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Santa's Magical Christmas Tree by Doris Bowers

11/16/2019

Debut children’s author, Doris Bowers, introduces us to her first book, “Santa’s Magical Christmas Tree”:
Terrance and Velda Powers get to help mom pick out their special Christmas Tree. When they get it home, they find it is Magical! They find something Special and Magical in their Christmas Tree! What can it be?
Keep reading to find out, and all the fun Velda and Terrance have with their discovery.

This is such a cute book; children will love reading this or having it read to them. The joy and excitement captured in this story is quite contagious and will leave you feeling wonderful.
I have cut many Christmas trees in my life, my family owns a wholesale Christmas tree farm, and I have never found one like this tree. I didn’t know what I was missing!
The action and dialogue are great fun, from a nice, old man selling the trees to a mystery guest.
I found one missing word. That has been fixed.
I award “Santa’s Magical Christmas Tree” a score of 5.0 stars, just for all the cuteness.

You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Santas-Magical-Christmas-Tree-Book-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-santa-s-magical-christmas-tree
You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/DorisKoalaGirl
http://www.instagram.com/dkoalagirl/
facebook.com/doris.jarrett.52
Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

14 Comments

Mistletoe and Mayhem: Yuletide at Castlewood Manor

11/9/2019

1 Comment

(My American Almost Royal Cousin Series Book 4)
By Veronica Cline Barton

Multi-volume, award-winning author, Veronica Barton introduces us to the fourth volume in her cozy murder series “Mistletoe and Mayhem”:
A family's legacy, a mother's anguish, deadly revenge, and bridezilla wannabes are set to rendezvous around the Christmas tree this Yuletide season. Rumor has it a feature film is in the works for the hit period drama series, Castlewood Manor, as the PR plans go into overdrive.

History is about to be righted by royal decree, which may have a devastating impact not only to the British/American family relations in the Lancaster household, but might also jeopardize the future of the Castlewood Manor production on the estate. American heiress Gemma Lancaster Phillips, PhD, is facing a unique crossroads in her life—marrying the man she loves and becoming the first American marchioness in British nobility as she teeters on the edge of accepting the family peerage and title from her cousin, Evan. Father Christmas has his hands full as tragedy, royal drama, conniving foes, and meddling friends and family threaten to bring this 'Tis the Season' to a fiery and disastrous end.

I love the stories that Veronica writes. I feel like a close friend of the family now. Veronica has built an amazingly realistic world for her characters to live, love and exist in.
The story is told in the first-person point of view of Gemma, the American heiress. Gemma and the other characters have real experiences and problems as they seek to deal with mysterious tragedies and snobby acquaintances. Danger seems to be lurking around every other corner.
It’s a very special holiday season because a family member that disappeared has returned home. I won’t say anymore to prevent giving out a spoiler.
I enjoyed this tale so much, “Mistletoe and Mayhem” gets five stars!

You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/mistletoe-and-mayhem
https://www.goodreads.com/mistletoe-and-mayhem
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/mistletoe-and-mayhem
You can follow Veronica Cline Barton:
https://twitter.com/VClinebarton
https://myamericanalmostroyalcousinseries.com
https://www.facebook.com/myamericanalmostroyalcousinseries
https://www.amazon.com/Veronica-Cline-Barton
https://www.goodreads.com/author/Veronica_Cline_Barton
Tags: mystery, suspense, traditional detective, cozy, castle
Here is the interview with the author and the review of the first book: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-crown-for-castlewood-manor-by-veronica-cline-barton
Here is the interview with the author and the review of the second book: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/cast-crew-and-carnage-the-filming-of-castlewood-manor-my-american-almost-royal-cousin-series-by-veronica-cline-barton
Here is the interview with the author and the review of the third book: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/deadly-receptions-the-debut-of-castlewood-manor-by-veronica-cline-barton

Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

1 Comment

Eternal Shadow

11/9/2019

45 Comments

(Fall of Gods Book 1) By Trevor B. Williams

Debut science fiction author, Trevor B. Williams, introduces us to the first volume in his series, “Eternal Shadow”:
What would you do if the world was going to end in ten years? For Jennifer Epstein, a by-the-books senior researcher at SETI, there is only one answer: prevent the apocalypse from happening. Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus were destroyed by an alien threat. The deck was stacked against humanity before the cards came out of the box.

