My Review of Grave Girl by Amy Cross

I actually started reading this book the day that I downloaded it--which is unusual for me because I download about six books a day, and I’m usually in the middle of reading something else (and I was and put it down for this)--because the book blurb sounded so interesting to me. Sam Marker decides to change her life by becoming a gardener in a strange, sinister little town. Soon, she discovers she is working above the grave of the devil himself, and now it’s her job to make sure that he continues to slumber undisturbed.  Sounds pretty interesting, doesn’t it?  And I wasn’t disappointed!

First of all, this book is written in such a way that you have to have a bit of a sense of humor at the ridiculous and the obvious to truly get it. There are things that are said and done that are clearly tongue in cheek. Ms. Cross does an excellent job of creating characters that you can both love and hate at the same, who make intelligent decisions and stupid ones in the same breath, who you both cheer for and also think, “Well, you get what you deserve!” simultaneously.

As always, I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s clear from the very beginning that Sam is extremely intelligent, even though she makes one terrible decision after another. Eventually, those choices lead her to Rippon, a town that is in need of a gardener for the cemetery, and the only reason for this we are initially privy to is that it seems the last one has been murdered by some extremely powerful force that lives in the cemetery.  Sam accepts the job, leaving her party life in Leads behind, and it isn’t too long before she starts to see some very strange things--like a concrete angel that appears to be following her, a statue of death that seems to move as well, and a mausoleum that may or may not be a tomb for the undead.  

Anyone want to be a gardener in this cemetery?

Sam decides to push all of this craziness aside and begins her job with enthusiasm, even digging her first grave for the local busybody. The town mayor, local doctor, priest, and various other townspeople all seem rather peculiar, but Sam chalks it up to small town life. She has her own issues--she’s gone cold turkey off the booze, and she’s missing someone she loves dearly, a boy named Henry.

Eventually, of course, Same discovers the truth, that being a gardener in this particular town is more than digging holes and trimming trees, and the evil lurking beneath the town is rising to the surface, unless she can find a way to stop it.

As I said, the writing style is different. It’s not overly complicated or complex, but it tells the story in a way that is both clever and engaging.  I particularly enjoyed one of the twists at the end, when we discover exactly who it is that Sam has left behind. I didn’t see that coming.  There were a few proofreading issues--as always seems to be the case--but nothing catastrophic, and nothing that interfered with the storytelling.

In the end, something happens to Sam that I didn’t really like. I suppose the author thought it was necessary, but I disagree--it seemed a bit too hokey for me. But it was the only point in the story when I thought, “Seriously?”  

Two things that I didn’t love--there is a lot of the “f” word (you know, the f dash, dash, dash word!) And I mean a lot. If that puts you off, this may not be the book for you. Also, it’s written in present tense--third person present tense. This always throws me off a bit. I’m used to past tense. Everything is happening right now. Again, I adjusted, and it was fine, but if you have trouble reading in the present tense, then this might not be your book.

If you’d like to try Grave Girl for yourself, you can purchase it here for just 99 cents. I’m hopeful that this means there will be a sequel--and it is set up so that there could be. If you’d like to read my Amazon review, which is same sentiment, different words than this one, you can find it here. I gave it five stars. Recent readers will be shocked to know that I do, occasionally, give five star reviews. Please remember to vote that my review is helpful on Amazon if it is, in fact, helpful.

Now, I have to decide whether or not to finish the dreadful book I set aside for this one or find something else to read. I hate leaving books unfinished, but this one is just really, really bad….

My Review of Carousel by Jennifer Renson

When I was first approached by the author to read and review this fantasy/fairytale novel, I was intrigued. The storyline sounds very interesting: a prince is forced to leave his home as a child because of the threat of plague.  He leaves behind a carousel, which was gifted to him when he was born.  The carousel is cursed by a demon who has the power of turning dolls into real children.  Will the prince return in time to save the villagers from the demon? Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?
Unlike many of the books I read, this one is published by an actual publisher--not self published. I am an Indie author myself, so I know there are a lot of great writers out there who haven't even tried to get published traditionally, but when I see that a book has been accepted by a publisher, that tells me it should be very polished with very few proofreading errors.  It should have a great plot, and it should appeal to a great number of readers in the specific genre.
Unfortunately, that was not the case with this one. I was extremely disappointed in the number of proofreading errors.  There were not only misspelled words, there were misused words, words missing in sentences--all things you would expect a publishing house to catch. But they didn't.  That's not necessarily the author's fault, but if I saw this in my work after a professional editor had gone through it, I would be pretty darn upset. (I'm upset when I've paid someone who is not necessarily a professional to edit a book for me and I still see this issues.)

This Carousel just didn't make it around for me.

As for the story itself, it wasn't too bad, but there were somethings I honestly didn't quite understand. I don't want to give away too much, but for example, early on, we find out that the demon has snuck into the palace inside of the carousel. One of the horses on the ride is black and rotten. He oozes out of it.  Children love this ride!  They come over to the palace to ride it at parties, etc. No one ever noticed a black, oozing horse? I find this very hard to believe!  How is that possible? My daughter would notice if the carousel horse next to her had a dirty footprint on it. She'd definitely spot  a black pool of slime. So... that doesn't quite work for me. And when the whole story starts off on a premise that doesn't work, the rest of it kind of falls apart a bit as well.
There is another place where the characters find a large key--that they use for a door.  The description here was not enough for me to have any idea how that would work exactly. I found the entire incident extremely confusing....
I also wished there was more dialogue in the story. Sometimes I felt removed from what was happening to the characters, like I was finding out about it later instead of being in the moment with them.
I think the idea is a great one and that a lot could have happened with it. I was just slightly disappointed in the execution.  Since the author asked me to review and I don't feel that my review is extremely positive, I am declining to post it on Amazon. But you can see that the book does have all positive reviews on Amazon right now, so many other readers have enjoyed it. You can find Carousel here and the current list price is $2.99.
Right now, I am finishing up Grave Girl by Amy Cross, and I am really enjoying it so far. I hope to post that review soon. You can check it out here for only 99 cents.

My Review of The Wronged Wife: A Medieval Historical Romance about Misunderstanding and Jealousy by Margaret Brazear

Despite the lengthy title, this was a pretty quick read, which ended up being a good thing, because even though I loved the premise, I found the story to be fairly predictable and unbelievable with characters that were difficult to like. I was actually pretty disappointed since the first part of the book started off so strongly. I had high hopes for this one....
Occasionally, I like to read something tragic to remind myself that my life is pretty good. So when I read that this book was about a woman whose husband leaves her once he returns home from war and finds her pregnant, I wanted to find out more. Philippa and her husband, Richard, have always had a very close relationship. He goes off to fight and comes back over a year later to find that she is with child.  Without even bothering to ask what has happened, he beats her so badly that she loses the child and almost dies.  We find out quickly that it is his own brother who has done this to his wife. Richard takes his then five-year-old daughter, Madeleine, with him, and refuses to hear any other explanation from his wife. For seven years.
That's where we come into the story.  Richard learns that his brother has been stabbed by a woman and is dying. Upon visiting his brother on his deathbed, he finds out that the woman stabbed him because he was attempting to rape her. And that's when Richard realizes he has made a terrible mistake....
He immediately gathers up his daughter and returns to Philippa--who actually welcomes him in!  This is where the story began to fall apart for me.  Every action Philippa takes from the moment Richard shows up at her door makes no sense to me.  The story also starts to drag here, and when another plot point finally enters the picture, it seems contrived, like beta readers may have said, "Something else needs to happen!" so the author threw something together really quickly.  This leads to more actions that don't make sense on the part of both lead characters and an ending that is anything but mind blowing.
While I really loved the concept, I felt that it was poorly executed. I understand that women were treated much differently back then, but the story is set up to make it seem like Philippa and Richard have the type of relationship that isn't bound by the laws and restrictions of the time.  Yet, her reactions seem right in line with how a woman would be expected to react.
Another important detail I found lacking was character and setting description. While I agree that some authors spend too much time describing the scenery and the outfits of each day for every character, I felt like I was having trouble imagining what these characters and their homes looked like because there was so little detail included.  I had actually switched the time period to Regency in my mind inadvertently for the whole middle section of the book, and it didn't really matter.  We find out Richard has a beard somewhere towards the end of the book.... I have no idea what their houses looked like. Things like that are problematic when one is really trying to get involved in the story at the same level as the author.

