The English Boys by Julia Thomas ~ Book Review

Book Synopsis:

Daniel Richardson and his best friend, Hugh Ashley-Hunt, both rising British actors, are in love with the same woman, the free-spirited Tamsyn Burke. Reluctantly, Daniel steps aside when Tamsyn decides to marry Hugh. Shortly before the wedding, however, she's murdered, and suspicion falls on the family, friends, and associates present.

Motivated by both Hugh's grief and his own, Daniel joins forces with Tamsyn's younger sister, Carey, to find out who killed her. In the process of digging into Tamsyn's past, Daniel tries to discover what secret she was hiding, and why someone close to her might want to silence her forever.

Preorder a copy of The English Boys from Amazon. 

Learn more about author, Julia Thomas.  

Book Review:

Julia Thomas’s debut novel embodies the true definition of literature - a written body of work with artistic and intellectual value. The English Boys is a brilliant story, and Thomas certainly tells it with a clever finesse.  

This murder mystery is set in modern-day England with a very intriguing plot - a young British actor in love with his best friend’s bride becomes a suspect, along with close family and friends, after the bride is found murdered moments before her vows. 

Although multiple POVs are used, the story is mainly told from Daniel Richardson’s POV. Through Richardson’s character, the reader travels through an emotional journey of love, grief, anger, and trauma of discovering secrets of those closest to you.

This book is a suspenseful must-read if you are a fan of murder-mysteries - a solid five-star book! Just remember that you can never really know another person. One can never truly decipher another person's motivation; therefore, everyone remains a suspect. Preorder now, and enjoy on July 8th. 

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Andrea'. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Midnight Ink Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~ 

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Mind Matters - Tanya J. Miller ~ Press Release

Mind Matters

Self-Help by Tanya J. Miller

DESCRIPTION

Do you ever get lost in the maze of your mind? When your thoughts start spiraling in a continuous loop—positive or negative—it can seem impossible to consider a different idea or even catch your breath.

If the way you think greatly influences the way you live, then it’s important to know how to manage your thoughts and channel their power to improve your life, rather than hinder it.

Mind Matters explores practical ways you can bring balance to your thought life, from replacing anxious thoughts with hopeful ones to curbing unnecessary thinking altogether. It also points out traps that keep you stuck, like “clearing your mind” by airing your thoughts on Facebook.

As you learn the art of controlling your thoughts, you will be able to focus on what you can do in the present to experience the life you want in the future. Whether you struggle with anxious thoughts or just need a few tips to better manage your mind, this easy-to-read guide provides you with simple instructions you can immediately put into practice.

PURCHASE

ON AMAZON

• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 150562584X
• ISBN-13: 978-1505625844
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.2 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• All Formats
 
• Kindle Edition
 
• Paperback

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The Ghosts of Ravencrest by Tamara Thorne & Alistair Cross ~ Book Review

Darkness Never Dies ... 
Ravencrest Manor has always been part of the family. The ancestral home of the Mannings, Ravencrest’s walls have been witness to generations of unimaginable scandal, horror, and depravity. Imported stone by stone from England to northern California in the early 1800s, the manor now houses widower Eric Manning, his children, and his staff. Ravencrest stands alone, holding its memories and ghosts close to its dark heart, casting long, black shadows across its grand lawns, through the surrounding forests, and over the picturesque town of Devilswood, below. 

Dare to Cross the Threshold ... 
Ravencrest Manor is the most beautiful thing new governess, Belinda Moorland, has ever seen, but as she learns more about its tangled past of romance and terror, she realizes that beauty has a dark side. Ravencrest is built on secrets, and its inhabitants seem to be keeping plenty of their own - from the handsome English butler, Grant Phister, to the power-mad administrator, Mrs. Heller, to Eric Manning himself, who watches her with dark, fathomless eyes. But Belinda soon realizes that the living who dwell in Ravencrest have nothing on the other inhabitants - the ones who walk the darkened halls by night … the ones who enter her dreams … the ones who are watching … and waiting … 

