The Gallery of Wonders: Magora Book 1 by Marc Remus

The Gallery of Wonders is the first book of the Magora Series by Marc Remus. 

When Holly's grandfather died in a mysterious fire incident, she was left to the care of her mean and abusive foster family, the Smoralls. However, everything changed. First, Holly received a package with strange things inside. Second, she discovered an equally strange creature in the attic. Finally, Holly and her three friends fell into a mysterious painting and found themselves in the magical world of Magora. 

Basically, the book is about art, love, friendship, and of course, magic. It is a real deal fantasy novel for the young and the young-at-heart. It features magical paintbrushes, talking tree houses and various creatures, some delightful and some not so delightful. 

Most importantly, the book is about faith, believing in yourself and what you can do, believing that you can do something even if other people tell you otherwise and believing in your friends the way you believe in them. 

Congratulations to Marc Remus (@MarcRemusArt) on such a wonderful and very enjoyable book with an amazing cover that he painted himself. A toast to such a very talented person!

Click HERE for the official review of The Gallery of Wonders: Magora Book 1 and for more amazing and interesting books check out Online Book Club.  

Altdorf by J.K. Swift

Altdorf is the first in the two Forest Knights novels by J.K. Swift.

The year was 1314. After 30 years of being with the Hospitaller Knights of St. John, Thomas was finally back in his hometown of Schwyz and settled as a ferryman. He believed he was living the peaceful life he deserved until he transported an injured boy. With the boy was the famous outlaw Noll Melchthal. They were trying to cross the river to go to the healer, Seraina, a reclusive druid priestess.

Written in a conversational tone, the book is a delightful read. The dialogues are engaging and the fighting scenes are vividly described. The characters are lovable. Thomas is an ideal protagonist, quiet, hardworking, an accomplished healer, first-rate fighter and a loyal friend. Seraina is an admirable woman, generous, brave and compassionate. Noll is inspiring, stubborn and fearless. My favorite is Pirmin, Thomas' brother-at-arms. He is funny, sweet and endearing. Even Leopold is a well-developed character, mean and loathsome.

Needless to say, I enjoyed this book immensely and I would love to read the second book MORGARTEN. 

Congratulations to J.K. Swift on such a wonderful book!

What the Hand by Todd Stockwell

What the Hand is a novel about the end of the world written by Todd Stockwell.

The book is told in the first person perspective of George Somerset, a man who witnessed the end of the world and ended up in a shack on the outskirts of paradise. 

George was a a divorcee who had an inclination to lying and other more evil acts. After having a serious talk with his co-worker, Charlie, George became aware of the signs that the end of the world was near, like earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions and wars. However, he was too lazy and too stupid to care. It was only after the Rapture, when good people as well as mentally challenged and children disappeared, that George finally believed what was written in the Bible. 

He started to pack some food, weapons, books that would help him survive in the wilderness including a Bible. After employing the help of an old acquaintance to obtain false documents to let him out of the city, George made a run for it. He lived in caves, hunted animals and searched for edible plants in order to survive. He eventually found seven other people and he invited them to live with him. 

This book is written in a conversational tone and is therefore easy to read. It told of the Rapture, Tribulation, Antichrist, New World Order and the New Kingdom. Other subjects include the Illuminati, Nephilim, giants, fallen angels, guardian angels and aliens. There are historical figures mentioned in the book like Adolf Hitler, Pres. John F. Kennedy, John Lennon and Abraham Lincoln. 

Needless to say I enjoyed the book a lot. It is very informative, highly entertaining and downright amusing. This is one great book that makes the reader contemplate and reflect on his life, what he did with it and what he plans to do. It leads to a very important question, What will I do if the end, indeed, comes? Will I take the Mark of the Beast and suffer eternal damnation or proclaim my faith in God and die a painful death in the hands of the Antichrist?

The choice seem easy at this time, but as my favorite excerpt from the book stated:

'It wasn't a life full of constant miracles and daily enlightenment, but a hard road of self-discovery and inner change, often beset by difficult test of faith and most difficult of all, the tedium of devout living.'

Congratulations to Todd Stockwell on such a great book!

