​Poetess and non-fiction author, Balroop Singh, introduces us to her latest volume of poetry, Timeless Echoes:
Certain desires and thoughts remain within our heart, we can’t express them, we wait for the right time, which never comes till they make inroads out of our most guarded fortresses to spill onto the pages of our choice. This collection is an echo of that love, which remained obscure, those yearnings that were suppressed, the regrets that we refuse to acknowledge. Many poems seem personal because they are written in first person but they have been inspired by the people around me – friends and acquaintances who shared their stories with me.

Some secrets have to remain buried because they are ours
We do share them but only with the stars
The tears that guarded them were as precious as flowers
Soothing like balm on festering scars.

While there are no boxes for grief and joy, some persons in our life are more closely associated with these emotions. Their separation shatters us, their memories echo, we grieve but life does not stagnate for anyone… it is more like a river that flows despite the boulders. When imagination and inspiration try to offer solace, poetry that you are about to read springs forth.

​I really enjoyed the poetry in Singh’s latest collection of poems. The imagery was easily drawn out, the words and phrasing flowed with an unmistakable grace.
This book of poetry is a hybrid of rhyming and non-rhyming verses. I found this to be quite refreshing. I particularly enjoyed the occasional alliteration.
The themes of love, wonder, and family were flowing throughout many of the poems, as well as numerous other thoughts.
I give Timeless Echoes a score of 4.7 stars. The score would have been higher except for the spelling error I found.

​Multi-volume author, Veronica Cline Barton, introduces us to the first book in her cozy murder series, The Crown for Castlewood Manor:
The English ancestral manor of Cherrywood Hall is ready to compete for selection in an upcoming British TV period drama series: the grounds are manicured, the mansion is polished, and the servants are poised. American heiress Gemma Lancaster Phillips has crossed the pond to help her cousin defeat the three other stately homes vying for the prize.
What Gemma doesn’t realize is that this competition is life or death, and someone is taking that challenge literally. The occupants of one home are killed in an automobile accident, and murder becomes a frequent occurrence at the other locations. Who is behind the mayhem? Selection would be a major coup for both the estate and the community. At first the other contestants seem to be likely suspects, but no one is quite certain as the tragedies continue. Could it even be Emma’s beloved cousin Evan, the surviving heir to the Lancaster fortune, or Kyle, his best friend and estate manager? With the Royal family in attendance at each event, the puzzle becomes a crucial one for Scotland Yard, and they enlist Gemma’s help to solve the mystery.
When the competition’s winner is announced on New Year’s Eve, will Gemma’s future be forever tied to her ancestral past?

​It has been quite a while since I have had the pleasure of reading a well-written cozy murder. I confess to being a little squeamish in the presence of a lot of blood and gore. I enjoyed this story so much, there was nothing to make me uncomfortable in this wonderful story about the behind the scenes selection process for an estate to be showcased in a British period drama, similar to Downton Abbey.
I can’t say much more without giving a spoiler, so let me say this about Barton’s writing. Her writing is marvelous! She handles the intricacies of first person POV so well. The story is told from the point of view of Dr. Gemma Phillips. This thoroughly American woman has studied the family history for her PhD. and has an eye for so much of the many decades of culture of British manors and estates. The scene-setting leaves little to be desired, the dialogue, action, and characterizations are simply wonderful in the small village and the stately manor, known as Cherrywood Hall. The clothing and foods of the past get some interesting exposure in this story. I was in suspense most of the time, and quite shocked at some of the plot twists! I have never been very good at guessing who the perp is, in a well-written story. You are going to get a great deal of reading pleasure from this book.
I award The Crown for Castlewood Manor a score of 4.9 stars; the score would have been higher, except for the small handful of spelling errors, I stumbled upon.

