Required Reading

Life is complicated enough without getting into hotwater with federal agencies so: TAKE NOTE Many things I review I got at no charge in exchange for an honest review. Consider this as informing you that ALL things I review may have been gotten at no charge. Realistically about 60% but in order to keep things above board just assume that I got the stuff free. I do not collect information on my readers. If cookies or other tracking stuff is used on my blogs it is due to BLOGGER not ME. Apparently the European Union's new rules state I need to inform you if cookies are being use. If they are it isn't byu me, consider yourself INFORMED.
Words like, “sponsored,” “promotion,” “paid ad” or even just “ad” are clear ways to disclose that you’re being paid to share information and links so BE AWARE that some of what I write can be described as an AD by the government. BTW I will NEVER say a product is great, super or even acceptable if it isn't, whether I got it free or NOT!

Books I have authored.

Many times I receive books for FREE to give them an honest review. I do not get paid to give a good or bad review. Spotlights are promotional and should be regarded as advertising for the book spotlighted. Regardless of where or how I got a book, my review will be as honest as I can make it.

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Spotlight on Say No More by Liliana Hart, Book 3 of the Gravedigger Series.

About the book:
SAY NO MORE
Liliana Hart
Book 3 in The Gravediggers Series
Pocket Books
July 25, 2017
9781501150074
$7.99

Praise for Say No More, Book 3:
“The third Gravediggers contemporary romantic thriller (after Gone to Dust) continues Hart’s winning formula of combining high adventure and espionage with steamy sex...Globetrotting from France to Last Stop, Tex. (home of the Gravediggers), to the British Virgin Islands, Hart’s high-tempo thriller never lets up. Fans will enjoy her employment of the entire Gravedigger team, who sat out much of the last book, as they stay one step ahead of the enemy.”
—Publishers Weekly

“[Say No More] by terrific talent Hart is a caper thriller where the stakes are life and death. Hart has built a compelling world…Each of these books builds on the characters of the previous novels, which adds emotional and psychological depth. With plenty of action, danger and romance, this is a book a romantic suspense fan can really sink their teeth into.”
—RT

Praise for Gone to Dust, Book 2:
“Lucky fans of the super-talented Hart don’t have to wait long for the second installment of her new romantic suspense series Gravediggers, as the installments are being released back to back. In the first book, Hart set up her world where five men, declared dead to the world at large, work for a super-secret anti-terrorism force. Hart’s new heroine is a very talented romance writer who takes no crap from anyone — even secret commandos. Miller and Elias are both funny and sexy together, which helps make this book nonstop entertainment, with plenty of witty bantering and thrilling adventure!”
—RT 4 ½ star TOP PICK Review

“Modern Cliterature...Enjoy [this] lusty [passage] adapted from summer’s raciest reads…”
Cosmopolitan, July 2017

Praise for The Darkest Corner, Book 1:
“Gritty, deadly, and peppered with unexpected humor, this supersexy, adrenaline-charged story will keep readers on edge and breathless until the last page.”
—Library Journal

“Liliana Hart sets up a fascinating and intriguing premise of individual men forced into taking extreme steps. Her heroine’s reluctant immersion into this world allows readers to discover the treachery and danger looming all around…a thrilling series!”
—RT

“A cool blend of entertaining antics and suspenseful moments, with a slightly morbid sense of humor thrown in for good measure. (Our heroine was a mortician, after all!) I had a blast getting to know this cast of characters and can’t wait to see what exciting things Liliana Hart has in store for us next.”
—Harlequin Junkie

About the book:
Return to New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Liliana Hart’s romantic suspense series, the Gravediggers, with SAY NO MORE, the thrilling game of cat and mouse between a member of the Gravediggers and the brilliant woman hot on his heels.

The Gravediggers aren’t exactly what they seem. They’re the most elite of the world’s fighting forces—and all they have in common is that they’ve been betrayed by the countries they’ve died for. Because they are dead. To their country, their military, and their families. Sometimes the dead do rise…

Dante Malcolm is a man of refined tastes. He was once a part of Britain’s elite intelligence force, but his double life eventually caught up with him. There was a reason he’d never been able to capture Simon Locke, a notorious thief who always seemed to be one step ahead. Dante was Simon, and eventually his extracurricular activities cost him his life, and he now belongs to the Gravediggers.

Liv Rothschild is a detective inspector with Interpol and the woman responsible for catching M16’s most notorious agent in his final heist—the heist that killed him. But something about his death has never sat right with her, and she’s been haunted by it for months. It was too easy, and Dante Malcolm was too smart to go down that way.

Dante might belong to the Gravediggers, but his heart and soul will always belong to the next job—each one with a bigger payout and more dangerous than the last. The rest of the team doesn’t know about his alter ego, because he made sure the information went missing from his file. So when the job he’s waited his whole life for seems like a possibility, he sneaks out of the country like a thief in the night, only to run into the one woman who’s ever been able to match him in brilliance—and passion—for the job. The problem is they’re standing on opposite sides of the law—and only one of them can walk away with the prize.  
  
Interview September 25:
 
 – Gravediggers Series interview with Liliana Hart!