Welcome to Ravencrest ... 
Who is the man digging in the garden beyond Belinda’s bedroom window? Who - or what - is watching her from the vents? From ghostly screams and the clutching bony fingers of death in the indoor pool, to the trio of gliding nuns in the east wing who come at Belinda with black blazing eyes, to the beckoning little girl in the red dress who died more than two centuries ago, Belinda is thrust into a world of waking nightmares where there is no distinction between the living and the dead, and there are no limits to the horrors that await. Witchcraft is afoot at Ravencrest and as unspeakable terrors begin to unfold, Belinda realizes that her beautiful new home is a keeper of tragedy, a collector of souls. And it wants to add her to its collection … 


"The Ghosts of Ravencrest delivers on every level. Delicate, creepy, detailed, and beautifully crafted, this reinvention of the gothic ghost story into a sexy, sleek modern chiller is a marvel of suspense and atmosphere. A knockout of a horror yarn!" 
-Jay Bonansinga, the New York Times bestselling author of The Walking Dead: Invasion, Lucid, and Self Storage. 

"Ghostly secrets abound. Tortured spirits wander the hallways. Star-crossed lovers walk the paths of time. Servants connive, and the heroine faces an uncertain future …Run, do not walk, to get The Ghosts of Ravencrest. Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross take the reader on a delicious journey of twisted family secrets, troubled dreams, and barely-concealed passions. Wrap yourself in the silken robe of this story and escape to Ravencrest." 
-- Sylvia Shults, author of Hunting Demons: A True Story of the Dark Side of the Supernatural 

by Tamara Thorne (Author), Alistair Cross  (Author)Alistair Cross was born in the western United States and began penning his own stories by the age of eight. First published by Damnation Books in 2012, Alistair has since published several more novels. In 2012, he joined forces with international bestselling author, Tamara Thorne, and as Thorne & Cross, they write the successful Gothic series, The Ghosts of Ravencrest. Their newest novel, The Cliffhouse Haunting, is an Amazon Best Seller, and this summer also sees the release of Alistair’s solo novel, The Crimson Corset.

http://www.alistaircross.com/

Length: 378 pages

amazon

• Similar books to The Ghosts of Ravencrest (The Ravencrest Saga Book 1)

The Ghost of Ravencrest begins like a haunted mystery which I love.  Belinda interviews for a position at Ravencrest Mansion for governess.  She is tired of her roommate, and job.  She is extremely anxious and curious.  This house has a dark evil past.  Bad things are happening all around.  Belinda gets trapped in the web of murder, ghosts, witchcraft, and the family legacy.  This book is all the elements of a ghastly ghost story, with a modern flare of spice and seduction.  Be prepared for some sultry and sexual undertones.  The story line floats back and forth explaining the heritage and ancestry of the Ravencrest curse.  I give this book three stars.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kris

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Author Spotlight Saturday with Author Ceanmohrlass

Please welcome Author Ceanmohrlass to Genuine Jenn's Author Spotlight Saturday! Ceanmohrlass is the author of YA fiction Me & My Bacon. Welcome! 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and why/what inspired you to write?

I am a happy grandmother, and I live in Texas. My great aunt gifted me her 50+years of genealogy research, and it compelled me to write the family history. That effort then prompted me to complete some of the many stories lying around gathering dust.

When did you start writing?

The initial thrill of writing came when I was 5 years old, and in our Kindergarten class, we wrote a short story about ducks. I had so much fun reading it back out to my class, and making them laugh when I did the duck sounds, I felt the positive reaction from my friends. I started writing for myself in my early teens, to deal with some issues most teens have when trying to understand life. I finally decided to publish some of my more recent works in spring 2015, and I am learning a great deal from it.

What was your inspiration for ‘Me and My Bacon’?

Funny story there. My sister and I were having one of our goofy days, where everything was just too silly for words. I am a bit of a bacon fanatic, and we had been texting goofy lines to make each other laugh, and this line came up. I had an idea in mind on the story, and the title became an easy fit.

