Linear Shift by Paul B Kohler

Peter Cooper is a widower raising his children, Tori and Brett. Since his wife’s death several months ago, life has been difficult for all of them. Losing his job does not help either. So, when an unexpected visitor comes with a life-changing offer, to settle his financial problems if he would go back to 1942 and change a moment in time, Peter initially falls for the financial assistance he so badly needed, then thinks of the consequences after.

The best part of this book is the character development. The author was able to paint a vivid picture of a man consumed by grief over the loss of his precious wife but struggling to be strong for his children. The disruption and devastating effect of such an ordeal were thoughtfully portrayed in Tori’s difficult behavior and Brett’s silence as the two children pulled away from their father.

However, this book is too short to be enjoyed.  For one, without a culmination, nor a denouement, the plot is incomplete as there is no resolution in the end. Though I understand that this is only the first of a four-part series, I could say, the initial excitement and interest built in the first part might be lost unless the reader reads the second part and the rest of the book. This may entice some readers but may disappoint others.

Either way, I enjoyed this part of the book and since I, incidentally, got lucky to get the entire series when they were still free on Amazon, I already decided to read the rest of the series eventually.

Congratulations to Paul B Kohler (@PaulBKohler)on such an interesting book. Click HERE for more books by Peter B Kohler.  

Armageddon's Arc by Victor Baptiste

Armageddon’s Arc is a thought-provoking novella written by Victor Baptiste.

The story is about Sean Killian, a priest, who killed himself in order to go to hell, talk face-to-face with Satan and tell him how to beat God.

This was not an easy book to read and finish despite the fact that it is only 67 pages long. The description of hell, the dark, the sound, everything about it was gloomy and creepy and the creatures looming around were horrific and outright terrifying. The author’s description of hell was a place where absolutely no one would ever want to go.

The story was mostly talking, but apparently no action scenes were needed to keep the reader interested. The twists and turns and shocking revelations were enough to make the reader’s mind reeling. In the end, the reader was left with questions with probably no answers. Needless to say, this was one book that would stay with the reader for a while.

Congratulations to Victor Baptiste (@victor_baptiste)on such a thought-provoking story.   

The Cloud Seeders by Jamie Zerndt

The Cloud Seeder is an action-packed, fast-paced dystopian novel written by Jamie Zerndt.  

Thomas and his younger brother Dustin are water cops for the Sustainability Movement. It has been nearly 12 months without rain and their duty is to give tickets to people who are caught wasting water and committing other Unforgivables. They have not seen their parents, whom Dustin believes are away doing research, for over a year and it is Thomas who looks after her younger brother.

When Dustin catches a fever at a party, Thomas takes the opportunity to ask for a long vacation. Together with Thomas' girlfriend Jerusha, the brothers pack for a trip to California where Thomas says their parents are. Along the way, however, the trio encounters various problems which lead them to Twink, someone whose address is circled on their father’s map.

This is a fast paced story that keeps the audience engaged. There is a surprise at every chapter and hints are dropped like bait being dangled at the reader to keep on reading. The book is teemed with interesting terms like Unforgivables, Leftovers, Bootleggers, Water points and Drying.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I found it amusing and entertaining but at the same time scary. The banters between Jerusha and Thomas and between Thomas and Dustin made it amusing while the thought of living with a very limited water supply made it scary.

The author described a dry and chaotic world, where neighbors tell on each other to earn water points, very successfully that reading made me feel extremely thirsty. The writing style was conversational that made for easy reading. Moreover, the author created lovable characters like Thomas, Dustin, Jerusha and Twink, and though I liked Jerusha for her rebellious spirit and smart tongue, my favorite was Dustin, the sweet little boy who turned into adult in a very short period of time.

Congratulations to Jamie Zerndt (@ZerndtJ) on such a great book. Click HERE for more of Jamie Zerndt’s books.

Summer Storm by Tori Del Rey

Summer Storm: Haunted by You is the first book in Basic Desires New Adult Romance series written by Tori Del Rey.

After an event that pushed Dane away from his former like, he prefers to live in isolation in a beach house in Malibu to wallow in guilt and self-pity. When his younger sister, Megan, brings Summer to spend the summer in the beach, Dane’s quiet little world turns upside down. Not only does Summer remind him of someone from the past he has been running away from, she also stirs in him something that has been lying dormant all these nine months.

