Four Days by Jamie Campbell

Blurb:
Told in the first person (past tense), "Four Days" is Luci's story of collapse and rebuild; of broken love and the promise of future love - and redemption. A Contemporary Romance that includes a road trip through New Zealand, a hero, villains, a foul-mouthed best friend, and tennis.

Luci's Wijn's six year career as a professional tennis player started with early promise; then came mediocrity; then came life as just another obscure player moving from tournament to tournament. With her career in limbo and her personal life in turmoil Luci has spent the last six months hiding from the challenges ahead. But at her best friend's wedding it dawns on Luci that she has only four days until her first tournament of the year. With life on and off the court catching up with her, and events conspiring against her, Luci has no choice but to let a man she hardly knows help her through what just might be the most important four days of her life.

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Here is what reviewer Ashleigh Zavarelli said about Four Days:


"Four days. Two people who are struggling to find themselves. A twist of fate.

These are the ingredients of a great romance novel.

When Luci and Jimmy find themselves on an unexpected road trip through New Zealand, the journey quickly becomes about much more than reaching the final destination.

Along the way, we learn about the characters, as well as the backdrop around them. Luci is Flemish, Jimmy is a New Zealander. They both have a love and passion for sport, and they both feel the pressure to perform.

When they practice together, you can clearly see the parallels of Luci’s inner conflict and the weaknesses in her game. I thought this was a brilliant way of deepening her character and allowing us to get to know to know her in the subtlest of ways. So often you find authors telling you what a character is thinking or feeling. This was not the case with Jamie Campbell. The highest compliment you can pay to a reader is to allow them to see these details for themselves.

By the end, Jimmy and Luci’s personalities were so imprinted on my mind that I’d felt as though I’d known them for years. He was the calm in her storm. The man who took the time to observe and reflect on his surroundings in a way that most never did. He was kind and patient, and sweet in the simplest of ways.

Luci, on the other hand, was complicated. She was socially stunted in some ways due to her circumstances, and she wore her emotional armor well. She admits that she feels younger than her age, and you can clearly see this shining through in her personality. She is Quiet. Stuck inside her head too much sometimes, and very curious at others. She is funny in a dry way, with her broken English and attempt to make sense of the world around her.

The interactions these characters have together are simple, yet powerful and moving. I would dare say that it would be impossible not to read this book and reflect on some of your own shortfalls and misgivings as a person.

Heartache, acceptance, growth, love… this book has it all.

If you are looking for something to pass the time, this isn’t it. You will become emotionally invested. You will feel emotions on opposite ends of the spectrums. And when the last page has been read, you will yearn for more.

Hats off to Jamie Campbell for writing such a beautiful story."

To check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Four-Days-Luci-Wijn-Novel-ebook/dp/B00VWAPNE0/ref=cm_rdp_product

Ice by Jessica Wren

Blurb:

In Minterville, Georgia, the residents live in relative seclusion, partly to keep crime out of their small, tranquil community, and partly to prevent the world from finding out about The Minter, a form of telepathy that interconnects them and gives them a sense of unity.

Then The Minter, which cannot function in the presence of evil, stops working. Mayor Tom Watson suspects that two families who had recently moved to town have ties to Manuela Escribano (known as the Ice Queen), a prolific drug lord who, unbeknownst to the rest of Minterville, has a deadly score to settle with Tom.

No one, including Tom, has any idea how deep the Manuela's desire for revenge runs, until one Friday morning, twenty women disappear. When Manuela sends in a video detailing her diabolical plot to get revenge against Tom and the community that has harbored him for thirty years, Minterville must come together as one to rescue the women before time runs out. They must act quickly, or innocent people will die and their beloved community (and along with it, The Minter) will be destroyed forever.