About the author:
Liliana Hart is a New York TimesUSA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than forty titles, including the Addison Holmes Whiskey and J.J. Graves Mystery series. Since self-publishing in June 2011, Liliana has sold more than four million ebooks. She’s hit the #1 spot on lists all over the world, and all three of her series have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. Liliana is a sought-after speaker who’s given keynote speeches and self-publishing workshops to standing-room-only crowds from CA to NYC to London. Visit LilianaHart.com
 
.


This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Monday, August 28, 2017

The Lost City of the Monkey Gods by Douglas Preston



I went into this book expecting the slightly over the edge of reality that seems to characterize some of Preston’s books.  That is not a criticism, I liked Impact  and The Codex.   I expected more of the same. This book is not a fantasy, this is an journey of discovery of a city that truly was lost in time.

Honduras was the home of a legend of a White City lost somewhere in the interior jungle.   Many explorers searched for the lost city and it’s treasures.  Some even claimed to have found it but were later exposed as frauds.   A film maker was bitten by the exotic bug of a lost city and organized several expeditions to find it.  Modern technology enabled a more accurate and thorough search.   Two cities were found and the author was covering the story for the National Geographic Society.

Most impressive aspects were the isolated nature of the terrain with the excitement of a monumental archeological discovery.   The exotic bug was not just an expression but a sad factor of jungle exploration.  Many members of the team were bitten by sand flies that carried the parasite that causes leishmaniasis, a disease I had never heard of.   A good portion of the book was the description of that particular disease and the impact of disease on the indigenous population of the Caribbean and the Americas

The author spends some time talking about the invasion of diseases formerly restricted to certain areas of the world and how air travel and global warming are impacting the spread of heretofore obscure diseases around the world.  Preston points out that while these diseases were historically confined to the impoverished that today may be spread far beyond that population.

This was an interesting book with some sobering insights.

Web Site:  http://www.prestonchild.com/

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Thursday, August 17, 2017

First Grade Forever by Robin Johnson



Having volunteered in kindergarten and in first grade for multiple grandchildren I found this book particularly poignant.  Sometimes as adults we don’t appreciate the deep thinking that preoccupies some children.   We do often note that first experiences are important but perhaps we don’t note the first grade is full of first experiences.

This book recognizes the importantance of both first grade and first experiences.   Wesley is uneasy about leaving first grade.  He has a teacher who has nurtured the many first experiences of first grade.  Change, while often exciting, can also be frightening to adults let alone children.  

The author does an excellent job of assuaging Wesley’s fears while making it clear to the readers that first grade while important is merely the first step to their future. 

This is an ideal book for any child but particularly those children who ponder and think. 

See it on Amazon

I have a vested interest in this book.  I worked with the author and illustrator in formatting, editing, embedding illustrations and submitting for publishing.  However I have stated many times, my reviews are based on what I think about a book, not if I got it free, not if I earned money in putting it together but what I think about the book.  There is an excellent message in this book and author Robin Johnson conveyed it clearly.

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Monday, August 14, 2017

Flying Through Midnight by John T. Halliday


The reality of this book is depressing.  Depressing because once again we have failed to learn from our history.  The story of a young man and the country that sent him into harm’s way with inadequate tools and superiors has been repeated ad nauseum for centuries.   Old men send young men to fight battles they are too infirm to fight and too greedy to ignore.  Author Halliday was fortunate to survive a maelstrom that ground up 58,000 of his peers.   His experiences in dealing with the entrenched “Desktops” and the ennui of entrenched bureaucrats was many times hard to read.

I suspect that to truly appreciate the book, I would need to be a pilot and veteran and I am neither.   I do know that friends who endured Vietnam were forever changed.   This book sadly reinforced some of the stories that I heard from un-diagnosed PTSD friends. 

It is a book worth reading and hopefully, at some point, we will start to learn our history and stop repeating it.

I recommend the book.

Web:www.flyingthroughmidnight.com


This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Assassins by Mike Bond

Bond reminds us of how 
history repeats itself ad nauseum. 
 The US is helping Afghans fight the Russians, 
not because of altruism or concern but for payback.  
The premise of our involvement is to bog down the 
Russians and see casualties by helping the Afghans as the 
Russians helped the Viet Cong. 
 
The pettiness of this motivation is exacerbated by the 
use of opium to fund the purchase of weapons
in order to maintain the "blackness" of the operation. 
 
Redeeming aspects of the book are the dog and the
love affair between Leo and Sophie. 
 
I'm enough of a student of history to be familiar with Bond's fiction and realize that a great deal of his speculation is fact not fiction.

Web: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Bond

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Book of Judas by Linda Stasi

Dan Brown meet Sandra Brown was my comment on Stasi’s Sixth Station. That hasn't changed.    This  novel is about Judas’s relationship to Jesus.   The premise is that  Judas and Jesus collaborated on having Judas facilitate Jesus death and resurrection.  Rather than Judas being the most hated disciple, the novel suggest Judas whas the most loved.  The relationship and the secrets to resurrection are hidden in a tube which shows up in the estate of Roy’s (Alessandra’s best friend) father.  The ensuing mayhem is based on the desire of a wide assortment of bad people who want the secret of resurrection.

