Multi-volume, multi-genre author Tegon Maus introduces us to his second in the fantasy series about the hapless Tucker, Black moon:

Every twenty-eight years, the reign of the old Shalic comes to an end with the arrival of the Black Moon. The symbol of the law is a spear that holds sway over the whole of the Kindred, and is passed onto the old Shalic’s successor with the passing of the Black Moon.
When the old Shalic is murdered, war between those who carried the spear and those who were to receive it divides the Kindred bent on settling old scores.

Only one man stands between them...Tucker Littlefield, and he holds the spear.

Tegon has done it again! He writes a story that is so hard to put down! One minute I am laughing my head off the next I am white-knuckling my kindle!
I promise, no spoilers from me!
Tegon is a master of plotting and brevity, this is not a long book, but it’s packed with terrific scene-setting, great characterizations, and dialog that makes me laugh over and over! Tegon really makes the characters come to life, they have hopes and fears just like the rest of us, even when they are sworn enemies! With Tegon’s masterful plotting I was squirming in my seat to see who would kill who first!
This is so good, just like all the rest of his books. I award Black Moon: The Chronicles of Tucker Littlefield, #2 the top score, 5 stars, even though there were a few spelling errors, which have been corrected. That is how much I enjoyed this book! I have the inside track today, Tegon is working on the third volume, a working title of “The Rise of the Norha”.
​Also, it is on preorder for only 99 cents, until August 15, 2018, then it goes to $3.99. So be smart and preorder it now. It will be auto-delivered to your device on the 15th.
Get the first volume, “The Gift” now and be all caught up! Here is the link to my review: http://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/-the-gift-the-chronicles-of-tucker-littlefield-book-1-by-tegon-maus

Multi-volume Poet, Wendy E. Slater introduces us to her recent volume of poetry Of the Flame, Poems-Volume 15:
A new constellation of wisdom and healing that is modern and timeless.

Word by word, Wendy E. Slater will illuminate a new path for you and the healing of self-blame and judgment. The poetic method and wisdom of her words will radiate into your soul, and liberate you from constraints of self-blame and judgment.

"Her themes are unpretentiously cardinal: love, yearning, cleansing, and escaping." - Amazon Review

Be transformed by these modern mystical poetic formulas and allow the heart-fire of her wisdom to take your soul on a journey... to transform, release and transmute you into remembering your authentic self and your inner wisdom.

"A most wonderful read! Wendy Slater writes with the energy of a tidal wave and is galvanized by the simple things in life that often go unnoticed." - Amazon Review

Let your inner fire ignite and discharge you from your tethers, both known and hidden, so that the true continent of your authentic self is revealed and formed. Be guided through the geology and geography of your soul, as it remembers that the separation of self, love, and Divinity is merely an illusion.

​I thought this volume would be a lot like Wendy’s previous volume of Poetry. Much to my surprise it is very different, or maybe I am the one who is different since reading volume 14. I found a wide range of feelings and experiences expressed in these pages. There is joy, anger, surprise, and innocence. I discovered a great deal of humor, as well an occasional upwelling of sadness.
Wendy has an unusual perspective on so many things, her writing pictures the differences that keep us from ourselves and others.
I award Of the Flame 5 stars! This just might change your life.

​Multi-volume author, Dominic Bergfield introduces us to the first volume in his series, Earth (The Elementals Book 1):
Markus McIntyre has faced every horror life can throw at him. He's endured loss, bullying, and poverty. When a mysterious man appears and offers Markus a way to escape his situation, he readily accepts, but just what does this deal lead to down the road? Will he obtain the happiness he's always sought, or will he only find more suffering?

​As a debut novel by a young writer, I enjoyed reading this quite a bit. Dominic went out on a limb and wrote the story in first person POV. I love this type of writing.
This Urban Fantasy action story is very entertaining. Dominic does a good job of portraying the daily task of simple survival and the hopelessness, that young and homeless, Markus experiences and feels. The discovery of nascent powers is very disturbing and perplexing for the young hero.
The action scenes are pretty well plotted, the dialog flows nicely most of the time. Even though Markus keeps slipping into depression, he pulls himself out over and over. He uses those deep feelings to leverage his power multiple times. Markus is not a quitter! That makes him a hero in my book.
I award 4.0 stars to Earth (The Elementals Book 1), the score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found.

