Isn’t that cover fantastic? Dreadfully awful, yet so very intriguing. Just imagine the possibilities inside. Ghosts, monsters, and so much more of those don’t go in the forest type of moments. A couple of my favorites was the ending for the woman plagued by blood sucking mosquitoes and the rare, tropical fish.
Kevin Bachar has created a collection of horribly terrifying short stories combining fact and fiction. So, like Kevin Bachar says at the end of the book….
Now head outside and go for a walk.
Ya never know what might happen.
4 Stars
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A child died in an avalanche, and she won’t leave me alone.
A woman plagued by blood-draining mosquitoes on the Alaskan tundra figures out a horrific way to scratch her unending itching.
There’s something outside my tent…and I think it’s hungry.
A collector of rare tropical fish, receives a new species that is both fascinating and terrifying.
DREAD – Thousands of people have gone missing out in the wild and here is a collection of tales that offer up some horrifying reasons why. Emmy-award-winning National Geographic cinematographer Kevin Bachar has swum with sharks, climbed the peaks of mountains, and explored the darkest of forests. In DREAD, he weaves together terrifying true stories from his real-life adventures with twisted fiction from the depths of his frightening imagination. Flip open the pages to indulge in the dark side of nature— haunted forests, tree demons, monstrous snakes, and a search-and-rescue team terrorized by the ghosts of those they couldn’t save.
Read… if you dare.
Genre: Anthology, Fiction, Horror, Short Stories
207 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 8, 2023 by Black Widow Press
ABOUT KEVIN BACHAR
Kevin Bachar is a national EMMY award-winning natural history documentary filmmaker and WGA writer. The elevated horror film he wrote – The Inhabitant – https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/the-inh… – was released through Lionsgate and is available on most streaming services.
If you’ve watched National Geographic, PBS, or The Discovery Channel over the years you’ve seen his work. He’s the idiot in the water filming sharks or crawling into caves to photograph vampire bats. You can see Kevin at work filming sharks here – https://www.imdb.com/video/vi2703407897/…
The natural world has always captured his imagination and the supernatural world inspires his stories. Through his journeys, he’s interviewed scientists who’ve enlightened him, heard folk tales that have frightened him, and seen quite a few things that have challenged his skeptical mind.
His collection of short stories that weaves together the natural world and the supernatural world entitled, DREAD, is available on Amazon. He’s currently working on his second collection entitled – CREEP.
Jane Blythe is one of my most favorite authors and for the first time, she ended a book with a cliffhanger. Sure, her books run in series and the characters keep making appearances, but each story is told before she moves on to the next, except for Lethal Risk. The hunkalicious, heroic men were left in a precarious position. They had been betrayed, set up, captured, tortured, and were wondering if they were going to make it out alive.
It had all begun with a survivalist that wanted to create utopia, his own version of it. I think we all know there is no such thing and his dream becomes perverted, thriving after his death. Who was running things now, they did not know. As he waited for his turn of torture he wasn’t sure he could survive, there came a bright light and a soft voice, “You buys ready to go home?”
Piper was a psychiatrist working at Prey Security. The guys were sent to her, but there was no way he was going to spill his guts to her. They had a mutual attraction going, but never acted on it. Piper had a past she kept hidden, but we all know that the past will rear its ugly head until it is dealt with. You can run, but you can’t hide.
When someone breaks into her apartment, her world changes. Not just for the bad, with a stalker out to get her, but for the good too. Prey Security rallies around her and she learns what it means to have family. They are a tight knit bunch and if you take on one of them, you take on them all.
I didn’t see the danger coming at her the way it did. It draw Piper and Arrow closer.
There are many things predictable about romantic suspense novels, but Jane Blythe manages to create a story that keeps me on my toes, throwing in a twist or a turn here or there. Of course, I do want a happy ever after and she delivers that too, all while making me crave the next book in the series. Who is the lucky guy that is going to find his happy ever after? What dangers will the couple face? Each and every one of these gorgeous, manly men put their lives on the line, so they all deserve whatever good life can offer.
4 Stars
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Can she accept an offer of help from a patient she’s attracted to?
Dr. Piper Hamilton is used to keeping on the fringes. She knows what it’s like to be responsible for the death of someone you love and she’d do anything to protect herself from feeling that pain again. But now she’s being stalked and a man she’s been attracted to for years is offering her not only his protection but a chance at happiness as well. Only problem is he’s a patient which makes him off limits.
Antonio “Arrow” Eden has been attracted to the pretty doctor ever since he met her, but after almost losing his life he’s decided it’s time to make his move. He’s a fixer, a healer, and he’d do anything to wipe away the sadness he sees lurking in Piper’s eyes. When he learns she’s in danger he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, until he realizes he might be the biggest threat of all.