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What reviewers are saying about Ice:

"Good points about this story: Several things in the beginning hint at something being wrong in the town, which helps get through those first pages and rapidly becomes a page turner. By the middle of the story, you're aware of some (but not all) of the reasons for what's happening, and by the end, there's a sense of closure - but there still remains a few loose ends which feel as if they could come into play sometime down the road. There's also a distinct sense of urgency in the way the story is told (for good reason!) which further increases the feeling of wanting to keep reading to find out what happens next. And the ending is quite emotional, which surprised me since I don't typically read mystery/thrillers. It's also clear that the author took the time to research several different things (which I won't detail because I think it would be giving spoilers, in a sense) that come into play during the story."-Scott Borgman

"I enjoyed this story very much. At first, I thought it was a supernatural thriller, but after a while it became clear that it's more of a mystery/crime drama with supernatural overtones. The supernatural elements are important to the story of the town, but not central to the drama that unfolds in this tale. In this way the book is almost as unusual as the townspeople, which makes for an interesting read. Five stars, and I'm very much looking forward to what Ms. Wren comes up with next! :-)"-Over The Rainbow

" I got lost in the fantastic imagery and engrossed in the lives of the Minterville clan. J. Wren's writing is at once engaging and her characters practically jump off the page and pull you in to the story, which is edgy and timeless."-Amazon Customer

"This is an entertaining Stephen King-esque delve into the consequences of a past mistake now come to haunt a small town in America. Women start to go missing, and within the first couple of chapters you'll find yourself hooked and wanting to find out just what the heck has happened to them."-Jason Greensides

"The story moved quickly and there were a lot of names to remember, however, those names become quite important when you understand the outcome. Although the writing could move more smoothly, I give 5 stars for the sense of community and message of hope this author brought to the story."-Lonna

Book Review: Spirit of a Lone Horse by Ani Manjikian

(Originally Published by Lavern Winters)

I read Spirit of the Lone Horse at the request of my daughter, Jen Winters. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had no idea that it was supposed to be a science fiction story.  In the beginning of the book events seemed pretty normal. The story was a military type featuring a mounted band. The main character was afraid of horses because of an incident many years prior to the setting of the story. The author did a wonderful job portraying how the MC works to overcome her fear to ride horses again.
I liked the characters and the relationships between them. Twins were prominent and the author did a fine job of creating special bonds between them as you would expect of twins. There was a mystery that had to be solved and I was intrigued. It captured my interest and I had to know who and why because do I like a good mystery.
After a few chapters the book took an unexpected twist that threw it into the science fiction genre and I was delighted. I have always liked science fiction from the my youth when I read H.G. Wells and Jules Verne. The story isn’t your typical science fiction, though there are aliens and a space ship and time travel. For this book the aliens do not play a significant role in the mystery. However there are hints of their involvement in the lives of the earthly characters that will certainly make for some good reading in future volumes of this series.
Overall I found the characters were well developed throughout the book and relationships were realistic, no shallow characters here.  The story was engaging and entertaining. I enjoyed this read and would recommend Spirit of the Lone Horse by Ani Minjikian to anyone who likes a good mystery mixed with action and science fiction.

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Demon Within by Julie Nichols

(Originally Published by Lavern Winters)
I just finished Demon Within by Julie Nicholls this week and found it a delight to read. It is the first book I have read by this author and was pleasantly pleased. This romantic fantasy takes place in a time of kings and castles, when princesses are used to form political alliances through arranged marriages. The story includes a bit of magic, political intrigue, steamy romance, and revealed family secrets. The characters are well developed and believable.  I found the story entertaining and engaging. It was one of those that I didn’t want to put down, but wanted to read straight through. Once I started reading I did just that.
Medieval fantasy is among my favorites and this romance did not disappoint. Eloise is a princess with magical powers over the elements. Kai of Darkmide is a former slave who instigated a rebellion freeing slaves and slaughtering the slavers. Kai’s reputation for brutality is widespread among the kingdoms. His army is the most feared. When her father arranges for Eloise to marry Kai, to form an alliance, the princess is fearful of what her future holds. Kai has his own issues with abandonment and abuse. The romance that develops is well written and the arranged marriage ultimately becomes one of mutual love and consent.
Demon Within is the first of her Fallen Angels series which, I believe, will be an epic series of good and evil, magic and romance. I recommend Demon Within to anyone who enjoys romantic fantasy.  Now I’m off to read the second of the series, Angel Within.
Happy Reading!
Grandma Peachy
Links:
http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Within-Angels-Fallen-Angels-Fallen-ebook/dp/B00PV4K8P2/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 
http://www.amazon.com/Julie-Nicholls/e/B00Q5JJF10/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Pachyderms by Danny Buoy (AKA Danny Kubat)

