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Multi-volume, multi-genre author, Leslie D. Soule introduces us to the third volume in The Fallenwood Chronicles, Betrayer: With five crystals to destroy, in order to rob the dark lord Malegaunt of his power, Ash Kensington's path is set. She begins a quest with the talking cat, Greymalkin, and her wyvern, Slick. But when she meets up with the handsome dragon slayer, Draeon, her senses overwhelm her, and she becomes distracted. Will she be able to destroy the crystals in time to challenge Malegaunt?  This is a fascinating book on two levels. There is more than one story here, if you read the preface, you will see the second story by reading between the lines of prose. I like the main character, Ashley, quite a bit. She comes across as a wounded person, like all of us are to one degree or another, trying to cope with the life she is in. Except, she has two lives, unlike most of us who live in one world rather than two. Written in First Person POV, which I love, this story has a widely varying pace, just like real life. The scene-setting is good, the dialogue is nicely done also. The characters are nicely fleshed out, their personalities come through quite well. I award 4.9 stars to “Betrayer”! The score would have been higher except for a few spelling errors I found.  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Betrayer-Fallenwood-Chronicles-Book-3-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/book/betrayer https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/betrayer-leslie-d-soule You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/Falcondraco http://www.lesliesoule.com https://www.instagram.com/falcondraco https://www.facebook.com/DarkSoules Tags: fantasy, sword and sorcery, quest, unicorn, magic, Copyright 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction
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Multi-volume, multi-genre author, Rick Hall introduces us to his new book, Gnosis: A Psychic Urban Fantasy: Psychics, government conspiracies, and dangerous criminals swirl like a summer storm around 17yo parkour enthusiast Samantha Black. When a series of crushing headaches lands Sam in the hospital, she wakes to an imaginary voice in her head: Alexander, an adorable ten-year-old who claims to be a telepath. The doctors think Sam’s brain was damaged after a stroke, but they’re wrong. Alexander isn’t imaginary. He’s a sentient virus, and the government knows about him. After all, they created him.  This story is so well crafted! I love it! Samantha is so resourceful; I love the parkour action also. Alexander is quite adorable. Rick has wowed me with his writing! His plotting is magnificent, the scene-setting is excellent. I don’t think he wasted a single word. Everything moves the story forward, as the mysteries are peeled back one at a time. First person POV does it for me every time, no head-hopping here! I enjoyed how the characters developed also. Gnosis gets a score of 4.9 stars! The score would have been higher except for a handful of spelling errors. The good news is the errors are corrected so your reading pleasure will be improved.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Gnosis-Psychic-Fantasy-Rick-Hall-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/book/-gnosis https://www.bookbub.com/books/gnosis-a-psychic-urban-fantasy-by-rick-hall You can follow Rick: https://twitter.com/Stellerex64 http://www.rickhallauthor.com https://www.facebook.com/GnosisNovel https://www.goodreads.com/author/Rick_Hall https://www.bookbub.com/profile/rick-hall Tags: mystery, conspiracy, paranormal, teen, YA, father, action, adventure, coming of age, paranormal Rick's guest blog about non-lineaar writing: www.wordrefiner.com/guest-blogs/non-linear-writing Copyright © Mark Schultz 2019, except for the author’s introduction. You and Me Kid A Practical Guide for Meeting Your Teen with Faith, Hope, and Love By Nancy Washburn5/24/2019 Author, Nancy Washburn introduces us to her experience-based book about raising teens, “You and Me Kid”: “I remember the day I became a parent of a teenager. He was my child one day and the next he was telling me he wanted to meet a girl at the movie theater. All of a sudden he wanted a girlfriend; he was 13. A whole new territory of decisions and feelings opened up before us as a whole new set of emotions and decisions was presenting themselves to him! What to do? “You and Me Kid answers the practical side of this transition as well as a solid background of understanding of what is happening in the young person. The ‘3 Messages’ your child needs to receive from you to be emotionally healthy and to build a lasting, respectful bond between you and your child are clearly described in scenario and story. “The ‘Three Messages’ are more than a 'text message' but clear ways of talking and interacting with your child that will empower you to know how to meet the task of providing your child with what they really need, your most heartfelt desire!” IN THIS BOOK, YOU WILL FIND: Tips to save parents and teens a lot of pain! Engaging stories with simple lessons for parenting your teen Advice from an experienced Parent Educator and Child Development Professor Ways to learn to foster your teen’s success in life and build a lasting parent-child bond Ideas on how to help your teen grow up emotionally healthy Simple messages that every teen needs to hear New practical help for living your desire of being an effective parent for your teen. Information that the average educated person does not know about teenagers. Messages teens need, made easy for parents Knowledge of what all teens are experiencing developmentally When teens hear these messages they always say, “I wish my parents knew this.” How to shift from conflict with your teen into responsiveness and enduring connection Feel competent as a parent of a teenager. Discover key information about adolescent development that the average parent does not know Advice on how to navigate important and difficult conversations with your teen. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Nancy Washburn, M.A., is a Professor and Vice-Chair of Child and Family Studies at LA City College. For the past twenty years, Nancy Washburn has taught Child Development classes to thousands of young adults across the greater Los Angeles area. Her goal as a professor has been to inspire new teachers and parents to go forward, and use their knowledge to help children and families to be the best together, and for society. Prior to teaching college Ms. Washburn was a Parent Educator for 16 years with families of children from birth through adolescence. Ms. Washburn has taught a variety of workshops on Parenting, Conflict Resolution, and Guidance. One of her favorite jobs has been raising three children of her own into productive human beings. Throughout her career she has been spurred on by her own confusion and lack of confidence as an adolescent and the desire to help young people and their parents have a smoother ride. In writing this book she enlightens parents and gives them the knowledge and messages they need to have a positive relationship with their children and help them to be secure within themselves and in the world.  I really enjoyed this book. I was reminded of my own floundering and stumbling around as a teenager, trying to fit in and measure up. What a crazy time! This is one thing that I really love about this book. Nancy really respects and understands the turbulence of the time in a young person’s life. For a lot of people that time stretches well past the teen years. Nancy’s clear and honest writing is very encouraging. Every teen needs to hear that they are exactly where they need to be, they are on schedule, in the process of maturing into an adult. A lot in this book can apply to any person struggling with issues from their childhood, no matter their age. I give “You and Me Kid” a score of 4.9 stars! The score would have been higher except for a few spelling errors. The errors have been corrected, so your reading will be all the smoother.  You can buy this book:
https://rdrpublishers.com/collections/parenting/products/you-and-me-kid-a-practical-guide-for-meeting-your-teen-with-faith-hope-and-love https://www.amazon.com/You-Me-Kid-Practical-Meeting-ebook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-and-me-kid-nancy-washburn You can follow the author: https://www.facebook.com/nancy.washburn.56 Tags: parenting, teenagers, teens, family, education, counseling Copyright © 2019 Mark L Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multi-volume author, Wayne Kerr, introduces us to his latest mystery involving Reggie Swann, "A Pinot Noir to Die For": Wine… Rock ‘n Roll… Murder! The morning after a huge party at his opulent Okanagan winery, legendary Rock ‘n Roll icon Milo Getz is found face down in a large tank of Zipper Ripper Red, one of his extremely popular wines. The police rule his death as accidental, but the grieving widow doesn’t agree. She believes her husband was murdered and hires Reggie Swann to investigate. Who would want to harm the successful celebrity? Reggie quickly discovers that the controversial rock star has almost as many enemies as fans. From his offensive song lyrics to the raunchy wine labels that outraged the traditional winemakers in the region, the dead singer managed to stir up contention where ever he went. Lust, hate, greed and jealousy are just some of the motives Reggie uncovers as she delves deep into the latest: Black Swann Investigation  This story and Wayne’s writing is so good! I was sorry to read the last page. I wanted more! More of Reggie and her survival instincts, more of her growing crew that surround her with love and respect. I wanted more of the plotting that Wayne is so good at. The scene-setting is easy to visualize, the action is clear and the dialogue is quite humorous at times. Reggie and the supporting cast come across as quite real. This is such an enjoyable read, I award 4.9 stars to “A Pinot Noir to Die For”, the score would have been higher except for a handful of spelling errors I found. Those errors are corrected, your reading will be all the smoother.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Pinot-Noir-Black-Swann-Investigation https://www.goodreads.com/-a-pinot-noir-to-die-for https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pinot-Noir-Black-Swann-Investigation You can follow Wayne: http://waynekerrnovels.allauthor.com/ https://twitter.com/waynekerrnovels www.facebook.com/wayne.kerr.792740 http://www.waynekerrnovels.com/ You can write Wayne: waynekerrnovels@gmail.com I have already reviewed the first book in this series: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/framed-black-swann-investigations-book-1-by-wayne-kerr I have reviewed another exciting book by Wayne Kerr https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/-ric-a-dam-doo-the-snow-devils-by-wayne-a-d-kerr Tags: private investigator, woman, sleuth, mystery, procedural, police Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction. Multi-volume