Could Costa's Portrait of a Woman be our Phillipa?

There were a slew of punctuation errors as well, which drove me crazy. Same old story--commas missing before transitional phrases, periods at the end of quotation marks instead of commas, etc. Nothing egregious, just annoying.
The cover is lovely, however!
If you really like Medieval romance novels with tragic premises that don't quite turn out the way you'd expect, then by all means, give this one a try. You can purchase The Wronged Wife here for the current price of $4.99. You can also read my three star review on Amazon here. If you appreciate my review, please give it a "yes" vote on Amazon so that other people see my reviews. I don't promote my blog through my reviews, but it will help other people make an informed decision.
If you've read this book or anything else by this author, please let us know in the comments!

My Review of Little Love Affair: A Clean Civil War Historical Romance (Southern Romance Series Book1) by Lexy Timms

I am constantly on the lookout for good Civil War era romance novels, so I was thrilled to see this one free on one of my many email lists.  The story sounds great; a young woman, Clara, is struggling to take care of her family farm, her younger sister, and her mother, when her father dies and her older brother goes off to join the Union Army.  When two Confederate soldiers show up on their farm, she is torn between trying to help them survive and following her convictions.  Since it is a romance novel, it isn't unexpected that she would develop feelings for one of them, which leads Clara to even more questions about whether to follow her heart or stay true to her country. Sounds pretty good doesn't it?
It was--until about halfway through. Then, things started to slow down, mysteries started to unravel, and reality started to let go.
First of all, this is advertised as a "clean" historical romance. It's not. The fact that it isn't doesn't really bother me, but I don't think it's very honest of the author to describe it as such when it's not, and I read a lot of reviews that weren't really happy with the deception.
Secondly, the way the characters react to the revelation of one of the minor characters is extremely unbelievable. I won't give this part of the story away, although it's pretty obvious just a few chapters in, but Clara doesn't stay true to her own characterization when she finds out the secret, and it made me lose some respect for her.
I found many of the characters to be rather flat, including Jasper, the lead. We don't know much about him. The younger sister is completely helpless until the very end, and the mom seems like she is in a trance most of the time.  The beau who is attempting to court Clara reminded me a bit of Gaston from Beauty and the Beast.
I like my Civil War books a little more heavy on the battle action. This one had very little mention of warfare at all. As a matter of fact, the author could have written it only with the knowledge that the Battle of Gettysburg happened in Pennsylvania in 1863. There's no mention of battle tactics, any other engagements, or really even anything about weaponry, etc. This lack of information removed me from the era quite a bit.

Not a lot of fighting in this war book

Another missing aspect was discussion of what life was like at that time as far as dress, transportation, home life, etc.  It's like anything true to the period was glossed over or left out so that the author didn't have to do any research. I like my historical romance a little more historical.  Using current vernacular and phrases was also annoying. People really didn't start using "hello" as a greeting until the twentieth century, but these characters use it a lot. That's just one blaring example.
As the story was starting to wind down, I was aware that I was only at about 70% on my Kindle.  I kept trying to figure out how this story, which was clearly ending, was going to last another 20%. Well, it didn't.  It ended at 80%. The rest was filler material--ads, requests for reviews, and then a chapter from another book which I didn't read because I was too upset about the other one ending so abruptly.  Granted, this book was free, so I can't complain too much, but if I had paid for it and only gotten 80% of what I thought I had purchased, I wouldn't be too happy.
If you really like Civil War era reads and you can get this one for free, then I say go ahead and give it a try. It is not a cliffhanger, so you don't have to read the rest of the series to reach a good breaking point, which is something I really do appreciate. If you'd like to read my three star Amazon review, you can find it here. If you find it helpful, please vote "yes" so that other people will see my reviews. If you'd like to try Little Love Affair, you can find it here. The price is currently free.
**Edit:  My nine-year-old is a huge 101 Dalmatians fan, and I just realized after a conversation with her that the two Confederate soldiers have the same names as the bad guys in that movie--Jasper and Horace. Coincidence? Now I'm curious....
What is your favorite era for historical romance?

My Review of Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith

When author David Meredith contacted me a few weeks ago and asked me to review his novel, Reflections of Queen Snow White, I was intrigued, and though it wasn't quite what I expected from the book blurb, it was a good read which didn't take too long to finish either.
Snow White has been struggling with the death of her beloved Prince Charming for over a year, and when her daughter, Princess Raven, begins to plan her wedding, Snow White is despondent and closed off. In an effort to find some solitude, Snow White explores areas of the castle she hasn't visited for years and comes face to face with a ghost from her past--the magic mirror.
When I read the book description, I thought the mirror was going to literally help her go on an adventure to find herself. That is not the case. Since the mirror is a reflection of her true self, it simply guides her on a journey of self-reflection. We travel back in time with Snow White as she explores the key relationships of her life--her father, her evil step-mother, Prince Charming, members of her court, and others.  Each time the magic mirror begins to spin her back in time, we get more of a glimpse into who Snow White was and who she has become. Ultimately, the magic mirror forces her to make a decision to either accept the fact that Prince Charming is gone and move on with her life or continue to wallow in her own despair for the rest of her existence.

Will Snow White ever find her smile again?

I really enjoyed Meredith's spin on this classic fairy tale. I've always loved Grimm's fairy tales, and Snow White is one of my favorite princesses. I feel Meredith did a nice job of using the language of the era, which is difficult to do.  His prose is flowery and descriptive, but not in a way that makes one grow confused or feel overwhelmed.  The pace was steady, and I feel that many of the characters were well developed, although I would have liked to have had more information about the evil step-mother, six of the seven dwarfs, and Princess Raven, who hardly has any interaction with the reader at all. I really liked the flashback scenes where we get more information about Snow White's life, though many of them are a bit disturbing due to the violence inflicted upon our main character.
I did not feel that Snow White came across as a strong female lead, despite the fact that the mirror tells her (and us) that she is strong several times. She almost always needs someone to come and rescue her with each predicament she finds herself in. Even when she attempts to handle things herself, it doesn't go as expected.  Far from the Snow White portrayed by Ginnifer Goodwin on Once Upon a Time, this Snow White is more in line with the soft-spoken fairy of Disney's original movie from the '30s.
There were also several proofreading errors that caught my eye, particularly when it came to punctuation.  I was constantly pulled out of the story when a lengthy sentence incorporating two independent clauses with a conjunction joining them did not have a comma. This might sound a bit picky, but it makes it difficult to read these types of sentences when they are not properly punctuated. This is another instance when I am wondering if there was an editor because none is listed and most of the mistakes seem to be in line with a careful proofread by a writer who may or may not be familiar with all of the punctuation rules or can't see them because we tend to read things the way we thought we wrote them....
There are some explicit bedroom scenes to go along with the violence already noted, so keep that in mind. I wouldn't recommend this for younger readers. I didn't find it horribly offensive but I read a couple of other reviews from readers who did.  Definitely not one to plan on reading aloud to your kids at bedtime!
I gave this book four stars on Amazon. You can read my review here.  If you find it helpful, please indicate so on Amazon as that helps my recommendations to be seen by others.  If you'd like to find read Reflections of Queen Snow White for yourself, you can purchase it here for $1.99.

My Review of The Zarion: Saving Mankind by JE Grace

This is a science fiction novel with a good dose of Christian faith--a rarity in my experience, and if you're into that sort of thing, then this might be the book for you. If you read my blog a lot, you'll notice I don't usually read sci fi, but when the author, JE Grace, contacted me and asked me to review her book, I obliged. It's not that I don't like sci fi--I love Star Wars--it's just not usually my genre of choice. I was intrigued by the premise, however, which equates the return of Christ as the savior of the world to a scientist in the future whose purpose is to save humans from aliens--or at least that was my understanding going in.

