I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A group of friends seeking the thrill of travel take on the ultimate travel challenge, and end up challenging their friendship in the process in author Hans Joseph Fellmann’s “Chuck Life’s A Trip: A Work of Fiction Based On Actual Events”.
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The Synopsis
Seven childhood buddies from L-town California set off on a trip around the globe that could cinch or crush their friendship.
Johann Felmanstien and his crew have a bond that Russian criminals would be jealous of. Besides just being homies from the same hood, they have their own dialect crafted to conceal talk of their rank activities, their own pseudo-culture packed with mad rites, and their own way of life born of booze, drugs, sex and travel to some of the sickest places on earth. They’re about to embark on their biggest journey to date; an 85-day trek across three continents, designed to cement their bond for good. Will it go down like that? Or will the trip meant to make them blood-brothers bust them all apart?
The Review
This was a well crafted, original and unique read that blended real world experiences into a creative story. While Johann and his crew are not the most politically correct group of guys, the test of friendship allows readers to see beyond that aspect of themselves and instead see the bond that these friends have formed through time and experiences, and how this trip challenged them in every way possible.
The story is a fantastic way to explore the world of traveling and exploration, while creating engaging personal stories and experiences that keep the reader invested in the character’s journey and adventures. Infused with raunchy humor, the bonds of friendship and a thirst for exploration, this is a story that will resonate with a lot of readers.
The Verdict
Overall this is a must read travel/adventure novel! A blend of American Pie meets Around the World In 80 Days, the story is well written and evenly paced enough to keep readers invested in the story as each chapter passes. It’s a thrilling read that audiences don’t want to miss out on, so be sure to grab your copy of “Chuck Life’s A Trip” by Hans Joseph Fellmann today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Hans Joseph Fellmann currently lives between Prague, where he teaches to keep the lights on and writes to keep from going nuts, and Livermore in Northern California, where his funky little ass grew up. During the last twenty years, Hans has been tiptoeing the globe and scribbling it all down. To date, he has visited over eighty countries on six continents, and he continues to “blow it up” each summer.
By the skin of his teeth, Hans earned a BA degree from the University of California at San Diego in International Studies, with an emphasis on the Middle East. His articles and short stories have appeared (albeit not magically) in the UCSD Guardian, the San Diego Union-Tribune and The Prague Revue. To improve his craft, and to buy his folks keychains so they could claim their son went to grad school, he attended the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 2013.
His first novel “Chuck Life’s a Trip,” which is based on a trip he took around the world with his childhood buddies in 2006, is now available on Amazon. He recently completed a second semi-autobiographical novel which he is “polishing.” It is about his pants-on-the-head-crazy experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan.
In his spare time, Hans likes to study languages, the more obscure the better. He speaks ten, including Czech, Turkmen, Farsi and Spanish, with varying degrees of proficiency. He is also a huge geography and book nerd. When he’s not backpacking where he shouldn’t be or rattling off in some foreign tongue, he’s got his eyes crawling over a map of a long-forgotten Central Asian republic, or his nose buried deep in a book by a fellow B.A.M.F.
I am proud to present an exclusive blog tour stop for Harlequin Press and Inkyard Press!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A young teenager trying to live her life finds the years of survivalist training given by her father more vital than ever before as a series of disasters hit the country and her father is named the culprit in author Kelly deVos’s novel “Day Zero”.
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The Synopsis
Don’t miss the exhilarating new novel from the author of Fat Girl on a Plane, featuring a fierce, bold heroine who will fight for her family and do whatever it takes to survive. Fans of Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life As We Knew It series and Rick Yancey’s The 5th Wave series will cheer for this fast-paced, near-future thrill ride.
If you’re going through hell…keep going.
Seventeen-year-old coder Jinx Marshall grew up spending weekends drilling with her paranoid dad for a doomsday she’s sure will never come. She’s an expert on self-heating meal rations, Krav Maga and extracting water from a barrel cactus. Now that her parents are divorced, she’s ready to relax. Her big plans include making it to level 99 in her favorite MMORPG and spending the weekend with her new hunky stepbrother, Toby.
But all that disaster training comes in handy when an explosion traps her in a burning building. Stuck leading her headstrong stepsister, MacKenna, and her precocious little brother, Charles, to safety, Jinx gets them out alive only to discover the explosion is part of a pattern of violence erupting all over the country. Even worse, Jinx’s dad stands accused of triggering the chaos.
