book reviews

Haunted Homicide: A Haunted homicide Mystery Series #1 – Lucy Ness

AngelaLeave a comment

Hello to all my fellow readers, and welcome back! Well; welcome back to me, since I have not posted in forever. Sometimes life, family, and work have other plans of how one will spend their time! I will save that to post on my Parenthood and Other Horror Stories Blog!

As I normally do on my trips to the bookstore, I head for the cozy mystery section and look for a new series that I have not read yet, with a couple books in it to get started with. Currently there are only 2 books in this series, but I am hoping for more.

Avery Morgan is the new manager of the Portage Path Women’s Club (PPWC). She is also the only person who can see Clemmie Bow, the ghost that lives in the basement, a victim of an accidental shooting almost 100 years ago. As unnerved as Avery is at first at communicating with a ghost, Clemmie is excited to have a new friend she can communicate with.

A fire that damages one of the rooms in the house seems to be something much more than an accidental fire due to someone smoking in the room. With Clemmie’s help, Avery now has to figure out who killed the President of the club, and what the fire has to do with it. There are a few people who had good reason to want to be gone of Muriel, and there is more that one person who would rather Avery not be in Portage Path at all. Could she be the next victim?

I really enjoyed the first book in this new series, and plan on starting the second book, and hopefully finishing it as well, this weekend.

What books have you been reading lately? Do you have a favorite cozy series or author?

For more information about Lucy Ness, please click here: https://www.mystery-book-series.com/lucy-ness/

My Either – Or Book List!

Angela25 Comments

Let’s have some fun! I am curious to see how many agree with some of my choices, and how many disagree (vehemently, I am sure!). When books are important to a person, they take everything about them very, very seriously 🙂 If I had to decide between the options below, and whatever one I do not choose would not exist; what would I pick?

1) Paper or Digital?

Paper

2) Romance or Sci-Fi?

Sci-Fi

3) History or Current Events?

History

4) Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes?

Sherlock Holmes

5) Twilight or Hunger Games?

Twilight

6) Jane Eyre or Anna Karenina?

Jane Eyre

7) Harry Potter or Narnia?

Narnia

8) History or Biography?

History

9) Stand Alone story or Series?

Series

10) Dante or Tolstoy?

Tolstoy

11) Sauron or Jadis the White Witch?

Jadis

12) The Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew?

The Hardy Boys

In all fairness, I could have come up with about 100 of these questions. I figured I would start with this, and I cannot wait to see what your thoughts are! Let’s all play nice, as we really do not have to choose one or the other; Thank Goodness!!

Finally! My Etsy Store

Angela5 Comments

I have many things to add, and many projects in the works. But with the help of a WordPress technician, my store finally shows up! Top of my page, click on “store”.

I am currently working on some amazing pine book boxes, painting book covers, and spines, of some classic novels.  I am also painting book covers on canvas, 11×14 to start, until I get a good idea of what everyone is interested in buying.

I am homeschooling a 10th grader, have another going to public school in 7th grade, and another MBA class starting for me on September 22. I am editing a fantastic book that I cannot wait to introduce to the masses, and still reading for enjoyment to post some book reviews.  Oh, and I work about 45-50 hours a week; did I forget to mention that?

I have the most understanding boyfriend ever, because my life is just crazy busy, and he accepts it! I am looking forward to Autumn, the most awesome time of the year! I will be holding a raffle for a couple of book bags with a great Halloween story, mug, hot cocoa or tea, and a smelly pumpkin type candle. Stay tuned!

Thank you for your support, your kind words, and your amazing stories!

 

People Always Ask Me…

Angela3 Comments

…at least twice a week.

Why I read, edit, and review books, but I do not write.

I actually do write. I write a lot. I have stacks of stories, some spilling over into sequels. I have fiction, and I have personal stories that I know would fly off the shelves. But I cannot share those. Not yet.

I like reading stories because it is my escape. My chance to go somewhere else other than my crazy 50-hour-work-week-three-girls-still-at-home-no-one-knows-how-to-do-chores life 🙂

I like editing because I have always had a love for the English language (as ridiculous as it is, and it is ridiculous), and I want to share what I know with new authors so they can be the best writer possible.

I have met so many amazing writers, and am glad that I am able to share in their success, even if it is behind the scenes. I have new friends, and I have read stories that I may not have otherwise found.

Nothing beats a good story!