"Beam me up, Zarions!"

The main character, Davis, is slated to work for a shady company called Interplay. In fact, the book starts with his kidnapping and being instructed that he will be working for Interplay--which should have been a big heads up that something might not quite be right with this company. While Davis and his co-workers go about trying to solve some of Earth's most drastic problems--like running out of food--a sneaky member of their crew is sabotaging them. We find out later that this turncoat is not the only one, and that he, along with many other characters, is actually an agent of The Fallen.  This group of aliens, led by Lucifer, is trying to take over Earth.  As Davis begins to uncover what is happening around him, he also learns of a group working to save the inhabitants of Earth, the Zarion, and he also finds out his link to these benevolent beings is more than skin deep.
There is also a bit of romance in the novel, though nothing to make one blush, which gives another dimension to the story. Davis is intrigued by his colleague Janette from the moment he meets her. He'll have to wait a while to find out whether or not his feelings are reciprocated, and as a reader, it kept me interested to see what would happen between them.
There is a lot of action, lots of espionage, lots of intrigue. If you like sci fi, the description and dialogue regarding traveling into space, etc. sounds pretty right on to me.  In a lot of ways, it reminded me of one of those old movies you might catch late at night when invaders are coming to Earth and the strong hero-type astronaut guy has to come to the rescue.  The dialogue is sparse but sensible, and Davis and Janette are likable right away, though she is certainly not one I would describe as a strong, independent woman.
This book is not quite written in first person. It oscillates back and forth from Davis's perspective to the point of view of other characters. At first, this phenomenon only occurred between chapters, but then it got more frequent. Sometimes we get more than one point of view in the same paragraph. This makes it a bit hard to follow. Also, it is written in first person omniscient--which means Davis sometimes has the ability to know the motivation and private thoughts of other characters he is interacting with. Again, I don't mind omniscient, but  it does make the story hard to follow when Davis is talking but we suddenly know what another character is thinking. And, if he has some sort of mind-reading abilities, this is never mentioned in the plot line.
It is also written mostly in passive voice.  A lot of the action is explained to the reader, rather than shown to us.  There are whole scenes that are summed up after the fact, which took me out of the book a little bit. I didn't ever quite feel like I was in the moment with Davis, rather a bit more like he was giving me a summary of what had occurred much later in time.
I also noticed there is no editor listed.  There needs to be one--possibly another one--because there are a lot of errors, especially punctuation errors, but the mistakes aren't limited to that. There are some word usage errors, misspellings, etc.  A thorough read-through by a good proofreader should take care of that, but I would also suggest an editor go back and make some of the POV switches a little clearer.  My personal opinion--pick a POV and stick with it. Either first or third, but not both. I have read a few other books recently where this worked, but it's really tough to pull off, and I honestly didn't think it worked here as I was often confused about who was talking and how Davis knew certain things.
There is an overwhelming amount of coffee drinking in this book.... Just an observation.
I do like the concept, and as a Christian I appreciate the idea.  It's possible that this book could reach some sci fi readers who are not aware of our faith. There were some things that could have been better, but it was a quick read that kept me turning the pages. Other readers have given it four and five stars. You can read The Zarion: Saving Mankind for yourself on Amazon here. The current list price at time of post is $2.99.

My Review of Freefall: Custom Culture Book 1 by Tess Oliver

I have over a thousand books on my Kindle account waiting to be read, so when I go to pick a new one, it's really difficult to decide which one to choose. Lately, I've been picking some disappointments. I was really relieved when I started reading Freefall to have gotten a good one. I liked it a lot! If you like sweet romances you can read in a few hours that have just a little bit of tastefully written bedroom scenes, then you will probably like this one as well. I will warn you, however, there are a lot of F-bombs in this one.
This book is written in first person and alternates between the perspective of the main characters--Nix and Scotlyn.  Nix is a hot guy with a reputation for breakin' the ladies' hearts.  He owns a tattoo parlor and lives in a houseboat with a friend, Dray, who likes to fight.  We find out pretty early that neither Nix, nor Dray, nor their other best friend, Clutch, have had an easy life. In fact, very few characters in this book seem to have come from easy livin'.  As far as Nix is concerned, he lost his race car driving father as a child, and his mother is no longer in his life. He has a sister and a precious Nana who is starting to succumb to dementia.  It seems obvious pretty early on that Nix is not your typical macho guy with no substance. He loves his Nana and is doing everything he can to take care of her despite her failing health.
The other main character, Scotlyn, also has a rough past. Her parents and her sister, Olivia, were all killed in a car crash when she was a child, and while she walked away from the accident, she lost her voice that day--either from screaming or from shock. She isn't sure, and she hasn't had much of a life to live for since then, so she hasn't been too concerned with getting her voice back. She was living on the streets, strung out, doing other illicit activities when a man named Lincoln Hammond finds her and takes her in. When she enters the story, she is living with Hammond as his girlfriend. Hammond has hired Nix to cover Scotlyn's scars from the wreck with an intricate tattoo.

Maybe it's because Scotlyn's mutism instantly reminded me of Katy from Deck of Cards, but I found her to be intriguing in a very ethereal way.  It's almost as if she is just the ghost of a woman, and she needs Nix's love to transform her into a whole person again. In the meantime, she seems to flutter about in her existence, something between a ghost and a lingering dream.
There is another interesting and creative aspect that comes into play when Scotlyn and Nix meet for the first time, but I will let Ms. Oliver reveal that part of the story to you herself, should you choose to check this one out.
Needless to say, Nix and Scotlyn are destined to be together, and they know it from the start. This didn't come across as cliche or ridiculous in this story, as is often the case in poorly written "love at first sight" stories.  The more we begin to cheer for Nix to get the girl, the more is revealed about Hammond until we end up realizing he is a pretty nasty guy, and it is definitely in Scotlyn's best interest to get away from him posthaste.
Oliver is a great writer. This isn't a messy self-pub that makes a person shrink back from free or reduced price books.  She moves the story along at a steady pace, encouraging the reader to continue to turn the pages to find out what happens with each of her characters.  Even though the ending of the story was not what I was expecting and ended up being a bit too easy, it wasn't ridiculous or disappointing.  There are other books in this series, and I left the book thinking it would be nice to find out what else happens to these characters, a sure sign that I am emotionally invested in the book, which is the hallmark of any good writer.
Of course, there were a few things that bothered me a bit; there always are.  First of all, this needs one more proofread by someone with a scrutinizing eye.  There weren't a lot of errors, but there were a few, and they were usually the kind that take a reader right out of the story, like a missing word in a sentence, or the misspelling of a character's name.  The mistakes aren't blaring, but they are there.
Another thing that I found confusing was that a couple of the characters have two names.  Nix is also called Alex by his sister and Nana. The first time his Nana called him this, I thought she was talking about someone else.  I don't think the story was set up well-enough at that point for me to gather this was the same guy. Also, Scotlyn calls her boyfriend Lincoln (in her mind, remember she doesn't talk, although she does write notes....) and everyone else refers to him as Hammond. This is also a little confusing.  Nothing major, but enough to make me stop reading and go back--something I don't really like to do.
Also, for someone who was horribly injured in a car wreck, Scotlyn sure doesn't seem to mind writing notes to people who are trying to drive. There were lots of occasions when she and another character are driving down the road and she's writing the driver notes like it's no big deal. How in the world does Nix, or whoever, read these notes while he's trying to drive?  I get that it was necessary for the story to progress, but it didn't seem very realistic to me.  I guess it could have been happening at stoplights or something....
Finally, when the steamy scenes arrive, there is no mention of protection. This is the sort of thing that drives most romance readers/writers crazy, and I highly recommend Ms. Oliver consider slipping some plastic into her dudes' pockets. Some might say it takes away from the action, but I disagree. I've seen it done tastefully lots of times, and I feel it's the responsible thing to do.
Again, I really liked this one! I gave it a four star review on Amazon, which you can read here. If you read my review please remember to vote "yes," that it was helpful, so that others will have a better chance of seeing it and will also be able to use my thoughts to determine whether or not to read this one. You can purchase Freefall: Custom Culture Book 1 by Tess Oliver here. It's currently priced at 99 cents.  Best of all, this is NOT a cliffhanger--it's a complete story--so if you love these characters, like I do, and you want to keep reading, you can do so, and if you've had enough, you don't feel cheated with only a partial story.
If you've read it, let me know what you thought in the comments!

