Dead Time by DL Orton

Dead Time is Book 3 of the Between Two Evils Series by DL Orton.

With her daughter, Shannon, being held captive in a dilapidated biodome inhabited by religious zealots, Lani decides to rescue Shannon, by herself. However, an accident in the Bub causes her to reconsider her plans and leave her daughter’s fate in the hands of someone else. Shannon, realizing how right her mother is, finds herself in a world where men greatly outnumber women and the very few women left treat her with contempt. In the midst of them is Peter, a beacon that shines brightly in Shannon’s life.

Meanwhile, Diego is faced with the greatest surprise of his life so far, and what more, he receives another note reminding him that his time is running out and instructing him to find the Magic Kingdom. 

The mystery and excitement continue in this third book. Consistently told in conversational tone with a fairly steady pacing, the story is just as exciting as the first two books, Crossing in Time and LostTime. DL Orton keeps the readers in suspense by alternating three subplots: Shannon in Catersville, Diego in C-Bay and Lani in the Bub. I find all subplots quite engaging, though with a teenage romance in the mix, Shannon’s story appears to be the most exciting. The other two, however, offer unexpected turns of events and surprising revelations that held me captivated until the end of the book. I find the ending very satisfying with one loose end tied up pretty neatly with a promise of more exciting events to come in the next book in the series.

Congratulations to DL Orton (@DL_Orton) on another great book! For more books by the author, click HERE.  

An Arabian Night by Garon Whited

An Arabian Night: Nazin’s Dream is a short but profound and very touching story about love, life and people written by Garon Whited.  

Nazin is a poet in the city of Baghdad who falls in love with a beautiful and skillful courtesan, Jezira to whom he spends lavishly. After his wealth is depleted, Nazin finds himself without Jezira, without money and without friends. More than the loss of his wealth, however, is a deeper sense of loss that leaves Nazin with a broken heart and makes him seek for freedom from pain and life itself in exchange for everything he has.

This is a wonderful book that subtly describes the various natures of men. In a very short story, the author is able to depict the meaning of love, greed, duplicity and desperation. Written in a formal style, that sounds like a classic novel, which clearly portrays settings as well as characters’ emotions, the book can be read in fifteen minutes but will stay in memory far longer.

The author creates minimal but memorable characters and two of them I find very endearing. To say that the ending is surprising is, for me, an understatement because I can say it is dumbfounding that I had to reread a few paragraphs back to fully comprehend what happened. Needless to say I enjoyed this short book a lot.

Congratulations to Garon Whited (@GaronWhited) on such an amazing book. For more books by the author, click HERE. 

Lost Time by DL Orton

Lost Time is the second book in the Between Two Evil Series written by DL Orton.

On his mission to save the love of his life, Diego travels in time. His malfunctioning time machine, however, delivers his pod up a tall evergreen tree. The climb down leads to an unfortunate incident and Diego wakes up with an injured head and several broken bones and lying on a hospital bed inside an aging biodome in an alternate universe. To top everything off, Diego learns that Isabel is not in any of the existing biodomes and his effort to save her is all in vain. 

Diego has nothing left to live for. However, his kind and caring but evasive doctor would not give up on him. With both of them nursing a painful past and both facing an uncertain future, they find solace in each other. Then Diego receives an unexpected note that says Isabel is still alive.

Just like the first book in the series, Crossing in Time, this is a very interesting and mind-boggling story that will keep the readers hooked from the first to the last page.  Every chapter offers new information, whether about the alternate universe or about a character. The author writes coherently and concisely that every detail is significant while every event is intense and engaging. The characters, both the pleasant and the unpleasant, are solidly developed and are distinctly portrayed.

However, just like the first book, I find none of the conflicts resolved. It seems like the author will keep the readers in suspense until the last book in the series. Though it holds my interest and makes me stay put for the next book, other readers may not be as patient. Moreover, this style of writing may prevent some readers from enjoying each book as a standalone.

Despite my unsatisfied curiosity, I enjoyed this book a lot, that I even felt a sting when it ended, and I recommend it to fans of sci-fi and romantic fiction.

Congratulations to DL Orton (@DL_Orton) on such a mind-boggling and very enjoyable book! For more books by the author, click HERE. 

Timmy, the Flying Mouse by Denis Boytsov

Timmy, the Flying Mouse is a beautiful children’s book written by Denis Boytsov.

Timmy is a little mouse with big dreams. His ultimate dream is to fly and ‘see what the world looks like from up there.’ Though his friends call him crazy, Timmy does not give up on his dream. With the help of his father, Timmy tries different ways to fly but fails. Just as he starts to entertain the possibility of giving up, an unexpected friend steps forward to lend a helping hand.

This is an inspiring and encouraging book about holding on to your dream. It shows one creature’s unwavering determination despite failures and mockery from friends. Moreover, it depicts how helpful support from family can be.