A Soul Divided by Daniel M. Quilter

Princess Olivia, daughter of King Ryker of the Human Empire, was kidnapped by an Anti-Luck, a genetically engineered soldier. Only someone as powerful as a Fortunatus could save her and there were only two Fortunatus left; the king of the Mystics, who was at war with the Human Empire, and Drake Ashbell, a wanted criminal and half brother to Palace Guard Vahn Ashbell.

Drake found no reason to extend his assistance to the humans who annihilated his people. However, when the same Anti-Luck who kidnapped the princess took Angela, a girl he just rescued on her way to slavery, in exchange for his blood, Drake had to team up with Vahn in order to get the two girls back. 

The book is fast-paced and action-packed with very interesting plot. It was complete with chasing and fighting scenes softened by a few brief romantic interludes between Drake and Angela. The writing style was easy to read and the dialogues were engaging and in the case of Drake, funny most of the time. 

In addition to the great plot was a cast of memorable characters. Drake was an unlikely hero: arrogant and sarcastic. Despite his complacent facade was a dark and painful past making him the the most interesting character in the book. The most endearing, however, was Al, a wolf-like Mystic and the best Vhy-Rai healer, also Drake's best and only friend. Among other interesting characters were Titus, the Draco Hominis who would do anybody's bidding for the right amount of money and Olivia, the spirited princess and heir to the throne of the Human Empire.

It is, indeed, a well-written, highly entertaining and very enjoyable book and I recommend it all science fiction enthusiasts. 

Congratulations to Daniel M. Quilter ( @dquilter6 ) for a wonderful book!

Time Stands Still by Stacy Froumis

Time Stands Still is a beautiful story of love by Stacy Froumis.

Lauren and Stavros dated in college. Shortly after graduation, Stavros went back to Greece with his family but not before making a promise to Lauren that he would find a way for them to be together.

Except for a single phone call, Lauren did not hear from Stavros again, so she decided to place a call. Although it was met with indecipherable yelling in Greek, Lauren kept on calling for weeks. Finally, Stavros' sister, Athena answered the phone and told Lauren that Stavros was about to announce his engagement to Daphne, the girl their parents chose for him. Naturally, Lauren was devastated. 

Eight years had passed. Lauren moved on and was now engaged to her high school classmate, Noah. A few months before the wedding, however, Lauren received a letter from Stavros. Then one day, Stavros, himself, came face-to-face with Lauren.

The story was fast-paced and was devoid of irrelevant details. It was concise and written in casual and conversational manner, hence, easy to read. The plot was interesting, intriguing and, somehow, unpredictable making the reader clueless about Lauren's choice. 

The characters were relatable especially Lauren. She was torn between two men whom she both loved and for good reasons. She was a smart woman who was willing to do what she thought was right under the circumstances. 

Moreover, the author adeptly described the beauty and charm of Greece. She added mystery to the plot by including a visit by Lauren to centuries old monasteries where she met a mystical elder whom she asked for advice.

All in all, it was a well-written and very enjoyable book. It was a story, though basically about love was also about life; the decisions a person makes, no matter how difficult it is and no matter how painful it will be for the people he loves. In the end, everything will fall into place because that is exactly where everything should be. As stated in my favorite excerpt from the book:

'There is no right decision or wrong decision. All decisions lead you to where God wants you to be.'

Congratulations to Stacy Froumis ( @StacyFroumis )  for such an amazing book! Looking forward to the next one. 

Wedding Haters by Melissa Baldwin

Wedding Haters is the second book of the Event to Remember Series written by Melissa Baldwin.

It was about Madie's upcoming wedding to Cole. With one of her best friends, Sienna, as the wedding planner, Madie was confident that her wedding would be one of the biggest events of the century. 

Looking forward to tying the knots with Cole, Madie, however, was anxious about one thing, her family,  meaning her grandmother and her cousins, Ellie and Stephy. Madie loved her grandmother with all her heart and tried her best to please her, but ever since she was young her grandmother always took her cousins' sides, her cousins who seem to take pleasure in bullying Madie every chance they get. Much as Madie detest the idea of inviting them to the wedding, her grandmother was, apparently, expecting her to. 

The story basically dealt with family and family issues, what one does and does not do for family. Moreover, it was also about standing up for oneself, for having the courage to say what needed to be said and do what needed to be done. My favorite excerpt from the book was:

Madie to Grandmother: 'I'm sorry that happened to them. But how is that my fault?'