In a desperate attempt to evade paramilitary forces and vigilantes, Jinx and her siblings find Toby and make a break for Mexico. With seemingly the whole world working against them, they’ve got to get along and search for the truth about the attacks—and about each other. But if they can survive, will there be anything left worth surviving for?
The Review
The first in a duology, Day Zero is the perfect blend of YA character development and storytelling with political/action-adventure themes and drama. Whenever stories involving terrorist attacks or political conspiracies arise, it is usually within an adult setting and involves said adults. What really stood out was the point of view turning instead to the teenage daughter of a survivalist who becomes the main suspect in the attacks across the country.
The book also is highly relevant, showing a nation torn apart by politics and the affects of social classes and finances can have on the divide in our nation. Seeing a political figure rise to power and the shadow of a conspiracy rising blends with the personal struggles of new heroine Jinx, who uses her knowledge and skills not only to survive but get to the heart of the true threat and discovers secrets and hidden agendas that will rock her to her core. She is a powerful new YA hero who shows not only she has the skill and talent to take on enemies, but the emotional core to keep the reader invested and engaged with her and the story as a whole.
The Verdict
Overall a truly wonderful read, Day Zero does a great job of creating a near-future scenario that allows readers to examine the world around them, and to recognize the signs that can lead to the downfall of the world. It’s a story of survival, finding hope and love as the book’s twists and turns will keep readers hanging on the author’s every word, shocking many with future revelations and causing Jinx and the reader to ask themselves, who can they really trust? Grab your copy of Kelly deVos’s novel “Day Zero” to find out for yourselves!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
KELLY DEVOS is from Gilbert, Arizona, where she lives with her high school sweetheart husband, amazing teen daughter and superhero dog, Cocoa. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Arizona State University. When not reading or writing, Kelly can typically be found with a mocha in hand, bingeing the latest TV shows and adding to her ever-growing sticker collection. Her debut novel, Fat Girl on a Plane, named one of the “50 Best Summer Reads of All Time” by Reader’s Digest magazine, is available now from HarperCollins.
Kelly’s work has been featured in the New York Times as well as on Salon, Vulture and Bustle.
I exhale in relief when MacKenna pulls the car into the Halliwell’s Market parking lot. Because of the Sugar Sales Permit waiting list, old stores like these are the only places that carry Extra Jolt soda. I have to buy it myself, because Mom won’t keep any in the house.
She thinks too much caffeine rots your brain or something. Halliwell’s is a squat brown building that sits across the street from the mall and is next door to the town’s only skyscraper.
The First Federal Building was supposed to be the first piece of a suburban business district designed to rival the hip boroughs of New York. The mayor announced the construction of a movie theater, an apartment complex and an indoor aquarium. But the New Depression hit, and the other buildings never materialized.
The First Federal Building alone soars toward the clouds, an ugly glass rectangle visible from every neighborhood, surrounded by the old town shops that have been there forever. Most of the stores are empty.
We park in front of the market.
Our car nestles in the long shadow of the giant bank building.
Charles gets out and stands on the sidewalk in front of the car.
MacKenna opens her door. She hesitates again. “Listen, I know you might not want to hear this or believe it. But my book report wasn’t about hurting you or getting revenge. I’m trying to get you to see what’s really happening here. That Carver’s election is the start of something bad. We could use you at the rally. You’re one of the few people who understands Dr. Doomsday’s work. You could explain what he did. How he helped Carver cheat to win.”
“I’ve been planning this raid for months,” I say. My stomach churns, sending uncomfortable flutters through my insides. I don’t know what it would mean to talk about my father’s work. What I really want to do is pretend it doesn’t exist. Pretend the world is normal and whole.
I reassure myself with the reminder that there’s no way MacKenna is going to the rally either.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Charles give us a small wave. Before MacKenna can say anything else, I get out and grab my backpack.
Inside Halliwell’s, I pick up a blue basket from the stack near the door. The small market is busy and full of other people shopping after school or work. The smell of pine cleaner hits me as we pass the checkout stations. They are super serious about germs and always cleaning between customers.
I leave MacKenna and Charles at the Click N’Grow rack near the door to check out the seed packets that my brother collects. Dad got Charles hooked on this computerized gardening that uses an e-tablet and a series of tiny indoor lights to create the ideal indoor planter box. Each week, they release a new set of exclusive seeds. Their genetic modifications are controversial.
