelsbyjohnldeboer.com Tags: Mafia, Las Vegas, Chicago, gambling, loan sharking, rivalry, the mob, assassination Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz except for the authors’ introduction
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A Dark Age Historical Fiction Novelby Francis Williams Multi-genre, multi-volume, award winning author Francis Williams introduces us to the latest volume in the Thrones and Soldiers series, “Usurper”: Five long years have passed since Drysten was thrown into a cell. All hope of his escape or release left him with the realization his people had no idea he was alive. He was once a great warrior who fought proudly and ferociously for the very same king who cast him aside. He didn’t know how, but he knew he would find his revenge. One man placed into the cell beside him gave him the knowledge needed to wage war across the kingdom of Ebrauc. All he would have to do was wait for the moment he would be free. That moment has come, and with it the opportunity to serve one of the most ancient gods of Britannia. But with all things comes a cost.  This is a great sequel to Honor, the premiere of the Thrones and Soldiers series. This is wonderful dark historical fiction! There isn’t a plethora of information about the dark ages of Britain and Europe after the fall and contraction of the Roman Empire. The author does wonderful work to enrich the dry, dusty bones of this dark period of time. The multitude of characters are quite individual and realistic in their actions and conversations. The scene setting is well-balanced and supports the characters perfectly without taking over the story. I loved this book so much! I give it a score of 4.8 stars, the score would have been higher except for the large handful of spelling errors.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Usurper-Historical-Fiction-Thrones-Soldiers-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-usurper You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/IamFrancisW https://www.instagram.com/iamfranciswilliams https://www.facebook.com/IamFrancisWilliams I reviewed the first book in the series here: Honor: A Dark Age Historical Fiction Novel (Thrones and Soldiers Book 1) By Francis Williams - Word Refiner We had a nice interview and continue it here on this review of Usurper. tags: action, adventure, ancient military, gods, God Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multi-volume, multi-genre author Paul C. Thornton introduces us to his latest book about cruising and the people who enjoy it: Cruising Interrupted started out as More Joy of Cruising, the follow-up to the award-winning The Joy of Cruising, a fun, upbeat look at travelers from all over the world with a passion for ocean cruising and who act on that passion in creative and fascinating ways. Then the pandemic happened. And cruising was interrupted. Cruising Interrupted will fascinate anyone who has ever cruised, aspires to take a cruise, or just loves travel. At the same time, Cruising Interrupted acknowledges the influence on cruising of the Covid-19 pandemic, the most significant event in the history of cruise travel since the sinking of the Titanic.  I admit that I have never been on a cruise. After reading this book, I really want to go cruising now. I can’t decide if I should focus on a destination or on the ship itself. All ships have their advantages and disadvantages. Each itinerary has pros and cons as well, and they all seem so exciting. I am far better equipped to make a wise choice after reading this book. I love the author’s style of writing, part investigative journalist and part close friend, he really makes the selection process easier. Highlighting some of the blogs and youtubers that share their personal experiences and inside information provides a wide breadth of available knowledge. I award 4.6 stars to “Cruising Interrupted” the score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Cruising-Interrupted https://www.goodreads.com/-cruising-interrupted https://www.barnesandnoble.com/cruising-interrupted You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/joyofcruising http://www.thejoyofcruising.net http://www.facebook.com/TheJoyOfCruising http://www.instagram.com/thejoyofcruising http://www.amazon.com/author/paulthornton I reviewed the first book here: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-joy-of-cruising Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Finding My Voice and Surviving Childhood Sexual AbuseDebut author, Shirley Aumack introduces us to her memoir about healing from child sex abuse: All She Ever Wanted Was to Believe She Was Loved When she quietly confronted her father asking him to stop sexually abusing her as a little girl, she got this tirade from her father: "No one cares what I do to you. I don't love you, no one loves you, and no one will EVER love you." How does a little girl ever heal from this? Compounding the pain of this horrific, inhumane message and the sexual abuse starting when she was eight years old