​You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Elementals-Book-Dominic-Bergfield-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40642997-earth
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Earth-Elementals-Book-1-Dominic-Bergfield-ebook
You can follow Dominic Bergfield:
https://twitter.com/Domicon_
https://www.dominicbergfield.com
https://www.facebook.com/bergfieldbooks
https://www.facebook.com/dominic.bergfield
 
Tags: YA, coming of age, family saga, supernatural power, martial arts, betrayal, adoption, fire, earth, native Americans, indians 
​Copyright © 2018 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction

​Multi-volume author and anthologizer, Linda Joyce, introduces us to an anthology designed to raise money for the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities, Love Around the Table:

Second chance at love, second chance at life.
Six Southern authors share six great short stories of friendship, family, and romance, and six special recipes of love.

A life-threatening diagnosis triggers forgiveness and healing between two estranged sisters.
A Sister’s Quandary by Rachel Jones

Life shoves an award-winning pastry chef into a big career change where she discovers the depths of true friendship and love.
Layers of Love by Linda Joyce

In rural Mississippi, a ten-year-old black girl and white boy bond over fishing as they navigate the racial waters of the 1930s.
Mississippi Catfish by Constance Gillam

A caregiver son and an activities director at a senior living facility discover the magic powers of love.
No More Lonely Hearts by Marilyn Baron

A harried widower with four young mischievous daughters proves to a wounded woman there’s always room for one more around the table.
Table for Six by Melissa Klein

An unexpected Lazy Susan disaster splatters the news of a famous baseball player reuniting with his small-town sweetheart.
Turning the Table on Love by Ciara Knight

These are great stories! They are an easy read and very entertaining, showcasing that hope and life are often found in the places we least expect. Besides the obvious themes of love and family connecting all these stories, there is a third theme of food. The authors have provided a recipe for one of the foods in their story. The story, “Layers of Love”, involves a pastry chef and food actually plays a major role in the story, second only to the relationships. For so many of us, relationships and food go together like___ you fill in the blank. For me, peanut butter and jam.
These stories explore the pain and joy of relationships in a way that makes me smile inside, even when tears are filling my eyes.
Even if you are sure that romance is not a genre you are interested in, I encourage you to get the book just to support the Ronald McDonald house in Atlanta. I won’t twist your arm to read the book, just to buy it.
I enjoyed these refreshing stories so much, I award 5 stars, even though I found a few spelling errors. 

Left to right:  Rachel Jones, Constance Gillam, Ciara Knight, Melissa Klein, Linda Joyce, and Marilyn Baron.
You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Around-Table-Linda-Joyce-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36395252-love-around-the-table
https://www.bookbub.com/books/love-around-the-table 
100% of E-book sales to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities in Atlanta, Georgia
 
You can follow Linda Joyce:
https://twitter.com/LJWriter
http://www.linda-joyce.com
https://www.facebook.com/LindaJoyceAuthor
 
Tags: family life, ex-military, charity, celebrities, pastry chef, women’s fiction, fiction, cooking, domestic life 
​Copyright © 2018 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction 

