Red Plus Zone by Andy Ritchie - A Review

Red Plus Zone takes place in England in a world where time has shattered. This "Shattering" takes place in the near-future of Sam McCall's world. All over the world lay pockets of varying time zones. In a few places, time runs at normal speed. In others, time can be at a dead stop or speeding by, years ticking past in a single standard second.

Very few people would approach a Red Plus Zone, an area where time is greatly accelerated, unless they have a death wish. DCI (Detective Chief Inspector) Sam McCall finds himself doing just that when he's called to the scene of a brutal murder.

It's not enough that the body is half-out and half-in a Red Plus Zone, leaving one side freshly dead and the other a weather-worn skeleton. It's not enough that PTSD hits Sam with nightmares so violent and disturbing that he wakes in a pool of sweat. It's not enough that he's supposed to solve this murder on very little sleep. It's not enough that his precious pills - a highly prized commodity due to the Shattering - have finally run out. This body just had to belong to one of the richest men in the UK.

**I had the privilege of editing this manuscript. If you like sci-fi, if you like expert world building, if you like a good crime drama, if you like unpredictable plots and prickly characters, you will love Red Plus Zone.**

Mystical Emona: Soul's Journey by Rebecca Carter - A Review

5 stars!

I never thought I'd read a romance set in Bulgaria but now that I have, I'm enchanted. I had to pull up Google maps and check it out. 

This was such a sweet, well-written story with plenty of paranormal to keep it interesting. The characters were well developed, the setting was beautiful and exotic, the plot was complex, and the ending was satisfying. 

There were just enough foreign words to keep in line with the tone but not so much that it was confusing. I especially loved all of the traditions and superstitions that made this book cozy like a bowl of hot tomato soup. I consume mass quantities of stories set in Scotland for the same reasons - magic seems possible, maybe even probable, in places like this. 

Even the secondary characters have back-stories. I enjoyed that. One of my favorite things in a book is being introduced to a seemingly insignificant character only to find them woven flawlessly into the story. So much research, thought, and care went into crafting this book. It's a tale of "Love endures all" set in a mystical village by the sea in a town where the samodiva (Balkan nymphs) are more than legend. And now I want a karakachan! 

The writing was beautiful with a high attention to detail. You can tell when the samodiva speak because of their use of archaic language, a level of dialogue mastery I particularly appreciate. You'll want the bat-poop-crazy bad guy to get his comeuppance. You'll get annoyed with Stefan because he's so thick and cynical sometimes. Above all, you'll love this story and will be captivated by it. 

Book 2 is coming in 2015 and I can't wait! I read the preview in the back and it's one heck of a cliffhanger! 

Get your copy today! Just click the book cover above.

Ambient Light: An Angel McKenzie Novel (Angel McKenzie Mysteries Book 1) by Lorraine Adair - A Review

5 stars!

I'm not much of a mystery reader. I like a good mystery but I prefer a healthy dose of fantasy or sci-fi thrown in for sheer escapism. That being said, this realistic book was awesome!

I really loved the romance aspect of this story. It may have seemed too harsh without that element to soften the abject terror of some moments. The story is told from several perspectives, so you glimpse into nearly everyone's mind - even the psychopath's. It was a disturbing yet fascinating place to be.

My heart was beating fast and my shoulders were tight as I read about Angel's situation. I couldn't put it down! I got a little upset when I had to stop reading and cook dinner. I just had to see the bad guy get his! I finished the book while eating. You won't be disappointed in the way the story ends.

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The Black Bag by PH Solomon, Short Story - A Review

5 stars to updated version!

I specify the updated version because the version I purchased originally had errors and didn't dive deep enough into Coryss's point of view. Not so with the new version.

If you haven't purchased the book yet that shouldn't be an issue. The author was so kind as to send me an updated version and it hooked me from the first paragraph! He worked very hard to make his book better and it shows. 

Three witches have made Coryss's life a tragedy but she is about to get even. 

Great stuff. It does read like a very short novel. I normally don't read short stories but found this a pleasant distraction from longer novels. 

Get your copy by clicking the link below. You'll be glad you did!

The Best Is Yet to Come: A Romantic Comedy (The Best Girls Book 0) by Tamie Dearen - A Review

5 stars.

This is a very short prequel to Her Best Match. It's written from Steven Gherring's point of view and includes the few days before Ann Best interviews from the job through just before she arrives. 

Even though it's a very short prequel you get a taste of the author's writing style and Steven's character. There's also a bit from Gram at the beginning, and she's my favorite. She's so feisty! 

This prequel is definitely a teaser and makes you want to keep reading into book 1 and you should because it's great. 

Grab your copy today by clicking the cover below.

The White Queen, Beyond Endless Tides Vol. 1 by Charles F Bond - Not Market-Ready but Has Potential

2 Stars

I hate writing bad reviews. It hurts my heart but in the hopes that the author will heed some constructive criticism and perhaps take an ok book to a good or even great one - here goes.

1. The language. This is a rookie mistake. Here's one paragraph from the book: "Any blood spilled was a beacon for hackas five hundred strokes, or more, away. A pack of smaller hackas, Desentines, swift and nimble, moved into view from the nic. Her tamur would be among the ligphurs and as the Desentine pack, numbering around forty closed in on them , she tensed."

Hackas? Desentines? Nic? Tamur? Ligphurs? That is just one paragraph! I only just found out (from reading other reviews) that there is a glossary in the back. In the kindle version that should be in front - or better yet use real words. Blood is blood in the book, fins and tails are fins and tails, I assume the author was trying to immerse us in the peculiar oceanic world he created by using peculiar and foreign language. Far from achieving that he instead created a slur of jibberish that throws the reader from the story to either reel in confusion, look in the glossary, or skim past the offending words substituting "blah-blah." I have to be honest, I cannot finish the book as written in the version I purchased. It reads like Mad Libs filled in by a foreign speaker.

The language thing is a big deal. My advice - choose 5 or less mermaid words that you feel are most important and make sure they are well explained the moment they are first presented. Nix the rest. I just can't keep reading. I've been thrown from the story so much I honestly don't care what happens... but I want to!

2. Excessive and incorrect comma use. Examples: "Take, Morg, to, Vert Ravine." - "Go with, Ethos, he'll keep you safe." - "But the porene are more loyal to my haspur than, Leader Lyon." A book has to be clean before put on the market. A few mistakes are permissible but this level of sloppiness is not ok.

This book needs an editor so very badly. At the very least it needs to be read and critiqued by several beta readers. I think that once the 2 main issues are addressed it will be a good book. A girl/mermaid refuses to be hurt by her clan, runs away which leads to a clan battle, and is told to go see the White Queen who can see the future. Except that it reads more like: A mur refuses to be hurt by her Inyarl Shawl, runs away... See what I mean?

Note to the author: I'm sorry if you read this and think I'm insulting you or calling you a bad writer. I'm not. I only give these critiques because this book is not market ready and with a bit more work it definitely could be. I WANT to find out what happens to Morg when the necessary corrections are made and a new version/edition is available. Like I said, I see the intent behind the language but it just doesn't matter to the reader. I think you have massive potential. From what I could understand of the world you created it is interesting and the plot seems solid. Please, consider these constructive criticisms and take your work to the next level. I will be more than happy to read your new finished edition when it becomes available. At that time I will absolutely alter this review to reflect the newer edition. I appreciate your effort and it is with respect for you as a fellow indie author that I offer these critiques.

The Book That THEY Don't Want You to Read, Part 3 by Andy Ritchie - A Review

5 stars, but....

How can you do that to your readers? Just end the book with several unanswered questions? What's on the Researcher's P.I.U? What is the black tentacle stuff? Those two questions above all others are making my eye twitch because I can't find out! 

You've got to write a sequel and give us/me the answers! 

Besides that slightly disappointing state of affairs, the book is wonderful. It's not as jam-packed with action as book 2 was but that's ok. I found myself sad that it was about to be over. 

If you like aliens, sci-fi, and good writing you will like this book. By the way, dear author, I absolutely LOVED what "The One" was. I laughed out loud and thoroughly enjoyed that. There was a lot of humor in this book, a few satisfying scenes where the Bad Guys get theirs, but I am so sad that it left me with a void. 

On a related note, I am awed and astonished by how much work the author did for this book series. Creating an alien bureaucracy complete with several tedious documents with subsections, a different way of telling time, and including samples of all that in the appendices... well, I respect the heck out of that. 

This is a well put-together series, a fresh take on storytelling, an exciting plot with characters that develop organically as the story rolls on, humor, philosophical musings, bureaucracy gone mad, and all told in a way that kind-of makes you believe THEY are going to come bust down your door because you read The Book That THEY Don't Want You To Read. 

Buy these books. You won't be disappointed. 

The Book That THEY Don't Want You to Read, Part 2 by Andy Ritchie - A Review

Can I give it 6 stars?

This book was non-stop awesome. You definitely must read Part 1 first or you'll be lost. 

This go round, Jethro uses a voice recorder and a notebook and the more detailed account lends itself to more thorough storytelling even in the diary format, so I found myself more immersed in the action - which I loved. 

There were some genuinely funny parts that made me truly laugh. Some parts made me cringe and nearly cry. Diary entry 42 is rough. I was holding my newborn when I read it... just read the book and you'll know why that was rough. Also, apparently a "fanny" in the UK is not the same as in the US. I was confused for a few seconds until I realized that. Lol. 

I think it ends at a good point since the action has died down a smidge but there are still enough unanswered questions to make you rush out and buy book 3, which I will be doing tomorrow.

This plot is amazingly original. I dig alien movies, TV, books, and all but have never seen a plot quite like this one. It's delightfully refreshing. It's not too technical and gives just enough of the science to let the reader connect with the ideas presented. We get a closer look at Tukaal in this part and he's a fascinating specimen.

I read this book in a day. It was that good. Go get your copy now! It really is a great read.

The Book That THEY Do Not Want You to Read, Part 1 - by Andy Ritchie - A Review

***EDITED after speaking with the author who was kind enough to address my critiques and explain them. I have never edited a review before and the author DID NOT request/suggest that I do. I felt that in light of his explanations I should so I did.**

I give it 5 stars. 

Jethro Postlethwaite finds himself face to face with an alien while taking photos in the countryside. What should have been a simple ride across town with said alien turns out to be much more, ruining Jethro's cozy existence and plunging him into a life on the run. It's a series so there is no tidy ending but it does leave you wanting more. I've already purchased Part 2.

The reason for the lower rating is the amount of typos in the book. One good re-read by the author or a beta reader would clear that up, and I expect a clean book when I purchase from an indie author. **EDIT: The typos were added to lend credibility to the fact that it is a diary and would likely have typos. That makes sense.**

The story is super original. The diary format is imaginative and fresh, though I felt that the collator's notes were jarring and pulled me out of the story at times. That may have been intentional, not sure. Sometimes it drifted into reading like a technical book instead of a story or an account. The book is still very good in spite of that. If you like stories about aliens that aren't too cliche, then this book is for you!

What I really liked and was surprised by was the occasional internal struggle that JP experiences at different points along his journey. We get a glimpse of his backstory, fed a little at a time so as to not overwhelm the reader. I liked those moments the most.

I would have read the books simply because I'm a hard-core anglophile, but I'm happy I did for more than just that it's set in England. Run to the store and buy some McVities HobNobs, some good tea, and curl up with this book. If you're an American you'll notice many words are spelled differently. I liked that.

An issue I noticed is that several times the reader is told to reference Appendix A, but my ebook didn't have an Appendix A. I looked twice. I would have liked to see that.**EDIT: Appendix A was only included in Part 3, but the author will now include it in Part 1. Excellent!**

Ok, now I have to read part 2 to see what is in Jethro's neck!

Jazz Baby by Beem Weeks - A Review

I couldn't finish the book, it made me too sad. I got 57% of the way through, so I don't know how it ends. It's not a plot-driven novel anyway. I'm not rating it by how much I liked it. I'm rating by the skill of the author in the crafting of the story and the beauty of the author's voice in telling this story.

A poor girl in the roaring 20's, with aspirations of fame and a singing voice that might get her there, finds herself all alone - a sheep in the midst of wolves - when her father dies. She sets her sights on fame and is willing to do whatever it takes to get there, and I do mean whatever it takes. Up to the point I stopped it was just one misuse and abuse after another. My heart just can't take it anymore. I want to swoop in and give her a loving family. 

That being said, the 5 star rating I gave it is for the sheer beauty of the language. It's written in a Mississippi drawl that flows like the black water of the river through the pages. It's authentic and raw. Even in the most jarring of scenes the language's eloquent beauty softens the blow just a little. 

I think you're meant to dislike all the characters. No one has any redeeming qualities, at least not to the point I stopped reading. The girl, Emily Ann, is as naive as they come, promiscuous, self-centered... just a teen left to fend for herself. Everyone else wants to use her. Even those professing to love her. It's heartbreaking. Truth be told I hated the story because it darkened the days I spent reading it. It is beautifully told, though. If the author tries his hand at something less traumatic to the soul I would absolutely buy and read it. 

If you don't mind having your heart broken, you will like this book. I wish it were a brighter story because I love the way the author writes. Again, I don't know how it ends. It may brighten up toward the end. I just can't drag my heart through anymore of Emily Ann's life. If you like drama and a sad story-line, buy this book. It gives me the same overall feeling as The Green Mile and is just as well told. The book really is beautifully written. It deserves a chance for that alone. I'm just exceptionally tenderhearted, especially when it comes to children.

Get your copy here.

The Wastelanders by Tim Hemlin - A Review

5 Stars!

Tim Hemlin wrote this in prose so eloquent and beautiful it reminded me of F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby. This plot-driven novel was really good. I was confused for most of it, but I wanted to keep going and find out what was going to happen. The story was worth working through to the end. 

I have just a few critiques:

1. "All intensive purposes" is just so wrong. It's "all intents and purposes." That's a big deal to me, but it's really my only grammatical critique. There were a few mistakes spell check couldn't catch, but overall it's a clean novel, well written.

2. The progression through time is not easy to understand. Perhaps that was intentional, time confusion playing a starring role in the exciting plot, but I have no idea what kind of time frame this story happened in. A week? Ten days? A year? Dunno.

3. More confusion - why do they use British vernacular and drink hot tea when this is set in Texas and the weather is blistering outside the bubbles? I use British vernacular and drink hot tea while living in Houston - but I'm a bloody weirdo. Does this mean there are more of us in the future? A bit of explanation would have made that quirky phenomenon seem less contrived.

4. Even more confusion - I don't want to give away the plot, but the possibility of the past interacting with the future, of resurrection, of time witch stuff, it's never really explained. I know it's sci-fi/dystopian but there should be a logical explanation behind things. Like warp drive on the USS Enterprise - there's a basis for the technology that's explained well enough to be plausible. This book doesn't try to explain anything.

The Wastelanders is, in a word, enigmatic. At times it's climate change propaganda, at times it's religious in tone, at times it indicts the abuse of political power in America striking eerily close to home. At all times it's beautifully written, engaging, mysterious, and elusive.

You may wonder why, with my critiques, I gave it 5 stars. That's simple! It was a great story, well told and authentic. Beautiful prose, man. Well done.

Get your copy here.

Her Best Match: A Romantic Comedy (Best Girls Series Book 1) - Review

Ok you guys, or should I say you girls... or actually, hey ya'll, this book is the shizznit!

If you like romance you will love this book. If you like feeling frustrated at someone through almost an entire story, you will love this book. If you like happy endings, you will love this book. If you've ever had hopes that one day a handsome, kind, generous billionaire would fall in love with you, you will definitely love this book. If you want a book to make you FEEL, then you will love this book.

Seriously, buy this book!

Anne Best is a widow and mother of two. She's startled to be invited to interview for a job in New York as an executive assistant. She feels out-classed and over-aged as she sits in the waiting room looking at all the eager, young candidates. When her name is finally called, she nervously enters the interview room to see a gorgeous older man sitting there. Then he opens his mouth.

Her temper flares and she tells him off, ready to go back home to Texas and call it all a waste of time. But he hires her. He's not as bad as first impressions would seem and Anne becomes determined to find him a match (matchmaking being her hobby) to the detriment of everyone and everything else. 

You will want to slap her, but you'll be rooting for her the whole time.

I laughed, I cried a few times. I LOVED Gram. If a certain something had gone differently with Gandalf (buy the book if you want to know) I would have been devastated. I couldn't put it down. 

CAVEATS:

Now, if your'e on Amazon you'll see a couple of 2 star reviews. I was shocked but I read them. I actually don't disagree with their points. 

Point 1: The book is a bit long for the story. It's hard to whittle it down as an author after pouring your heart and soul onto the pages for months or years. I do think this could do with some paring down. As far as grammatical and spelling errors, there were a few but not so many as to be distracting. I've found the same number of errors in books from the big publishing houses. Not a big deal.

Point 2: Getting frustrated with Anne and her internal dialogue. I literally wanted to choke her out sometimes. She does over-think EVERYTHING and Steven does have to coddle her. But let me ask you this, don't you know somebody who's like that? I sure do! They exist.

Also, if you've read romance before you know that it's very formulaic - in a good way. Frustration is par for the course. It's all about delayed gratification. Greater frustration and buildup means more satisfaction at the end. Right ladies? ;)

If you're an "A" type personality you may not be able to deal with Anne. It's worth it though. 

Point 3: Character development lacking. Well, yes and no. I think we have go back to realizing that this is a lighthearted romance, not a character-driven drama. The author even labeled it as "Romantic Comedy" in the title! 

As romances go it's always the same, super hot non-conceited woman finds herself in situation with super hot misunderstood man. Stuff happens. They finally hook up. The end.

REASONS WHY, IN SPITE OF CAVEATS, YOU SHOULD BUY & READ IT:

1. No need to brush up on penis euphemisms or synonyms. It's very PG-13 and I, for one, appreciate that. It's very satisfying without the smut.

2. It made me feel. For me, that's the whole point of reading. They aren't always pleasant emotions but a book has to make me feel something. I felt many different emotions with this book.

3. It's well written. This is not a plot or character driven novel; it doesn't need to be. Romance is all about the tease. They almost hook up, but then they don't. He's about to profess his love, and someone interrupts. She almost realizes her feelings, but then she gets distracted. Good stuff. I actually yelled at my phone/Kindle, "If you don't stop interrupting him and let him speak I'm gonna smack you!!" 

4. It's light-hearted and makes you feel good. It's sweet. 

5. I couldn't put it down. I have a 3 month old and a 5 year old. Had to juggle life a bit to get this read, but I read it every chance I got! While nursing my infant, while walking around, while cooking, while my 5 year old did his homeschool work... I couldn't wait to get back to it.

I think I've given you enough information to make an informed decision, and I hope you think it's worth a shot. It really is a very good book. 

As an author myself, I would request that if you do read this book please leave an honest review. It helps us become better writers. Thanks for reading my long-winded review!

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Curse by Dale Furse - An Honest Review

I have to give this book 3 stars. 

I want to make one thing clear, the book's premise is very good. I enjoyed the story line. I just couldn't get into it as much as I wanted to. It reads like a first draft or maybe a screenplay. It may just be that I don't connect with the author's style, but in my opinion the book could do with being run through a few beta readers or an editor. There were parts of the story that seemed disjointed, the dialogue felt not-quite-right, the character made decisions in a split second without putting you through any internal struggle or process. The transitions from one situation to the next were very sudden. I felt a bit slapped around and several times I had to re-read a few pages after going, "Huh?" Maybe it's just me.

It was kind-of like one of those old wooden roller coasters - fun, but it whips you around and you're a bit dazed after. I think that with just a bit of work this book could definitely be 5 stars. Or a great movie. I'd totally watch it if it were made into a movie.

The book is about 3 (and more) alien races and the main character, Nell, is a blend of 2 of them who looks human and lived on Earth until just before her 17th birthday when the "changes" would begin. The story line is very original, the different races were intriguing. I thought it might be an allusion to the horrors of racism. This story follows Nell through her coming of age and the machinations of those who would destroy her. Good stuff.

Like I said, I liked the premise but the crafting of the story could use some tweaking. Definitely worth the money I paid for it on Kindle. It's a fast read, too. Read it in about 5 hours. If the author does some tweaking I would love to check it out and revise my review. I'm an author too, and I hope my critiques are not too harsh and can help in making a good book great.

Review of Impervious (The Ascension Series) by Heather Letto

I give it 4.5 Stars! Heather Letto did an excellent job with this book!

This is my first dystopian read outside of The Hunger Games. I think this one is WAY better!

Impervious is a glorified bomb-shelter-made-city 40 years past it's prime. The inhabitants should have been released back top-side but corruption keeps them trapped in their sunless, artificial, self-centered lives below ground. Most of them are happy that way, but there are a few who buck the system. They are the Rebels. Since no one lives past 40 (with a few exceptions) because of a disease, these rebels are kids - teenagers who are actually in their "mid-life" stage. It's the hope and idealism of youth vs. a drearily elitist system of oppression and illness.

It's not a world I'd want to live in, unless I could be top-side. This book makes you think. It could happen! That makes it so compelling.

This is the first book in The Ascension Series and I will definitely be buying book 2 and beyond! I read this in one day. I like the characters but felt that just a little more time developing them, glimpsing into their head space, would have just amplified an already great book.

I can't wait to see what happens in the next one!


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Review of Mystic Tea by Rea Nolan Martin

I give it 4.5 stars! Rea Nolan Martin did a wonderful job with this story.

A Satisfying, Feel-Good Read.

This book is more about character development than plot - not that it doesn't have plot! It does! That's why I like it so much. The characters are real and raw and the plot is surprising in places. What I most appreciate about it is that it colors faith with the many shades of doubt, uncertainty, indefinably, and inexplicable hope that anyone with faith invariably experiences. As a woman of faith I appreciated it very much. I don't know anything about Catholicism, which is the faith presented in this book, so I don't know if it's a fair representation. What I do know is that it was presented in a respectful and honest way that made me like the nuns at the monastery very much.

I loved Arielle and her irreverence. The colorful chorus of nuns makes the monastery feel like home. It was a place I wanted to go and maybe why I finished the book in 2 days! I didn't want to put it down. It's definitely a book written for women to appreciate but it could be enjoyed by an open-minded man.

It blends mysticism with Catholicism in a seamless way. There are some very deep thoughts and musings presented from the different women. It's a very philosophical book. Mother Augusta and her mystic teas draw together the plot threads and bundle them up, steep them in mystery, and get served piping hot at the end. There are no cliff-hangers or unresolved plot-lines. The end is satisfying. I cried a bit... not gonna lie. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a satisfying read and a feel-good ending.

Get your copy today!