This is a sweet and, at some points, funny romantic story complete with steamy scenes that will keep the reader hooked from beginning to end. The writing style is casual making it very easy to read. That, in addition to a cast of lovable characters including Dane, the guilt ridden male protagonist who denies his attraction to his sister’s visitor; Summer, the sweet, smart and naïve girl who resembles someone from Dane’s past; Megan, Dane’s bomb of a sister and Ben, Dane’s best friend whom Megan has her eyes on.

Short as it is, it is devoid of irrelevant details that make other books long and dragging. This is perfect for readers who prefer short, spicy reads.

Congratulations to (@toridelrey86) on such a nice book!  

BUENO SILVA: Internationally Acclaimed FILIPINO Artist

Quite unheralded in his beloved country, BUENO SILVA, an internationally acclaimed Filipino-American artist, has been gracing the Unites States with his magnificent paintings since the late 1970s.

Son to Eulalio de Jose, Ramos y Silva and Macedonia Aragon, Narcida Y Bueno, this magnificent artist was born in Baguio City on August 20, 1941 and was named Eulalio Silva, Jr. When the war broke out, his family moved to Bautista, Pangasinan then to Gen. Santos City, formerly City of Dadiangas, in 1946.
As a young impoverished boy in Mindanao, Bueno Silva used to draw on any piece of paper he could find, but, in the absence of better art materials, it was a wonder how he managed to make his drawings as dramatic as he did, a fact which only emphasized his innate artistic talent. In high school, he drew pictures of his classmates and friends for a puny price allowing him to buy more and better art supplies.
With his unquestionable love for art, Bueno expressed his desire to study art in college. This desire did not enthuse his father, who wanted him to take up Bachelors Degree in Commerce, the degree he eventually earned from the University of the East.
His passion for art, however, remained in his heart, that sometime in the 1960s, he painted the portrait of the Venerable Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, foundress of the RVM Religious of the Virgin Mary of the Philippines. He painted the portrait by referring to an old sketch of Her Venerable during her time in the 1600, by an unknown artist. The portrait, together with his paintings of the other past mother generals, is now in the archives of the RVM in Quezon City.
Unstoppable and armed with his unleashed talent, young Bueno Silva, barely 39 at the time, found his way in the United States where he had his first Art Exhibition in October 1979, thence began the prolific and successful career of the exceptionally talented Filipino artist. Among his famous masterpieces are his commissioned works on the late Pope John Paul II and the portrait of Pope Paul VI which was made into leaflets and calendars for distributions throughout the world; the late former US President Ronald Reagan, the late former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, the late Gen. Paulino Torres Santos and his portrait of Our Lady of Beaterio, which was commissioned by the RVM Religious of the Virgin Mary of the Philippines and was made into a Philippine postage stamps in 1985 and was published in the Catholic Digest.

In August of 2011, the De Paul University of Chicago acquired several paintings from twelve selected artists, seven of which are large paintings by Bueno Silva. The paintings are now housed in the new building of the Hall of Arts and are permanent collection of the university.

At present, Bueno Silva continues his process in paintings through Expressionism of his famous Negative and Positive composition and lives a productive and accomplished life in Chicago, USA with his wife, Patria. They have four married and responsible children. The eldest is Eulalio Fabie de Silva, also an artist, an exhibitor in Father and Son Tandem in Chicago. Fabie is married to Roseanne Rasmussen of mixed Italian and Sicilian descent and they have a son, Michael. Next is Mary Jane of Chicagonista. She is married to Chinese-American William Tam. They have three children. Then, there is Chicago Police Officer Joanne, a nurse. She is married to Hector Arreola, a Mexican American. They have one child. The youngest is Patrick, a cartoonist and caricaturist. He is married to Brenda, also a Mexican-American. They have two children, Fabian and Julissa.

(Left to Right) Fabie, Bueno, Patria, Patrick, Brenda, Roseanne
Fabian and Julissa

I am so honored to be distantly related to this great man. Imet him when I was young and I saw him up close as he did his magic on a blank canvas. I knew then that he is not an ordinary person like me. He is a genius and a pride to his family, relatives and countrymen.
Cheers to BUENO SILVA! Cheers to a great Filipino-American artist!