All the soda is in large coolers that line one of the walls of the market. They keep the strange stuff in the corner. Expensive root beers. Ramune imported from Japan. And! Extra! Jolt! I put a few bottles of strawberry in my basket. I snag some grape too. For a second, I consider buying a couple of bottles of doughnut flavor. But that sounds like too much, even for me. The chips are in the next aisle. I load up on cheese puffs and spicy nacho crisps.
MacKenna and Charles are still at the rack near the door, and I try to squeeze by them without attracting any notice. I usually don’t buy unhealthy snacks when I’m with my brother. I smuggle them in my backpack and have a special hiding space in my desk.
My brother has type 1 diabetes, and he’s supposed to check his blood sugar after meals. He can have starchy or sugary snacks only when his glucose level is good or on special occasions.
MacKenna grimaces at a packet of seeds in her hands. “I still don’t like this one. It’s pretty. But still. It’s…carnivorous.”
I have to hand it to her. She really does have a look. She’s pale and white, like me, but she manages to seem like she’s doing it on purpose and not because she’s some kind of vampire- movie reject. Her glossy black hair always rests in perfect waves, and if the journalism thing doesn’t work out, she could definitely have a career in fashion design.
Charles smiles at her. “It’s a new kind of pitcher plant. Like the Cobra Lily.” He points to the picture on the front of the seed packet. “Look at the blue flowers. That’s new.”
“It eats other plants,” MacKenna says.
“You eat plants.”
“But I don’t eat people,” MacKenna says. “There’s got to be some kind of natural law that says you shouldn’t eat your own kind.”
Charles giggles.
So far so good. Until.
My brother trots up behind me and dumps a few packs of seeds in my basket. His gaze lands on my selection of soda and chips. “Can I get some snacks too?”
Crap.
I freeze. “What’s your number?”
Charles pretends he can’t hear me. That’s not a good sign.
“Charles, what’s your number?”
He still doesn’t look at me. “I forgot my monitor today.”
“Well, I have mine.” I kneel down and dig around for the spare glucometer I keep in the front pocket of my backpack. By the time I get it out, MacKenna has already pulled Charles out of his blazer and rolled up the sleeve of his blue dress shirt. I wave the device over the small white sensor disk attached to my brother’s upper arm.
After a few seconds, the glucometer beeps and a number displays on the screen.
221
Crap. Crap. Crap.
“Charles! What did you eat today?”
My brother’s face turns red. “They were having breakfast-for-lunch day at school. Everyone else was having pancakes. Why can’t I have pancakes?”
I sigh. Something about his puckered up little face keeps me from reminding him that if he eats too much sugar he could die. “You know what Mom said. If you eat something you’re not supposed to, you have to get a pass and go to the nurse for your meds.”
My brother’s shoulders slump. “I couldn’t go to the nurse. Hummingbirds were visiting the Chuparosa and…”
Charles is on the verge of tears and frowns even more deeply at the sight of my basket full of junk food.
“Look,” I say. “There are plenty of healthy snacks we can eat. I’ll put this stuff back.”
“That’s right,” MacKenna says, giving Charles’s hand a squeeze. “We can get some popcorn. Yogurt. Um, I saw some really delicious-looking fresh pears back there.”
“And they have the cheese cubes you like,” I add.
We go around the store replacing the cheese puffs and soda with healthy stuff. I hesitate when I have to put back the Extra Jolt, but I really don’t want to make my brother feel bad because I can drink sugary stuff and he can’t.
We pay for the healthy snacks and the seed packets.
I grab the bags and move toward the market’s sliding doors.
I end up ahead of them, waiting outside by the car and facing the store. The shopping center behind Halliwell’s is mostly empty. The shoe store went out of business last year. Strauss Stationers, where everyone used to buy their fancy wedding invitations, closed two years before that. The fish ’n’ chips drive-through is doing okay and has a little crowd in front of the take-out window. Way off in the distance, Saba’s is still open, because in Arizona, cowboy boots and hats aren’t considered optional.
I watch MacKenna and Charles step out of the double doors and into the parking lot. Two little dimples appear on MacKenna’s cheeks when she smiles. Charles has a looseness to his walk. His arms dangle.
There’s a low rumble, like thunder from a storm that couldn’t possibly exist on this perfectly sunny day.
Something’s wrong
In the reflection of the market’s high, shiny windows, I see something happening in the bank building next door. Some kind of fire burning in the lower levels. A pain builds in my chest and I force air into my lungs. My vision blurs at the edges. It’s panic, and there isn’t much time before it overtakes me.