What I like most about the book was the cast of lovable characters. The author created characters with distinct personalities. Abby was the understanding and nurturing one, that's why she became a teacher; Sienna was organized, thus, she was an event planner and of course, Madie was very creative, hence, she became a hairstylist and cookie designer. All three were smart and strong women who knew what they wanted in life. 

Congratulations to Melissa Baldwin ( @mpbaldwinauthor ) for such a wonderful book!

Eight Days by Scott Thompson

Eight Days is a touching story by Scott Thompson.

Clive Kinsella had always wanted to go places. He dreamed of finding a job in a bigger city. However, that dream was set aside when he met Annabelle. When they got married, the couple settled down in Georgetown where Clive lived most of his life.

The story began with Clive's death. At his funeral, Clive met his long dead grandfather, Pachu, who had come to guide him through his Reckoning which went on for eight days. During the Reckoning, Clive got to relive the most difficult times of his life and the most difficult decisions he had made.

The author masterfully wrote a book with interesting plot and memorable characters. The writing style was top rate making the book an easy read. The scenes were vividly described and the dialogues were engaging. The narratives were so heartfelt that I cried at some point in every chapter. 

The book, though it started with death, was basically about life and the choices a person makes while he lives. It is a touching story of love, friendship, childhood, old age, life and death. The entire book was filled with food for thought and words of wisdom that would stay not only in the reader's mind but also in his heart. 

This is truly one memorable book that will make the reader contemplate on his own life, his priorities and the decisions he could live with.

Congratulations to Scott Thompson (@sthompsonauthor) for such a wonderful book. 

Ruby's Choice by D.F. Jones

Ruby's Choice written by D.F. Jones is the first book in the Ditch Lane Diaries. It started with Ruby and her friends Anna and Sandy exploring the Campbell Ridge Cave in 1972 and finding 3 precious stones, one for each girl. The story, then, fast-forwarded to the summer of 1977 with 20-year old Ruby working in Everglade General Store and meeting two shockingly good looking guys, Reed and Brent, the former being the subject of Ruby's recent dream.

Unknown to everyone, ever since she found the amber stone in the cave, Ruby has started having strange dreams which seem to be glimpses into the future. They were usually life dreams foretelling the birth of a child or death dreams signifying death of someone she knew. Other dreams involved people she had never met before. So, to come face-to-face with the man of her dream, literally, was a shock to Ruby.

She eventually learned that Reed and Brent were in the summer baseball team managed by her older brother George. What she did not know, however, was that they have been playing a game they called Tap It! which involved wooing the same girl until she chooses one of them, with the loser having to pay the winner's bar tab for a month. Ruby soon found herself between two very attractive guys both vying for her affection, for real, 

Ruby's Choice is a celebration of youth. It reminds us of how delicious young love feels. It describes how electrifying it is to be touched for the first time. It depicts young lovers' insatiable hunger for each other. However, it also portrays the pain of uncertainty and doubt. 

With a touch of paranormal which reminds me of the Donovan Legacy by Nora Roberts, if the author does not mind me saying so, Ruby's Choice is one great book for romance fans.

Congratulations to D.F. Jones (@Author_DFJones) for such a wonderful book!

Check out Ruby's Choice at Online Book Club. 

Holding Fire: Short Stories of Self Destruction

Holding Fire is a collection of ten short stories about self-destruction written by various authors and with introduction by Scott Hughes.

• Running with Guilt by Maggie Stancu was about Vic, a girl consumed by hate for her ex-boyfriend. Told in the first person perspective, this story was chronicled by the hour and by the day beginning with a heinous act committed by the narrator which led to total self-destruction.

• Dog Eat Dog by Joy Meehan was about Pam, who seems to hate everything and everyone. She made things extremely difficult for her team who looked up to her for supervision and leadership. She liked intimidating people and she got satisfaction from seeing other people suffer. Her goal was to see every single member of her team break. There was Victor, there was Louise, there was Odelia, but then, there was Elaine.

• Death's Door by Chris Chan was about the murder of an aging playboy while on a ski trip with four other people. With not so short list of people who hated the murdered guy, who could possibly hate him the most as to stab him through the heart?

• Vindictive by Isobel Sheene was about Jordan who wanted to exact revenge on the guy who apparently raped his sister.