Genre: Historical Fiction
Overall Review: Five Stars
Grammar and Proofreading: 5/5
Linguistics and Stylistics: 5/5
Plot Development: 5/5
Plot Pacing: 5/5
Character Development: 5/5
Ratings and Concerns: 18+ for violence, profanity, and graphic sexual scenes.
There are many myths and misconceptions about the Vietnam War, most of them perpetuated by Hollywood and propaganda from anti-war activists. I admit that for the first ten or so chapters of Danny Buoy’s Pachyderms, I found myself mentally comparing the book to Full Metal Jacket, a movie that almost satirizes the very real traumas faced by Vietnam vets. Whereas in Full Metal Jacket, a group of freshly-recruited Marines are tormented by a sadistic drill instructor (culminating into a graphic suicide scene), Pachyderms presents a more objective (but admittedly less Hollywood-friendly) side of the Vietnam War. The author, who himself is a Vietnam Vet according to his author profile, does not shy away from the realities of ‘Nam, but also does not humorize them for the sole purpose of entertainment. Nonetheless, there are a few scenes of humor that offset the more serious nature of the subject matter (one of the most memorable of these being the scene where one soldier gets a giant wooden splinter lodged in his butt cheek).

“Pachyderms” is a code name, but for what, you will have to read to find out. The novel, told in first person, recounts the military service of Danny Coobat (“Cooby”), a native of Nebraska who, fearful of being drafted, enrolls in college and then voluntarily enlists in the Army with the 5th Infantry Division, where he is employed first employed as a data-entry clerk and then later granted the title of Flight Operations Specialist. By the end of his service, he achieves E5 ranking. In Part 1, Cooby talks about his experiences in basic training. This is where the misconceptions presented in Full Metal Jacket are completely tossed out.With a few notable exceptions, Cooby has friendly, or at least professional, relations with both his fellow soldiers and his superior officers, and there is no mention of blanket parties or any of the other hazing rituals and foolishness seen in Full Metal Jacket. Cooby expresses deep admiration for the other members of his company (the 312th Flight Operation and the 713th Transportation companies). Parts 2 and 3 describe Cooby and his unit’s deployment to Vietnam and a year of service. Once again, these scenes are presented rather matter-of-factly, and I detected no hidden agendas or attempts to perpetuate the myths for entertainment or marketing purposes. Aside from his anger at the misinformation the public is being fed by both sides at home, Cooby appears to have very little opinion about the perceived political or financial motivations of the War, instead just choosing to focus on his job and the camaraderie of his Army buddies. He does, however, express very strong views about the treatment of Vietnam veterans upon their home. The general public condemns them as ‘war-mongers’ and the government treats them with nearly depraved indifference.
I confess that at first, I had difficulty getting into the story because of all the unfamiliar military terms. I eventually found a good source online for reference, and after a quick brush-up, it was a lot easier. That’s when I discovered that I was over-analyzing; the terms themselves aren’t so vital to the story that one has to be a military expert to understand the plot (although the quick study did help me understand the story better). Pachyderms is more of a character-centered (as opposed to a plot-centered) story.