The muscles in my legs tense and I take off at a sprint, grabbing MacKenna and Charles as I pass. I haul them along with me twenty feet or so into the store. We clear the door and run past a man and a woman frozen at the sight of what’s going on across the street.
I desperately want to look back.
But I don’t.
A scream.
A low, loud boom.
My ears ring.
The lights in the store go off.
I’ve got MacKenna by the strap of her maxidress and Charles by the neck. We feel our way in the dim light. The three of us crouch and huddle together behind a cash counter. A few feet in front of us, the cashier who checked us out two minutes ago is sitting on the floor hugging her knees.
We’re going to die.
Charles’s mouth is wide-open. His lips move. He pulls at the sleeve of my T-shirt.
I can’t hear anything.
It takes everything I’ve got to force myself to move.
Slowly
Slowly
Leaning forward. Pressing my face into the plywood of the store counter, I peek around the corner using one eye to see out the glass door. My eyelashes brush against the rough wood, and I grip the edge to steady myself. I take in the smell of wood glue with each breath.
Hail falls in the parking lot. I realize it’s glass.
My stomach twists into a hard knot.
It’s raining glass.
That’s the last thing I see before a wave of dust rolls over the building.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A rescue mission for two missing comrades takes a drastic turn in author Joseph Lewis Tamone’s Shadow of the Demon.
The Synopsis
The exciting sequel to Fusion World.
A world on the brink. A team divided.
It’s been months since Vai and Edam disappeared through the portal created by the destruction of the Fusion World machine. Unfortunately the machine contained the last known Dark Orb, the critical component to interdimensional travel. Luckily, a prototype is found in the vault of its creator, Dr. Charles Vindia. Vint SawWood, Vindia’s protégé, is pressed into service and can reactivate the device. But it is decades old and may be a one way ticket. There is no way to know.
Undaunted, Sajaeler and Raven lead a mission to find and rescue their missing teammates. What they discover is a world in the midst of a civil war. A shapeshifter has rallied an army of disaffected citizens to his cause and will stop at nothing until he subjugates the planet. To make matters worse, Raven becomes gravely ill. Visiting this world of mythical foes and allies has triggered something within her. She must face the trials in order to survive.
With the war boiling over, the team at odds, and Raven on death’s door, can Vai, Edam, Sajaeler and a new band of friends save the world and each other?
The Review
A powerful read that capitalizes on a vast mythology, author Joseph Lewis Tamone does it again. A book that readers will definitely need to read book 1 of, this sequel to Fusion World is a fantastic read.
What the author has accomplished with this book is an equal amount of world building, character growth and mythology in a blend of sci-fi and fantasy. The healthy mix of larger than life, grand scale adventure and personal character battles characters like Raven undergo are what really drive the plot forward.
The Verdict
A lengthy yet engaging story, Shadow of the Demon was a wonderful novel that built upon the world building of the first novel while creating more personal and engaging character growth and a whole new world that further expands this growing universe. If you’re a fan of epic sci-fi and fantasy, then grab your copy of Shadow of the Demon by Joseph Lewis Tamone today!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A small town drama unfolding in the New Mexico countryside blends with a sci-fi mystery as a small time writer finds his creations taking a life of their own in author R. Douglas Clark’s novel “Welcome To Maravilla”.
The tiny hamlet of Maravilla, New Mexico is not immune to modern-day problems. But the citizens of Maravilla have their own special problems, as well:
A developer wants to build a Christian-themed amusement park next to Maravilla’s historic church.
The county line runs right through the town, splitting it in two.
And the government is threatening to close their post office!
Into this muddle steps Jake Epstein, a young writer from the big city. Jake is seeking peace and quiet to finish his current project: a science fiction story in which adventuress Tai-Keiko must deliver the secret formula for Zeton-9—with the evil Krossarians in hot pursuit.
But then reality and science fiction converge—and Tai-Keiko finds herself in present-day Maravilla, face to face with a gobsmacked Jake.
Join Jake on this comic run along the dusty roads of Maravilla, and find out who won the fight between Father Ignatius and the heathen pig farmer. How a basketball game changed the fate of the town. And was that white flash in the sky a UFO?
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The Review
This novel expertly crafts a personal, everyday drama filled story that fuses elements of sci-fi into the narrative. The majority of the novel focuses on the people of Maravilla and the individuals who hold special places within the community, as they struggle with their own personal lives while the threat of the government shutting down the town’s only post office looms overhead, leading to a lengthy court battle that could determine the fate of the entire town.