With a stalker circling closer, and demons from their pasts standing in the way, Arrow and Piper might never get a chance to have the happy ending they both desperately want.
USA Today bestselling author Jane Blythe writes action-packed romantic suspense and military romance featuring protective heroes and heroines who are survivors. One of Jane’s most popular series includes Saving SEALs, part of Susan Stoker’s OPERATION ALPHA world! Writing in that world alongside authors such as Janie Crouch and Riley Edwards has been a blast, and she looks forward to bringing more books to this genre, both within and outside of Stoker’s world. When Jane isn’t binge-reading she’s counting down to Christmas and adding to her 200+ teddy bear collection!
I quickly discovered why To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee has become a classic and won the Pulitzer Prize. I was immersed in the struggles of a lawyer, a widowed father, raising two young children, while defending a black man charged with raping a white girl.
All the darkness of the times came through the story, racism, classism, and violence in the Deep South during the 1930s. My disgust and anger brought a tear or two to my eye.
Scout, an eight year old girl had me in stitches. Her older brother, Jem, matures as the story develops.
I was smiling and laughing at their thoughts, their innocence, and their vivid imaginations.
“Maybe he died and they stuffed him up the chimney.”
The sophistication of the writing stands the test of time!
5 Stars
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‘Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.’
A lawyer’s advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee’s classic novel – a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man’s struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.
Genre: Classics, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Harper Lee, known as Nelle, was born in the Alabama town of Monroeville, the youngest of four children of Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Cunningham Finch Lee. Her father, a former newspaper editor and proprietor, was a lawyer who served on the state legislature from 1926 to 1938. As a child, Lee was a tomboy and a precocious reader, and enjoyed the friendship of her schoolmate and neighbor, the young Truman Capote.
After graduating from high school in Monroeville, Lee enrolled at the all-female Huntingdon College in Montgomery (1944-45), and then pursued a law degree at the University of Alabama (1945-50), pledging the Chi Omega sorority. While there, she wrote for several student publications and spent a year as editor of the campus humor magazine, “Ramma-Jamma”. Though she did not complete the law degree, she studied for a summer in Oxford, England, before moving to New York in 1950, where she worked as a reservation clerk with Eastern Air Lines and BOAC.
Lee continued as a reservation clerk until the late 50s, when she devoted herself to writing. She lived a frugal life, traveling between her cold-water-only apartment in New York to her family home in Alabama to care for her father.
Having written several long stories, Harper Lee located an agent in November 1956. The following month at the East 50th townhouse of her friends Michael Brown and Joy Williams Brown, she received a gift of a year’s wages with a note: “You have one year off from your job to write whatever you please. Merry Christmas.”
Within a year, she had a first draft. Working with J. B. Lippincott & Co. editor Tay Hohoff, she completed To Kill a Mockingbird in the summer of 1959. Published July 11, 1960, the novel was an immediate bestseller and won great critical acclaim, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961. It remains a bestseller with more than 30 million copies in print. In 1999, it was voted “Best Novel of the Century” in a poll by the Library .
I wanted to love Secrets That Gnaw At The Flesh by C J Weiss. The fantastic title drew me in and I love the eerie cover, but…
The story drew me in, a haunted house novel with a twist. We do have ghosts AND demons and that is different from the norm. We have plenty of characters, human, demon and ghostly. At times I found myself confused, trying to figure out who was who.
I was curious why Garrett would have to put his life on hold for a few months every so many years, if he chose to be a part of her life permanently. He’s going to Harvard and I don’t know how that would work. Would he give up his career?
Wheeling and dealing with a demon caught my attention. Would the demon hold up his end of the bargain, or was he luring them in, only to betray them?
Secrets That Gnaw At The Flesh by C J Weiss did have its Oh No moments, but, at times the pace was too slow to keep my attention and I found my mind wandering. It did pick up once the Breach approaches.
Of course, by the title, secrets will be exposed and I always enjoy that. 🙂 Possession. Ghosts. Demons. Lured me in and I couldn’t stop until I knew the end, but it didn’t work for me and I find it hard to recommend. But, don’t let that stop you from checking it out for yourself. Just because it didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it won’t work for you.
2 Stars
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A haunted house novel with a twist. The main characters are supernatural experts who know the ghosts going in, but more powerful forces than ghosts prowl the haunted house, and they’ve been biding their time.
Garrett Mueller proposes to his girlfriend, Marie Renault. She rejects him, distressing him until he learns why. Her family watches over a haunted house, where every several years a Breach opens to the world of the dead. Everyone related by blood or oath must return, or the Breach widens, endangering the family and world at large.
To marry Marie, he must also bind himself to that house.