was having a mother who was emotionally vacant. Shirley Aumack never received any affection from her, never heard the words, "I love you" or any such affirming messages. She never attempted to tell her mother about the abuse and never found anyone to confide in who would believe her. It is common for people who have endured such hellish abuse to overcompensate their feelings of low self-worth by excelling at everything they do. And Shirley is no exception. Throughout her life, she has excelled at everything--academically, professionally, personally as a mother, wife, friend, and in every role she has impressively had love as her guiding force. Lois Einhorn, PhD, author of Forgiveness and Child Abuse: Would YOU Forgive? writes about PLEASE BELIEVE ME: "Shirley is a gifted storyteller making the book a quick read. But her messages will stay with me for a very long time. She covers unflinchingly details of her life including her despair and devastation. But her book is not only of surviving but also of thriving. In addition to horrifying images, she includes laugh-out-loud stories. Ultimately this book is inspiring and empowering, hopeful and healing. Shirley's life serves as a testament to the preciousness of all life, the transformative power of love, the triumph of the human spirit, and the need for humor."  It is an astonishing and well-written story. As difficult as the subject may be, the author does not hesitate to share the devastating experience of being raped by her father and the lifelong effects. These effects were made worse by her empty, egocentric mother. The pastor of her church failed her also for reasons we will never know. Her writing is very clear and the good and the bad are shared with appropriate humor. Her children are a testimony to her efforts to care for them much better than she was cared for by her own parents. I award 4.8 stars to “Please Believe Me”, the score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found. The publisher has corrected those errors in the e-book.  You can buy this book:
https://rdrpublishers.com/please-believe-me-finding-my-voice-and-surviving-childhood-sexual-abuse https://www.amazon.com/Please-Believe-Me-Surviving-Childhood https://www.goodreads.com/please-believe-me You can follow the author: https://www.pleasebelieveme610.com https://www.facebook.com/shirley.aumack https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirley-aumack Tags: child sexual abuse, emotional abuse, PTSD, healing, recovery, panic attacks, adult survivor, memoir Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multivolume, multi-genre author Leighton G. Cullens introduces us to his eco-fiction adventure “Togwotee Passage”: An impassioned, thought kindling journey on a wilder side of life, from youth to passing, with a breadth of charged life experiences. In 1940s Wyoming, a seven-year-old under the yoke of a dysfunctional family is beginning his life journey with stumbling steps. When an intervention whisks him reluctantly away, he faces new challenges in a sweeping wilderness setting, where a sustaining influence is the friendship of a Shoshone youth with differing cultural values. On into the treacherous terrain of life's chaotic landscape, with his mettle tested time and again he is increasingly rankled with civilization's Janus-faced ways and ill-conceived progress. Mitigating his irritation, is a distracting fascination with the wonderment and paradoxes of the natural world. That is, until he considers where humankind's varying proclivities stem from. -------------------------------------- Togwotee (toe'-ga-tee) is the name of a challenging mountain pass in the Absaroka Mountains of northwest Wyoming. As used in the title of this fictive tale, it's an apt metaphor for the protagonist's life path. The story is character driven, contains Native American mythology, has an entwined thread of natural world interconnectedness, and is complemented with expressive illustrations.  I really enjoyed this story. While I didn’t grow up in 1940s Wyoming, I grew up on small farms in Oregon and Washington in the 1960s. I was reminded of the many wonderful hours I spent in the woods, it was my sanctuary. The scene-setting was excellent, I could plainly see what the author was describing. The dialogues were good also, downright funny at times. The action was very satisfactory, though it wasn’t extensive. I really enjoyed the relationship Cullen had with Derek, his Shoshone friend. A lot of good-natured bantering surrounded by a secure relationship. Each man walked his own path and respected the path of his friend. I award 4.7 stars to “Togwotee Passage” the score would have been higher except for a handful of spelling errors that have been corrected by the author. Your reading will be smoother.