My Review of Romance: The Billionaire's Heart by Nancy Adams

Contrary to what you may naturally assume from the title of this book, Romance: The Billionaire's Heart, there is very little romance in this story. And by romance, I don't mean s-e-x (there's none of that) or even kissing (there's a few kissing scenes) there's literally not a lot of romance.  We don't get any sparks at all until about 70% of the story has gone by. So... right off the bat, if you're a romance fan, I think you're gonna have a few issues with this one. It really should be labeled as "clean" or "Christian" romance because the reader isn't really enlightened into Katelynn's religious devotion until really late in the story, and without that information, you'll be waiting a long time for something to happen that just doesn't.
The premise hit a little too close to home for me.  The main character, Katelynn, is a recent college graduate with her Master's in Political Science who decides to go into retail management instead.  As I was also a Poli Sci major (got my BA in '98) who ended up going into retail management, I was very familiar with the life our MC was embarking on.  Even if I knew nothing about retail management, I feel that the extremely detailed account of exactly what transpires in every facet of a retail store from opening to closing on a daily basis was enough overkill to find anyone bored to tears. I honestly have no idea why most of this was included in the story. It's not relevant to the plot at all. Likewise, very few of the minor characters we are introduced to have anything to do with the plot either. Luckily, you won't be vested in any of them as most of them are just names and brief descriptions of what they look like.
When Katelynn learns she will be learning the ropes from the son of the owner, billionaire Nate, things should start to heat up a little bit. She is clearly interested in him.  But we continue to learn about running the store and how they eat lunch together for a really, really long time before she decides to buy a new outfit and catch his attention. I guess that's all she needed to do because he finally asks her out--again 70%ish through the book.

Pucker up and wait! (picture via Pixabay)

I won't ruin the ending by telling you how the date turns out, but I will let you know that there is no ending, which ultimately ruins the book. That is, it's ruined if you care to find out what happens to Katelynn and Nate by the jarring cliffhanger ending anyway. If you read my blog at all, you know I hate books that just stop.  This is one of those.  There's no tying up of anything, just an abrupt ending. Then, there's a sneak peek into book 2, which is a much more succinct recount of book 1told from Nate's perspective. It still doesn't advance the story very much at all, and at the end, I wasn't scurrying to buy the next book.
There are also some proofreading errors that were annoying. Twice, for example, the number four is inserted into a word for no reason--as in "teen4ger."  I don't know how these kinds of errors aren't caught. Spell check will catch that. Something else that really, really bothers me is that, at one point, Katelynn, who is telling the story, actually address us as her "readers."  Excuse me? Is this a book or a blog?  Talk about taking people right out of the story. I don't know if this is some new literary device Ms. Adams is trying out, but I really didn't care for it. I was under the impression this was a narrative recollection of events in a character's life, not a magazine article. It was just very distasteful, in my opinion. I'd never seen it before and hope that I don't see it again.
Once again, however, I have to say, this book has a ton of four and five star reviews on Amazon. I really don't understand it!  A lot of people really like this book, apparently.  Maybe they are all twelve year old girls with strong religious beliefs. I don't know. I didn't get it. This was the closest I've been for a while to leaving a one star review. I didn't--I found enough redeemable qualities to give it a two star review, which you can read here.  If you find my Amazon review helpful, please vote "yes" for it, as that helps my reviews become more noticeable to readers, such as yourself, who may need to be warned as to what they are getting into. This book is one of six, I believe, so I think it's permafree. It was free when I got it last fall, and it's still free today. You can download it here and see what you think for yourself. It is a quick read, and if you happen to need some information about how to become a manager at your local Walgreens, by golly, this one might just be for you.

My Review of Dream Student by J.J. DiBenedetto

I started reading this book in September of 2014. It was one of the very first free books I downloaded once I started subscribing to free and bargain book emails.
It is now the end of May 2016.  And I just finished the book.  You can call me a lot of things, but a quitter ain't one of them....
This book is about a college student, Sara, who is studying to be a doctor in the late 80s, early 90s. One night, she realizes that she is able to see other people's dreams. This has it's ups and downs. For example, she meets a guy named Brian and falls in love with him, partially because she has seen him dream about her.  A major negative would be that she is able to see the dreams of a serial killer who is dreaming about murdering young girls.
The premise sounds great, doesn't it? Sara has to hunt down the murderer before he strikes again. Except it doesn't go that way.  She spends a lengthy amount of time ignoring this problem or trying to explain it away. When she does seek help from professionals and her friends,  there is no sense of urgency. Even when she sees that she could have prevented at least one of the girls from being murdered if she had taken action sooner, she doesn't feel compelled to act for weeks at a time.  While I like Sara, it makes it a little difficult to understand her when she doesn't really seem to have a driving motivation to help other young girls when she can if it might make her look a little off her rocker.  She does help one girl, however, because she is able to do so by bluffing her way through.  I also don't understand why she doesn't confide in her parents, who she has a really close relationship with.
The story is told in first person for the most part, except for the dream sequences. This made it even harder to connect to the other characters in the story, and we don't get a lot of backstory for any of them. I also feel that it may have worked better to switch those two POVs around so the dreams were more intimate than regular life.
The vast majority of the story is about Sara studying for tests, interacting with other college students, going to the cafeteria and having to settle for cereal, falling in love with Brian, and eavesdropping on dreams that do nothing to progress the story.  There are several scenes that could have been left out completely, as they do nothing to move the story forward.  I don't know if this was the author's attempt to throw us off the track of the true murderer or if he just doesn't realize that scenes should only be included if they lend something to the momentum of the story.  The same can be said for numerous characters who are introduced and fade away and have little to no impact.

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." J. Lennon (picture via Pixabay)

As far as the antagonist is concerned, it is obvious from the character's brief, but pointed, introduction that he is the antagonist. Despite the fact that there are lots of other characters who show up and disappear for no reason, the only purpose this character could possibly serve is so that he could eventually be the bad guy.  However, if you look at the key role of an antagonist, it's generally to move the plot forward by antagonizing the protagonist.  This guy doesn't do this because he's hardly in the story at all, and even when he is, it's usually in dream mode.  This makes the problem/solution relationship between the two key characters dysfunctional, which transforms what could have been a fast pace plot into the twitchy, annoying, squealing speed of a shopping cart with a wayward wheel; no matter how hard you try to get it to move in the right direction, it just continues to delay your progress and make you crazy. And then, in the end, the resolution is so quick and ridiculous, I was almost expecting the criminal to say, "I'd have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for those pesky kids!'
There was a bit of nostalgia in this book for me since I was in college around the same time as Sara. I remember that life distinctly. If I had written this about my own life, there would have been far less romance, a lot more Oprah, and equivalent bowls of cereal for dinner.  That being said, I would never write a book about when I was in college because no one would want to read it, on the account of it was really boring and did nothing to progress much of anything--including my career (thanks a lot BA in History.)
I am impressed with the number of reviews this book has on Amazon.  Two hundred forty-nine reviews is nothing to sneeze at. And the average is 3.8 so some of them are really good reviews. Maybe the other books in the series are better. I'm not sure I will ever find out. I do like the cover design, and while there were certainly proofreading errors, the only ones that really got to me were the titles in quotation marks instead of italics. I gave Dream Student three stars on Amazon. You can find my review here, and if you find it helpful, please hit the "yes" button next to the review.  You  can try out Dream Student for yourself by purchasing it here. It is usually priced at 99 cents, but right now it is free. Let me know what you think!