• The Unsuspecting Nature of Grief by Jessica Phillips was about a widow who came face to face with the guy who killed her husband and searched her heart for the hatred that burned within her for years.

• Do Seconds Even Matter? by Tayah Reed was about Lana, whose mother was suffering from undiagnosed serious mental disorder that led her to do the unthinkable. Burdened by the guilt of not doing anything to prevent it from happening, Lana hated herself and started to act irrationally which made her feel scared that she might end up exactly like her mother.

• Life is a Great Teacher by John Mallon was about Rebecca Redmond and her husband Brian, who was accused of trashing his mother-in-law's car. Though Brian has been between jobs, he was sweet and kind and she could not picture him smashing her mother's car, in fact, Rebecca could not comprehend why her mother hated Brian so much.

• Burden of a Soldier by J.B. Rice was about Thaddeus who witnessed the killing of his friend Conan by the order of Prince Eamon when he was just a boy. Laden with guilt for not helping his friend, disgust for the villagers who just stood by and hatred for the prince who ordered his friend's execution, Thaddeus eventually left the village and lived in the city. He met Romulus who promised to help him avenge the loss of his only friend. 

• Ghostwriter by Kristi Hudecek-Ashwill was about Colton Price who wanted to be a popular author but was not talented enough to get published. He hired ghostwriters to do the writing for him. One of his ghostwriters was his sister-in-law, Lucy Albers who eventually changed her mind and refused to give him the final part of the novella she wrote for him.

• My Name is Finn by Julieanne Swiatczak was about Finn Montgomery who was physically and verbally abused by his own parents. For someone who has been told that he was not supposed to be born, the only ray of sunshine came in the form of Kelly Brinkman. Finn was finally happy until an incident drove him to ultimate self-destruction.

This book showed us, in various ways, how hate of others can easily turn to hate of self that may lead to self-destruction. No matter how much we try to be nice to indifferent neighbors and co-workers and kind to inconsiderate relatives and family members, we need to accept and admit that we get hurt and the pain we feel sometimes turns to hate. However, it is up to us how to handle this undesirable feeling. We can let it consume us and lead us to self-destruction or learn to forgive those who wronged us, forgive ourselves and strive harder to be better people.

These stories portrayed not only hate, envy, greed, abuse and guilt but also forgiveness, joy and love. The authors have each his own style of writing but all of them are engaging. I was actually surprised to find out that some of them are actually too young to have written about such profound subject with life-changing message.

In view of the above, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars and I recommend it to readers who prefer serious subjects. This book may shed light to those whose hearts are blinded by hate and rage.

Check out Holding Fire at Online Book Club. 

Eating Bull by Carrie Rubin

Eating Bull is a suspense thriller written by Carrie Rubin. It is a story about an obese teenager, Jeremy Barton who has been having health problems as a result of his weight.

At 15 years old, Jeremy weighs 310 pounds. His bulk made him an easy target for not only bullies at school but also his own agoraphobic grandfather and his mother's jerk of a boyfriend Rex. His weight was also the reason for his insecurities and very low self esteem. What was alarming, however, was his health problems resulting from his being overweight 

Luckily, Sue Fort, a nurse from the public health weight management clinic was sincere about helping Jeremy. She, together with some others whom Jeremy called Fat Slayers, encouraged him to change his eating habits and perform a set of physical work-outs. Fed up with being constantly bullied, Jeremy was trying his best. However, bullies were not the only ones Jeremy should be wary about because out there somewhere, a serial killer was lurking targeting overweight people and next on his list was Jeremy.

At first, Eating Bull may appear to be a story about a very fat boy. However, the reader would eventually realize that the story actually featured various types of disorders including eating disorder, agoraphobia and auditory hallucination which is a manifestation of a deeper and more serious mental disorder. Moreover, this book is about family and the problems and difficulties a family has to overcome. Sue, despite her successful and rewarding career found it difficult to level with her daughter Kayla, while Connie, a single mother holding two jobs to make both ends meet, blames herself for Jeremy's unhealthful eating habits.

Needless to say, the book has a great plot in addition to interesting characters. The writing is casual thus easy-to-read making this book one amazing reading material perfect for fans of suspense and thriller or anybody who appreciates a good book with social relevance.

Congratulations to Carrie Rubin (@carrie_rubin) for such a wonderful book!

Click HERE to read the official review of Eating Bull by the Online Book Club.