Under Construction, Again…

Angela5 Comments

Okay, so my rafflecopter refuses to work, so I am looking for a new platform for my give-aways. I am hoping to have that straightened out soon, quickly, asap, etc.

So as I am trying to find a theme that supports the menus I need as well as my store, and video blogs.

B&O Logo PNG 1

I am heading to the zoo today, for a much needed get-out-of-the-house-and-enjoy-the-sunshine staycation. I have a couple of new books to start tonight, with reviews to be posted shortly.

Wishing you a fantastic sunshine-filled day! Read at the beach if you are able; it does not get much better than that!

Over You – Christine Kersey

AngelaLeave a comment

This was a fun, quick read that I really enjoyed. Labeled as a romance/suspense novel, it delivered as promised.

Over You cover image

Jessica Stevens has just broken up with her boyfriend Alex, after he was seen out to dinner and kissing another woman. Needing to get away, she goes and stays at her favorite Aunt’s house. Running into Kyle, her ex-fiancé, was the last thing she had expected, or wanted. Having him remodeling her Aunt’s house had her seeing him much more than she wanted to.

Kyle seems to have a girlfriend, and Alex can’t stay away from Jessica. He knows he made a mistake, and wants to make it right. Not being able to figure out her own personal life and feelings, Jessica begins investigating a mystery that seems to have taken place in her Aunt’s house. 50 year old love letters start Jessica on a hunt for answers that may come with a price she doesn’t want to pay.

I do not want to give away any spoilers to this story, but I certainly recommend you read this if you like romance or suspenseful stories. Free of profanity and sexual content, there are no worries here about having to struggle through awkward sex scenes that seem to be very difficult for anyone to get right.

There is a sequel to this story, called Second Chances. which I have purchased. Over You is free where e-books are sold. I am currently reading another story, and have another one I will be starting today as well. The review for second chances will be posted in the near future.

Second Chances cover image

Have you read Christine Kersey before? Let me know what you thought. She has several novels and I will be choosing some of her other works as well.

For more information on Christine and purchasing her books, please visit her website here: http://christinekersey.com/

I Didn’t Realize How Much This Happens…Please Do Not EVER Pay Someone To Review Your Book

Angela41 Comments

I have randomly seen here-and-there that someone would say they paid to have their book reviewed. I have also randomly seen someone post that they would review books; for a fee.

So I figured I needed to look into this, and find out exactly what was going on. I mean, really, I have been reviewing books for new authors for quite some time, so how much money could I have made? (Sarcasm)

I found a man who made over $10,000.00 in a month doing this. WHAT? He was caught soon enough; a writer called him out 🙂 He tried to change his name so he wouldn’t come up in search engines, but the last thing I read was that he was now selling real estate.

So without getting too technical and looking up my blog post from the beginning of January (Yes, I am tired, it has been a long day, and I kind of remember), I read and reviewed books in numbers of upwards of 40. I know around September, I asked for new authors to let me review their books. And boy did I get the response! Out of all the books that I bought or were sent to me (Yes, I bought several of them, and many were sent free of charge), there was only one that I did not post the review to. It was terrible, and I had no worries about anyone else buying this book, so I did not post the review. I got harassed, threatened a bit, and stalked, but I think they finally went away.

Who knew that the reading and writing business was so cut-throat?

So I guess I still just don’t understand the need to pay for a review. If I charged people for reviews, no one would ever trust a single review I spent the time to compose. I understand that new authors are anxious to get their work out there, and be recognized for the hard work they have invested.

But do not EVER compromise that hard work. Because as soon as any reader, such as me, finds out you were paying for reviews, they will never pick up one of your books.

I am looking forward to getting feedback from both authors, readers, and reviewers. Did you pay for a review? I am not calling you out; but I am certainly curious if it helped you at all.

God Forbid – Alyssa Rabil

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I love reading books about religion. Factual, fiction, speculative, and pretty much everything in between. This is the first in a two-book series. This story is unlike any religious stories I have read so far.

God Forbid Image

Completely fictional, this story focuses on the major players in the religious stories you are likely familiar with; Jesus, Lucifer, Gabriel, and other key players.

This story moves between Nabil and Albert and the people they interact with. Nabil seems to be stalked non-stop by Cannon, with some friends, or maybe they aren’t friends, who seem overly interested in his every move.