The Renaults estimate a week until the Breach opens, offering Garrett a short trial period. Despite the risks, he will try it for the woman he loves. The Renaults are professionals when it comes to the supernatural, and they’ve always prevailed.
Only, as the week progresses, the family discovers this Breach is shaping up to be one of historically dangerous proportions. Risks mount higher as secrets leak out, threatening to divide the family. And even if Garrett changes his mind, it might be too late to leave.
Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh differs from other haunted house novels in three key ways:
1. The characters are supernatural experts who are equipped to “fight” the ghosts, but the house has its own tricks. 2. Strong personalities and backstories add a dimension interpersonal drama that will leave the reader unclear on who to trust. 3. Worldbuilding is closer to something you’d find in fantasy or sci-fi.
This novel is the second in the Virulent Nightmare Origins series and can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in any order.
Virulent Nightmare Origins A Broken Clock Never Boils (2022) Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh (2023) TBD (2025) TBD (2026)
C.J. Weiss loves hiking, board/video games, traveling, and obviously reading (particularly speculative fiction and some history). Walking around the neighborhood with a podcast or audiobook playing is a daily occurrence. He enjoys exploring new ventures and the unknown, leading to a healthy respect for storytellers able to craft believable worlds.
That respect led to his diving into writing and publishing his debut novel, A Broken Clock Never Boils, in 2022. Feeling excited over where this journey might lead is an understatement. He’s thrilled to interact with his supporting readers along the way.
Finally, he’s as big a fan of peanut butter as it gets. Only the natural stuff – oil separation is normal!
I was looking for a pallet cleanser, a break from the dark and dangerous. A simple love story…But is love ever simple? Especially when you are a time traveler like Caitlyn in The Ripple Effect by Cally Jackson.
Caitlyn is a Gen Z girl, totally unprepared for what befalls her on her twenty first birthday. She finds she has inherited a disorder that causes her to time travel. She has no control over when it will happen. Imagine, you are here, then, POOF, you are gone.
She will have a tough choice to make, seeing the condition is not permanent. It usually passes after a period of time. So, what would you do? Grasp every second in the past with the man you love? Throw caution to the wind, regardless of your present life? Could you even threaten your own life? Could it cause you to never to have been born?
What a quandary The Chaos Theory is and I appreciate a book that can get my mind spinning.
The Ripple Effect by Cally Jackson is a series, so be prepared for answers to be found at a later date. C’est la vie.
3 Stars
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A Gen Z girl with a time travel disorder. A gorgeous 1980’s guy. Can she stop their love from rewriting history?
A quirky, touching and highly original Australian time travel romance.
When Caitlyn Richter turns twenty-one, she begins having strange, unsettling episodes. To her horror, she learns she’s inherited a disorder that causes her to travel through time uncontrollably, and to make matters worse, one small change to the past can have massive consequences for the present.
Caitlyn realises she must do whatever it takes to leave the past unchanged. But that’s easier said than done, especially after she meets Toby Beech, an attractive 1980’s carpenter who wants to spend as much time with her as possible, and who she finds herself falling in love with.
She has two choices. She can force herself to stay away from Toby and keep her life in the present intact. Or she can follow her heart and risk the ripple effect wreaking havoc on everything and everyone she loves.
The Ripple Effect is the first book in an addictive new series by Australian author Cally Jackson.
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Time Travel, Teen and Young Adult
Published September 14, 2023
Series: The Ripple Effect, #1
ABOUT CALLY JACKSON
Cally Jackson grew up in the small country town of Gatton, Australia. Her passion for fictional writing first emerged in grade two when she got in trouble for penning her own tale instead of copying directly from a story book as she was supposed to be doing – it was a handwriting exercise, after all.
Cally now lives in Brisbane with the two loves of her life – her husband, Mark, and their dog, Lucy. The Big Smoke is her first novel.
Amber had a rough life, abandoned at 3 years old, passed from one foster home to another…until she found Mrs B and Gabriel. Sure we have all the teenage angst from Amber, but there is something different about her. She is only half human, having power surges that put others in danger. As she discovers who and what she is, meets people that can give her answers, I am drawn deeper into her world, curious to meet the others and see what dangers she will face as she will Become who she is meant to be. I love the characters and the battle she faced near the end of the book. 3 Stars
Saraqeel’s three daughter, the first ever born on the Estilorian plane, had all been sent to the human plane over a week ago in an effort to keep them safe.