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Crown-Castlewood-Manor-American-Almost-Royal-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38731986-the-crown-for-castlewood-manor
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-crown-for-castlewood-manor-veronica-cline-barton
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, cosy, castle

Copyright 2018

​Debut author, Cassie Greutman, introduces us to her first book REGEN:
Life is finally shaping up for Trisha. For the first time, she’s with a foster family she doesn’t hate. Her new school is decent, and she even has a boyfriend. Until the night she finds herself waking up in the woods covered in blood, a bullet hole in her dress. 

Without her fae abilities, she’d be dead, but now the Faerie Council has given her an ultimatum. She has to help find an escaped fugitive, or be taken to Faerie, a place her missing mother told her horror stories about. 

Now, Trish has to keep her day job a secret from her foster parents, join forces with the ex-boyfriend who killed her, and hunt down a dangerous criminal before he comes into his powers. Should be a piece of cake. 

​This urban fantasy story really surpassed my expectations! It was so much fun and kept me on the edge of my seat.
I was especially pleased that the story is told from the first person POV of Trisha. She seems to be a human-Fae hybrid and knows very little of her ancestry or her nascent Fae abilities.
Cassie’s plotting left me breathless at times, her scene-setting and action sequences are quite good. When first person POV is done correctly, it’s wonderful, in my opinion. Cassie avoids so many of the problems that trip up authors, she kept the POV clean of extraneous thoughts, there was no head-hopping.
This is a great story, I highly recommend it! I hope there is a sequel. There is a lot more story to tell.
I award 4.8 stars to REGEN, the score would have been higher except for the small handful of spelling issues. 

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Regen-Cassie-Greutman-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38594972-regen
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Regen-Cassie-Greutman-ebook

​​You can follow Cassie:
https://twitter.com/writeranrider89

​Multi-volume, multi-genre author, Theresa Snyder, introduces us to the first book in her science fiction series The Helavite War:
Jake is a human mercenary looking for a quiet place to rest, when his Protect Dar-dolf attacks the last living Henu, Arr. Feeling responsible, Jake stays on to care for Arr, as the alien with deep blue cat eyes and unusual abilities recovers.

Jake takes on the role of teacher, mentor, father, and lost brother for his new alien friend. He and Arr share adventures dealing with the Hydra, a race of lizard-like creatures who kidnap members of other species to sell on the black market as slaves; battle the Narnon on Gligula where Tuldavian Swamp Lizards lay their traps just below the surface of the slime; and engage in numerous other missions while learning to appreciate each other’s rare abilities. 

Ultimately, they must face their toughest foe, the Helavites, a species which has been preying on the weaker beings in the universe for generations. In the underground catacombs of these beetle-like creatures a mystery is solved and the foundation for the resurrection of an old world are laid.

​I am so glad I read this story! It took me back to my early-teen years when I first discovered sci-fi. I devoured book after book, reading Asimov, Pohl, Heinlein, and too many others to name here.
Snyder’s style of writing is very enjoyable, she moves the story along at a good pace. The plot, scene-setting, and dialogue all work together to create a wonderful read. Her characterizations are quite good, perhaps the best bit of her books. Jake and Arr come across as very real, even the dar-dolf brings a lot of color and humor into the story.
Written in the classic style of space operas, I loved this book. I award 4.6 stars to The Helavite War, the score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found. 

There are actually seven volumes in The Star Traveler series!

​You can get this book free:
https://www.theresasnyderauthor.com/free-books/
https://www.theresasnyderauthor.com/star-travelers/#helavite
https://www.amazon.com/-the-helavite-war
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Helavite-War-Star-Traveler-Book
https://www.goodreads.com/-the-helavite-war
 
You can follow the author:
https://www.theresasnyderauthor.com/
https://twitter.com/TheresaSnyder19
https://www.facebook.com/theresa.snyder.14
https://www.facebook.com/booksbytheresasnyder/
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+TheresaSnyderAuthor
https://www.youtube.com/user/lorjim3su/feed
https://www.pinterest.com/tsauthor/
https://www.instagram.com/tsnydert/
https://www.goodreads.com/Theresa_Snyder
https://soundcloud.com/theresasnyder19/
Tags: Science fiction, space, rockets, aliens, adventure, action