Meanwhile author Jake finds himself searching for the perfect place to write out his next story, facing a slew of deadlines that he hopes to meet before his publisher pulls the rug out from under him. However not only does his growing love for the small town keep him invested in real life, but his story begins to unfold in ways he never expected, as one of his own characters finds life in the real world, bringing attention to the town no one could have imagined. It’s a creative world and perfect way to blend science fiction naturally into the narrative of this drama filled story, but the biggest focus of the novel has to be on the author’s amazing character development. The characters all felt real, allowing the reader to not only relate to them but to feel their own internal struggles and emotions as the events around them unfolded.
The Verdict
This is a must read novel. Filled with amazing stories of community, inspiration and even love, this fairly quick read will instantly engage with readers and creates a story unique to the drama genre. Heartfelt, real and engaging, this is a story not to be missed, so be sure to grab your copy of “Welcome to Maravilla” by R. Douglas Clark today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
R. Douglas Clark was born in Vermont, grew up in Colorado, attended college in Chicago, and received a Master’s degree in music from Brown University. Seeing no future for himself in academia, he spent a year in the Oregon woods, living in a primitive cabin, writing music reviews and cultural commentary for magazines and newspapers. Next stop, Eugene, Oregon where he spent 20 damp years as a bootstrap businessman, father and musician. On a vacation trip, he and his wife, Shelley, fell in love with sunny northern New Mexico and subsequently moved there. After four years running Boys and Girls Clubs in Chimayó and Abiquiú–and another four, running a U-pick raspberry farm–he retired to write fiction full time.
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Join us as we celebrate the launch the blog tour for author R. Douglas Clark’s book Welcome to Maravilla. Read an interview with the author and win a copy of the book.
Middle Schooler Carmen Otto reviews R. Douglas Clark’s Welcome to Maravilla and explains to her friends why this is a great book for even young readers.
Nicole Pyles reviews Welcome to Maravilla by R. Douglas Clark and delights readers at World of My Imagination with an opportunity to learn more about this fast-paced sci-fi novel!
Today’s guest author at Memoir Writer’s Journey is R. Douglas Clark with an article about _________. Join Kathleen Pooler’s audience as they learn more about Clark and his latest book Welcome to Maravilla.
Sreevarsha reviews Welcome to Maravilla by R. Douglas Clarks and delights readers at To Write or Not To Write with her thoughts about this excellent novel!
Learn more about R. Douglas Clark and his new book Welcome to Maravilla as he shares a few thoughts in an interesting interview with Nicole Pyles at World of My Imagination.
Today’s Book Spotlight at Breakeven Books is Welcome to Maravilla by R. Douglas Clark – don’t miss this great opportunity to add this lovely new novel to your collection!
October 28th @ Lisa Haselton Reviews and Interviews
Lisa Haselton interviews R. Douglas Clark about his latest novel Welcome to Maravilla . Readers will delight in learning more about this science fiction story with it’s courageous characters!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A missing person’s case and a mysterious car found with a body inside lead to a complex mystery that will leave readers on the edge of their seat in author Cynthia Fridsma’s “Vanished”.
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The Synopsis
Rose Gibbon’s husband has been missing for two years. Devastated, she sells her home. The next day, local authorities investigate an abandoned car at the intersection of Westland Avenue and Hemenway Street in Boston. All the blood recedes from her face; she knows it’s her husband’s car!
Meanwhile, Medical Examiner Natalie Principal arrives at the crime scene to inspect a charred body behind the wheel. The victim falls apart when she touches it. Since the car doesn’t show traces of fire, Natalie’s afraid the victim was exposed to a deadly dose of radiation. She informs the ATU—Anti Terrorism Unit—about a possible terrorist threat of a dirty bomb. As the investigation continues, digital footprints are erased, and people vanish into thin air . . . a deadly race to save Natalie’s friends is about to begin.
The Review
A truly wonderful read! What beings as a simple missing person/murder mystery turns into something far more complex that will truly shock readers. A blend of classic murder mysteries with sci-fi and government conspiracies, the story takes readers through an emotional tale of a woman desperate to find out what happened to her husband, and the team of investigators who get sucked into the mystery alongside her.
While the cast of characters were wonderfully written and kept the readers emotionally invested, it was the well thought out, carefully orchestrated and expertly driven plot that made this story what it was. The twists and turns the story takes are what make truly memorable mysteries and thrillers, and as more bodies begin to pile up readers will soon discover an entire world that no one ever knew existed.