The Dragon Ring by C. Craig Coleman

The Dragon Ring is the first book in the Neuyokkasinian Arc of Empire written by C. Craig Coleman.

When the nobility forces the corrupt King Minnabec III to abdicate, his sister assumes the throne. The sudden loss of status enrages the former queen who resorts to witchcraft under a ruthless warlock. She schemes to exact revenge on the royal family by attempting to take the life of the crown prince.

However, when Prince Saxthor, second son and spare heir, displays a special ability, the witch turns to him putting his life in danger. In order to keep the prince safe, the Court Wizard, Memlatec, plans for his escape. With only his best friend, Bodrin, and an assistant wizard for company, Saxthor set on a quest that would prove him to be the only hope not just of his family but the entire kingdom.

I love this story. It is fast-paced and every chapter is filled with adventure and suspense, no dull moments at all. It actually reminds me of Lord of the Rings but a little bit lighter and, probably, a little bit funnier, what with Saxthor and Bodrin always fooling around each other. The writing style is casual and conversational making the book easy to read and difficult to put down. The characters are mostly endearing especially Saxthor, the smart, brave and left-to-his-own-devices prince, then Bodrin, the funny, loyal and always-hungry best friend and Tournak, the kind and fatherly wizard, among others.

Needless to say I enjoyed reading this book, that is except for the names of people and places that are extremely difficult to pronounce.

Congratulations to C. Craig Coleman (@KiousFedra) on such a great book! Wish I could read the entire series.   

Disclosing the Secret by Vincent Amato

In 1947, Major Jesse Marcel was sent to investigate a crash site. Though the fragments were obviously not from this world, Major Marcel was ridiculed for mistaking a weather balloon for an extraterrestrial craft.

Seven decades later, Major Marcel’s grandson Jake e-mails a drawing of an engineering design inspired by his father’s bedtime stories about the crash. Shortly after, Jake suddenly becomes a person of interest to the National Security Agency.

The story is an action-packed, suspense filled book teeming with mind blowing revelations. It features possible answers to controversial questions like ‘Are we alone in the universe?’ and ‘Who really built the pyramids?’ It is a must-read for science fiction fans and an interesting reading material for engineering, science, history and genetics enthusiasts.

Congratulations to Vincent Amato (@VincentAmato) on such a great book!

Paper in the Wind by Olivia Mason-Charles

Paper in the Wind: Autism in the Wake of Tragedy is a memorable story written by Olivia Mason-Charles.

Alexa McKenzie is not just an autistic child. She is also a survivor of a horrific incident. His father, Michael, decides to leave the past and move to Seattle with his daughter. With endless encouragement and moral support from his parents, Michael raises his daughter alone through series of therapies. With infinite patience and unconditional love, he breathes and lives for Alexa. After a few years, Alexa meets Jonathan and they become the best of friends.

This is not just a book about autism. It is a celebration of life, love and friendship. It shows how selflessness can get through the thickest of barriers and the most complicated of hurdles. It is a lovely mixture of love between father and daughter, between father and son, between men friends, between girl friends, and between boy and girl.

I am so glad I read this book and I am so thankful to the author for sharing this beautiful story.

Congratulations to Olivia Mason-Charles (@omasoncharles) on such a marvelous book!

The Lost Identity Casualties by Kim Ekemar

The Lost Identity Casualties is the first book of The Callaghan Tetralogy written by Kim Ekemar.

The story is about Matthias Callaghan, a successful businessman who wakes up in a hospital with all his fingers cut off, head wrapped in bandages and no memory of what happened to him.  It seems like he is a victim of mistaken identity and is, consequently, kidnapped, mutilated and dumped at the garage of his apartment. He goes into a coma and is subject to a face transplant. Robbed of his successful and privileged life, Matthias vowed to avenge himself. Armed with his sharp mind and his new face, he plots revenge on everyone who caused him such great pain and loss.

I just love this book. It is a fast-paced, action-filled suspense thriller that kept me reading way past my bed time. The plot is totally riveting, the story telling is very engaging while the characters are all well-developed. I enjoyed the story immensely and I recommend it to all fans of suspense and thriller novels.

Congratulations to Kim Ekemar (@kimekemar) on such an amazing book! Looking forward to the next book, Where the Bones of a Buried Rat Lie.