What three words would you use to best describe ‘Me and My Bacon’?

Drama, reality, hope.

Can you tell us if you’re working on anything else at the moment?

I am deep into a new Contemporary Fiction novel right now, hoping to be ready late this summer!

What was your very first book that you wrote?

Ducky loves to quack. Seriously, lolol!

Other than your own, what are your favourite books?

So many, Onion John, Wuthering Heights, My Antonia, Pride and Prejudice, just too many to list.

When you are writing do you like to listen to music?

I do in the morning yes.

What is on your playlist?

Barry Manilow, Kiss, Instrumentals, Dean Martin, just a wide mix.

Who is your favorite character in your books?

That would have to be Lina in ‘Catch Me When I Fall’. Losing both of my precious grandmothers devastated me more than I let on, and it was tough to write about her loss.

Do you ever take characteristics or nuances from close friends or family when working on character development and if so has that friend or family member noticed and what was their response to it?

No, I don’t think that would be wise to do, really. Stories and characters tend to evolve and create themselves; it would be tough to structure a character on someone real, without affecting the story line.

What’s your favorite treat?

Chocolate! Dark, milk, white, doesn’t matter, just that it’s chocolate!

What’s your Favorite place to read/write?

Anywhere the mood strikes. No particular place really.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Iceland or Hawaii.

Connect: Website | Facebook | Amazon |

Purchase Me and My Bacon on Amazon.

Book Description: Struggling to deal with her mother’s indifference, and the emotional turbulence of being a teen, Mera’s world is hard enough already. Her world is turned upside down by her mother’s abrupt decision to rip her from her fast-paced city life in L.A., to the backwoods of Vermont. Can she find a way to fit in and acclimate to her new world without losing who she really is?

Thank you Ceanmohrlass for taking the time to chat with us on Genuine Jenn! 

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Until We Met Again by Renee Collins ~ Book Review

Book Description:

They exist in two different centuries, but their love defies time

Cassandra craves drama and adventure, so the last thing she wants is to spend her summer marooned with her mother and stepfather in a snooty Massachusetts shore town. But when a dreamy stranger shows up on their private beach claiming it's his own—and that the year is 1925—she is swept into a mystery a hundred years in the making.

As she searches for answers in the present, Cassandra discovers a truth that puts their growing love—and Lawrence's life—into jeopardy. Desperate to save him, Cassandra must find a way to change history…or risk losing Lawrence forever.

Purchase a copy on Amazon. 

Review: 

This was a great young adult love story between two centuries. Cassandra is your typical teen in the 21st century, dragged along on a family summer vacation she doesn't want to be part of. Cassandra is trying to find her way as a teen, rebelling against her mom and step-father. Cassandra heads to the beach to get away from one of her parents parties to find a stranger on their private beach. This is where we met Lawrence and learn that he is from 1925 and this is his uncles private beach.

Lawrence and Cassandra can only spend time together on the beach and find themselves back there waiting to see the other all the time. What will happen if something in the past gets changed, how will it affect the future, where Cassandra lives? This is a story of romance, time travel and a little bit of mystery. The characters are very easy to like, I do think they could have been a little more complex and developed. I did like both of them very much. I found this story to be enchanting moving between 1925 and 2015, the story is told by both of the main characters point of view but mostly by Cassandra. Can Cassandra help Lawrence with a mystery that will likely change the future? Falling in love with Lawrence will they be able to be together outside of the private beach.

I devoured this book in a couple of days and really felt connect with the characters especially Lawrence. I also really liked the ending. I give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars.   



~Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*~

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Nailgun Messiah (Micah Reed Book 1) by Jim Heskett ~ Book Review

Book description:

Ticking off the wrong people sends Micah scrambling to flee Denver. But his hideout choice may not supply the sanctuary he craves. In the little Colorado mountain community of Nederland, he finds his sister, thinking he can disappear into obscurity with her. But she’s living in some kind of commune with a domineering and cruel woman named Lilah.

And Lilah doesn’t trust Micah from the moment he appears on the scene.

Soon enough, Micah becomes convinced that Lilah and her people are concealing scandalous activities. Activities that will bring the wrong kind of attention. FBI, DEA, CIA…maybe all of them at once. And if Micah can’t persuade his sister to leave with him before the bomb drops, they’ll both be torn apart by the explosion.

Purchase a copy on Amazon

About the Author:

Jim Heskett fell in love with writing at the age of fourteen with a copy of Stephen King's The Shining. Poetry became his first outlet for teen angst, then later some screenplays, and eventually short and long fiction. In between, he worked a few careers that never quite tickled his creative toes successfully, and hasn't ever forgotten about Stephen King. You can find him currently huddled over a laptop at an undisclosed location in Colorado, dreaming up ways to kill beloved characters.

Connect : Website, Goodreads

Review Inge:

**** 4 and a half stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.The opening chapter immediately drew me into the story with a scene describing Micah being tied to a chair and threatened by a low-life drug dealer. Luckily, Micah is resourceful and I’m glad he lived to see another day. Yes, he did have problems in the past, he is a recovering alcoholic and made many mistakes, but he tries really hard now to do right by his sister and you can't help but sympathize with him. The writing was fluent and that niggling feeling that something was indeed wrong with Lilah and the house they live in kept growing stronger page by page. All the residents of the house on Caribou Road seem deep under Lilah’s control, which was rather unsettling, but there are also a lot of things at play in the house and more secrets than it seems at first sight. To add to all that, Lilah is extremely volatile the last days and she’s counting off the days for Cyrus to come home because apparently Cyrus alone has the key to understanding the words in the book. His release falls together with the chapter countdown and Mr. Heskett plays it just right in selling us this suspenseful foreboding feeling that something is going to happen after 21 days. Time is running out for Micah to get his sister out of there. He was not wrong, secrets are revealed, plotlines come together and at the end of the book Micah gets himself, again, in a pretty dire situation, being chased after by all of his enemies and he gets a real adrenaline rush. Well I felt it too as I raced through these last pages and could only hope for the best in what seems an impossible and dangerous situation to get out of. I can only say that it ends with a grand finale with a big bang.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

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Jamie Quinn Mystery Collection by Barbara Venkataraman - Book Review

Book Description:

Books 1-3 of the Jamie Quinn Mystery Series! Including:

"Death by Didgeridoo"-Reluctant lawyer, Jamie Quinn, still reeling from the death of her mother, is pulled into a game of deception, jealousy, and vengeance when her cousin, Adam, is wrongfully accused of murder. It's up to Jamie to find the real murderer before it's too late. It doesn't help that the victim is a former rock star with more enemies than friends, or that Adam confessed to a murder he didn't commit.

"The Case of the Killer Divorce"-Reluctant lawyer, Jamie Quinn, has returned to her family law practice after a hiatus due to the death of her mother. It's business as usual until a bitter divorce case turns into a murder investigation, and Jamie's client becomes the prime suspect. When she can't untangle truth from lies, Jamie enlists the help of Duke Broussard, her favorite private investigator, to try to clear her client's name. And she’s hoping that, in his spare time, he can help her find her long-lost father.

"Peril in the Park"-There's big trouble in the park system. Someone is making life difficult for Jamie Quinn's boyfriend, Kip Simons, the new director of Broward County parks. Was it the angry supervisor passed over for promotion? The disgruntled employee Kip recently fired? Or someone with a bigger ax to grind? If Jamie can't figure it out soon, she may be looking for a new boyfriend because there’s a dead guy in the park and Kip has gone missing! With the help of her favorite P.I., Duke Broussard, Jamie must race the clock to find Kip before it’s too late.

Purchase on Amazon.

About the Author:

Barbara Venkataraman is an attorney and mediator specializing in family law. She is the author of "The Fight for Magicallus," a children's fantasy, "If you'd Just Listened to Me in the First Place," a humorous short story and two books of humorous essays: "I'm Not Talking about You, Of Course," and "A Trip to the Hardware Store & Other Calamities," which are part of an ongoing series entitled "Quirky Essays for Quirky People."

Her Jamie Quinn cozy mystery series includes: "Death by Didgeridoo," "The Case of the Killer Divorce," "Peril in the Park," and "Engaged in Danger". Coming out in 2016, "Jeopardy in July". All of her books are available on Amazon Kindle.

Connect: Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

Review:

*** 3 out of 5 stars

Before I give my review, I'd like to start by saying I am a huge fan of mysteries novels. Besides fantasy, it's the genre of novel I read the most. So, when I picked up a collection with the word "mystery" in the title, I definitely had certain expectations. 

As far as mysteries go, this missed the mark for me. The first book, Death by Digeridoo, started out very focused on the mystery of who murdered Spike, the washed up, cranky rockstar. Poor Jamie Quinn is just a family law attorney, and somehow she has to save her autistic cousin from being the primary murder suspect. That's a plot I can get behind! 

Where things started to devolve was in the excessive personal commentary; these novels read more like a personal diary than a mystery. At one point in the first book, she spent almost a page discussing peanut butter and honey sandwiches (there may have been some bananas involved, too). In fact, these books probably had the most asides involving food I've ever encountered.

These personal excursions from the mystery plot line were amplified in the second installment, The Case of the Killer Divorce, where the sudden death of Jamie's client's soon-to-be-ex-husband stirs up suspicion. There are all the makings of a good mystery plot line: star crossed lovers, drugs, high stakes, and lies. But, this book was way more focused on Jamie's search for her long lost father and a love interest she rekindles from high school than actually solving the mystery. In fact, the murderer inexplicably confesses to Jamie, then turns themselves in. Womp, womp.

The last book in the collection, Perils in the Park, pretty much follows the same pattern: good elements of a mystery, lackluster follow-through. There were points where I felt potentially climactic moments fell flat and details were thrown in haphazardly to close the plot lines. There were also some continuity issues for me; for example, Jamie makes a comment on one page that she isn't sure if she and Kip are boyfriend and girlfriend just yet, then a few pages later she refers to him as her boyfriend. Little things like that throughout all three were a bit distracting, but certainly not a deal breaker.

Now, all of that said, I thought Jamie was funny! Her internal dialogue was so sporadic and goofy, I couldn't help but smile at her tangents. There were definitely some witty jokes and a lot of levity I was able to latch onto. Midway through the second novel, I let go of the idea that I was going to get my mystery fix and just let Jamie take me through her day. Once I did that, I was able to enjoy the read and giggle to myself. 

It made me wish the series wasn't trying to be something it's not. If you're a big mystery/thriller fan like me, it's a bit misleading. However, if you're looking for something light, easy to read, funny and cozy (as the author describes it), then this is a great read. 

~ I received a free copy of this collection in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.~

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Filling Up In Cumby and Other Stories by Jim Steinberg ~ Short Story Collection Book Review

Book Description: 

Filling Up In Cumby is a collection of stories about matters of the heart: the bonds and trials of lovers and friends, fathers and sons, even strangers in the midst of chance encounters. Carefully crafted and set in vividly described places, the stories reveal the interiors of everyday people working through dilemmas readers will recognize as much like their own. The author describes the situations with nuance and realism through the eyes of his main characters, revealing their struggles with the gentle touch of compassion, their lessons and reasonable triumphs with scrupulous honesty. The reader is welcomed into richly detailed evocations of very personal situations.

In the title story, when a father's ex-wife appears at an inappropriate time, he struggles to protect their son from his difficulty keeping a healthy distance from the woman who still fascinates him. In "That Girl," a mother cooking dinner for her live-in boyfriend must persuade him to soften his harsh approach to her pregnant fifteen-year-old daughter. In "Uncle Eno's Bad Day," a gas station attendant with more wits than meets the eye delivers an important lesson about what matters and what does not to a man worried about being late for a meeting. In "Highway 47," a man stuck in a diner by a snowstorm, hoping for the fulfillment of a long-held fantasy that he has never thought possible or wise, finds something of much greater importance than a night with a lovely woman. He moves on, unsure of what happened, what did not, and what he will do when he gets home. In "An Apple Totem," a father preparing to take his ten-year-old son to live with his ex-wife in a distant town receives an unusual gift to commemorate their seven years together. Then it is time for the journey and the parting. In "Moschovitz And Pasternak," a man standing in line in a polling place gazes at an older man with a most pleasant countenance. Then he has a few moments of deep introspection and a brief encounter of unusual depth and satisfaction. "In The Middle" presents the reader with a man asked to mediate between his housemate, a woman with a young child, and the visiting father of her child. In a most difficult situation, the narrative character must struggle against his conflicting feelings and his biases in order to do the right thing for everyone. "The Blue Note" describes in extraordinary detail a couple's effort to begin repairing their marriage broken by an up-close infidelity. Like the title story, it is filled with a finely rendered backstory. Last, in a single page, Brotherhood In Beijing" describes a touching moment between strangers who cannot speak the same language.

These are simple stories. Each is a fresh, clear, moving depiction of people in emotional situations. They are meant to be savored one at a time.

Purchase a copy on Amazon. 

About the Author: 

Jim Steinberg has been a lawyer, blacksmith, middle school teacher of English and Social Studies, college teacher of Criminal Justice, hippie, and director of basic law enforcement training at a community college. He now divides most of his time between his loved work as a mediator (thirteen years in a small private practice in his home and in tribal courts in Northern California) and his greatest love of the last two decades, writing fiction. He has published one novel, "Boundaries," and two short story collections: "Filling Up In Cumby And Other Stories," and "Last Night At The Vista Cafe, Stories." His current project is a second novel - "The Third Floor," a story about twins, a brother and a sister.

Jim's stories have appeared in Clapboard House, The Greensboro Review, The New Renaissance, Sensations Magazine, Cities and Roads, The Lone Wolf Review, The Bishop’s House Review, Voices From Home - A North Carolina Prose Anthology, and Best Of Clapboard House. He writes his stories to scratch the itches that rise up from within him, to answer the impulses that ask him to visit and lay them in greater repose. When these impulses arise, he finds himself at the beginnings of trails he knows he will follow with minimal planning and no synopsis, plot, timeline, or character description. He jumps right in and finds the stories, making each a discovery for him, the first reader.

Jim is a Fellow of the Redwood Writing Project of Humboldt State University and a founding member of the Lost Coast Writers' Retreat, a week-long gathering on the Mattole River on the remote Northcoast of California. For the last fourteen years he has described this time in a close knit writers' community as his best week of every year. He believes that writing stories is the best way he can get his hands around experience. He believes that the world would be a better place if everyone wrote stories because they all have them, and they are all worth passing on.

You can talk with Jim about writing stories on his blog: "Follow Your Nose Fiction, A Blog About Writing By A Guy Who Writes."
 
Connect: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Videos |

Review: 

This is a great short story collection of love, lost love, life lessons/events and a lot soul searching. I have really enjoy reading short stories lately as they are great to read when you don't have a lot of time to devote to reading. All the characters in these stories are very complex and well developed. They will make you really think and will stay with you long after you are done reading their story.

Some of my favourite stories in this collection are Highway 47, about a man on his way home to his wife. He is stranded at a diner in a snow storm and spends the night with the owner (single mother). He has been thinking about straying on his wife and here is the opportunity but does he actually go through with it? This story doesn't go as you would think.

Another one I enjoyed was In The Middle, about a gentlemen who rents out a room to a single mother and her daughter. He steps into the role of dad helping her with her daughter, they don't really cross that friend line but they are standing on it swaying back and forth. The mother has her ex (daugther's father) come for a visit, he wants to see what he can do but in the end will he step up to be a father and a lover or not?

That Girl is another one I enjoyed. At first I wasn't too sure about it, but in the end it is about a fathers love and protection for his daughter and granddaughter, a mothers love for her only child and what she will give up to help her daughter out. The mother is divorced and their teenage daughter becomes pregnant while living at her fathers.

If you are trying to add more reading into your life short stories are a great way to do it. These are all pretty quick reads. You can easily pick up this book and put it down when you need to without losing your place in the storyline. This collection would fall into literary fiction, life lessons, relationships old and new. I give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars. I look forward to reading Mr. Steinberg's other stories.


~*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. *~ 

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Kyle Evans and the Key to the Universe by Rob H Hunt ~ Middle Grade Book Review

Book Description:

Some kids love adventure, and dream of being a hero. Ten-year-old Kyle Evans is not one of those kids, but when a giant hole appears in his bedroom and swallows his mom, a hero is what Kyle must become.

Kyle sets out on the journey of a lifetime, and discovers along the way that Battle Droids are scarier than Search Droids, Kranken are more terrifying than either of these, and you should never stand still near a Burgly Bug. But more important than any of this, Kyle learns that sometimes a cat is not just a cat.

Kyle Evans and the Key to the Universe is the first book in a quirky adventure trilogy that takes a boy, his cat and his friend Sofia across the universe, gradually revealing their amazing destiny.

Purchase a copy on Amazon.

About the Author:

Rob H. Hunt is the author of Flicker and Kyle Evans and the Key to the Universe. He loves to write stories about ordinary kids who find themselves in extraordinary situations, like Joel (FLICKER) who wakes up one day and discovers that nobody know who he is, or Kyle (KYLE EVANS AND THE KEY TO THE UNIVERSE) who learns that his cat is not really a cat at all.

Rob loves to read (too many books to mention!), watch TV, drive his bright red car (but not at the same time as reading or watching TV) and spend time hanging out with his family. Speaking of family, Rob lives in Connecticut with his wife, three sons and pet goldfish.

Connect: Website | Email | Instagram |

Review: 

I really enjoyed reading this book. My favourite character is Bootles because he is a funny cat. My least favourite character is the Commander because he wants to get Bootles. My favourite part in this book is when Kyle and Bootles get sucked into a hole in Kyle's bedroom. Then they find themselves in a spaceship. This book contained lots of robots trying to find Bootles because he is a main point/key to the storyline. This book was very easy to follow. It was pretty hard to put down because I really wanted to see what happened next.I rate this book 4.5 stars. I would recommend this book to my friends and kids around my age (9 yrs).

This review was written by Parker. 

~*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*~

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Happiness: The Mindful Way by Ken A. Verni ~ Book Review

Book Description: 

Happiness: The Mindful Way is a practical step-by-step guide to help focus the mind, improve performance, and be happy.

This easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide is filled with infographics and questionnaires, making the road to happiness an enjoyable, personal journey. Discover how breathing techniques, body scanning, and simple meditation can help you be in the present moment, lessen anxiety, and distance yourself from damaging emotions. The range of methods presented makes it easy to tailor a program to fit your needs.

From coping with anxiety to breaking bad habits to making a speech in front of a crowd, Happiness: The Mindful Way offers foolproof methods and expert advice for gaining resilience, confidence, and communication skills, and becoming more successful in the pursuit of your goals.

Visit DK Canada or purchase a copy on Amazon.

Review: 

This is a great book to learn how to be more mindful in everyday life and work towards happiness. I have been working on being more mindful each and everyday, looking for positives and learning to become less stressed in daily life. This is a great guide for beginners and intermediates. The exercises in this book are explained really well and have crisp clean diagrams to help you visualize what the author is asking you to do. Learn how to be more mindful in communication with others, in everyday activities including house work. Learn how to relax and meditate on objects, body scan meditation, a section on your inner rollercoaster, learn to rid negative self-talk.

I have been slowly reworking through this book and learning how to meditate daily. This has really helped me after a recent injury to my shoulder. The body scan meditation was also recommended by my massage therapist. This has helped with dealing with my pain without turning to medications. I really recommend this book to anyone wanting to work on personal development and learn to be more mindful in their daily lives. This will be one of my regular go to books for meditation. I give this book 5 stars!

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Bones on Ice by Kathy Reichs ~ Audiobook Review

Book Description: 

It is called the “death zone”: the point on Everest, nearly five miles high, above which a climber cannot be rescued. More than 250 souls have lost their lives there. Most of the bodies remain, abandoned, frozen in place. When an earthquake leads to a miraculous recovery, Dr. Temperance Brennan is hired to identify the frozen mummified human corpse. The victim is the daughter of a wealthy Charlotte couple who never got the chance to say goodbye. But far from offering solace and closure, Tempe’s findings only provoke more questions. What happened on Mount Everest? Was the young woman’s death an accident? Why aren’t the other climbers talking? And how far will those hiding the truth go to make sure the past stays buried?

Purchase a copy on Audible or Amazon. 

About the Author: 

Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of North Carolina, and for the Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale for the province of Quebec. She is one of only fifty forensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology and is on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. A professor of anthropology at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Dr. Reichs is a native of Chicago, where she received her Ph.D. at Northwestern. She now divides her time between Charlotte and Montreal and is a frequent expert witness in criminal trials.

Connect: Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook |

Review: 

I really enjoy Kathy Reichs Bones series. This is one of the newer novellas in the series. It is a very quick and enjoyable reads. I listened to the audiobook version and found the narrator did a great job. I was drawn into this story right from the beginning. Temperance Brennan brings us on one of her many interesting cases, this one is about a frozen body. The girl was climbing Mt Everest when she died three years ago. They were only now able to bring her body off the mountain. We learn about how body decomposition happens when it is frozen and how Temperance has to defrost the body before doing the test to determine if this is actually the right woman. Of course there are twists in the plot that has us trying to figure out who dun it and if it was murder not an accident. Will Temperance solve this mystery? Is she in too deep? It is a great story for Bones fans/mystery/adrenaline junky fans!

I give this a 5 stars out of 5!
 

~*Disclaimer: I borrowed a copy of this audiobook from the library. All thoughts are honest and my own. *~

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Frost Burn by K.T. Munson and Nichelle Rae

Book Summary:

Fire and Frost; no two nations have ever been so divided. Only two bridges across the great River Gora connects them and their long standing hatred. When spring comes early the Frost Nation looks upon the Fire Nation with suspicion. Soon they will discover that the rising rivers, warmer temperatures, and the quakes are all a result of something far more terrifying then each other. When the world seems to turn against them they will only have each other to look to. Can they put their differences aside long enough to fix their planet? 

They must or face extinction.

About the authors: 

Nichelle Rae and K.T. Munson combined their talent to write the first book in the series.  Feel free to check their Facebook profiles at:

https://www.facebook.com/K.T.Munson

https://www.facebook.com/NichelleRaeAuthor

There’s also a Twitter account in place for the novel: @FrostBurn_Books

The novel is avaiable on Amazon and GoodReads

Book Review:

Frost Burn was a very interesting adventure. I must admit in the beginning I was afraid the action will be linear, but at a certain point it shifts to another level. In a world divided between Fire and Ice, these two opposed forces learn to survive and later on even to help each other.

Every character evolves; they all learn wither to accept the other nation or they simply become more mature. Both queens understand they must burry the differences between them in order to survive what seems to be the Planet’s fury. They have strong men behind (Coor and Kirill) and they will lean on them when needed, but they will never forget their position as queens. The adventure itself is very well built and gradually increases till the end. I would have expected a more open point to the next book in the series but it’s not something that could lessen my rating.

 Overall, it was a great read! I loved the action and the characters, I loved that they didn’t stay flat and made progress throughout their journey. If you ever wondered how two opposed forces can coexist in war and peace, start with the first pager of Frost Burn. You’ll find your answer in the end. 

5 starts from me!

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