The Verdict
This was an amazing read that readers will not want to miss. A truly one of a kind tale, the author does a beautiful job of blending emotionally driven character development with complex plot building and action-fueled drama. If you like mysteries, thrillers and elements of sci-fi blended into emotional tales of loss, grief and struggle, then you will not want to miss author Cynthia Fridsma’s novel “Vanished”. Be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 8/10
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About the Author
As far back as she can remember, Cynthia has been listening to exciting stories told by her mother. She grew up reading books from Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, and Philip K. Dick, among others.
It was Cynthia’s mother who inspired her to start telling—and writing—her own stories.
Ms. Fridsma’s writing career started after a handicap in 2014—she has a tremor in her right hand, numbness in the fingers, and pain in her wrist. She had to give up her other creative outlets, such as photography, computer programming, and gave up on juggling, so focused on what she could do rather than what she couldn’t do.
Besides writing, she sometimes plays guitar—in Jimi Hendrix style.
Cynthia lives with her husband and two pet bunnies in Amsterdam.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A complex web of mysteries unravel in a world dominated by the emergence of A.I. in author Brian Kacica’s novel “Ryan’s Robot”.
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The Synopsis
Ryan is a young thrill seeker; a clever, yet depressed illusionist, who turns his dark thoughts into fuel that drives his desire to entertain. His stunts are death defying, and attract large crowds. But when his mother is pulled into a riptide and swallowed up by the ocean, the world becomes too dark for fancy tricks.
The loss of his mother crushes him, forcing him to step out of the limelight.
Ryan vanishes. He’s assumed dead, while Victor, his father, the world’s leading expert in artificial intelligence, forges on. After building an army of human-like robots for Wardlow Technologies, he creates an artificial son in the exact likeness of Ryan.
RyN2 is a secret to the world. Creating replicas of humans is a no-no.
But Victor has big plans for RyN2. Things look promising, until he’s struck by a van during an attempted kidnapping, leaving him in a coma.
Meanwhile, Ryan exorcises his demons and returns. It doesn’t take the magician long to discover he’s been replaced by the android. The weight of the situation forces him to prove his self worth and enter the stage once again. Ryan proclaims he will pull off the biggest event in magic history…
But in order for him to complete the act, he needs to reach far beyond the realm of magic. Ryan needs to make his doppelgänger disappear forever.
The Review
A well written, complex and sophisticated plot plays out throughout the entirety of this novel. A slow buildup over a lengthy novel, the story showcases the nature of grief, loss and family in the midst of a powerful sci-fi plot with robots becoming part of human society and A.I. growing more in depth and complexity.
The author does a great job of creating a vast cast of characters that each inhabit their own space within the context of the novel’s plot, choosing to focus on an ensemble character development rather than just a singular point of view. While readers may notice the vast amount of plot points and changing character views at first, the novel begins to piece together these plot points and create a cohesive world that speaks to the author’s mythology and world building talents.
The Verdict
This is a must read sci-fi epic. A true testament to the author’s powerful voice in this genre, the story expertly crafts personal and emotional relationships into the fabric of a action packed, sci-fi heavy story that will keep readers invested throughout the lengthy novel’s entirety. Be sure to grab your copy of Ryan’s Robot by Brian Kacica today!
Rating: 8/10
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About the Author
Brian Kacica lives in the perilous hills of San Diego, fending off coyotes, tarantulas, bobcats and rattle snakes with his beautiful, valiant wife, three courageous children and chubby chocolate Lab, whose plump legs are routinely a chew toy for her spunky Boxer sidekick. JDA is his debut novel.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A series of short stories illustrate the world people thought they knew is not what it appeared in author L.M. Brown’s novel “Were We Awake.”
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The Synopsis
In each story of this collection, events make the characters understand that their world is not as it seemed.
In Hidden, the discovery of an affair between her father and aunt is only the start of finding hidden secrets for Hazel.
What it Means to Be Empty-Handed is narrated by a fourteen–year-old daughter of an alcoholic. Her denial and elaborate imagination starts to disintegrate when she lies to the wrong person.
In Crashing, a middle-aged woman lives a life of servitude until she hits teenage boy with her car.
A thirty-year-old murder takes its toll on the victim’s family in Walking A Country Road.
The stories are set in Boston and Ireland.
The Review
Author L.M. Brown does it again, creating a wonderful collection of stories that are both connected and illustrate the way life constantly throws people curve balls, turning the world they knew into a completely new one. A collection that showcases that things are never simple or what they appear.