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Togwotee-Passage-L-G-Cullens-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-togwotee-passage https://www.barnesandnoble.com/togwotee-passage-l-g-cullens You can connect with the author: https://lgcullens.com https://www.goodreads.com/author/L_G_Cullens The author is giving away a limited number of copies of this book during the month of May, 2021. The details for obtaining a copy can be found at https://lgcullens.com/tpigiveaway Tags: ecology, environment, environmental, balance, nature, fiction Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Debut author Samuel Moore-Sobel introduces us to his memoir about a serious burn accident he endured as a teenager, “Can You See My Scars?”: Can You See My Scars? is a story of trauma, adversity, healing, and recovery. Samuel, a young man about to begin his sophomore year of high school, accepts a job that culminates in a chemical explosion—leaving Samuel with severe burns on his face, neck, and arms. The tragic and sudden accident sets Samuel on an unpredictable journey of healing, recovery, and acceptance. In the wake of the accident, Samuel endures grief, pain, and numerous surgical procedures for the scars on his body. He grapples with his appearance, faith, and the loss of friends. Through it all, he comes to view his scars as an unavoidable part of the human experience. Whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, we all carry scars—and it is simply what we choose to do with them that defines us. Samuel’s story allows us to see him for who he truly is, while also turning a mirror on ourselves. Can You See My Scars? explores questions about identity, suffering, purpose, and ultimately, what it means to be uniquely human.  This is one of the best memoirs I have read in quite a while. It is shocking, but encouraging. Samuel remained very candid about his emotional and mental condition throughout the accident and the years-long recovery. His struggle with matters pertaining to his faith was very real and comprehensible. The scene-setting was good, dialogue worked well throughout the story. The conclusion of the book was very satisfying. I award 4.8 stars to “Can You See My Scars?”. The score would have been higher but for some spelling mistakes.  You can buy this book:
https://mascotbooks.com/mascot-marketplace/can-you-see-my-scars https://www.amazon.com/Can-You-See-My-Scars-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-can-you-see-my-scars You can follow the author: http://www.samuelmoore-sobel.com https://twitter.com/smoore_sobel https://www.instagram.com/smoore_sobel Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Tags: burns, trauma, recovery, PTSD, triggers, inspirational Multi-volume, multi-genre author, Mercedes Rochelle introduces us to the award-winning, third and final volume of “The Last Great Saxon Earls”, “Fatal Rivalry”: In 1066, the rivalry between two brothers brought England to its knees. When Duke William of Normandy landed at Pevensey on September 28, 1066, no one was there to resist him. King Harold Godwineson was in the north, fighting his brother Tostig and Harald Hardrada at Stamford Bridge. How could this have happened? Why would Tostig turn traitor to wreak revenge on his brother? Harold and Tostig were not always enemies; it took a massive Northumbrian uprising to tear them apart, making one an exile and the other his sworn enemy. After Edward the Confessor died and Harold took the crown, Tostig was intent on reclaiming his earldom. But he was on his own; his brother was not sympathetic. In fact, Harold allied with Tostig's enemies. What else could he do?  This is a stupendous climax to the series. I absolutely love how this historical-fiction novel is structured using first-person POV. The dialogues and inner thoughts of each main character in turn carries the story forward so well. It really makes the history come alive. The scene-setting is quite well done also, especially the scenes of battles. Just like life in the middle ages, the action is very intense and brutal at times, but only to fit the needs of the historical events. The entire series is binge worthy! I want to read it all again. I award 4.9 stars to “Fatal Rivalry”, the score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Fatal-Rivalry-Three-Great-Saxon-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-fatal-rivalry https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fatal-Rivalry-Three-Great-Saxon https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/fatal-rivalry https://books2read.com/u/3LRVkM You can follow the author: http://www.twitter.com/AuthorRochelle http://www.mercedesrochelle.com http://www.mercedesrochelle.net I have reviewed other books by this author: Godwine Kingmaker The Sons of Godwine A King Under Seige The Kings Retribution Heir to a Prophecy Tags: history, biography, fiction, medieval, European, Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Denmark, Norway, France, Normandy, historical, biographical, Battle of Hastings Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction. Multi-volume, Florida author, Mary Lu Scholl introduces us to the third volume in the “Trailer Park Travails” series, “Birds, Bees, and RVs”: Life in a Florida Retirement Mobile Home Park is - complicated. It's spring time and romance is in the air - all around Patty whether she wants it there or not. Everywhere she looks people are in love, or dead - or both. Passions erupt on all sides and of all kinds among neighbors, family, friends and frenemies. Murder happens. Was it motivated by fear, jealousy, love or simply being crazy? Can Patty even hope to salvage the life around her? Will solving the murder of a friend also result in her getting killed?  