Estilorians no longer feel emotions and it made me think of Lucifer, trying to decipher humankind. Gabriel had chosen himself to go back with them to learn all they will learn about being human. We met Amber in Becoming but in Central, we will meet the others. Olivia has a natural affinity to nature and can even talk to animals.Skye makes me smile. She is innocence and child exuberance. Dancing her way through life. She is emotional, passionate. The world made me think of Avatar, with each classes’ homeland floating in the sky. Of course, we have villains and there are plenty of them to go around. 4 Stars
In Foretold, we learn about Kate, the girls mother. Each girl has a significant other and talent that will be necessary to survive The Prophecy. Amber is skilled in combat, endowed with a magical sword Olivia has a love of learning and a gift with bow and arrow. Skye has endurance, flexibility, thinks fast and is good with darts and star blades…and holy light. Even Skye’s innocence is a power. As I get to know the characters so well, I become more invested into what happens to them. The battle will be fierce, but they are ready. 5 Stars
DAUGHTERS OF SARAQEEL TRILOGY
I do stumble over young adult novels, at times, but I was drawn into Daughters Of Saraqeel by Raine Thomas by the synopsis. I am loving this series, so far. I have The Complete Daughters of Saraqael series and look forward to reading it, beginning to end.
Each novel gets progressively better.
Each novel spotlights one of the girls. We will have love and romance, though the men have no clue what they are doing, they will learn. We have villains and danger and it will take the sisters and those who support them to work together to put down the revolution coming their way. The Prophecy will be fulfilled.
There wasn’t nonstop action throughout the trilogy, but there were moments of fierce struggle, danger and lives lost. I loved watching the girls, and the Estilorians grow and teach each other that being different is not a bad thing. The characters and world building were amazing, keeping me enthralled, as each book did its part to create the whole.
4 Stars
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**Optioned for movie rights by multiple-award winning producer Chase Chenowith of Back Fence Productions.**
This complete set includes all three books in the award-winning Daughters of Saraqael trilogy (Becoming, Central and Foretold). Follow three half-human sisters through fantastic adventures, enchanting romances and an epic battle to save their race…not the human one.
BECOMING Ancient gods, avenging angels and other beings of myth and legend all have one thing in common: they exist. They’re called Estilorians. Amber Hopkins is one of them…well, half of one, anyway. If only she knew it.
CENTRAL Life on the Estilorian plane proves stimulating to scholar Olivia Murdoch. But then, she isn’t aware of the dark plans brewing with her at their center…
FORETOLD Centuries after The Great Foretelling, Skye Tomaganuk dreams of a fairytale romance. But the evil Mercesti have their own plans, and the foretold battle to come stands in the way of her happily ever after.
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural, Sword and Sorcery
954 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 25, 2012 by Iambe Books
Series: Daughters Of Saraqeel (#1-3)
ABOUT RAINE THOMAS
Raine Thomas is the award-winning author of more than 20 bestselling romances spanning contemporary romance, Sci-Fi romance, and YA fantasy romance. She’s a hopeless romantic with a background in the fields of mental health and wedding planning…two areas that intersect far more than one would think. She’s also a book fiend, grammar nerd, and editing Red Queen, depending on who you ask.
Be sure to follow Raine on BookBub (https://www.bookbub.com/profile/raine…) to be among the first to learn of any sales, and hop over to her website for your first free read!
I have been following Andrea Pearson for some time now. I love her sense of humor, which comes out in her writing style. Her books deal with danger in a light hearted manner. That is not to say that her characters don’t take the danger seriously, because they do.
Here’s an example:
She whacked me once as if chastising me for not obeying sooner, then scrambled off as I stretched.
Lizzie is talking about her cat and I couldn’t help but smile, letting a picture run through my head.
Lizzie is an Arete, a fourth born child with special powers, a Fire Impeder. She is able to micro manage fire, right down to individual molecules, preventing the sparks from igniting
Humans are aware of supernaturals, because they have been here before.
“…demons from other planets have come out of sheer curiosity. I’m worried they’ll like it enough to stay.”
They are back, because a Prophecy given many years ago said she would be born and would be a danger to all the demons. From the hellhounds to the fire vampires. I mean, aren’t regular vampires bad enough? Now, Andrea Pearson has to crank them up. 🙂
She must go the Alaska to learn of The Prophecy, found in the Akashic records. The Shade Amulet will help protect her.
Wowzers – he smelled good.
There is a triangle, of sorts, between Abel, Cole and Lizzie. When she lets Cole know there is another man she has feelings for:
“Good. Don’t underestimate the need a man has to conquer.”
I feel this is very much for teen and young adults and was a spin off of another series, though the description does not say that. The characters keep referring back to previous events and I feel like I’m missing out on something. That won’t stop me from continuing on to the next story in the Koven Chronicles, The Black Masquerade.
In a note from the author she states that every time someone leaves a review, Lizzie punches a hound in the face. See these hellhounds are a series problem, I’m all for that.