Cooby recounts the day-to-day routine of the unit, the usual discomforts of Army life (bad food, lack of privacy, scarce resources, etc.), and the frustrations of hunting down and avoiding attacks by  “Charlie” (the code name for the elusive Vietnamese guerillas whose escalating ambush attacks went, over the course of the novel, from being a minor annoyance to a clear and present danger to the unit). There are also scenes where Cooby describes some of the less-than-gentlemanly aspects of military life: encounters with prostitutes, getting drunk and making a fool of himself (and waking up incredibly hungover), and obscenity being a normal part of the Army vocabulary (one character, for some reason, says “Kiss my d**k” almost every time he speaks). The resourcefulness of the soldiers is illustrated; one soldier starts a makeshift pizza stand. Additionally, Cooby effectively dispels the myth of the soldier being a mindless killing machine; he is a highly emotional character and isn’t afraid to admit it. This trait is highlighted when he loses a friend to a gruesome death, when he fears he will be separated from his friends during a duty rotation, and most notably, when he falls in love with a local woman and is subsequently heartbroken by her abandonment and betrayal.
A few things stood out about the author’s writing style. The first is that the plot flows flawlessly. The author knows precisely which scenes to delve into detail with and which ones to gloss over. The second is that he almost overdoses the book with comparatives (similes, metaphors, hyperbole). At first it bothered me, but then I just accepted it as his writing style. Finally, the narration of the story is natural. Some (but not all) of the military fiction I have read in the past came across as being either overly stuffy and formal (as if the writer were writing a textbook), condescending towards civilians who weren’t “in the know,” or just plain crude and graphic for no good reason. Pachyderms is none of the these, although the reader should be cautioned that there is some profanity, graphic violence, and a few graphic sex scenes.
I would highly recommend this book. Pachyderms is an excellent objective but realistic and very human account of the Vietnam War. Five Stars.
To buy: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1?ie=UTF8&text=Danny+Buoy&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Danny+Buoy&sort=relevancerank
For more information about the Vietnam War:
1. http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/sixties/HTML_docs/Resources/Glossary/Sixties_Term_Gloss_A_C.html
2. http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/vietnamwar/terms.html
3. http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war
4. http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/vietnam/timeline.htm
If you are interested in learning more about the plight of Vietnam veterans and/or offering assistance, check here: http://www.vva.org/

The 11th Percent by T.H Morris

1. Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal and Action/Adventure
2. My Overall Rating: Five Stars
3. Grammar and Proofreading: 5/5
4. Linguistics and Stylistics: 6/5
5. Character Development: 5/5
6. Plot Development: 5/5
7. Plot Pacing: 5/5
8. Age: Recommended for ages 16 and up due to violence and occasional profanity. No sexual content.

The 11th Percent is a fast-paced fantasy/action novel by T.H. Morris. The title is based on the theory that most people only use ten percent of their brain power, but Morris suggests that there is a subset of the population with an extra one percent. These so-called Eleventh Percenters have a high level of creativity but are plagued with self-doubt, experience emotions more strongly, and can communicate with spirits.

Jonah Rowe works at a boring job with an overbearing boss, struggles with writer’s block while attempting to complete manuscripts for his novels, lives alone and has few friends, and is still grieving the death of his beloved grandmother. A conversation with his boss in the first few chapters foreshadows hidden reserves of self-confidence and inner strength, which earned my respect and make me instantly like him as a character. After a particularly trying day at work, Jonah leaves and starts seeing visions-the world has turned blue, there are spirits and a cat that remains his companions throughout the novel. Later that night, he decides to go out for a while, when he is accosted by two malevolent spirits. A kindly spirit named Jonathan intervenes, and Jonah arrives at an estate where other Eleven Percenters stay. Feeling he has finally found his place with his new friends, he decides to develop his eleven-percent potential to its fullest. But there is danger lurking, and Jonah may be the only one who can unravel the web of deceit that he and his friends have been wrapped in.

Morris creates excellent characters. The reader will feel an instant connection to Jonah, and later will meet his new friends: the health-nut painter Reena, the fitness-obsessed sculptor Terrence, even the musical but disagreeable Trip. I especially liked Jonathan, a spirit protector who serves as the mentor for Jonah and his friends. A few of his characters are “epitome” characters who fall flat (such as the sycophantic, tartish Jessica) but they are so minor to the story that their further development is not essential. For the most part, the characterization is excellent and Morris does a great job at making the reader feel connected to them.

The plot is fast paced and provides lots of action and twists. It is not predictable by any means. Morris creates a lot of suspense and keeps the reader guessing. He does take a few convenient fictional liberties (such as one character’s ability to freeze out a fire), but they do not create plot holes or lessen believability. The flawless narration is one of the best parts of this book. Morris has an outstanding ability to choose the right words to convey his meaning. This is part gives the books a philosophical feel. There were so many quotes I loved from this book but one of y favorites was “The brain resides in the head but the mind encompasses the entire body.” Indeed, one of the major themes in The 11th Percent  is the mastery of the mind over the body. The Eleventh Percenters can only reach their full potential once they learn strict mind control.

A highly recommended read, The 11th Percent is the first in a trilogy. I am looking forward to the other two books. Five stars.

To buy: http://www.amazon.com/11th-Percent-11TH-ebook/dp/B00OTTSH0I/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1440357340&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=the+elventh+percent

T.H. Morris on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/T.H.-Morris/e/B00P158SDK/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorthmorris

Author Spotlight-Rick A. Mullins

I read somewhere that the relationship between older sisters and younger brothers are the most powerful of sibling relationships (please don't ask for sources because I don't remember). In his epic historical fiction/fantasy novel Godstone Mage, Rick Mullins capitalizes on siblings relationships to create a powerful and moving tale of justice, redemption, restoration, and and friendship.

A meteor containing godstone, a powerful mineral with protective and magical qualities, crashes to Earth. Meanwhile, a malevolent mage has put a curse on the Quinn family so that during the full moon, the males are pumas. The females are in puma form the rest of the month. This is to keep them from reproducing so the family will die out and the mage can acquire the Quinn's desirable island in the Great Lakes region. To add insult to injury, the mage makes it so that the "forced changes" (which start at puberty when the person is capable of reproduction), especially painful. The reader learns soon that the United States is populated by "changelings" who can change into various animal forms at will and are even given protection by Congress. Liam Quinn and his sister Orlagh (who spends most of the novel in puma form) go on a quest to find the mage who cursed them so they can force him to remove the curse. When the siblings lose their horse in a flash flood, they seek shelter with the Richards family, who has also been cursed by a different mage. It's not 100% clear what Heather's (the sister) curse is, but Fallon, the brother, is trapped in the mind of a child although he retains his ability to "tinker" (design and repair machinery). When Heather and Fallon's parents are murdered by Jack Easton, the brutal owner of a railroad company, the foursome set off on a quest for vengeance against him and the two mages who have cursed both families. Along the way, they are joined by a rag-tag group of help of varying abilities and and ages. They acquire a pair of writers who begin publishing the story of the "Sky Rangers" (so named because of the specialized balloon Fallon designed for them to travel in), and their fame spreads across the nation.

The plot is very detailed and clearly well-researched. Many of the machinery terms went over my head, but I can't fault the author because I made a D in physics. Mullins blends fantasy elements with history (the action takes place just after the Civil War and has a distinct "wild west" flavor") and aside from one use of the F-bomb (that I remember), the novel would also make a good choice as a young-adult action adventure. You can tell that Mullins put a lot of thought into this novel.

I especially liked the characters: Heather and Liam are as bad@$$ as they can be without being malevolent themselves, and one can sense a romance blossoming between the two. Fallon is amazing as the childlike Master Tinkerer who designs machinery and shows moments of extreme wisdom and intelligence. I would have liked to hear more from Orlagh's point of view, and I wish Mullins had taken advantage of a part when she was in human form to write a chapter from her perspective. The diversity of the foursome and their company is delightful. They range in ages, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and all prove to be useful to the expedition. Some of the characters sort of drop off in the middle of the book, but they are minor so it's not that big of a deal.

Mullins does an excellent job of presenting moral and social themes-justice, courtesy, family, community, and friendship among others-in a way that doesn't come across as self-righteous. I love it when a writer can do that. He also writes a lot of the dialogue on local vernacular, which gives it a neat dash of originality. A few of favorite scenes: the one where Heather torments one of her enemies with her dead mother's cursed, severed hand, the final showdown between Liam and the mage who cursed him, and the "restaurant" scene where the team acquires (among others) the twins who serve as reporters for the group and help spread the word about their adventures. This book is a time commitment, but it is worth the wait for some awesome scenes.

The 'errors' in this book are few and far between, and are entirely forgivable so I see no need to deduct points. Five stars all the way. Great job!

To check out Godstone Mage and Mullins' other selection of books:

1. http://www.amazon.com/Godstone-Mage-Rick-Mullins-ebook/dp/B00NG7IZE2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1439741404&sr=1-1&keywords=godstone+mage

2. http://www.amazon.com/Rick-A.-Mullins/e/B00JH10JUY/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1