But Jennifer isn’t alone. She has Samantha Monroe, her excitable but brilliant colleague. From South Africa, CEO Muzikayise Khulu of Khulu Global supplies his vast resources to the ultimate race for survival. The three find themselves in an unlikely alliance while political brinkmanship, doomsday cults, and untested technologies form ever-growing obstacles.

Will humanity unite to face the greatest challenge of their time, or will it destroy itself before the alien ship arrives?

I love science fiction, especially hard sci-fi! This is a great story! It is so well written. Trevor’s plotting is quite good, combining an imminent destruction of the earth with a first-contact type of story provides a white-knuckle ride!
The science is very well done and quite believable; the scenes are set perfectly. Some of the dialogue is so funny, I laughed out loud. The antagonists on Earth, a zealous, religious cult is very scary and very realistically presented. It is nearly impossible to stop a person willing to die for their cause, except to stop them before they do too much damage.
I am anxious for the continuations of the series. I award “Eternal Shadow” a score of 5 stars!

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Eternal-Shadow
https://www.goodreads.com/-eternal-shadow
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/eternal-shadow-trevor-williams
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/eternal-shadow-1

You can follow the author:
http://www.trevorwrites.com/
https://twitter.com/tw_trevorwrites
https://www.facebook.com/tw.trevorwrites/
https://www.instagram.com/tw_trevorwrites/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/Trevor_B_Williams
Tags: action, adventure, outer space, solar system, sci-fi, international, space station
Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

45 Comments

Slowed by a Baby

11/2/2019

10 Comments

The African Woman’s Journey – Book 2
By Eileen Omosa

Multi-volume, multi-genre author, Eileen K. Omosa, introduces us to the second volume of “The African Woman’s Journey”: “Slowed by a Baby”:

Is being a millionaire’s wife and pregnant, an automatic ticket out of the world of employment?

Richie and Sophia have returned from a ten-day honeymoon when he asks her to resign from her job and stay at home with his mother. His wife being in employment will reflect on his capability to provide for her.
In this second book in The African Woman’s Journey Trilogy, Sophia confronts a new challenge–as a career woman, can she become a stay-at-home-Mom if her husband is a millionaire?
Buy this book to learn from a tale of change and adaptation, where ambition, social expectations, and love intertwine.

This story was very enjoyable. I like the way the author writes. I think I liked it even better than the first one (link at the bottom). Getting married introduces many changes in the dynamic of two people and two families, as they work to blend their once-separate lives. Getting pregnant makes that work even more complicated, especially, when the baby shows up a few months after the wedding.
Eileen does a wonderful job of exploring the conflicting visions and desires of two people who are just learning how to communicate. This story is not short on description or scene setting, it is the richness of dialogue that made me laugh out loud so many times.
The personal and relationship growth of Richie and Sophia is heartwarming and encouraging. Each of them is fully fleshed out as well as the supporting cast of family and friends.
I award 4.9 stars to “Slowed by a Baby”, the score would have been higher except for a handful of spelling errors.