3 stars
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Who’s more dangerous—the brooding, attractive man she’s partnered with or the things they’re hunting?
Lizzie Ashton thought being a professional Fire Impeder was dangerous, but using her magic to stop bombs, guns, and fires before they start is nothing compared to what happens when Abel, an intense man she’s worked with previously, storms back into her life.
Abel needs assistance with a dangerous task that only Lizzie can do. She hesitates to accept his job offer, as what little she knows of his dark past unnerves her, despite their moments of attraction. But when the local police department calls her in on a disturbing murder investigation, Lizzie must put aside her misgivings and partner up with Abel.
Luckily, she has the Shade Amulet to help her. But as more people are murdered—and closer to Lizzie’s home—the case quickly becomes personal. Is this job worth her life?
If you enjoy edge-of-your-seat fantasy action, slightly snarky humor, and a hint of romance, you’ll love the first book in the pulse-pounding Koven Chronicles. The Shade Amulet will thrill you to the core. It will keep you up late into the night, devouring its pages. Grab it now.
We pick up where we left off in The Shadow Amulet.
I am tired just reading about all Lizzie’s activities. How she finds time to juggle several men on to of all her work calls and searches for answers to her personal dilemmas, amazes me.
We have hellhounds and fire vampires and Lizzie puts pressure on herself to save the whole town. Of course, she has some helpers, Abel, Alex and Cole, but Justin? I feel he is too perfect. Am I jaded from reading books about so much betrayal, or are my spidey sense spot on? We shall see.
I was suspicious about the ball. That night was magically deadly and the action was frantic. I have been waiting for the excitement and Andrea Pearson delivered at the end of The Black Masquerade. It was better than the first book, but I still wavered between a 3 and a 4. I am looking forward to reading more of the series and loved the action at the end, so 4 it is.
Andrea state that Lizzie will punch The Shade Amulet for not working properly for every review written. So, here is my review.
4 Stars
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There’s nothing like a ghost visiting you while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store. Unfortunately for Lizzie, that isn’t the only supernatural visit she’ll receive… When an angry ghost named Angelo threatens Lizzie and sets her house on fire, she knows the time has come for her to step fully into her role as destroyer of evil supernatural creatures. But things turn out to be much trickier than the amulet doesn’t function as she thought it would and fire vampires with unknown motives have set up camp in a nearby canyon. Not only that, but the effigy that is distracting hounds from devouring her is still on the loose, and its shade owners want it back. They hand her an return the effigy, or they’ll command it to destroy her. And yes, it’s something they can do. Will Lizzie keep the ghosts happy while performing her sanctioned duties or will the hounds catch up to her before she’s safe? Find out now by downloading this edge-of-your-seat urban fantasy by bestselling author Andrea Pearson now!
Andrea Pearson is an avid reader and outdoor enthusiast who plays several instruments, not including the banjo, and loves putting together musical arrangements. Her favorite sports are basketball and football, though several knee surgeries and incurably awful coordination prevent her from playing them. Andrea Pearson graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor of science degree in Communications Disorders. She acted as the executive director for Indie Author Hub for a year and a half and frequently gets invited to teach marketing and promoting at writers conferences. Andrea is the author of many full-length novels (the Kilenya Chronicles, Mosaic Chronicles, and Koven Chronicles), and several novellas. Writing is the chocolate of her life – it is, in fact, the only thing she ever craves. Being with her husband and kids, family, and close friends is where she’s happiest, and she loves thunderstorms, the ocean, hiking, public speaking, painting, and traveling.
Receive several free books when you join Andrea’s Readers Group. For more information, click here.
Andrea also writes nonfiction books for authors. To learn more about those, and her marketing courses, please visit selfpublishstrong.com
The Price Of Safety by Michael C Bland is anything but…I was quickly swept up in the incredible world he has created.
“Dad, I need help,”: my nineteen year old daughter said.
Dray’s life is going to change in ways he never could have imagined, and he has been instrumental in many of the scientific advancements in the year of 2047. His heroes will become his worst enemies.
Neural implants, drones, genetic engineering, tyranny, conspiracy, and scientific advancements make up Michael Bland’s incredible world of The Price Of Safety, an oxymoron. Imagine, if you will, that every action you take and every word you utter is being observed. And if THEY don’t like it, well…there will be repercussions.
Dray may be the main character, because he has what everyone wants…knowledge, but others stood out to me, too. One of the characters, Kieran is the ultimate villain and one of my favorite characters because of it. On the flip side, Talia, Dray’s youngest daughter, is another of my favorite characters. Her chutzpah is adorable. She is bright and impulsive.
As Dray’s eyes are opened and reality seeps in, the danger rises for him and his family. There is nowhere to hide.