My Review of Haunted Ends by Elizabeth Price

I chose this book because I really like the televisions show Ghost Hunters, and this book sounded like it would go right along with that type of program; ghost hunters investigating a haunted hotel.
Nah, not so much....
When I first started reading, I was really confused. The first several chapters are all about a guy named Sam who is  taking a plane from one city to another with a really important package, and about how he doesn't really have any friends, and about how the flight attendant keeps hitting on him.
He checks into the hotel, goes to catch a bite to eat, and is murdered; here's our ghost.

The ghosts in this book are not designed to be scary--much like this sheet apparition. 

Then, another guy, Rocky, comes to the hotel to do an investigation, and since this guy is...or was... a psychic medium, he ends up hooking up with Sam to solve his own murder. Oh, and he's also trying to find the contents of that package, which have gone missing, though that's just kind of nonchalantly thrown in there several chapters after Sam dies.  Why is he looking for the contents? Again, not really explained. It might be because it was his duty to deliver them. It might be because he wants to give them to Rocky. Who knows? We don't find out why until the very end of the book, and even then the reason isn't stated with conviction.
Much of what the characters do in the book isn't really done with conviction, as a matter of fact. Most of them were rather two-dimensional. And we don't really know much about what many of them look like either, including Rocky and Sam, except for some stereotypical comments thrown in throughout. Sam is a person of short stature, and there are a ton of short jokes all through the entire book. Personally, I found this a little offensive. I don't think many people would meet someone and immediately start making fun of them for the way they were born. Even the "good guys" tend to do this in Ms. Price's book.  There's also a lot of poking fun at over-weight people. Most of the ghosts are also stereotypes--"saloon girl," "Hispanic woman," "disco dancer," etc. I find that authors often tend to use these stereotypical types of characters when they haven't got a lot of experience writing or they've thrown a book together so quickly they haven't put a lot of time into developing their characters. We don't really know what they look like, what motivates them, where they came from, where they are going, or what they want out of life/death. This makes it really hard to connect to them or to care about what happens to them. I felt like Sam was the only character in the book who even mattered to me, and by the time I felt a connection to him, he was already dead. (I don't think that's really a spoiler since it's kind of spelled out in the book description.)
It wasn't all bad, though.  The story was complex, if not perfectly executed, and once you get into the heart of the story, the pace picks up and keeps moving. I was bored for the first three or four chapters, but after that I kept reading until it was over. There is room for a sequel, and if one is written, I hope that the characters are more developed.
Once again, like many of the books I've read recently, there is certainly room for another proofread. There are some misspelled words, sentences missing words, etc. It's not the worst I've read, but it's far from perfect as well.  Many of the Amazon reviewers noted this. I find it interesting that a Michael Price commented back to one such reviewer that he didn't notice any of those mistakes. Maybe he is the author's husband or dad who happened to be the proofreader? I don't know. Just an observation....
If you're looking for a light read, and you really like books where the ghosts aren't scary, then maybe Haunted Ends is the read for you. You can buy it here at the current price of $1.99. You can read my three star Amazon review here.

My Review of The Condolence Screener by E.M. Kaplan

This was an interesting read! I chose to read it next because I found the title intriguing. I didn't realize until I was about a chapter in that it is actually the second book in a series. Most of the time, authors do so much flagging of their books in a series that you can't help but feel a little overwhelmed by the titles, but not EM Kaplan.  Like her writing, the relationships between her books are a bit of a mystery....
Even though I have not read book one, entitled The Safe House, it really wasn't a problem in following The Condolence Screener.  Kaplan did a great job of filling in the necessary plot holes without four chapters of backstory we often get in book two of a series.  So, even though I had a few questions going in about our main character, Marissa, and some of the other players, they were answered well-enough, quick-enough, that it didn't take away from the story.
Basically, Marissa, who used to be a cop, now works as a condolence screener, reading messages for the dearly departed before they are posted to a message board online. What an interesting job--I'm a bit jealous. She soon discovers a homeless man who has been posting messages from the dead to the living, which takes her on a dangerous journey in an attempt to free a kidnapped woman. I won't give you anymore information about said woman at this point because Kaplan did something incredibly clever with the plot here, and I want you to discover it for yourself. It really was one of those "What? Shut up!" moments for me.
We also have a witch on our hands, and it becomes quite clear early on she is somehow linked to Marissa. Though I don't quite buy where this portion of the story ends up, it wasn't so unbelievable that it made me slam the book (okay--flip through the pages rapidly on my device) and put it down forever.  I am sure that the events towards the end of the story involving Marissa and the witch are all part of the framing for book three.

Not this kinda witch, but you get the idea!

In my opinion, Kaplan is a good storyteller whose writing hasn't quite caught up to her yet; it will. There are times when things seems a little rushed or I was confused about how we got from Point A to Point N--already.  There were some grammatical errors, as there almost always seem to be, and a few sentences that a decent editor could have fixed up--I don't think there was an editor from what I can tell. There should have been. Editors make writers even better, you know.
I liked the book, and I recommend it to anyone who likes supernatural mysteries. It's not really horror in that no one really gets chopped up or has a ghoul jump out of the closet. But parts of it are creepy, and it is definitely dark.
One thing did bother me a little bit though, I have to admit. When I went to look at the reviews for The Safe House (I like to read other reviews just to see if I'm totally out of line, even though it doesn't change what I write in the end) and I noticed this interesting review by Emily Kaplan.  Hmmm.... If this review is authored by the person I think it is, why is this necessary??? If it's a good book, we'll let you know. (I'd recommend reviewing Amazon's review policies and possibly taking this down if it doesn't meet them. And, needless to say, I don't think it does.)
If you'd like to start with The Safe House, you can buy it for 99 cents right here. If you'd like to skip ahead like I inadvertently did, The Condolence Screener is also available for just 99 cents here. These are bargains, my friends.  Kaplan's writing is worth more than 99 cents (if she does say so herself) and I don't expect her to stay in this price level for long. You can read my 4 star review here.

By the way, I like to go back and see how the books I have reviewed are doing for a few weeks afterwards, and I've noticed a spike in reviews for some of them after I publish my review. I'm wondering if this is a coincidence. If you happen to give a book  a try after you see it here, would you mind letting me know? I know how many people click on my reviews; it would be nice to see how many people go on to read the books I recommend.
Until next time, keep reading!

My Review of Pretty Little Werewolf by Kate Salidas

When this book, Pretty Little Werewolf, showed up on one of the numerous lists of book deals I subscribe to, I did a double-take. Why? Because of the cover. It is the exact same cover as Deck of Cards by ID Johnson, which was published a year before Pretty Little Werewolf.  I was momentarily confused--until I realized it was a different book, and that cover images can be reused. Still, I was intrigued. I love the cover, and I decided to give this one a try.

The cover for Pretty Little Werewolf uses the exact same stock photo, which I love.