author, George Newman, introduces us to his fabulous book, “How to Survive in an Upside Down Economy”: Every month, 1.7 million Americans lose their jobs. Although many of those jobs are replaced with new ones, most are lower-paying, often falling below the poverty line. If you’re over 40 and finding yourself out of a job, you might very well be among the vanishing middle class and likely worrying how you’re going to keep your house and your health insurance plus make payments on your SUV. The answer, says George Newman, author of How to Survive in an Upside Down Economy, is to hire yourself — start your own business and be your own boss. Being out of a job doesn’t mean being out of work. You don’t need a lot of money to do this, according to Newman. In fact, almost none at all. Newman, an award-winning journalist turned small-business owner, details how to build a successful business on a shoestring. Unemployed at the age of 50, he decided to take a chance on himself instead of searching for another job. Using no startup capital and operating with virtually no overhead, he began by providing services that are always in demand and found ways to offer them at low cost. As he went along, Newman found that as he reduced his expenses and steadily increased his income, he discovered the critical factors needed for survival. He worked long hours, he bought only necessities and never carried a balance except for his home mortgage. His money-saving tips are included in the book. The book also addresses the low self-esteem and sense of hopelessness and depression that often accompany being unemployed. Choosing self-employment calls for a self-starter with above-average commitment, says Newman. It requires a major downsizing in lifestyle. It means learning how to exist and live on the cheap. Stay focused and you can succeed, Newman says. And if you succeed, you will never again need to place your earning potential in the hands of anyone except yourself.  This book is so much more than what the title suggests! George lays out a system for anyone who wants to be an entrepreneur. While the book was written in the midst of economic upheaval, the lessons and advice apply in any economy. Websites may come and go; the advice is rock solid! If you want to be your own boss, follow this plan, it will be hard work, there is no magic wand that George waves. Dig in and have fun. I give “How to Survive in an Upside Down Economy” a score of 5 stars! You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/How-Survive-Upside-Down-Economy-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30812016-how-to-survive-in-an-upside-down-economy https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Upside-Down-Economy-ebook Copyright © 2019 Mark L Schultz except for the author’s introduction. Multi-volume author, Scott Grace, introduces us to his book “How to Evolve During the Trump Experience Whether Humanity Joins You or Not”: There is a poem on the back cover that sums up what this book is about: Donald Trump’s not a problem to be solved. He’s an in-your-face wake-up call, a calling to evolve. As this book assists you to do some inner work, Trump may still be acting like an insensitive jerk; But he won’t continue to jerk your chain ‘Cause you'll have discovered how to remain In your peaceful, powerful, and playful center Where love, joy, and immigrants can enter. This book is for anyone who has been having trouble with Trump. It is for anyone feeling that your heart is aching and maybe even breaking over what’s going on in the USA, and beyond. It is for anyone who cares not just about making America great again, but about the entire world, the air, the water, and all the children on the planet that are inheriting a future here on earth. There is wisdom here that with soothe and comfort you, and even parts that will lighten you up, bringing some humor where it is much needed. Sometimes it will help you shed some tears that may have been waiting for permission to release. That’s a good thing, don’t you think? It also helps dry your tears. And put a smile on your face in the very next chapter. It contains twelve new steps of recovering your power during the Trump Experience (not at all just for twelve-steppers). It is twelve steps to take you up the ladder of emotional well-being, not just for surviving, but thriving—that’s right, thriving through this Trump experience, using it to grow and using it to flourish. But, a gentle warning: This book does ask of you that you do some inner work. Those twelve steps are practical practices that you are asked not just to read and enjoy, but to, well, put into practice. The book holds your hand and guides you gently through that work. It helps you reframe what’s going on out there in the world so that what’s going on in your heart and mind isn’t pain and powerlessness, but it is actual hope and optimism, trust and faith, right in the midst of the chaos. This book will give you a faith-lift. It is scrumptious and healthy mental food that will help you more consciously choose your mood so your daily internal attitude is not shaped by a world so crude and rude.  Scott has some good ideas for dealing with stress in your life. There are many kinds of stress: political, economic, educational, familial, relationship and many others. We all have stress in our lives. Scott is a talented man, using music, humor and wisdom from different sources to help people regain their center and perspective. We each have to find that place from which to live our lives without being overly impacted by the circumstances we are in. Scott helps to show a path to regain your focus to live your life out loud and alive. I give “How to Evolve During the Trump Experience Whether Humanity Joins You or Not” a score of 4.7 stars, the score would have been higher except for a couple of spelling errors. Those errors have been corrected, so your reading will be all the better.  You can buy this book:
https://rdrpublishers.com/products/how-to-evolve-during-the-trump-experience-whether-humanity-joins-you-or-not-by-scott-grace https://www.amazon.com/Evolve-During-Experience-Whether-Humanity-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-how-to-evolve-during-the-trump-experience-whether-humanity-joins-you-or-not You can follow the author: https://www.scottsongs.com https://www.amazon.com/Scott-Kalechstein-Grace https://www.facebook.com/scottkgrace Copyright © Mark Schultz 2019 except for the author’s introduction Multi-volume author, Mercedes Rochelle, introduces us to the first volume of her series, The Plantagenet Legacy, A King Under Siege: Richard II found himself under siege not once, but twice in his minority. Crowned king at age ten, he was only fourteen when the Peasants' Revolt terrorized London. But he proved himself every bit the Plantagenet successor, facing Wat Tyler and the rebels when all seemed lost. Alas, his triumph was short-lived, and for the next ten years he struggled to assert himself against his uncles and increasingly hostile nobles. Just like in the days of his great-grandfather Edward II, vengeful magnates strove to separate him from his friends and advisors, and even threatened to depose him if he refused to do their bidding. The Lords Appellant, as they came to be known, purged the royal household with the help of the Merciless Parliament. They murdered his closest allies, leaving the King alone and defenseless. He would never forget his humiliation at the hands of his subjects. Richard's inability to protect his adherents would haunt him for the rest of his life, and he vowed that next time, retribution would be his.  What a great talent author Mercedes Rochelle has! She has taken some dusty, dry old bits of history and crafted a wonderful and exciting story! I was on the edge of my seat. Such a pleasure to read. King reads just like a modern-day, political thriller. Plots and scheming abound in the castle and in many other centers of power. Intrusions by foreign governments and secret military actions occur regularly. Exquisite scene-setting, intricate plotting, wonderful dialogue and realistic characters at so many levels. The extensive research Mercedes has done makes this story come alive! I give A King Under Siege a score of 4.9 stars! The score would have been higher except for a small handful of spelling errors I found. The errors have been corrected, so your reading pleasure will be all the better.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/King-Under-Siege-Plantagenet-Legacy-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-a-king-under-siege https://www.amazon.co.uk/King-Under-Siege-Plantagenet-Legacy-ebook You can follow the author: http://www.twitter.com/AuthorRochelle http://www.mercedesrochelle.com http://www.mercedesrochelle.net http://www.historicalbritainblog.com Tags: history, biography, fiction, medieval, European, Ireland, Scotland, England, historical biographical, fictional Copyright © 2019 Mark Schultz except for the author’s introduction Debut children’s author, Ashley Davidson-Fisher introduces us to her children’s book, La Petite Josette En Provence: La Petite Josette loves adventures and history and she is super excited for her trip to one of the most beautiful villages in Provence, France. What will she find? A castle, knights, perhaps a "treasure" to take home? There's so much to do before the trip, but with the help of her big sister, they'll be on their way in no time. Come join La Petite Josette, her sister Anne-Laure, and their parents while they have a picnic lunch of delicious, French food, go inside a medieval toy store, and explore the village. Are you ready? Vous êtes prêts? · Parents and grandparents of young children will find the sweetness and gentleness of the illustrations (beautifully hand-drawn and water colored by the author's daughter), and the simple story line, will help to introduce their little ones to the French language. · The short words and phrases in French will engage young readers, ages 6-11, and help to pique their interest in learning a new language or reinforce a language they already have some knowledge in. · Children will also be introduced to one of the most beautiful and historical places in France. · One does not have to know French in order to read it as the book is written mostly in English with French phrases throughout. · French speakers looking to improve their English skills would also enjoy the book.  This is a very cute book. I love the story and everything about it. The author’s daughter did the illustrations and I love them. Mixing in a little bit of French with the English writing comes off quite well. Teaching children a second language when they are young is a very good idea. Their brains are very malleable and it’s relatively easy for children at a young age to learn extra languages. If that interests you as a parent, this is a good place to start. The story flows well, the scene-setting is nice. The family dynamic is pleasant. Dialogue is lovely. You will find this this story fun and light hearted. I award a score of 4.9 stars! It would have been higher except for a couple of spelling errors. These errors have been fixed so you will have a 5-star read.