​Debut author, Travis Borne introduces us to his epic intergalactic journey, Lenders: The Unlicensed Consciousness:
When dreaming becomes an occupation...but it’s no picnic and what must be done is not for the faint of heart. Very few can do it successfully, or stomach it, until Amy comes along. She's special, but not for any reason you’d imagine.
Jump twenty-five years into the future where the last of humanity survives in the last city, a quaint town surrounded by a great wall. Science is limited, except in the facility where technology stabilizes the world of dreams, where consciousness itself is harvested in exchange for protection.
When the unexpected happens Jim is faced with a gut-wrenching decision that could change everything. But it’s what his malcontent self had always wanted, right? Travel beyond the solar system, through wormholes, into The NOTHING—The SOMETHING as some call it, then explode out; to the edge of the universe, realms unrecognizable—and depending on his choice, possibly into a world of doom purposed for the unimaginable. But is this really just a dream, a MAP as labeled by Ted and the other scientists?
Journey into a vast desert with mezcal-drinking Felix in his clunker pickup where secrets run deep. Meet Mister Quain Renmore in a world unimaginable; he wants to disclose more than he's allowed to—beware of his slaps and kicks. Push the boundaries of the system, testing its limits with newfound powers. Will it burst through causing the ultimate surge, or is it already too late? And will it even be enough to save them—the drone army has already punched through the defenses! Head to the safe room, pack in tight while Amy, Jim, and the lenders battle against all odds to pull off the impossible.
Experience the beginning where it all started, 25 years ago. Powerful companies race to develop AI, and one man with a prescience greater than your typical mortal manages something special by working nearly 20 hours per day. He's rudely blunt and tells it like it is. But can he tear down the walls that hold him prisoner to a world of hate? Will he realize, he doesn't have to go through this alone. Hatred forged from years of abuse and mockery, once a nerd but now a king, haunted by terrible speculations of a perspicacious mind he knows things will take a turn for the worse and decides to unfold a chair, pop open a beer and watch it all burn, but now...has everything changed? He finds someone special across the border in Mexico, but can newfound love assuage the demons raging war inside his mind. His immense mental capability is balanced by a terrible trio that bullies his rational and sanity.
With a select group of friends and a rescued heart, will he alter the plans? While there can be no stopping the coming destruction, could he and his team pull it off anyway? Maybe, with the assistance of another very special mind.
Horrific terrors delivered to your spine, encounter myriad dream worlds, learn lessons from goodhearted characters like old Nanny at the fair, laugh at red-headed Myron, Amy’s wacky chainsaw-wielding school buddy going ballistic on tourists in the canyon map. Cry when new love is born, also cry when trust is shattered.
A warning to all readers: attempt to retain your lucidity while things snowball for civilization, fires rage, and volcanoes vomit. Bear witness to mass destruction on a comprehensive scale—but just as the lights are about to go out for good: along comes Jim, Amy, Rico, and the lenders, assisted by head scientist Ted—in the future; Herald, the love of his life, and his friends—in the past. Can Herald and his team outrun the approaching nightmare in the hover-jet? Can Amy and Jim slip through where all others have failed? Will a species prove itself worthy? Will a beacon for intergalactic assistance be heard, and if so will it arrive in time to save the final stragglers?

​Woo hoo! I haven’t been on such a wild ride in a long time! There is so much I want to say about this book. However, I am committed to a policy of no spoilers! (Maybe)
First, Travis is definitely a journeyman word wrangler, especially considering this is his first novel! He is very expert at assembling descriptions, scene setting and dialog!
Second, his plotting is marvelous! Just when I thought I might lose a thread he finds a way to bring it back into focus.
Third, there are many major and minor characters, and he keeps them all in line and performing solidly. Even the AI and then robots keep the action going, sometimes at breakneck speeds.
Fourth, there were quite a few times when I could barely close my Kindle. I don’t stay up late anymore without good reason and Travis gave me more than I could handle.
Fifth, I found the ending very satisfying and it left me wanting the next book. I am happy to share that it is in the works, it has a working title of “Lenders 2: The Time Tribulations”, you heard it here first!
If you like sci-fi, if you enjoy works about a post-apocalyptic future, if you make jokes about robot overlords, this large-scale techno-thriller is for you!
This is the best book I have read this year. Sci-fi is my favorite genre, even though I found a large handful of spelling errors, I am going to give it a score of 5.1 stars, on a 5-point scale. Yes, I know, I cheated. Read the book yourself and tell me I am wrong.
EDIT: As of December 10, this book as been rewritten and re-published in the Kindle format. It is so much better than the previous edition! My mind is blown again! What until you read "Lenders 2: The Time Tribulations"! The awesomeness continues!

​You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Lenders-Unlicensed-Consciousness-Travis-Borne-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40182962-lenders
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/lenders
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lenders-travis-borne
 
You can follow Travis Borne:
https://twitter.com/Travis_Borne
http://travisborne.com
https://www.facebook.com/Lenders
https://www.facebook.com/borneworlds
 
Tags: dystopian, drones, killer drones, worm-hole, artificial intelligence, lucid dreams 
Here is the link to the review of Lenders 2: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/lenders-ii-the-time-tribulations-the-lenders-saga-book-2-by-travis-borne
Copyright © 2018 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction