Win a copy of The Adventures of Merrick the Viking

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The Adventures of Merrick the Viking

A young teenage Viking boy named Merrick must escape his Scandinavian homeland and ends up on a historic journey of discovering new lands while becoming a great sailor along the way he falls in love to a young Irish girl and has to defend her and her village along the sea.

Available for Kindle and in Paperback

Amazon / Books2Read

Enter the Amazon giveaway!

The Last Alignment: Cry of the Scorpions

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"If you are looking for a story to engage a male who is not likely to pick up a book on his own, this story is it! It has so much energy and action that all readers will be swept into this magical world and not want to stop reading until they've gotten to the last page." -Janelle Fila for Readers' Favorite


Hektor awoke standing naked and confused in the heart of a large crater.

Where was he?

Who was he?

But as his mind recovered and became clearer, memories started flooding back to him and reality set in; it’s not over.

Awbrey, Hudson, Androse, Zander, and Natalye have lived their entire lives knowing nothing of their families histories. Typical of most teenagers, right? However, when their parents and grandparents round them up and bring them to Arizona to explain to them why they are all “different,” emotions run high, and with teenagers, sentiment- filled expressions of betrayal and fear are never pretty.

Awbrey and Hudson are best friends. That is the only preexisting relationship between them. As they wait to be fetched by Hektor, a man that they’ve never even heard of, they discover that regardless of their personal feelings toward each other, their lives are so deeply entangled that they have no choice but to try and get along. For if they don’t pull it together, they as well as those closest to them won’t survive what is to come.

Buy links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iTunes

About Nathaniel Stewart

Nathaniel Stewart is a Maryland native who is currently residing in North Carolina. He earned his Bachelors of Arts in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing and a Minor in Art & Design. He has been writing since the age of twelve, and is currently working on the third installment of his Young Adult/Fantasy series, "The Last Alignment."

Release Day! Full Count (Westland University Series) by Lynn Stevens

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this book. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my audience. Affiliate links within.

Full Count

Anyone who says they're having the worst day hasn't met me. My girlfriend cheated, I blew out my knee, and probably trashed my chance of going pro. All in one day. Then my jerk professor tells I'm almost on academic probation.

Awesome. Now I get to find a tutor.

Enter Mallory Fine, quiet, a little intense, and my kind of gorgeous. Who also happens to hate baseball and any guy who plays it.

Hello, curiosity.

I tell myself this will be nothing more than a tutoring relationship. I'm a liar. I want this girl. How hard can her secrets be to unravel? It might be a challenge, but so is getting back on the ball field and I'm determined to make that happen—no matter the cost.

Buy links

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Read an interview with the author here.

About Lynn Stevens:

Lynn Stevens flunked out of college writing her first novel. Yes, she still has it and no, you can't read it. Surprisingly, she graduated with honors at her third school. A former farm girl turned city slicker, Lynn lives in the Midwest where she drinks coffee she can't pronounce and sips tea when she's out of coffee. When she's out of both, just stay away

Website: www.lstevensbooks.com

Review of Donut Poison (A Killer Delights Cozy Mystery) by Agatha Baker

Donut Poison

After the whole debacle of the 'Plum Cake Murder' case, beautiful Cassandra Hafonsky's life was finally beginning to return to normal. Her relationship with the longtime love of her life Greg was basically back to being as blissfully serene as it was before, and her coffee shop 'Cassie's Breakfast Delights’ was absolutely booming with business.

So, what could possibly go wrong at this point, one might ask? Hmmm, perhaps they should have refrained from uttering such a question.

On one fateful night, Cassie is invited over to locally famous Dr. Lipowitz's celebratory party for his award winning recognition in "Scientific Excellence." Other guests include her best friend Dee, her boyfriend Randall, Cassie's fiancé Greg, Lipowit'z ex wife Samantha, his top nurse Peggy, and his main assistant Victoria.

Long story short, fine champagne being drunk and excellent conversation being had weren't the only activities that transpired on this occasion. Someone was also tragically murdered... Can you say deja vu?

Now, Cassie must spring into action, and race against the clock to solve yet another grisly murder case before her or one of her friends is tossed into the proverbial frying fan!!

Can she work her unique magic again?

**My thoughts**

I was perusing the free Kindle downloads again the other day, when to my delight I saw that this book was on the list. I thought the first book in the series was okay, and usually second books are better, so why not? Summer is just starting and I hope to have plenty of time to just relax and get in some reading while enjoying the fresh air. So on a lazy Sunday afternoon, while enjoying the breeze on my front porch, I decided to give it a shot.

My first honest reaction? Was this actually the same author who had written the first one? The characters and setting were somewhat familiar. But this installment in the series felt totally rushed and like an editor hadn't had a chance to touch it.

The banter between Cassie and her fiance Greg seemed quite juvenile. Then this detective from Greg's past appears, because another one of Cassie's pastries has killed someone they know. (It's even the same poison as in the first book! Which I don't understand.) Greg and Lorenzo apparently have some kind of a history and have a long, drawn-out pissing match that got pretty annoying. I haven't seen men that age carry on that way. Maybe in college, but not at their age.

The couple is pulled in for questioning and a flashback of sorts takes place. I had a hard time focusing on the beginning of the party flashback because I couldn't get past the fact that Cassie had brought her cat with them to the doctor's party. Who brings their pet cat to a party? And if Cassie, Greg, and Dee weren't really acquainted with the doctor, why were they at his party? Most people don't hang out with their doctors socially, though I know it can happen. I am friends with one of mine, actually. It was all just quite confusing, and the whole thing with Dee's illness and lack of taking her meds popped up again, still feeling like it didn't belong in there.

Cassie goes on her own investigation to try to figure out whodunnit again, and behaves in a relatively typical amateur sleuth fashion. I was also a bit confused by her newfound friend in the secretary at the police precinct, because I had a hard time believing someone in that position would be willing to give up what I thought would be confidential information, especially just for some pastries. A lot of people are willing to give up a lot of goods for sweets.

And this time around, in this book, I did notice the frequency with which the characters are saying "Haha" in their speech. That works well in a text message, email, or social media, when you don't have an emoji at your fingertips to demonstrate that you think something is funny. It falls short in a book when you can describe characters' reactions by showing the story. This falls under telling, and not in the right way. There were also too many mistakes with homonyms and cliches that were clearly not intentional to demonstrate part of a character's personality.

The ending seemed a bit rushed to me. There is also another twist that is loosely related to the story thus far that shows more installments of this series are likely to happen. I think this plot and series definitely has some potential. But this book disappointed me. I would love to see a heavy dose of editing on this one and then recommend it for the future, to really polish this series, because again, I think there is some potential here. I could only give this one two stars.

Review of Plum Cake Murder (Killer Delights Cozy Mystery Book 1) by Agatha Baker

Plum Cake Murder

In the small town of Tapelio, Cassandra Hafonsky was a woman fulfilling her dreams, and thriving in every aspect of life. She was a modern day success no doubt about it. This lady had a loving fiancee who catered to her every need, a best friend named Dee who always had her back no matter what, and a consistently busy coffee shop she aptly named, 'Cassie's Breakfast Delight's.' Nothing could possibly derail her picture perfect existence right? Wrong!! Insert into the equation famous food critic, Wendy Fashool, who was unexpectedly coming to give her critique of Cassie's shop. Ms. Fashool was as brutal and heartless as they came when handing out her opinionated reviews of food establishments.

Long story short, she ends up ordering Cassie's best dish the 'plum cake delight.' BIG mistake!! Who knew this delectable dessert was literally to DIE for?!?

Now, Cassie must put to use her crime solving skills in order to acquit herself from the murder charge being hung over her head by the local police department.

Does Cassie have the sleuthing skills necessary to earn back her freedom, and save her life in the process?

**My thoughts**

I'm a sucker for a good cozy mystery, and I am especially fond of the ones that have food as a part of the storyline, because they often include some amazing recipes. So when I saw this available as a limited-time free Kindle download, I knew I had to jump on it.

The story has some promise when it starts out. Cassie is the owner of a delightful sweets shop in her small town. She has a devoted lifelong best friend named Dee and a devoted fiance in Greg. Dee has a crazy crush on a guy named Randall, a union that Cassie deftly facilitates to get started. Dee also seems to be suffering from some kind of a medical condition, as her doctor, Dr. Leibowitz, pops into the shop to admonish her for not taking her meds. 

I felt like the doctor's behavior was rather unprofessional and that there was as significant part of Dee's story that needed to be told and isn't. Otherwise, this little exchange isn't quite necessary in this book. And then the relationship between Dee and Randall kind of goes from 0 to 60 overnight, though the way their behavior was described, I would have thought that it had been a few days.

Things start to heat up when her plum cake gets some attention. Detective Klaus is a huge fan. And then the famed food critic Wendy Fashool makes plans to come in to review the place. When Wendy shows up dead shortly after leaving Cassie's Breakfast Delights, Cassie becomes the primary suspect, and extremely determined to find out the truth.

From that point on, the story takes some bizarre twists and turns until Cassie finally solves whodunnit in the Plum Cake Murder. It's a strange story, and yet shows some promise from this first-time author.  I did it in a relaxing afternoon on my front porch. I give it three stars.

Available on Amazon

Review of Honeysuckle Homicide (Trash-to-Treasure Crafting Mystery Book 2) by Rose Pressey

Honeysuckle Homicide

Raelynn Pendleton inherited a big Victorian house that she intends to decorate on a budget with her trash-to-treasure creations. Her plans are hindered when her no-good, cheating ex-husband Ross Perkins comes back into her life. Within hours of his return, Ross has pulled Raelynn into a murder investigation.

Handsome Sheriff Kent Klein thinks Ross is guilty as charged and warns Raelynn to stay away from him. But Ross has convinced the town of Honeysuckle, Kentucky that Raelynn murdered the successful local realtor Luke Lexington. Raelynn must prove her innocence or her days of Dumpster-Diving will be over.

**My thoughts**

I am ashamed to admit that I think this is my first Rose Pressey book ever. She is an author whose name has been regularly shared within my circles and I have downloaded a few of her books on free offer or on special sale price, but haven't yet read them. I happened to catch this book under the freebies section on the Amazon bestseller list the other day and downloaded it. I was in the mood for a fun cozy mystery on this glorious summer day, so I chose this one. I'm glad I did.

It is the second book in the series, but I felt like I was able to follow along even without having read the first book. Raelynn is telling the story, so you know that she inherited her Victorian house from an elderly woman and turned it into an inn while restarting her life after her husband cheated on her. Then she had problems with the local people because a schoolteacher was murdered in her backyard and she was a suspect. There are allusions to who the murderer was, but the full identity is never disclosed. I liked that, because I am pretty sure I am going to go back and get the first book to read.

She stumbles upon the murder of a local real estate agent after her POS ex-husband decides to drop into town. She gets totally sucked into the situation and is determined to clear her name, as well as figure out who is committing all of these murders in this otherwise decent small town. She jokes that she is an amateur sleuth, based on all of the mysteries that she has read, and does carry on in an amateur fashion. (Can I just say, stop picking up evidence with your bare fingers, woman!!)

She is also conveniently dating the local sheriff, which presents its own set of wrinkles in the story. But she seems content to have moved on to this new relationship and it serves her well. I just wish he would have gotten after her more about her secret sleuthing practices!

Raelynn is actually an enjoyable heroine compared to many of the other ones out there. I loved her enthusiasm for her crafting, although I cannot imagine doing all of the dumpster diving. It did make really want to work on some of my own pieces. (Spoiler: Though I have some materials ready to go on my porch, I have been lazy all day.) I really enjoyed her and her best friend Claire Ann. Kent seems like a worthy boyfriend. I wanted to smack Russ, the ex, and all of his family and close friends.

I did briefly feel like I was confusing characters for a little bit because so many of them had names that started with C, but then was able to get them all straightened out.

Pressey is also a talented writer, compared to many of the other authors within this genre today. I love to take a gamble  on the free books out there to help me discover new authors and series. Some are good and others are ... well, not.

Is this one of the greatest cozy mysteries ever written? Not exactly. But it's a perfect read when you're lounging around and want a good escape for an afternoon. I am definitely going to check out the first book in the series, as well as some of Pressey's other titles.

Overall, I give it four stars.

Buy it on Amazon

Watch the trailer for Love Brings Change: Getting the Love You Want From the One You're With by Eisha Coutee

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books which I feel may interest my readers. Affiliate links are present, proceeds from which help me to maintain my sites.

Love Brings Change

Love Brings Change is an inspirational read based on Eisha Coutee's Love Brings Change blogs. It is simply BlogSpot gumbo for the soul. A refreshing take on relationships and how to get the love you want from the one you're with. Love Brings Change gives it to you straight, no chaser. Coutee explores the true meaning of love unconditional, and uses personal experience and relatable topics in a way that restores, rekindles, reignites and reveres black love, self love, and personal accountability for the love that we attract into our lives. It takes us on a journey of complete and total transformation of our thoughts and perspectives giving us a new take on compassionate loving. For with transformation, comes change, and change is inevitable, therefore, undoubtedly love...brings...change!

Available on Amazon

Website

About Eisha Coutee

Eisha Coutee is a California native, born and raised in the Bay area. She has been writing ever since she was able to hold a pen! Alongside of authoring Coutee is a poet, and orator, a mother of three and graduate of California State East Bay University. For more information on Coutee and her upcoming works of arts or workshops visit www.eishacoutee.com!

Author Website: www.eishacoutee.com

Author Facebook page: www.facebook.com/eishacoutee

Gray Zone by Veronica R. Tabares

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books that I think will appeal to my readers. Affiliate links are also present.

Gray Zone

To become the popular girl she’s always wanted to be, a shy teen starts over at a new school and struggles to come out of her shell as she avoids the brutality of a schoolyard bully and the snarkiness of the online ones.

Available on Amazon

Website

About Veronica R. Tabares

Veronica R. Tabares, MFA, MLIS, is a passionate award-winning author on a mission to make a positive impact in people's lives through the power of storytelling. Nine books later and she is still fueled by the initial creative spark that started it all. Writing and her love of archaeology aside, Veronica enjoys nothing more than spending quality time with her loved ones who inspire her to be her best version daily.