The story is about a girl in foster care by the name of Giselle.  We find out pretty quickly that she is a werewolf and that she has been kicked out of lots of families over the years for giving into her inner wolf.  When she goes to live with a new family in Las Vegas, it seems like everything might work out, especially when we find out that this whole family is also--you guessed it--a pack of werewolves. But things aren't that easy, of course. There's another pack of werewolves in the area and there is a generational feud going on between the two. When Giselle meets Asher and instantly develops the hots for him, things become problematic, because Asher is from the other clan.  It seems things might start to take a little turn towards Romeo and Juliette here,  except for Asher is a jerk. When he becomes Giselle's partner in Chem class, it became reminiscent of Twilight--new girl, falls in love with an aloof dude, there's a werewolf.... Oh, and another dude. This one happens to be a witch, though, not a vampire, although there is mention of vampires that we never meet. Maybe that will be in book two, if there is a book two.
Giselle talks to Asher and gets his side of the story. Determined to come to the bottom of the feud between the two families, she goes looking for the truth. She discovers a lone wolf, like herself, in the desert, guarding a secret. In order to solve the mystery and end the feud, she relies on all sides to come together and concocts a plan to make this happen. I won't spoil the ending for you, but it does turn out to be a little too predictable.
But that's okay. I liked the story.  Salidas has written a lot of books, and you can tell; she is clearly becoming a master of her craft.  There were a few times when I was actually comparing the plot to yet another  well-known bit of literature--or TV, anyway--Scooby Doo.  It was pretty clear the book was written for Young Adults, and so maybe it wasn't as sophisticated as literature written solely for older audiences, but it was well-told, and I really liked some of her characters (though some were very annoying, including Giselle) and she did a nice job of tying up loose ends with the possibility of a sequel coming down the line, if she'd like.
A few things bothered me. It needs one more proofread from someone with a keen eye. There are a few paragraphs where multiple people are talking. In one place, Giselle's name is misspelled.  Things like that--picky little things.
Secondly, there's a lot of people just walking around naked in front of other people, and it's no big deal.  Only Giselle seems bothered by this sometimes. Maybe it's part of being a werewolf, but it wasn't well explained.
Finally, there's a lot of repeated words that started to bother me after a while. There seemed like hundreds of reverences to Captain Obvious. And there was a lot of niggling going on in Giselle's neck. I'm not exactly sure what that is, but it happened frequently.  Sometimes she's Giselle, sometimes just Elle. Sometimes her sister is Diana, other times it's Di. It could be Ash or Asher. I get that people use nicknames but there wasn't a lot of rhyme or reason to what they were being called and/or when.
Nevertheless, I found it a pretty good read, one that I finished in about four hours.  I gave it four stars on Amazon, and you can read my review here. If you'd like to read it for yourself, you can purchase Pretty Little Werewolf for $1.99 here.  If you're an adult who doesn't mind adult situations and language, please check out Deck of Cards by ID Johnson (same cover, remember?) which you can purchase for $2.99 right here.

My Review of Lights Out: A Horror Short Story by Darcy Coates

This is a short story; I was able to read it in about an hour, and it had several good reviews so I decided to give it a try on a rainy afternoon when horror seemed like an inviting genre.
There's not a lot of input as to exactly where the story is taking place, other than a shopping centre, but the British spelling was a clue that maybe it was overseas somewhere. Turns out it doesn't really matter, and there were only a few words I thought might be British English, so it could be Anytown, USA or a similar mall anywhere in the English speaking world. The story opens with our main character, Jodi, the manager in a clothing store, working with some other employees to unload some crates out of the back of a truck.
From the beginning, Jodi gets a strange vibe from the eight crates she unloads. Once they get them inside, they discover each contains a creepy looking ceramic mannequin.  The other employees also feel uneasy in their presence, and once they are setup in the store, the customers begin leaving just as quickly as they come in. Clearly, something is going on with these faceless human-like forms.
As the employees begin to disappear, Jodi's predicament gets darker and darker.  Told over the course of a couple of days at a pretty steady pace, the storyline is a bit predictable, but it also keeps you reading. You have to find out what happens when, inevitably, the mannequins come after Jodi. I won't ruin the ending for you, but it did not turn out quite as I thought it was going to, which is always a plus in this genre.

Who wants a hug??

There wasn't anything spectacular about this book, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I like Coates's writing style. Clean, polished, to the point, without being overly flowery or wasting a lot of inconsequential words. I also appreciate the fact that this book was clearly edited and proofread, which is becoming a rarity, unfortunately, when it comes to the eBooks I've been reading recently.
If you need a short read on a stormy night, you can find Lights Out: A Horror Short Story by Darcy Coates here. You can check out my four star Amazon review here.
Has anyone else read this one? What are your thoughts?

My Review of In Love With a Haunted House by Kate Goldman

I guess I either have unbelievably high standards or I'm just a magnet for good plot ideas that go nowhere.  This one, my friends, I'm sorry to say, is another disappointment.... And yet, the blurb made it sound so promising....
In Love With a Haunted House is about a woman named Mallory who lives in Chicago with her fiance Jim. He dumps her, she gets laid off, and so she moves back home to somewhere around Atlanta.  Her mother tells her that the beautiful Victorian home next door is for sale, since the ancient and elusive Ms. Lewis has passed away. Mallory hopes to purchase and restore the house despite the rumors that it is haunted.  (Sounds pretty good so far, right?)
When Mallory arrives at her mother's house, she runs into the ruggedly handsome Blake standing outside, eyeing the Lewis place. She soon finds out that he also wants to purchase the home.  When we are introduced to Blake's cousin, Lonnie, who wants to sell the house (here it starts to get a little complicated--Blake is Ms. Lewis's grandson from the baby she had in secret and gave to her dead boyfriend's parents to raise during World War II, and he knows it and Lonnie knows it, but other people don't know it, for some reason....) we start to realize the direction this story is going in. That's right--Blake and Mallory are going to have to team up to defeat the sinister Lonnie. And what's the best way to do that? To buy the house together.
But, you may ask, who would want to live with a stranger?
Don't worry! Mallory and Blake fell deeply in love sometime between a ghost in the old house throwing Blake in a closet, drinking coffee, and making out at her mom's house. It's perfectly normal!  After all, she broke up with her fiance a few weeks before this. It happens all the time! So, you may be thinking that there will be wedding bells in the future (winky-eye emoji-con) we'll have to wait and see!
I really don't want to ruin this for anyone who has a couple of spare hours on their hands and likes really silly ghosts, really quick romances, and really poorly written books, so I'm not going to tell you anything else about the plot line. Besides, you've all figured it out already any way, right? But I am going to tell you that once the ghost of Ms. Lewis gets a hold of Lonnie, the story goes into fast forward mode. It's as if the writer was given two days to write this book, and she looked up on the evening of the second day and was only about halfway through, so she dumped a bunch of words on the page.  We fly through the rest of the book and skip over some of what could have been the best parts, like, I don't know, the wedding!
I wish that these were the only issues with the book, but they're not.  The characters are very flat, and if you like to read books where you pick up subtle details about the characters from the things they do, this is not the book for you. Everything about them is very straight forward. We can see into their minds and we know what they are thinking and why they are doing the things they are doing. It's very annoying at times.  Also, the backstories for all of the main characters are not well developed at all, especially for Ms. Lewis and her boyfriend. The story says they never left each other's sight after they met, but then he had to sneak off of base to see her. Huh? Blake consistently refers to both Ms. Lewis and the woman who raised Ms. Lewis's baby--his father's grandmother--as his grandmother. Well, technically, the second lady is his great-grandmother.  And even Lonnie calls her "Grandma Lewis" when she would have been his aunt or cousin. I'm really not sure which because none of this story is developed well enough to be able to tell.
Not only is this book in desperate need of an editor, someone to go in and help the author take these great ideas and formulate them into a nice, well-thought out story, it also needs a good proofreader. I understand that in all manuscripts there are occasionally going to be errors. Some of these are blatant. It's almost like the author was using speech-to-text and didn't go back and read it when she was done. At all. Not even once. And that no one read it for her either.  Her are some examples:
"'Who wish she would have a child with anyway?'"

"Mallory through her hands up in the air."

This isn't grammatically incorrect, but check out this sentence. "'I'm not sure what you mean.'" Mallory wasn't sure what he meant, how could they share the house?" Not only is this a sentence only Captain Obvious could love, but there is also a comma splice--one of about a billion in the story.  Even the first sentence of the story has a comma splice in it. For realzies.

"The comforter on her bed had a stained from the night she had drawn a slumber party..."  What does that even mean?

Maybe this one is on me. I tried to figure out what it meant. I even Googled it. Any ideas? "He would know how to stint if you gave him a manual and explained it to him." What is stinting? Someone please explain it to me....

"How could anyone stand a cell something so beautiful..."

This one makes me think Mallory is actually a zombie. "She moved a little bit closer, so close that he could smell her sweet perfume and see the small dab of jelly on one corner of her mouth from the toe she had been eating for breakfast." Yuck!

"Jim's cold eyes took in her be dry gold appearance..."  Does Rumpelstiltskin know about this?

Look, I'm the first to admit I have a hard time with words that sound the same but are spelled differently. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you've probably seen me do this from time to time. And, no, no one proof reads my blog before I publish it except for me. But I'm not attempting to sell my blog to people for their hard-earned money either.  And, for the love of monkeys, if you ever see errors as egregious as these in my writing, please let me know!
I know that Ms. Goldman has written lots of books, and that many of them appear to be doing well. In fact, this book has a lot of positive four and five star reviews. So I guess some people enjoy this sort of fast pace story and didn't mind the errors.  I am not one of those people. I had to give it a sad little two stars. I did like the premise. And that's where I must leave you, Ms. Goldman.  To read my review on Amazon, click here. If you'd like to try this one on for size, you can find it here. The price is currently $2.99 and as I am writing this, it is in the Amazon top 10,000 for Kindle books, which is amazing and something to be proud of. Bez tuf luk, Ms. Goldman!
 

My Review of Sensing Serafina by Elisa Ellis

This is a love story--but not one like any I have ever read before. I spent the first few chapters of the book trying to get a grasp on what is happening. And I don't mean that in a negative way--it isn't as if the author's writing is vague or she leaves us with those plot holes that some of the other books I've written have where you have no idea what is happening because the author just assumes you know. No, in this case, Ellis knows you don't know. And she likes it that way. It's written in a way that keeps you guessing, trying to figure things out on your own, attempting to get there one step ahead of the story. This is the type of story I like to read; it keeps me thinking and engaged.
The main character, Cal, has just come to from a major motorcycle wreck where he has lost his sight. His beloved girlfriend, Serafina, was with him at the time of the wreck.  And when he is finally out of a coma and able to comprehend, his mother tells him that she is gone. Grief stricken, Cal must find a way to go on, now without the love of his life and without his sight. As you can imagine, this is very difficult. He struggles with motivation. As a person who planned on leaving town right after high school graduation, which has happened without him, he now has to change all of his hopes and dreams. Eventually, with his mother's loving guidance, he enrolls in art school and finds he has quite a talent for sculpting. He is finally making friends, including a cute girl.  It looks as if Cal is about to be able to put the pieces of his broken life back together.
And then the unthinkable happens.
Really, I'm a pretty good guesser, and I did not see this coming at all!
It's impossible for me to review the second half of the book without giving the plot twist away, so I won't. I will tell you, however, this is a worthy read. Not only is Ellis's writing style unlike any other writer I've ever read, the creativity that went into the crafting of this story is very unique.  It's definitely worth the time it takes to read it, and it will stay with you after you've read the final chapter.
That isn't to say it's perfect. There were a few things that threw me off a bit, a few things I thought might go a different way. But everything is plausible, and in this particular world, for these particular characters, this is how the story went, and it all works together in the end.
There is some strong language from time to time, as one may expect from a character in Cal's position.
This is a new release, and I think it will do really well! You can buy it for yourself here for only $2.99 and you can check out my five star review here.
If you read it, come back and let us know what you think!

My Review of Lord Love a Zombie: Dead Inside: Welcome by Nina Hobson

I am intrigued by zombies--vampires, ghosts--if it's scary, I wanna read about it. And when this book showed up on one of the many book deal email promos I subscribe to a couple of days ago, my interest was piqued. The premise was so unusual; I'd never heard anything like it before. Imagine a world where zombies have used up all of their reserves. They are running out of food and are beginning to turn on themselves. Meanwhile, a small band of surviving humans decide to take a leap of faith and trust a group of zombies that promises to help them hide from the raging zombie masses.  Sounds pretty cool, right?
Well, it was't. Not even a little bit.
My first clue that this was not gonna be a great read should have been the cover. I know how much a good cover costs--I know how much a stock photo costs--and I know it's pretty much free to go take a picture of your own house, slop some words on it, and call it a cover. I think this author may have gone for option three.  Nevertheless, there was already a five star review that sounded convincing. And since it was free, I downloaded it.
Turns out my instinct was right on the money.

Another reader, perhaps? Photo courtesy of Pixabay

From the very beginning, we are thrust into scene after scene with a long list of characters but little to no information about any of them.  And we never get any! There's a group of humans--I'm not even sure I can name them all, but I'll try; let's see--Marshall, Henry, Cynthia, Julia, Jeff, and Connor--who eventually run into a zombie family--Abner, Ernest, Anna, and Jackie--and then start on their way to some human camp. Of course, they don't make it there.  And some of them get killed or turned into zombies.  And no one really seems to care, so why should I? Even when someone loses their spouse, there is no emotional outburst; it's kinda like, "Meh...." Maybe this is the author's attempt to show how detached we will be in the future during the zombie apocalypse. Or maybe  the author doesn't know her characters any better than we do.  In fact, she doesn't even bother to tell us what they look like. She does mention at one point that one of them is 52, but it's stuck in like someone read through her book and said, "Hey, tell us about your characters so we can imagine them," and she was like, "Okay, this guy is 52." How am I supposed to become emotionally invested in a bunch of characters that I can't tell apart?
And then there is the language of the book. It is written like stage directions. No, really. At first, I thought I was reading a screenplay and at any minute it would go to characters talking with their name out to the left. But it didn't. 'Cause it's not a screenplay. We just get gems of sentences like, "'Hey guys,'" zombie Henry lurches into view as he lowers his gun." End scene. And this one is so bizarre, I actually read it out loud to my husband, "Outside, Ernest, Abner, Anna, Connor, Marshal, Cynthia, and Henry stand around in a loose circle." Is that really the most creative way that sentence could have been crafted?
Sometimes it is hard to tell who is speaking because more than one person talks per paragraph. Sometimes it's hard to tell who is speaking because everyone is basically the same flat-lined character, and it doesn't really matter who is speaking.
The real tragedy here, however, is that this author had such a fabulous idea, but she sucked the life out of it more so than any zombie ever could have. As a freelance editor, I have read a lot of crappy books that had no great idea. This one has a great idea but still ended up being... not so fabulous.  Perhaps with the help of a great--or even semi-talented editor--Ms. Hobson could fix this nightmare.  Maybe she could infuse some life back into her  dead book. Otherwise, well, I'm sad to say, I don't think it's gonna make it. And that's disappointing because it really is a good idea--in theory.
It also makes me very sad to see yet another example of a self-published author (I am assuming) falling into that stereotypical profile of lousy writing. I know there are great self-pubs out there, but this one could be used as evidence to the contrary.
On a positive note, it was a very short read, and I was able to finish it in less than two hours.
I know there are some people who honestly enjoy a bad read, much like watching the show Mystery Science Theater 3000. If you're that guy, then this one is for you.
I hate to leave bad reviews, and I hate that Ms. Hobson may read my review and be upset, but I hope that she can see the positive in it, that I am giving her sound advice from both a writing and editing aspect.  And I've got to be honest. Y'all wouldn't read my blog any more if you thought I was lying to you, right?
If you'd like to read my two star Amazon review of Lord Love a Zombie: Dead Inside: Welcome (why all the colons?) you can find it here.
If you'd like to try this one for yourself, I'm sad to say it's no longer free. You can purchase it on Amazon here for $2.99.  If you give it a go, please come back and share your thoughts, especially if you disagree with me. Hey, that other lady gave it a five star review, so maybe I'm just way off base (but no, I don't think so....)

My Review of Onyx Webb Episodes 1, 2, and 3 by Waltz and Fenton

This is an unusual one, and I came to be reading it this weekend in an unusual way, so it's only fitting that my review will also be a bit out of the ordinary.  This is what I would describe as an "incomplete book" in that the first installment doesn't have a complete story arch, and yet I still gave it five stars. If you've been reading my reviews for a while, you will know that this is very strange for me, as I usually start no higher than three stars for these types of novels. But Onyx Webb is different, and despite the fact that I was left hanging at the end of Episode 3, the well-written, interwoven, complex story portraying the unfortunate lives of several different characters completely held my interest from page one until the end of the first installment--and I will definitely be reading on.
The story starts when Onyx Webb is a little girl on the way to the World's Fair with her father in 1904.  When Onyx goes missing, we are introduced to a serial killer, Obedience, whose description is creepy enough to keep you up at night if you dwell on it.  I won't give anything away, but the events in Onyx's early life had me turning through the pages quickly to find out if she lives or not. After all, when we first meet  Onyx in the prologue, it's made pretty clear that she is a ghost.  I had to find out if it was Obedience that killed her!
But even though this portion of the book isn't particularly long, it is interrupted by the stories of two other characters.  We travel to the mid-twentieth century with Juniper and her family, and we go to near present day with Koda.  Their stories are also spell-binding, and while I was in a rush to get back to Onyx, I was also extremely captivated by the worlds of Juniper and Koda as well, particularly when we find out that Juniper has gone missing and Koda has seen a ghost.  The way the book is woven together demands that you keep reading; once you are updated on one character, you have to continue reading to find out what is going on with the others. Also, the more you read, the more you realize these stories are all related somehow, though by the end of Episode 3, it's still not exactly clear how.
Not only are these main characters well-developed and interesting, so are the supporting characters in each of their stories. You can't help but be intrigued by Koda's best friend, Dane, or immediately dislike his ex-girlfriend Mika.  Juniper's brother is the ideal older brother, and his search for his missing sister is heart wrenching.  Even the backstory of Onyx's parents, which we get in flashbacks and stories told by her father, is well-thought out and raises many questions about who--or what--Onyx really is.
As a fan of historical fiction and horror, this book was a perfect balance of the two for me.  It is so well-written that fans of literary fiction will appreciate its value as well.  Even though I don't generally read mysteries because I become too emotionally invested in the characters and become too upset when something happens to them, I am certain readers who appreciate these types of novels will also enjoy this book.  I read another review that said this book created a new genre, and while I'm not sure if I'd go quiet that far, I absolutely understand why it was stated--this book is certainly a genre crosser. Basically, if you like books, this one has something for you.
While I am certainly bothered by the abrupt ending with no resolution, as I said before, it didn't bother me like it usually does. I think one main reason for this is that I knew it going in.  The authors make it abundantly clear that this story is told in installments and that there are currently twelve of them.  I still adamantly say that all books sold as individual units should contain an entire story arch, and this one does not, but at least I knew that going in.  Also, the story itself is so well-written, I didn't take any stars off of my Amazon review due to incompleteness. If the scale had been 1-10, I may have given it an 8, but when we only have 5 stars to play with, I can't see omitting any for this reason.
Now, let me explain how I came to be reading this book this weekend. About a month ago I was contacted by one of the authors asking me if she could gift me the book in exchange for a review.  This is pretty common for book bloggers, though it hasn't happened to me too many times before.  I didn't accept her gift though--I couldn't--because I already had Onyx Webb on my Kindle. I had already downloaded it!  So technically I'm not obligated to make the canned statement that I was given this book in exchange for a fair review, although I would have been if I didn't already have it.  The reason it has taken me so long to read it is because I was wading my way through Noble Cause. I started reading Onyx Webb Friday night and finished it Saturday, not because it's short but because I couldn't put it down.
If you like American Horror Story (the first few seasons when the storytelling was still excellent) or Stephen King, or Dean Koontz, you will like this book. I honestly think Onyx Webb would make a great television series or a movie.  I believe it's currently on it's way to a cult following, and I can see why.  The price of the first installment right now is $2.99 and you can purchase it right here.  If it's a rainy Sunday where you live like it is here, and you have three or four hours, go get it now. You'll thank me--until you get to the end, and then you'll be mad at me because you know you're going to keep spending $4.99 for each of the remaining installments. Sorry! I promise I get no money for any of the books I recommend!
If you read it, please come back and leave a comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts! And don't forget to leave a review on Amazon. It's super important for the authors and other readers.
Now to figure out what to read next.... Oh, right, Onyx Webb Episodes 4, 5, and 6.

My Review of Noble Cause by Jessica James

Finishing this book was a bit of a Noble Cause.... It was really long, and I honestly didn't know if I should push through or just let it go. But I decided to push through because I hate to leave a book unfinished.
I have a degree in History, with the Civil War being my main area of study.  I love reading about the Civil War in every context--fiction or non-fiction--and I was very happy to see this book offered for free, especially since it has so many five star reviews, though after reading it, I'm really not sure why.
The book started off really great. Andrea, the main character,  was immediately likeable as a Northern spy. How strong must this woman be that she is willing to dress up as a man and fight for the cause she believes in. Although, I didn't think it was really believable that this beautiful woman is passing herself off as a man, I still liked her gumption. However, her character seems to constantly live in a state of contradiction. She hates the South but saves a Southern officer. Throughout the story, this seems to be a common theme--Andrea thinks and says one thing but acts in a completely different way, especially at the end. I don't want to give too much away, but the actions she takes in the last few chapters of the story seem very out of line with the over-the-to Union zealot we are supposed to believe in all throughout the rest of the book.
It was very hard to even get to the end. About 25% into the book, the story gets bogged down, and the plot doesn't move along for quite some time. Scene after scene is virtually the same. Two characters sitting on a porch talking about why one's believes are more noble than the other. Chapter after chapter and the book doesn't move forward. As a writer, I believe it is imparative to make sure that every scene adds something to the story. In this case, I think there were multiple scenes that could have either been combined into one or eradicated. Likewise, there are characters that add little to nothing. And many of the soldiers were so interchangeable, I couldn't remember which was which--and I guess I didn't really care either.
The author's decision to skip certain important events--such as four months Andrea spent in prison--and dwell on conversation after conversation that add little or noting to the story is confusing to me as a reader. Why not let us live through her eyes a bit in that Northern prison and live a little less through her conversations with Hunter, the character who eventually gets around to revealing that he is the hero of the story, at Hawthorn (his plantation house where he takes Andrea against her will after she has been reclaimed from the prison he accidentally put her in) that go nowhere?
In fact, the way that Andrea comes to be at Hawthorne and stay at Hawthorne are both unbelievable to me. And then Hunter--who is commanding a brigade of Confederate soldiers by this time--gets to come home from the war almost every day. I don't see how this is possible. In all of my studies, I don't recall reading about many commanders who just worked the Civil War as a day job.  Late in the war, this plantation that is so close to Northern territory has still not fallen into Union hands despite the fact that Andrea has to save it once earlier on.  (Why she would do that is another contradiction I cannot answer.) How is this possible? How is it that no Union soldiers ever decided to claim this giant plantation as a headquarters??
 I asked myself that same question over many events in the story--how is this possible? Andrea has a broken leg but still manages to use make-shift crutches to make it down a flight of stairs. Take it to someone who currently has a torn ACL--this could not happen!  She has to have her leg re-broken and re-set because of her shenanigans.Umm, I don't think she would have been doing it to begin with.  Hunter hears that Lee has surrendered from the safety of his own home, no Union officers showing up to arrest him, despite the fact that they are close enough to hear Union gunfire celebrating victory and church bells? It all seems a bit unlikely to say the least.
There are some things that the author does really well. The way she describes the setting is awe inspiring, especially when it comes to the beauty of Hawthorne. She also obviously cares deeply about her characters, which were fairly well-developed, if often illogical. She seemed to have done some research on the war itself, though the lack of historical data (actual battles, for example) was a little annoying to someone such as myself who has studied the war so thoroughly. She does mention one well-known soldier by name, and that's about it. It's almost as if she wasn't sure what battles were actually happening in that theater,  or who the real leaders were, so she avoided it altogether.  
There are also some punctuation mistakes, missing quotation marks, that sort of thing that while they didn't distract from the story were a bit annoying. Another thing that was confusing and often stopped my reading was when a character had been sitting but then was suddenly doing something he or she had to be standing in order to do, or when the characters were suddenly in what seemed to be a different location or position. In one instance, the author talks about Hunter pulling Andrea inside when she hasn't even mentioned that they are at a cabin. I was very confused and re-read that section several times before I gave up and went with it.It was as if we were supposed to be able to see some picture in the author's head that here words didn't always make clear.
Parts of this read were really enjoyable, but make sure you have several hours to invest in something that may or may not be worth it before you decide to give this one a shot. You can find my three star Amazon review here. If you'd like to try this one for yourself, you can purchase it here. The current price is a whopping $7.99.