The author creates a set of admirable characters first of which is Timmy, the brave, courageous and determined little mouse who never gives up on his dream. Then, there is Timmy’s mother who does everything to make Timmy feel better after each failed effort and Timmy’s father who never says ‘no’ to Timmy instead supports him and helps him try to make his dream come true.

However, some pages did not load on my device; pages which I presume are illustrations that complement the story.

Despite that small issue, I enjoyed the book a lot and I recommend it to both the young and the old.

Congratulations to Denis Boytsov on another beautiful book!

Bride of the Dragons by Selina Coffey

Bride of the Dragons is a shifter ménage fantasy romance written by Selina Coffey.

For Adelina Harcourt, third daughter to the poor Earl of Fanten, a bleak future in the nunnery is waiting. So, she takes extra care to make herself beautiful at the historic meeting between humans and the High Dragon’s court hoping to catch the eye of a rich nobleman who wouldn’t require a dowry. What she catches instead is the eye of not only the alpha but also the omega of the powerful Blue Dragonflight.

This is a short but very exciting book of romance and action. I find the plot unique and very intriguing, different from other paranormal and shape-shifter stories I have read before. Told in casual and conversational style, the book is easy to read and can be finished in one sitting. The characters are well developed and are given distinctive descriptions that it is easy to distinguish the stubborn Elekon from the calm and wise Siron.

However, with the book being too short, there are no backstories to any of the characters making it difficult to relate to any of them well-developed though they are. I also find the ending a little predictable and though I don’t mind that at all, other readers may. Moreover, the steamy and vivid sex scenes may not be suitable for young readers.

All in all, I like this book and though I’m not much into shape-shifting stories (because I always wonder where the clothes go) I enjoyed this book a lot and wished it were longer.

Congratulations to Selina Coffey (@selina_coffey) on such a great book! For more books by the author, click HERE.   

   

Alpha Wolves by D.J. Swykert

Alpha Wolves is a touching and memorable historical romance novel and second of the Maggie Elizabeth Harrington Books written by D.J. Swykert.

Maggie Elizabeth Harrington is guilty. She is guilty for being happy over the funeral of James Stetter, the person who sent away Tommie, the love of her life.

It has been ten years since Maggie and Tommie ran away with a pack of wolf cubs to save the animals from a bounty hunter. Consequently, Tommie was sent East to study while Maggie was left in Central Mine, Michigan, to face the implication of their misadventure. To her rescue was Jeremy Paull, the strong and kind friend who never left her, who defended her and made her feel protected and special.

Maggie knows Jeremy Paull enjoys her company as much as she enjoys his. She also knows that she loves Jeremy but not as much as she loves Tommie. And now, Tommie is back for his father’s funeral, and when it comes to Tommie, Maggie is helpless.

This is a bitter-sweet story of love in the real sense of the word. Told in the first person perspective of Maggie Elizabeth, this is a very intense book that depicts a strong and intelligent woman who is torn between two men she deeply loves and her courage to deal with the situation she finds herself in.

Worded and phrased casually, the story is written in an easy to read style and the descriptions of Central Mine, Michigan can be easily visualized. The plot, though not exceptionally unique, is at some points suspenseful and becomes even more so because of an unpredictable turn of events near the end of the story. The author created a set of admirable and relatable characters among which my favorite is Jeremy Paull, the kind, strong and dependable man who loves deep and true.

However, in addition to some noticeable typo errors, I found the emphasis on Maggie’s love for Tommie repetitive and redundant. Still, this is one enjoyable story and I like it a lot.

Congratulations to D.J. Swykert (@djswykert) on such a great book! For more books by the author, visit DJ SWYKERT.

Coffee-Drunk or Blind by Elle Knowles

Coffee-Drunk or Blind: An Alaskan HomesteadingAdventure is a poignant book by Elle Knowles. It is a memorable account of her family’s courage to try homesteading in the, then, newly admitted state of Alaska. It is a compilation of letters written by the author’s mother, Helen Knowles, and some short narratives by the author and her siblings as they recount their own memories of that specific time in their lives so many years ago.

In June 17, 1959 at 6am, with only $1000 and a credit card, Vernon and Helen Knowles together with their four young children Debbie, Naomi, Lindy and Chip, began their journey in their ‘two bedroom house trailer behind a truck, with a camper built onto the bed’ from Oakdale, Louisiana towards Alaska to take advantage of the Alaskan Homestead Act. After 4040 miles and several motor troubles, the family finally arrived in Alaska in July 1, 1959 at 8:50 pm.

This is a memorable, touching, inspiring, entertaining and sometimes amusing story of a family’s courage, love, and faith in themselves and in each other. The book is a chronological presentation of letters written by Helen Knowles mostly to her sister-in-law Letaine. I, personally, attribute the success of this book to these letters. They are thoroughly detailed and vividly descriptive in their accounts of the family’s life and situation in the wilderness.