Linda Stasi
Alessandra Russo  still has a Manhattan size chip on her shoulder.  She seems less disciplined and more erratic in this book.  She still despises hypocrisy and authority equally.   Once again she finds herself caught up in a millennium old religious conspiracy.

A one man wrecking crew and possible father of Terry, Alessandra’s son, reappears in this book and is deeply hated and deeply loved.

Once again I think Ms. Stasi clearly points out that religious conflicts have the potential for being the most destructive of wars.   The book is a captivating read that alludes to historic conspiracies that force you to ponder.   Ms. Stasi makes no attempt to pander to the sensitivities of those who may be offended by her irreverence.  This book will surely offend some.  

This is an action adventure mystery I enjoyed.


Web: a listing of her NY Daily News articles.

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a beari


ng on my recommendations.

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Spotlight on Delia's Crossing by V.C. Andrews


Fiction Finds Foothold with Immigration Issues: V.C. Andrews® Ignites Dialogue with the Re-Release of Delia’s Crossing By Andrew Neiderman

There is no mystery as to why the publication of Delia’s Crossing, first in a three-book Series featuring a Latino main character, has since been aptly called “The Latino Cinderella.” Delia’s Cinderella reference comes from the plot driver: a teenage Mexican girl from a small village loses her parents in a truck accident. Her grandmother, overwhelmed, writes to Delia’s mother’s sister who now lives on an elegant estate in Palm Springs, pleading for her to take Delia under her wing. She does not know that her older daughter despises anything related to the Latino culture, to the point of even forbidding Spanish to be spoken in her presence. When she takes Delia in, she takes her in as she would any other servant, thus the Cinderella comparison, for Delia gradually wins the hearts of all that come into contact with her, especially one of her cousin’s handsome and rich boyfriends.

Delia’s journey from a young teenage girl born and bred in a small, farming village in Mexico to the sophistication of today’s American teenage life in the setting of the plush, elegant and sophisticated Palm Springs is understandably difficult. She is immediately burdened with the language barrier. Delia’s aunt almost at gunpoint forces her to take private English lessons from a private tutor with a disgraced past. She is thrown into one crisis after another while being tormented by her spoiled cousin. We are truly in Cinderella territory.

Delia’s acceptance of her fate and then her resilience both strengthen her character so that she can not only compete with her cousin, but eventually win the respect of her aunt—marking the stages of development in a plot rich with the characteristic V.C. Andrews supporting characters and eventual romantic interest.

There is great irony, which resonates today, in Delia’s ultimate decision at the end of Delia’s Crossing (Book One) to flee and return to her poor Mexican village. All of the arguments and debates about the plight of immigrants, how immigrants should be treated, and what the future holds for immigrants are addressed in the story. Surely, most who see the re-released Delia’s Crossing (June 2017) will think it is a first time publication, born out of today’s headlines.

The ultimate effect and influence Delia in all her innocence and trust has on her new relatives, friends and especially on her romantic interest develops the basic backbone of any V.C. Andrews story: why people who are meant to love each other hurt each other. This time, however, the theme of so many V.C. Andrews’ series takes on national significance and purpose. Human emotions are understood in light of our new political realities, giving Delia’s Crossing a new life, both on the bookshelf and through the eyes of the reader.

The Delia Series: Delia’s CrossingDelia’s Heart, and Delia’s Gift are available wherever books are sold.

About the book:
Delia’s Crossing
V.C. Andrews®
Pocket Books
June 2017
ISBN: 9781501162220
The Delia Series, Book One
$5.99
Fiction

Book Summary:
A young immigrant comes to America to escape un sino cruel, a cruel fate…

After her parents are killed in a truck accident, Delia Yebarra’s life is turned upside down. At fifteen, she leaves the rural Mexican village where she grew up and embarks on a new life in America. Coming to her wealthy aunt Isabella’s huge estate in Palm Springs, California, should be a dream come true for a simple country girl like Delia…

Only to become un preso del destino, a prisoner of destiny…

Instead, her aunt refuses to acknowledge Delia’s heritage, relegating her to servants’ quarters with a licentious language tutor intent on exploiting the pretty, young foreigner. Her cousin Edward is kind, but cousin Sophia is cruel, manipulative, and resentful of Delia’s beauty. And just when Delia begins to embrace the life of a real American girl, a heartbreaking chain of events sends her spiraling back to a Mexico she hardly recognizes, making her wonder if she will ever find a place to call home.

About the author:
V.C. Andrews® has been a bestselling phenomenon since the publication of her classic Flowers in the Attic. That blockbuster novel began her renowned Dollanganger family saga, which includes Petals on the WindIf There Be ThornsSeeds of Yesterday, and Garden of Shadows. Since then, readers have been captivated by more than seventy novels in V.C. Andrews’s bestselling series. V.C. Andrews’s novels have sold more than 106 million copies. Join the conversation about the world of V.C. Andrews at Facebook.com/OfficialVCAndrews
.

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.