I am really enjoying the continuing saga of Patty, AKA Potato Woman to some of the residents in her senior trailer park. No matter how hard she tries to fit in, which isn’t very hard much of the time, the bodies continue to appear. What else is a self-respecting mystery writer to do except figure out whodunit? The characters are becoming alive for me, I share some of the same issues as they struggle with. Many different senior topics are addressed in the story. The dialogue is touching at times and funny at other times. Action and scene-setting contribute a lot to the story. I award 4.9 stars to “Birds, Bees, and RVs”! The score would have been higher except for a small handful of spelling errors that the author has corrected. Your reading will be more pleasurable.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Birds-Bees-and-RVs https://www.goodreads.com/-birds-bees-and-rvs https://www.amazon.co.uk/Birds-Bees-Trailer-Park-Travails-ebook You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/MaryLScholl1 https://maryluscholl.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/maryluschollauthor/ My review of the first book, “Camper Catastrophe” can be found here: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/camper-catastrophe-by-mary-lu-scholl My review of the second book, “Mobile Mayhem” can be found here: Mobile Mayhem: Book Two of Trailer Park Travails by Mary Lu Scholl - Word Refiner Tags: cozy, murder, mystery, Florida, pets, dog, cat, neighbors, fiction, action Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multi-genre, multi-volume author, Garry J. Peterson introduces us to the newest book in his series, “Warriors of the Galaxy”: EVERY GENERATION HAS A LEGEND . . . Sara didn't start out expecting to change the world. She inherited it from her dad and grandad. But she didn't expect it. For much of her early years, Sara thought her family was pretty weird, and there seemed to be plenty of evidence to prove it. Her late grandfather Pete Stevenson, maybe the weirdest of all, was an automotive engineer whose hobby was trying to chase down proof of aliens and time-travel all over the world. Incidents through the years seemed to suggest that Grandad had indeed come across compelling evidence that alien presence was real. Informed speculation regarding alien presence had now become irrefutable fact. For the longest time, Sara didn't think she'd inherited the weirdness gene, but boy, was she wrong. Now Sara Steele has become the Warrior Princess, and together with a strong team of outliers and overachievers, enters an unknown future built on a disruptive present following an inaccessible past.  Here we are, the third volume of a five-volume set. We are going places and fast! The action is really picking up and much of it is not on Earth. I am loving this story more with each new volume. The dialogue continues to be delightful and the action is plentiful. Science and scene setting are quite good also. I find no gaps in either. Disclaimer: I am not a rocket scientist or theoretical physicist, nor do I play one on TV. The characters are really growing on me. Sara has yet to display all of her abilities and powers, there are hints that she has powers that are not fully known. The hints are wonderfully tantalizing. I am very excited about this series and award five stars to “Warriors of the Galaxy”!  You can buy this book:
https://rdrpublishers.com/warriors-of-the-galaxy-a-sara-steele-novel https://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Galaxy-Steele-Novel-Stargate-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-warriors-of-the-galaxy You can follow the author: https://www.garryjpeterson.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/garry-peterson https://www.facebook.com/garry.peterson https://twitter.com/GarryPeterson Tags: science fiction, sci-fi, pyramids, stone henge, Easter Island, time travel, action, adventure, thriller, space, spacecraft, stargate Here is the link to the review of the previous volumes in this series and we had a good interview also: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/shattered-truth-and-alien-disruption-by-garry-j-peterson I have also reviewed Garry's book about business practices: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/who-put-me-in-charge Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz, except for the author’s introduction Multivolume fantasy author, M. Ainihi introduces us to the latest and third volume in The Blood Inheritance Quartet, “Endow: A Blood inheritance Novel”: On the world of Sumir, the