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Petite-Josette-Provence-Childrens-Bilingual-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/book/-la-petite-josette-en-provence https://www.barnesandnoble.com/la-petite-josette-en-provence-ashley-davidson-fisher You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/backyardprovenc https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleydavidsonfisher https://lapetitejosette.com http://readingwithyourkids.com/rwyk-presents-a-bilingual-childrens-book-la-petite-josette-en-provence https://www.instagram.com/backyardprovence Here is a podcast: https://creativewritingmagic.com/podcast-ep-008 Tags: Family vacation, France, historical sites, picnic, toys Copyright © 2019 by Mark Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multi-volume author, Paullette Golden introduces us to her first volume in the historical romance fiction series, The Enchantresses, The Earl And The Enchantress: Not all scars can be healed with a kiss. Sebastian Lancaster, Earl of Roddam, harbors a family secret so dark he has forsaken marriage to hide the past. When fate introduces him to Lizbeth, he believes he has met his perfect match—a woman with whom he can share passion without commitment. Lizbeth Trethow risks everything to follow her heart until Sebastian’s past returns to haunt them. Desperate to hide the blood on his hands, he sabotages their happiness. Everything depends on Lizbeth unraveling the truth and turning this villain into a hero. This is the love story of Lizbeth and Sebastian as they battle metaphoric ghosts born of murder and enlightenment to be together  What a wonderful story! I have read a number of historical fiction romance stories and this is the best one so far! Paulette does such a masterful job of weaving so many historical details into her story, it makes me think she has a time machine in her basement. She must have lived in the milieu for some time, because her knowledge of the age is encyclopedic. With so much attention to detail, without being burdensome, her scene setting is impeccable! I feel like I was at the table with all the nobility. Her dialogue is witty and authentic. It all rings so true and natural. I laughed out loud quite a few times. The action is quite good also, even the steamy parts. I award The Earl And The Enchantress a score of 4.9 stars! The score would have been higher, except for the handful of spelling errors I found. The errors have been corrected, so your reading will be smoother.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Earl-Enchantress-Novel-Book-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-the-earl-and-the-enchantress https://www.barnesandnoble.com/the-earl-and-the-enchantress-paullett-golden You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/PaullettGolden https://www.paullettgolden.com https://www.facebook.com/Paullettgolden https://www.instagram.com/paullettgolden Tags: Regency romance, England, nobility, landed gentry, royalty Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Independent author, Carlos Tkacz, introduces us to his debut sci-fi novel, The Void Within: The 25th century. Humanity has discovered a new form of energy, the Source, derived from the very basis of life itself. Using this power to travel instantaneously through space, humans have spread through their corner of the galaxy and coalesced into two groups: the Coalition and the Inner Cluster. They are held in an uneasy economic and cultural relationship by their reliance on each other, the Coalition with the technology of the Source and the Inner Cluster with the materials to make it a usable form of energy. When rumors of conquest, political undergrounds, and alien contact threaten this balance of powers, it falls to three individuals to find the truth of the conspiracies swirling through their governments and to stave off a disastrous war. What they find in the process will change the course of humanity forever.  What an elegant meal, Carlos serves up in this story. This galaxy-spanning saga delivers a very satisfying six-course meal. There is military action, multiple planets of diverse kind, a touch of romance between enemies, and a hard look at the nature of mankind. I have always promised no spoilers and this will be no exception; but it will be quite difficult to keep that promise. I don’t think I have ever picked inner dialogue as my favorite aspect of a book. This time, yes. I loved the action and the scene-setting was marvelous, not too much, just the right amount. I enjoyed the dialogue also, the characters stayed true to form. The ending was fabulous! It caught me by surprise. It has been several decades since reading Asimov’s Foundation trilogy, I was reminded of that epic story while reading this tale. I award The Void Within 4.9 stars! The score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/-the-void-within https://www.goodreads.com/book/-the-void-within https://www.amazon.co.uk/Void-Within-Cluster-Saga-Book-ebook You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/IWriteSciFi https://www.facebook.com/carlosrtkacz https://www.instagram.com/boulderbushido https://carloswritesscifi.blogspot.com Tags: space opera, military science fiction, metaphysical science fiction, FTL, faster than light, transhumanism Copyright © 2019 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
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