Albert has made a name for himself due to his numerous, up-to-this-point-unsuccessful, suicide attempts. Known as Suicide Man, he has managed to gain quite a following of people, his own website, and numerous viral videos.

So how would Jesus, and Lucifer, function living in our world today? A more important question is how would they function when they are not 100% aware of who exactly they are, and their importance to life for millions of people.

I am looking forward to the release of this second novel, and you can find more information on Alyssa’s website, found here: http://captainlilybob.com/books/

Why I Will Not Review Your Book

Angela22 Comments

It really is nothing personal, and I do not turn down the opportunity to read a new story very often, but sometimes I do. And then the author takes it personally. Like I did not feel their story was worthy of my time, or I felt the description was so bad that I could not even stand the thought of opening it.

That is not the case. 99% of the time it is because they have written a book on a subject that I have no knowledge of, and my lack of knowledge is not going to allow me to write a fair review. I will get to that other 1% in a minute. But if you have written a book about birds of South America, or Buddhism, or aliens, you do not want me writing a review. Do I have anything against the birds of South America, or Buddhists, or aliens? Nope. None of the previously mentioned have ever done anything to me. But I do not know anything about them. So no; I do not generally read science fiction. There are some Sci-Fi stories that I have read, but the story was also steeped in other information that allowed me to get lost in it, and enjoy the story the way the author surely hoped I would.

It has nothing to do with the story, or the author, or the quality of their writing. It’s not you, it’s me…

Now; about that other 1%. I have read a couple completely unbearable books in the past year, and most of you know that I really do not try to say bad things about writers, or their stories. If I can’t say anything nice, I prefer to keep my mouth shut. But once I tell you that I will not be reading and reviewing your book, you should probably just leave it be. It is the unfortunate author who feels the need to blow up my email account and say unkind things that is likely to get an honest, horrible review of their book posted for the whole-wide-web to find and read.

Those of you whom I have been in contact with, whose stories I have purchased or you sent to me, and have not seen a review yet; I have not forgotten. And I will get it done. Sometimes life just happens to get in the way of my free time. Many do not realize that I have a full-time 45+ hours-a-week job, am the single parent to 4 daughters (3 still at home), and go to college when it strikes my fancy. I also have a couple other pans in the fire that need my attention from time-to-time.

I want, and appreciate, the gentle nudges you send me to ask about your review. Please continue to do so. I love to read. It is my one escape that allows me to relax, unwind, de-stress, and forget about my 17 year old driving my car all over town, my 23 year old stressing over paying for college classes, my 13 year old video chatting with 16 year old boys 3000 miles away, and my 10 year old who has no more responsibilities than to feed her guinea pig, yet gets mad at me because I forgot to do it for her.

I am grateful for my patient and understanding authors and followers, and it really is my goal to help promote and encourage as many of you as I am able to. Your stories truly do bring me joy, happiness, and adventure, and without them, I cannot even begin to imagine how much more difficult I would be for others to have to deal with!

So please keep writing, so I can keep reading!

The Demeter Code – Russell Brooks

Angela1 Comment

This was my first read of a Russell Brooks novel, and I have already started on the second of 4 of his books that I purchased.

The demeter Code

The Demeter Code is a fast-paced book, with lots of action and details. You definitely need to devote all of your attention to the story while you are reading it, as there are numerous characters involved, and the action moves from one set of people to another. I do not mention this because I found it to be a problem, I simply mention it because you probably do not want to read this with the television being on next to you, kids running in and out (welcome to my home!), or anything else that could likely divert your attention from the storyline.

Do you have concerns about the quality of the food you eat, the chemicals added to it, or the various GMO’s used virtually everywhere? If you do, this story is one you will want to read.

Do you like lots of action, plus detailed weapons and scientific information? Then this story is for you as well.

Do you have an interest in travel, and other countries? What about politics and government? If so, this story will capture and keep your interest as well.

I try to not give away any spoilers, or too much about a storyline in any of my reviews. The same holds true for this review. I will say that it is focused on Dr. Nita Parris, Ridley Fox, and a host of other secondary characters that round out the storyline and plot nicely. There seems to be a ticking time bomb that will bring devastation to the world like nothing ever seen before. It is up to Dr. Parris and Ridley to figure out who is involved, and put a stop to the plan before it is too late; too late for everyone.

You can find this story as well as Russell’s other novels on Amazon.