The action ramps up to a frenetic level. Bodies will fall in the streets, buildings destroyed, entire neighborhoods invaded. A war is on, but the ‘herd’ has no knowledge of it. They are caught in the middle of those who rule and those who refuse to go down without a fight.
Mina, Dray’s wife….Good one, Michael. I love that you show no mercy to anyone. Every time I turn around, I find my jaw dropping, my sense of wonder at the depth and creativity of your writing coming alive on every page as the tension takes over, making me rapidly flip the pages, devouring the words, lost in the story. I was filled with anger and rage, sadness and despair, yet hope for those who will not stop to keep us free from tyranny.
I want to share so much more, but I want you, the reader, to have the same emotions running riot as you read The Price Of Safety by Michael C Bland, as I did. So this is all you get.
The Price of Safety is part of a planned trilogy and I can hardly wait to see what comes next.
4 Stars
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2020 INDIE BOOK AWARD FINALIST – SCIENCE FICTION 2020 INDIE BOOK AWARD FINALIST – THRILLER 2020 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARD FINALIST – NEW ADULT FICTION
By 2047, no crime in the U.S. goes unsolved. No wrongdoing goes unseen. When Dray Quintero learns his 19-year-old daughter Raven committed a heinous act, he covers it up to save her life. This pits him against the police he’s respected since he was a child and places him in the crosshairs of Kieran, a ruthless federal Agent. To survive, Dray must overcome the surveillance system he helped build and the technology implanted in the brains and eyes of the citizens.
To protect his family, he turns to a group of fighters who also discovered the government’s secret. But their help isn’t enough, for his adversaries have a level of control he’s unable to escape. That no one can.
Hunted and betrayed, with time running out, Dray must choose between saving Raven and dismantling the near-perfect society he helped create.
Michael C Bland is a founding member and the secretary of BookPod, an invitation-only, online group of professional writers. He pens the monthly BookPod newsletter where he celebrates the success of their members, which include award-winning writers, film makers, journalists, and bestselling authors.
His novel, The Price of Safety, was chosen as a Finalist of the 2020 Indie Book Awards for both Science Fiction and Thriller, and is the first in a planned trilogy.
Michael currently lives in Denver with his wife Janelle and their dog Nobu.
The Prologue, I love Prologues, for Into The Silent Sea by Claire Stibbe, got my attention and my curiosity humming. That’s a great start for what I think is going to be a great story.
What do you think about when your significant other is very late getting home, or doesn’t come home at all? Do you imagine them lying in a ditch on the side of the road? When I read it in the book, I couldn’t help but smile, because I have had that thought.
Part of the deal with Clodagh Shepherd’s marriage to Ryan, was a prenup saying she would turn a blind eye to his affairs. WTH! Why would she even marry him? Then, is he gaslighting her, making her think that she is crazy? Or is she crazy?
A book like Into The Silent Sea can be a wake up call for those in a troubled marriage. Keep on eye on your finances, or you may be left broke and homeless while he/she is living the good life.
At times I almost cried out loud, “Don’t drink the coffee.”
My head was spinning from all the psychological craziness going on in her head…and the craziness she has set in motion…and the craziness all around her..and the craziness that found its way into my head. Things are not as they appear to be and the more I read, the further down the rabbit hole I go. There is no way I was every going to figure this one out…and I was happy with the ending. She does prove the adage, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
I will warn you to take a deep breath before you dive Into The Silent Sea by Claire Stibbe.
4 Stars
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Dangerous is one thing. Deadly is something else.
When Clodagh Shepherd’s curiosity gives way to obsession, her thoughts turn to revenge. In the wake of her husband’s affair and subsequent disappearance, Clo makes an impulsive decision to befriend the beautiful stranger who has stolen her life. Answering an ad for a home help, she moves into the home of her husband’s mistress and is immediately drawn into the chilling reality behind the idyllic façade of Hamptons Life. Central to her terrifying nightmare is a deadly secret—a secret someone will kill to keep. In this dark and twisting thriller, Clo proves the adage ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ with shocking consequences.
Claire Stibbe is the winner of the 2021 Page Turner Award for Fiction and a prolific novelist. Today, she writes dark, domestic suspense novels that draw on her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse. Her aim is not just to tell gripping stories but to inspire other survivors to find freedom and independence.
Claire worked as an Executive Assistant for twenty years in both London and the Far East. She now devotes herself full-time to writing. Her novels owe much to her years as a member of the Albuquerque Police Citizen’s Academy where her main focus was the impact of violence towards women and their families.
Claire now lives in Utah with her husband and son, and her cat, Edward, who sleeps on her desk while she writes. She is addicted to reading and sharing the crime fiction love. To keep up-to-date with her new books and blogs, sign up for her newsletter at: https://linktr.ee/ClaireStibbe
Member: Albuquerque Police Citizen’s Academy, International Thriller Writers, CWA, Sisters in Crime, Alliance of Independent Authors and Mystery Writers, New Mexico Book Co-op, and Southwest Writers.
Awards: Winner of the Page Turner Writing Award and the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards, Wishing Shelf Silver Medal Award, Award-Winning Finalist 2019 Best Book Awards sponsored by American Book Fest.
Angels, demons, ghosts,the walking dead…I am so all over the Veil of Shadows series. So many elements that I love. Combine some Walking Dead, some Lucifer, some Supernatural, some Charmed and I am in Heaven…Hell…and everywhere between. I didn’t realize I had Sparrow Man sitting on my ereader until I went to write a review for the first book of the Veil of Shadows Omnibus by M R Pritchard. It has been patiently waiting to be read since 4.7.16 and after reading it, I was sorry I had waited so long. The good thing about waiting, is now I have the entire series. No waiting to find out the final solution and you will need the entire series to get it.
Sparrow Man
“I was alone. Waiting for my fiance to get home -” “His name is Jim?”
Meg sets out to find him…alone. Every step is dangerous and she is ill equipped to handle it on her own. It’s a good thing she comes across Sparrow. Is it be chance or fate? She thinks he’s crazy. Obsessive about collecting feathers. About Jim, I didn’t see that coming at all. About Meg, I knew something was up with her. After all, she is the star of the show, so she has to special in some way. About Sparrow, his identity slowly came to me, but I didn’t grasp the full story. As Meg finds out her history and lineage, the full betrayal brings her to her knees. I am super pissed off for her and I would love to be there and help her kick some demon ass. The familiarity with The Walking Dead, Supernatural and Lucifer made reading Sparrow Man wicked good and easy to visualize the action. Sparrow Man laid the foundation for the entire series, which needs to be read in order. It did end in a good place with no cliffhanger. I will be devouring Nightingale Girl, Book II, ASAP.
Nightingale Girl
It didn’t take long for me to become enamored with Nightingale Girl. She is outgoing, vivacious, gets around on roller skates, and is locked in the dungeon by her father. She is a bit off, as is Sparrow, her brother. They are under a curse and the only way to lift it is for one of them to serve their time as a Hellion. Their father was a coward and refused to go, so it falls to Sparrow. I feel Nightingale and Meg will be good friends and Nightingale begs her to bring her to Hell with her and Sparrow while he serves his time. It’s so bright in Heaven that Meg goes around with sunglasses. She carries a machete that Lucifer gave her, created in the bowels of Hell and will only cut for her. It made me think of Michonne in The Walking Dead and Mazekeen in Lucifer. She is half dark and half light, trying to figure out where she really belongs. I think the car situation is funny. Hell gets jeeps and Heaven gets Cadillacs. Meg and Sparrow’s relationship in Hell makes me think of Phoebe and Cole in Charmed with some vampiric moments thrown in. Oh, and Noah…I love the ghostie guy. Danger is all around and when it’s time for Meg and Nightingale to leave, Sparrow must stay behind. We end with:
“Monsters aren’t so bad.” Good ol’ Nightingale is here, haunting my dreams…”He’s your monster now, Meg.”
Scarecrow
Scarecrow picks up where Nightingale Girl left off, so the series needs to be read in order. Meg is being hunted. Not just by demons and angels, but she is on the America’s Most Wanted list. Enter her lawyer, Reuben. She doesn’t know it yet, but she gets more than she bargained for with Reuben. She travels from Heaven to Hell to the Earthly plane and back again. Sparrow wants her to return to Hell to be with him, but I don’t blame her for being hesitant. Sooner or later, she will have to choose between the dark and the light, good and evil. The zombies are rising, choices will be made…AND, WOW, that ending. I sure didn’t see it coming….and I LOVE IT.
Raven King
Meg reminds me so much of Michonne (The Walking Dead) and Mazekeen (Lucifer) as she swings her machete, lopping off heads of the walking dead and demons, battling good and evil, inside and out. She must find Sparrow to restore the balance across the planes, as the dead run rampant through Heaven and Hell. The Hellions and Angels body count rises. I am saddened at the loss of some wonderful characters, but sometimes they gotta go for the good of the story. Isn’t that right M? I love how Meg orbs around the planes in a ‘Charmed’ fashion. Meg had been alone for so long, her heartache is a new feeling for her. Vibrun is a brutal, savage ruler. Power mad, greedy. If you stand by his side, be very careful. He is like a rabid dog, liable to bite the hand that feeds him. Where is God, as all this is going on? The ending…OMG!!!!!!
Nightjar
We pick up where we left off. Meg poofed and brought blood and the smell of death back to Hell with her. Skeele had been at her side when she was broken and bloody before, and he’d be by her side again. Hell needed her. She brought light to Hell’s darkness. Thrush, Noah & Nightingale’s baby, are the the heart of Nightjar. We have some lighthearted, laughable moments, and I love when an author gives us those feel good moments when a story is so heavy. Teari’s sorrow is deep and I love that, though she is an angel, she is Meg’s friend and Meg has not given up on healing her wounded body. Everyone knows that Hellions lie, but Angels are just as proficient at lies and deceit. Gabriel, her father, will make a choice…and we have another jaw dropping ending…AND I LOVE IT!
Night Owl
Skeele has been by Meg’s side, sticking like glue. He may be a bit grumpy, but whatever she needs, he is there. She doesn’t know how he feels, but his insecurity makes him feel unworthy. He doesn’t know the secret she harbors. He makes himself weak, loosing weight because he feels she needs the blood and he starves himself so she can have what she needs.
I have pledged my life to her, he thought, why does she despise me? I make her physically ill. She can’t even look at me.
I chuckle here, chuckle there. I’m loving Jed and Shay. I love that they want a dog. I love that they sit around the table eating dinner in Hell, like a Lifetime Christmas movie.
Why is she running? No, no, no. But, this adventure ended up being so much fun…for me.
He should stay so I don’t wind up fucking a log in the backyard.
Meg had me cracking up. There is so much I want to share, but I don’t want to spoil anything. I am reveling in Meg’s story. She is finally accepting her role.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Veil of Shadows!!!!!!!! The world she created is filled with adventure, romance, danger, love, Heaven meets Hell, the walking dead roam above and below, and fate and destiny are woven into a spellbinding fantasy. Does god have a plan?
I am awed by M R Pritchard’s writing and she is definitely at the top of my must read list! This is the second mind blowing series of hers that I have read! The Phoenix Project was the first.
5 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
Some people are cursed. Or in Meg’s case, damned. She’s on the run, harboring a deadly secret. Sparrow, an unexpected travel companion, knows she’s hiding something more profound. Unimpressed by tales of her sinful past, he hungers for the truth, especially about the day she killed those seven men.
Meg finds, the Seven Kingdoms of Heaven are far from wonderful. Meg’s promise to never leave is tested as Sparrow’s behavior grows strange, yet again. As the daughter of an Archangel and the Devil’s own spawn, Meg knows paradise comes with complications. Love, however, has the power to change even a world-weary country girl, even if it means losing her mind.
There is no rest for the wicked. Meg’s determination to forge her own path leads her to the Earthen plane, where she battles personal demons and seeks a new life. But the absence of Sparrow is a heavy burden, and Nightingale haunts her dreams. To make matters worse, an unknown hand keeps unleashing zombies nearby, forcing Meg to confront her heritage.
The relentless monsters of her world show no mercy. Without wings and Sparrow by her side, Meg struggles to find her place in her realm. She hatches a plan to rescue Sparrow, but it spirals into disaster.
Haunted by Sparrow’s shocking betrayal, Meg faces a breaking point. Caring for an amputee Angel and two refugees from the Earthen plane adds to her mounting pressure. With King Gabriel imprisoned and a kidnapped baby Thrush in her care, time is running out to prevent Thrush from sharing the Nightjar’s fate.
Revenge and redemption collide, forcing Meg to confront her inner demons and desires. Will her quest for vengeance consume her, or can she find the strength to protect those she holds dear? In a race against time and her own turbulent emotions, Meg’s choices will determine the fate of those she loves.
As Meg grapples with the heartbeat in her womb and the constant threat to her friends, she decides it’s best to disappear. Fleeing to the Earthen plane to hide and plan her next move, she encounters mysterious assistance amid thunderstorms and insatiable hungers. Will Meg destroy the one man who would follow her through hell and high water?
Discover a world where love battles darkness, destinies entwine, and wickedness knows no rest in this thrilling dark fantasy romance omnibus.
ABOUT M R PRITCHARD (from Amazon)
M. R. Pritchard is a two-time Kindle Scout winning author, her short story “Glitch” has been featured in the 2017 winter edition of THE FIRST LINE literary journal, and her short story “Moon Lord” has been featured in Chronicle Worlds: Half Way Home (Part of the Future Chronicles). M. R. Pritchard holds degrees in Biochemistry and Nursing. She is a northern New Yorker transplanted to the Gulf Coast of Florida who enjoys coffee, mint chocolate, cloudy days, and reading on the lanai.
Visit her website MRPritchard.com and sign up for her newsletter. You’ll get a monthly newsletter with updates, day to day shenanigans, and book deals.