You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Slowed-by-a-Baby-African-Womans-Journey
https://www.goodreads.com/-slowed-by-a-baby
https://www.amazon.co.uk/slowed-by-a-baby

You can follow Eileen Omosa:
https://twitter.com/iGrowideas
https://www.eileenomosa.com
https://www.facebook.com/EileenOmosaAuthor

Previous book review and interview: http://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-choices-she-must-make-africas-billionaire-heirs-book-1-by-eileen-k-omosa

Tags: multicultural, hope, contemporary women’s fiction, sweet romance, marriage, communication, relationship, pregnancy, international business, Kenya

Copyright © 2019 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction

10 Comments

Lake on the Moon by H.E. Wilburson

10/26/2019

14 Comments

The War of the Worlds (The Martian Diaries, Vol. 2) Audio Drama Sequel: A New Martian Menace Invades Earth
Narrated by Terry Thompson and Harry Preston

Multiple volume author, H.E. Wilburson, introduces us to the second audio book of three in his sci-fi series, Lake on the Moon: The Martian Diaries:
When a Martian cylinder lands on Horsell Common, Ogilvy the astronomer barely survives a deadly heat-ray attack and wakes up in a hospital inundated with casualties as the first War of the Worlds alien invasion rages. He alone discovers the real significance of the Red Weed brought to Earth by the Martians and dispatches vital evidence on board HMS Thunder Child, but it is lost when the ship is attacked and sunk by Martian tripods. Years later in 1919, in the aftermath of the Great War and Spanish Influenza, an insidious new alien menace emerges on Earth from the long forgotten Red Weed. A dangerous and daring plan is devised as Ogilvy, George (HG Wells' narrator), and other original characters strive to combat the devastating Martian plague threatening to extinguish all life on our planet.
Don't miss this compelling continuation of H.G.Wells' iconic book in the exciting second volume of The Martian Diaries science fiction series, featuring the original characters and a bespoke musical score.

I have been waiting to resume the story from “The Day of the Martians” for a long time. I loved the first audio book!
This is so well written and acted out! The voice actors do a very credible job and the sound effects along with the music really make the story come alive. Science fiction is my favorite genre, and both of these books are a wonderful extension of the classic story from H. G. Wells “The War of The Worlds”.
I give “Lake on the Moon” a score of 5 stars!

You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/-lake-on-the-moon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lake-Moon-Martian-Invades-Diaries
https://www.audible.com/lake-on-the-moon
https://www.audible.co.uk/lake-on-the-moon
https://www.goodreads.com/-lake-on-the-moon

You can follow the author:
http://martiandiaries.com
https://twitter.com/martiandiaries
https://www.facebook.com/martiandiaries

Here is the link for my review of the first book: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-day-of-the-martians-the-martian-diaries-volume-1-by-he-wilburson-narrated-by-terry-thompson-and-harry-preston

Tags: sci-fi, science fiction, historical, aliens, Mars, invasion, England, Wales
Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

14 Comments

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Book Reviews

Santa's Magical Christmas Tree by Doris Bowers

Mistletoe and Mayhem: Yuletide at Castlewood Manor

(My American Almost Royal Cousin Series Book 4)
By Veronica Cline Barton

Eternal Shadow

Slowed by a Baby

The African Woman’s Journey – Book 2
By Eileen Omosa

Lake on the Moon by H.E. Wilburson

The War of the Worlds (The Martian Diaries, Vol. 2) Audio Drama Sequel: A New Martian Menace Invades Earth
Narrated by Terry Thompson and Harry Preston

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Archives

Categories

Book Reviews

Santa's Magical Christmas Tree by Doris Bowers

Mistletoe and Mayhem: Yuletide at Castlewood Manor

(My American Almost Royal Cousin Series Book 4)By Veronica Cline Barton

Eternal Shadow

Slowed by a Baby

The African Woman’s Journey – Book 2By Eileen Omosa

Lake on the Moon by H.E. Wilburson

The War of the Worlds (The Martian Diaries, Vol. 2) Audio Drama Sequel: A New Martian Menace Invades Earth Narrated by Terry Thompson and Harry Preston

Who am I?

Archives

Categories

(My American Almost Royal Cousin Series Book 4)
By Veronica Cline Barton

The African Woman’s Journey – Book 2
By Eileen Omosa

The War of the Worlds (The Martian Diaries, Vol. 2) Audio Drama Sequel: A New Martian Menace Invades Earth
Narrated by Terry Thompson and Harry Preston