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​book reviews

Breaking The Silence                                               By Diamante Lavendar

3/31/2016

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Multi-volume author, Diamante Lavendar introduces us to her new novel “Breaking The Silence”, which is based on a true story:
Winner of Mom's Choice Gold Medal in the category of Inspirational Fiction!  Also the winner of the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award in Inspirational Fiction and a winner of Readers' Favorite 5 Star Review Medal!  New winner of 2016 Director's Choice Winner Outstanding Human Relations Courage Indie Book and 2016 Silver Winner Realistic Human Relations Fiction Book!  Also winner of the 2017 Gold Medal for Inspirational Fiction from Reader's Favorite! 
Joan Eastman was born like any other girl. However her life would prove to be a life of great pain...
Growing up, she was treated differently by family members, powerless to defend herself against their sexual and psychological abuse. Feeling she had been dealt a wicked hand by the "powers that be", she spiraled into substance abuse and troubled relationships. She became a victim of addiction and self-hatred.
Not giving up, she becomes aware of a greater spiritual being that protects her and she begins to heal. Then she finds herself pregnant. She learns to understand nothing is hopeless; that with a changed view and self discovery, there is real hope in every situation, no matter how difficult.
As she and her husband look forward to the birth of their child, she writes in her diary as a way of expelling all of the evil memories. On bed rest for the duration of her pregnancy, she endures tests and tribulations that at first she couldn't begin to understand. But no matter how high the hurdles in Joan's life are, she doesn't look back, and pulls the pieces of her life together...for herself and her unborn child.

This inspirational story speaks of Joan’s gradual self-acceptance and healing of her body, mind and spirit. It speaks of the possibilities of the future and the fulfillment of the dream of love and family. And it speaks of jumping the hurdles in life without looking back, no matter how high those hurdles may be.
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The author weaves the past into the present in a wonderful and reflective way. From anger-fueled self-harming behaviors to forgiving the abusers. We walk every step of Joan’s very long journey at her side. 
This book is very well written and conveys the widest range of emotions that a person can experience. The author employs dialogue and action quite well to move the story along. She has lots of reflection and inner dialogue to gain understanding of her situation. The chapters are short and each ends with a summary of the lesson she learned.
This book earns 5 of 5 STARS!

You can buy the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Silence-Diamante-Lavendar  
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/breaking-the-silence-diamante-lavendar  
https://books.google.com/Breaking the silence  
 
You can follow the author:
http://diamantelavendar.com/ 
https://twitter.com/diamantelavenda  
https://www.facebook.com/diamante.lavendar 
 
Copyright ©2016 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction
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One Night In Tehran                                                 by Luana Ehrlich

3/20/2016

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Author Luana Ehrlich introduces us to her book, “One Night In Tehran”:
“He escaped from Iran; now, an assassin is stalking him in Oklahoma.
Read Book 1 in a new series of thrillers featuring CIA intelligence officer, Titus Ray!
In Tehran, while hiding out from the Iranian secret police, CIA officer, Titus Ray, finds shelter with a group of Iranian Christians. Compelled by their unwavering faith, the battle-hardened agent becomes a believer shortly before they smuggle him out of Iran to freedom in Turkey.

Returning to the States, he discovers his Iranian mission failed because of political infighting within the Agency. After delivering a scathing indictment against the Deputy Director of Operations, he’s forced to take a year’s medical leave in Oklahoma.

Before leaving Langley, however, he discovers a Hezbollah hit man has targeted him for assassination. Now, while trying to figure out what it means to be a follower of Christ, he must decide if the Iranian couple he meets in Oklahoma has ties to the man who's trying to kill him, and if Nikki Saxon, a beautiful local detective, can be trusted with his secrets.

Trained in lies, he learns the truth!
Will it help him escape his past?
Can it change his future?”

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What an exciting book! I devoured this book as fast as I could. It is a great story and very well written. Luana has a deft touch for describing the thoughts, feelings and confusion of her tough-guy hero, Titus Ray. The plotting is well done and many of the mechanics of writing are done with excellence. She maintains the Point of View, uses lots of action and dialogue to keep the narration to a minimum. This keeps the story moving along very nicely.
The good news: there is a second book in the series, plus another in the works!
This book deserves 5/5 stars!
Thank you, Luana, for a wonderful read!

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You can buy her book:
http://www.amazon.com/One-Night-Tehran-Titus-Thriller-ebook
 
You can follow the author:
http://www.luanaehrlich.com/home.html
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8443354.Luana_Ehrlich
https://twitter.com/luanasbooks
https://www.facebook.com/LuanaEhrlichAuthor

​Copyright © 2016 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction 
​
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Dial QR For Murder                                             A.E.H. Veenman

3/10/2016

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Multi-genre, multi-volume author, A.E.H. Veenman introduces us to her novel “Dial QR For Murder”:
For defense attorney Isis Ferrelli, life is good—until the second day of the Norman Kane trial… 

Her client was accused of using QR code software he’d developed to steal a drug called Fentanol. But when he’s murdered, Isis fears someone from her own past might be involved. Her uncle, Louis Fernoza, put her through law school. Now a mob boss, he wants to end their estrangement and make use of the star attorney he created. 
To protect those she cares about, Isis turns to her crime blog and her alter-ego Marjorie Gardens to find answers… 
MyThugShot.com is Isis’s resource to find out how Kane’s QR code was hacked to set him up for the theft, and who had decided “dead” was a better strategy than “framed.” With the help of her blog followers, she begins to dig into the Kane family, where no one is who they seem. 
Photographs of a building, a Nieman Marcus loafer, and a programmer with two names… 
When a new online member appears at the Kane estate, Isis’s investigation is thrown into chaos. He seems to know the murderer…and how to take Isis offline permanently. 
In order to find a tech-savvy killer, Isis must take her search into the digital age…even at the risk of her own unmasking. 
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This cozy murder story is a great read. Author Veenman is an accomplished writer. She has mastered many of the technicalities of excellent prose. Many of the things that make a story flow well are in evidence here, short chapters, well maintained POV, dialogue, action, changes of scene and movement.
                    This is a well plotted story and a lot of fun to read! 
You can tell that Veenman knows her way around the greater Boston area. Her scenic descriptions are easy to see in the mind’s eye. Sometimes I got hungry reading about the food.
Attorney Isis is a sharp dresser!
I give this book 4.3 stars.
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You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Dial-Murder-Marjorie-Gardens-Mystery
https://www.goodreads.com/dial-qr-for-murder 

Follow A.E.H. Veenman:
https://twitter.com/MG_Mystery
​
http://exobia.wix.com/aehveenman 

​Copyright © 2016 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction ​
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"I'm very pleased with all your efforts. Twitter promotion and proofreading were beyond what I expected with a book review. Your suggestions throughout the process of refining both books helped me immensely. I look forward to working with you again."   A.E.H Veenman “Dial QR for Murder” and “Prepped for the Kill”