Halfway through the book, I realized why the author worked hard to complete this book. This is not just a simple compilation of their memorable time in a faraway place. This is their legacy, and reading it is a kind of time travel, a journey in time and place where people dig their own well, where having a telephone connection, even only with a few people, is a reason to be excited, where reading a book to the children is the only form of amusement and where a child wakes up and sees a moose in the front yard.  Undoubtedly, the Knowles experienced hardships in Alaska but those same hardships made them what they are now.

At the end of the book, I felt jealous and envious of the Knowles. I envy them for their adventures, but most importantly I envy them for their memories.

Despite a few typo errors and a couple of dangling modifiers, I enjoyed the book a lot. Congratulations to Elle Knowles (@knowleselle) on such a great book. For more of the author’s books, visit Finding MyselfThrough Writing.

City of Hidden Children by Victoria Randall

City of Hidden Children is Book 3 of the Children in Hiding Series written by Victoria Randall.

It is the year 2055, thirteen years after Willa, with the help of Thomas Sawyer, successfully rescued her then four year old daughter Katy from Renton Children’s Center, home of unlicensed children. Unlicensed children are those born without the necessary but very expensive reproductive permit also called ‘baby license’ under the No Unwanted Children Act.

After a series of disturbing and recurring nightmares and the discovery of an old picture taken in the Children’s Center, Katy starts to have flashes of blurred memories of two long lost friends. An unexpected encounter strengthens Katy’s resolve to go back to the center. Her naivety and inexperience lead her to believe that she can simply go to the center, find her friends and take them away from that dark and cruel place. She has no idea of the extent of the depravity waiting for her in the center where unlicensed children are not even considered humans but garbage that can be tossed about and dispose of.

Though not as suspenseful as the first two books, this is much more intense and more poignant. The description of the place, the corruption of those in charge, the depiction of cruelty and atrocity and the portrayal of hopelessness and helplessness are done in vivid details that twist the hearts of the readers.

Apparently, however, it seems that the author focused more on the plot as Katy is the only developed character in this book and plays a part bigger than that of all the other minor characters put together. Though Katy is too stubborn, too impulsive and too naïve for my type of main protagonist, she proves herself a worthy heroine with her sharp tongue and steely determination to save her friends and other children in the center.

Just like the other books in the series, this is casually worded and easy to read. However, though this book can be a standalone, I recommend that readers check out the first two books and read the series in proper order to get acquainted with and appreciate the important characters.

Again, my congratulations to Victoria Randall (@Entlover27) on such a great book and a wonderful book series! For more information and updates on the Children in Hiding Series, click HERE.    

Bad War by Summer Cooper and Stephen Kingston

Bad War is a military paranormal romance written by Summer Cooper and Stephen Kingston.

After getting seriously injured in Vietnam, Zebadiah Rasnake is sent home to West Virginia. Though he knows he still has two more years of military service, he is happy to be going back to his family: his mother, his beautiful wife Mary and their unborn child to their modest house up in the woods.

As soon as Zeb gets off the bus, he senses something off with the way the bus driver and the other passengers look at him. Limping and in terrible pain, Zeb takes the three-mile long walk to their house bursting with anticipation for the reunion. As he neared, however, there lingers a strange burned out smell that makes Zeb feel uncomfortable. But the moment he sees Mary standing at the gate, Zeb rushes to her arms and everything else is pushed away to the back of his mind.

This is a short and eerie book filled with nagging mystery and sizzling love scenes. The entire book is written in easy-to-read style with vividly described scenes and predominantly vernacular dialogues. The plot, though not exceptionally unique, is interesting and attention-grabbing. The subtle hints to the mystery keep the readers going and wanting to know more.

However, due to the shortness of the book, there seems to be not enough space for ample backstories to solidify character development and explicate events. Still, it is one interesting and entertaining book about love that transcends death and mocks the living.

Congratulations to Summer Cooper and Stephen Kingston on such a great book! For more books by Summer Cooper, click HERE.  

Yuri and The Legend of The Seventh Sea by Denis Boytsov

Yuri and The Legend of the Seventh Sea is a touching story written by Denis Boytsov.  

Yuri is a curious young fish that lives in the lake near the sea. One day, he learns about the legend of a paradise called the Seventh Sea. However, nobody knows if the Seventh Sea does exist. All of those who set out to find it never make it back. So, naturally, Yuri wants to go and nothing his parents and his brother say can make him change his mind.

This is a beautiful story about extraordinary courage and determination, facing everything that comes your way no matter how big or small, and always finding a way to go on. It is a story of faith, that is, believing something you do not see. It is also a story about friendship and family as Yuri meets new friends on his way to the mythical place. Most importantly, this is a story about love and contentment. The book depicts and once again proves that there is no place like home and that home is where the heart is.

The book is not only a perfect reading material but also a helpful tool to teach young children about virtues. It is beautifully written except for some noticeable typo errors. All the major characters are relatable especially Yuri, the curious young fish. The ending, though expected, is very satisfying.

Congratulations to Denis Boytsov on such an amazing book!