One of the truly engaging stories of the collection has to be Hidden, which delves into the complex family life of Hazel when she discovers her father and aunt are having an affair. Yet as her family life implodes, new secrets reveal that things are not as simple as they first appeared. The story is a prime example of how life is often lived in shades of grey, with people often living complicated lives in an attempt to find peace and happiness. The author beautifully illustrates the pain, the shock and the confusion that comes from having a person’s world turned upside down, and perfectly taps into the emotion and complexity of humanity as a whole.
The Verdict
A fairly average length read with completely dynamic characters and stories that feel both personal and connected, this collection of stories is truly unique and wonderfully captures the author’s unique writing style and voice. A collection that honestly showcases the ever changing landscape of the world we live in, both the world at large and the world we create for ourselves. A dramatic journey through life’s greatest challenges, this is a fantastic collection readers will not want to miss, so be sure to grab their copy of Were We Awake by L.M. Brown today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
L.M Brown is the author of the novel Debris. Her stories have appeared in numerous literary magazines. She grew up in Sligo. Ireland, but now resides in Massachusetts with her husband, three daughters, a dog and a bearded dragon.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A woman finds comfort and courage through journaling and her community of support’s responses in the face of a cancer diagnosis in author Antoinette Truglio Martin’s novel “Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage and Cancer”.
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The Synopsis
Antoinette Martin believed herself to be a healthy and sturdy woman–that is, until she received a Stage 1 breast cancer diagnosis. Cancer is scary enough for the brave, but for a wimp like Martin, it was downright terrifying. Martin had to swallow waves of nausea at the thought of her body being poisoned, and frequently fainted during blood draws and infusions. To add to her terror, cancer suddenly seemed to be all around her. In the months following her diagnosis, a colleague succumbed to cancer, and five of her friends were also diagnosed. Though tempted, Martin knew she could not hide in bed for ten months. She had a devoted husband, daughters, and a tribe of friends and relations. Along with work responsibilities, there were graduations, anniversaries, and roller derby bouts to attend, not to mention a house to sell and a summer of beach-bumming to enjoy. In order to harness support without scaring herself or anyone else, she journaled her experiences and began to e-mail the people who loved her–the people she called My Everyone–She kept them informed and reminded all to “hug everyone you know” at every opportunity. Reading the responses became her calming strategy. Ultimately, with the help of her community, Martin found the courage within herself to face cancer with perseverance and humor.
The Review
What a beautifully written memoir! This novel does an incredible job of telling the painful, emotional and heartbreaking journey of anyone who has ever faced or lived through a cancer diagnosis. Blending creative and phenomenal writing with a slew of emails written between the author and their support outlets, (family, friends, etc), the author showcases the journey through cancer on a very personal level.
The book is honest, holds no punches and utilizes the author’s natural storytelling ability while giving readers something to relate to. From the initial shock and disbelief of the diagnosis to the impact on friends and loved ones and the moments where friends and family often have or end up struggling with the disease as well, showcasing how scarily common cancer scares and actual diagnosis’s really are. The author’s ability to command the reader’s attention and illustrate the pain and struggle through this journey allowed the reader to connect not only with the author but the events overall on a much more intimate level, making for an emotional yet incredible read.
The Verdict
This is a must read for anyone who enjoys memoirs, is interested in the stories of those who have survived or lived with cancer diagnosis’s, and those who enjoy personal stories that speak from the heart. A lengthy read that is not only honest but showcases the power of writing and how therapeutic writing and having a community supporting you can help the process of dealing with cancer overall. It is an amazing story that everyone should read, so be sure to grab your copy of Hug Everyone You Know by Antoinette Truglio Martin today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Antoinette Truglio Martin is a life-long Long Islander, teacher, wife, mother, daughter, and friend. She is the author of Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer—a memoir chronicling her first year battling breast cancer as a wimpy patient. Personal experience essays and excerpts of her memoir were published in Bridges, Visible Ink, and The Southampton Review. Martin proudly received her MFA in creative writing and literature from Stony Brook/Southampton University in 2016. Antoinette had also written the children’s picture book, Famous Seaweed Soup (Albert Whitman and Company),and was a regular columnist for local periodicals Parent Connections (In a Family Way) and Fire Island Tide (Beach Bumming). Her blog, Stories Served Around The Table, tells family tales and life’s musings. She lives in her hometown of Sayville, New York with her husband, Matt, and is never far from her “Everyone” and the beaches she loves. Since being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2012, she strives to not let cancer to dictate her life.