realms were put into place to keep peace by separating the magical races, but what will happen if those barriers collapse? Picking up where Lost ended, Endow takes Emily, Amanda, and Kiami, on a dangerous trip through the realms. Amanda is determined to prove that the stones they were given are the very ones from the ancient myth. To do so she may have to divulge a few of her dark secrets. But a powerful storm is on the horizon, one that crackles with magical energy, and it throws them off course. Taking the opportunity to get Emily to accept a leading role, Amanda pushes her at every turn. She needs her to see the warrior that she knows lurks deep inside. Kiami’s customary optimism is quelled as more truths are unveiled. An encounter with the wizard Bloise may give them answers, but she fears it will cost them too, and even after he explains the source of her inherited powers, she is left feeling like she’s running and getting nowhere. When Amanda is reunited with her mother, it is not the happy encounter she once imagined. In a world soon to be at war, she realizes their curses were meant to cause the planet’s destruction. Can they be used for salvation instead?  This is a marvelous continuation of the series. We get to know the characters so much better, they are becoming our best friends, but not necessarily to each other. There is a lot of friction between the characters, on multiple levels at times. Secrets! There are so many secrets, sometimes it seems they may drown in the secrets. This book has a nice balance of narration, dialogue and action. There is some wild action also! No spoilers from me, though! Now, I can hardly wait for the conclusion of the series. I know it’s going to be exciting and delicious! The plotting and storytelling are improved. I award a score of 4.6 stars; the score would have been higher except for the double handful of spelling errors I found. Those errors are corrected according to the author. Your reading will be the better.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Endow-Blood-Inheritance-Novel-Quartet-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-endow https://www.barnesandnoble.com/endow-m-ainihi https://www.kobo.com/endow You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/m_ainihi https://mainihi.wordpress.com I have reviewed the first two books in the series, here are the links: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/rise-a-blood-inheritance-novel-by-m-ainihi https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/lost-a-blood-inheritance-novel-by-m-ainihi Tags: Teen, Young Adult, Sword and Sorcery, Fantasy, dark, Horror Copyright © Mark Schultz 2021 except for the author’s introduction Retired lawyer and debut author, Stewart Riley introduces us to one of his most famous cases he ever defended, “Helena Star”: The True Tale of the Motor Vessel HELENA STAR: This is the epic tale of the motor vessel Helena Star. On April 17, 1978, the U.S. Coast Guard seized the aging freighter 140 miles off Washington State’s coast with its hold loaded with 37 tons of marijuana—the west coast’s largest pot bust—worth an estimated street value of $74 million. Drug agents later seized the sleek Joli, a 61-foot sailboat, for its suspected role in the case. A past winner of the prestigious Victoria to Maui sailboat race, the Joli had been purchased from William Niemi, Jr., former president of Eddie Bauer, by champion freestyle skier Mike Lund. The attorney for the captain of the Helena Star, author Stewart Riley, provides an insider’s unvarnished account of the case from the trenches. The freighter and the conspirators involved were in the news from its seizure in 1978 to its death by sinking in 2013. This drug bust and the ensuing events comprise a true saga about the inner workings of a Colombian-American drug cartel, smuggling on a massive scale, money laundering, the capture of fugitives in Bolivia, suspicious deaths, the lives of high-profile individuals, and courtroom battles in Seattle and San Francisco.  What a great story and all true or alleged to be true. With all of the dodges and dives, faking and lies, it would be hard to make this up. It demonstrates the truism of human nature that each person is looking out for their own self-interests first. It is how we are built.This story was fun to read, it reminded me of when I saw this case in the news on TV. I was married and our first child was on the way. I recall thinking that someone had a lot of audacity to try and pull it off. Now I know the rest of the story behind the headlines, some forty years later. I am very happy to have learned the whole tale.Stewart is a good story teller. I enjoyed his style; it is matter-of-fact prose. He doesn’t embellish a lot and doesn’t speculate a great deal beyond the obvious. Being on the inside of this case he was privy to far more than any mere mortal. He let the people involved speak for themselves whenever possible.This tale of intrigue and skullduggery doesn’t get lost in the weeds, the story moves along quite well, as all of the loose ends are eventually wrapped up.I award 5 stars to “Helena Star”, I did find one spelling error, but the publisher assures me it has been corrected. Your reading pleasure will be improved for it.  