​You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/fight-of-the-gnomes
https://www.goodreads.com/fight-of-the-gnomes-arcon-book-2-litrpg
 
You can follow Erinn Price:
https://twitter.com/ErinnPr33359311
https://www.facebook.com/ErinnPriceAuthor
https://www.amazon.com/Erinn-Price
https://erinnprice.com
erinn.price@yahoo.com
 
Tags: YA, mature MG, AI

Multi-volume author, Lars D. H. Hedbor, introduces us to the 9th volume in his series about the fictional history of America before the revolutionary war:
​
What Does Liberty Mean for a Freedman?

Calabar was brought from Africa to North-Carolina as a boy and sold on the docks as chattel property to a plantation owner. On the plantation, he learned the intricacies of indigo production, fell in love, and started a family.

Abruptly released from bondage, he must find his way in a society that has no place for him, but which is itself struggling with the threat of British domination. Reeling from personal griefs, and drawn into the chaos of the Revolution, Calabar knows that the wrong moves could cost him his freedom—and that of the nation.

The Freedman is Hedbor’s standalone novel set in North-Carolina from his Tales From a Revolution Series, in which he examines the American War of Independence as it unfolded in each of the colonies. If you like enthralling stories of familiar events from unfamiliar viewpoints, you’ll love The Freedman.

Grab your copy of The Freedman today, and experience the American Revolution as a personal journey of discovery.

​This historical-fiction story was so good! Lars must have done an amazing amount of research. I think he has done a marvelous job of capturing the milieu of slaves, freedmen, and residents of North Carolina in the days before the American Revolutionary War. His scene-setting, plotting, and descriptions come across quite authentic. Dialog and action keep the story moving along perfectly.
We are brought into the life of a slave turned freedman in a first-rate fashion. His struggles, hopes, and fears are eloquently portrayed. The incidents of racism and discrimination Calabar experiences at the hands of white and black are far more than entertainment. They are a reminder of how inhumane one person can be to another even to this day.
I award 4.6 stars to The Freedman: Tales From a Revolution - North-Carolina, the score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found.

​Multi-volume author, multi-genre author, Keith Jahans introduces us to his thoughtful crime thriller Magic Bullets:
Can there be a magic bullet?

The quest for a magic bullet is to find a drug which can cure disease and do no harm. Microbiologist Adam Knight finds that the new antibiotic, Floracillin, he has discovered can cause cancer. He falls in love with a young talented singer, the daughter of the head of a pharmaceutical company who wants to acquire the commercial rights to Floracillin.

But he becomes responsible for other bullets. Those that come from Kalashnikov automatic rifles and can shatter lives.

Keith has taken a rather cerebral approach to the average crime thriller and made something quite special. Providing very detailed scene-setting, the pace of the story is not very frenetic. The dialog is plentiful and actions are described in detail. The plot keeps twisting and turning, the protagonist, Adam Knight, is not the only one trying to figure out who is messing with his life. Adam does a fair amount of traveling and those scenes are captured very nicely as well.
Amazon has it listed as a medical mystery, but that is really a minor thread in the overall fabric of the story. Adam appears to be surrounded by conspiracy of unknown dimensions and spends much of his time unraveling the many mysteries holding him back. It becomes very difficult to tell who is friend and who is foe.
I enjoyed this story, but was interrupted by dozens of spelling errors. They should all be fixed now, providing a smoother read for you, the next reader. I give Magic Bullets 3.7 stars. The score would have been quite a bit higher except for all the spelling errors.

​Make no mistake, this is a good story!

You can buy this book:
http://peatmore.com/magicbullets.htm
https://www.amazon.com/magic-bullets
https://www.goodreads.com/book/magic-bullets
https://www.amazon.co.uk/magic-bullets
 
You can follow Keith Jahans:
http://twitter.com/keithjahans
http://peatmore.com
Tags: thriller, mystery, England, Spain, murder, biology, medical research, medicine
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