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Join us as we celebrate the launch the blog tour for author Antoinette Truglio Martin’s book Hug Everyone You Know. Read an interview with the author and win a copy of the book.
Make sure you visit Mzz Dunning’s blog today where you can read a guest post written by Antoinette Truglio Martin about 5 reasons it’s okay to not be okay. You can also enter to win an ebook copy of the book!
You’ll want to stuff your bookshelf today when you visit Veronica Joy’s blog and read her review of Antoinette Truglio Martin’s book Hug Everyone You Know.
Stop by Veronica’s blog again where you can read Antoinette Truglio Martin’s guest post about how to help people help you. Don’t miss this important guest post!
Visit Amber’s blog and read Antoinette Truglio Martin’s guest post featuring 5 journaling tips when going through difficult trials. You can also read Amber’s review of Antoinette Truglio Martin’s book Hug Everyone You Know.
Get inspired today at Karen’s blog where you can read Antoinette Truglio Martin’s guest post about 5 lessons she learned writing about her cancer journey.
Be sure to visit Lisa’s blog today and read author Antoinette Truglio Martin’s guest post that is talking about her ways to not let a difficult diagnosis run (or ruin) your life. Plus read Lisa’s review of Antoinette Truglio Martin’s book Hug Everyone You Know.
1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
I got into writing through journalism. For several years I wrote for newspapers and magazines as a freelancer. My specialty was music journalism, which is good training for writing fiction. Writing about music is almost impossible to do!
2) What inspired you to write your book?
I was (and am) inspired by the place where I live: the seasons, the people, the history. The material is very rich for writing.
3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
Live life to the fullest, and be tolerant of others. Also, have a sense of humor!
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4) What drew you into this particular genre?
This book is not easily pegged to be a specific genre. For marketing purposes, it is called science fiction, and it does have sections of sci-fi, but there is more contemporary fiction in it than anything else.
5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?
I’d love to talk to Tai-Keiko because she is from another millennium. I would ask her to describe life in her time to ours.
6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
The jury is out on this one. I think that the social media platform called “word of mouth” is the best of all.
7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
Don’t be afraid to take chances.
8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
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I have just finished my next book, “Dangerous Crossing.” It takes place on the border between the US and Mexico, and is concerned with contemporary issues, such as immigration, drug smuggling, human trafficking and sports gambling. It is due out early in 2020.
R. Douglas Clark was born in Vermont, grew up in Colorado, attended college in Chicago, and received a Master’s degree in music from Brown University. Seeing no future for himself in academia, he spent a year in the Oregon woods, living in a primitive cabin, writing music reviews and cultural commentary for magazines and newspapers. Next stop, Eugene, Oregon where he spent 20 damp years as a bootstrap businessman, father and musician. On a vacation trip, he and his wife, Shelley, fell in love with sunny northern New Mexico and subsequently moved there. After four years running Boys and Girls Clubs in Chimayó and Abiquiú–and another four, running a U-pick raspberry farm–he retired to write fiction full time.
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Join us as we celebrate the launch the blog tour for author R. Douglas Clark’s book Welcome to Maravilla. Read an interview with the author and win a copy of the book.
Middle Schooler Carmen Otto reviews R. Douglas Clark’s Welcome to Maravilla and explains to her friends why this is a great book for even young readers.
Nicole Pyles reviews Welcome to Maravilla by R. Douglas Clark and delights readers at World of My Imagination with an opportunity to learn more about this fast-paced sci-fi novel!
Today’s guest author at Memoir Writer’s Journey is R. Douglas Clark with an article about _________. Join Kathleen Pooler’s audience as they learn more about Clark and his latest book Welcome to Maravilla.
Sreevarsha reviews Welcome to Maravilla by R. Douglas Clarks and delights readers at To Write or Not To Write with her thoughts about this excellent novel!
Learn more about R. Douglas Clark and his new book Welcome to Maravilla as he shares a few thoughts in an interesting interview with Nicole Pyles at World of My Imagination.
Today’s Book Spotlight at Breakeven Books is Welcome to Maravilla by R. Douglas Clark – don’t miss this great opportunity to add this lovely new novel to your collection!
October 28th @ Lisa Haselton Reviews and Interviews
Lisa Haselton interviews R. Douglas Clark about his latest novel Welcome to Maravilla . Readers will delight in learning more about this science fiction story with it’s courageous characters!