You can buy this book:https://rdrpublishers.com/products/helena-star-an-epic-adventure-through-the-murky-underworld-of-international-drug-smugglinghttps://bookshop.org/books/helena-star-an-epic-adventure-through-the-murky-underworld-of-international-drug-smugglinghttps://www.amazon.com/Helena-Star-by-stewart-riley-ebookhttps://www.goodreads.com/Helena-Star-by-stewart-rileyYou can follow the author:https://www.stewriley.comTags: legal, true story, thriller, international law, supreme court, smuggling, drugs, contraband, freestyle skier, skiingCopyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz, except for the author’s introduction
Multi-volume, group author, Morgan R. R. Haze introduces us to book two in the Teragene Chronicles, “Alpha Convergence”: It was gone. Terra Prime – the cradle of humanity – was gone. One moment the center of the colonized universe, the next, a gaping emptiness that would come to be known only as The Void. Left without answers and without a tether to their shared humanity, mankind has continued. For hundreds of years, they have spread across the galaxies, colonizing planets, while the history of their home, the truth of Terra Prime, has fallen into myth and legend. But in every world, there are those who wander and search for more. There are those who long for a home beyond planets run by corrupt governments and flawed ideologies. There are those like Captain Singer and his crew aboard the Waylay, seeking a better life among the stars. With the Alliedcorp fleet behind them, Jason, Bree, and Mark are left reeling from their time in captivity with more questions than answers about those responsible. But while Bree struggles to process what was done to her during her capture, Ell’s recovery is taking longer than expected, leaving her family aboard the ship wondering if she’ll be able to find her way back to them. With unanswered questions and dangers mounting, the crew of the Waylay finds themselves facing an even greater threat than before with only the bond they’ve forged to protect them. But will it be enough this time?  This is a very worthy sequel to “Alpha Dawn”! I love the short chapters and rotating point of view; each chapter is devoted to a single point of view. The story moves forward smoothly. I recommend reading the books in sequence, the story in this volume will be much richer if you do. It could also be fun to read this one first, I do like reading a book more than once, in quick order, the second reading reveals more details. The scene setting is pretty good, the action is even better, but it is the dialogue that really makes the difference. The characters are fully fleshed out and they are growing. Like so many others, the major characters want to live in peace, while there are others who cannot allow that. The classic contest of wills. I award 4.8 stars to “Alpha Convergence”, the score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Convergence-Book-2-Teragene-Chronicles-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-alpha-convergence https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alpha-Convergence-Book-2-Teragene-Chronicles You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/Morgan_R_R_Haze https://www.instagram.com/morganrrhaze https://www.facebook.com/Morgan-RR-Haze You can find my review for the first book in the series, “Alpha Dawn” here: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/alpha-dawn Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz, except for the author’s introduction Multi-volume author, Cedrick E. Wilson, introduces us to his latest story, “Psychos Anonymous”: A serial killer thinks he overstepped his bounds on his last murder. He attempts to seek help on the serial killer website REDRUM. A psychiatrist who believes he can help psychotic killers through counseling sets up a group therapy meeting dubbed Psychos Anonymous. Six masked murderers attend the meeting but one of them is not there to be counseled.  So much passion and psychoses, murder and manslaughter. Whether physical or mental, the mayhem barely stops to take a breath. I am an old, retired guy and must be getting soft. I normally read in the evening, but I had to read this book in the mornings; it was giving me nightmares and disturbing my sleep. This book really drew me in quite deep. This is not just guts and gore, this book is quite well written. The main characters are fully developed and have serious struggles, some of them are in a lot of emotional pain. Some don’t handle the pain very well. Do any of us? The settings are pretty good, and the dialogue is excellent. The action is gruesome enough for serious fans of the genre. The squeamish might want to avoid the worst parts. I award 4.7 stars to “Psychos Anonymous”; the score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Psychos-Anonymous-Killer-Network-trilogy-book-1 https://www.goodreads.com/-psychos-anonymous https://www.amazon.co.uk/Psychos-Anonymous-Killer-Network-trilogy-book-1 You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/WordsOfCedrick WordsofCedrick.com https://www.instagram.com/wordsofcedrick Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz, except for the author’s introduction 2000 Years of Idiocy from Nero to Trump Multi-volume author, Adam Powell introduces us to his latest book, “More of History’s Worst”: Idiocy is the best form of comedy, and there is an inexhaustible supply. MORE OF HISTORY’S WORST: 2000 Years of Idiocy from Nero to Trump celebrates the mad, bad, and just plain mediocre. Generals are more dangerous to their own side, monarchs too looney to be let out of the palace, and politicians who make you weep for democracy. There have been plenty of “best ofs,” but MORE OF HISTORY’S WORST deals with the biggest butchers and buffoons from the ancient world to the bloodstained twentieth century—from the king who thought he was made of glass to the exploding dog regiment. Funny and provocative, this is the stuff you never learned in class. Not so funny to many, the fact that the United States is now pitied in some other countries because of Trump rather than admired, his character (or lack of character) is exemplified in the many quotes President Trump has said.  I love history, I love trivia, unusual and little-known facts, and I love to laugh. This book has it all! Most of what is in this book is downright funny, some of it is sad also. A little bit is somewhat gruesome, but not too bad. There are quotes and quotable events, all the worst of so many categories beyond political and military misadventures. There really is something for everyone. The worst sports and foods ever invented by human beings. Some of these staggers the imagination. I couldn’t invent most of this stuff. Could you? I award 4.6 stars to “More of History’s Worst”, the score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I stumbled across. These few errors have been corrected; your reading will be improved.  You can buy this book:
https://rdrpublishers.com/historys-worst-2000-years-of-idiocy-by-adam-powell https://www.amazon.com/Historys-Worst-2000-Years-Idiocy-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-history-s-worst You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/Adam0Powell https://powelladam0.wixsite.com/historysworst https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-powell https://www.facebook.com/adam.powell Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz, except for the author’s introduction Multi-volume author, A. E. Faulkner introduces us to her third book in the Nature’s Fury series, “Devastation Erupts”: I’ve finally got my sister back. Now, if we can just catch up with our friends and find a way home...it’s only 300 miles away. When we’re offered a deal that seems to include everything we need to get home, the only choice is to accept. Never mind that the cost is our silence, along with taking a slight excursion along the way. The clock is ticking and we’re sworn to secrecy. Can we reach home in time and keep our promises? The road ahead is nowhere near easy. Tag along with Quinn and Riley as they attempt to reach their safe haven before Devastation Erupts.  This third volume is a great extension of this series. These characters have their highs and lows, wins and losses. The losses are bigger and hit more often than the wins, unfortunately for them. The sisters are finally reunited and very happily so. They barely have a chance to catch up before yet another problem appears. The author has done a good job of preserving the first-person point of view for Quinn. I love the intimacy that it brings to the story. No head hopping here, the author is quite expert at maintaining the purity. The author has also kept a certain amount of humor in the story as well, which is good; otherwise, it might be too depressing. Seriously, everything that can possibly go wrong does. About the only thing that hasn’t happened yet is being savaged by a pack of raging Chihuahuas. The dialogue is good, the action is almost non-stop, POV is held quite well, descriptions are just right and scene setting is excellent. You are going to love this book! I award 4.9 stars to “Devastation Erupts”; the score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Devastation-Erupts-Natures-Fury-Book https://www.goodreads.com/-devastation-erupts https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/devastation-erupts-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 https://www.tiktok.com/@authoraefaulkner I have reviewed the first book in the series also: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/darkness-falls Tags: Dystopian, fiction, coming of age, science fiction, YA, climate, catastrophe, family, relationship Copyright © 2021 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
June 2021
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