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.

Monday, November 30, 2020

Spotlight on Stargods by Ian Douglas

STARGODS
by Ian Douglas
Star Carrier: Book 9
ISBN 9780062369031 $7.99 | eISBN 9780062369048 $4.99| Audio ISBN 9780063050723 $26.99

The last installment in the Star Carrier series, where first contact, space opera, and military adventure combine, from New York Times bestselling author Ian Douglas!

Will this be the end?
Or a new beginning…

Having battled aliens to prove humanity’s worth as a star-faring species, Admiral Trevor Gray has a new mission: follow the directives of the super-AI Konstantin and lead the star carrier America on a mission through time and space to determine if humanity can truly transcend into Singularity… and avoid the pitfalls that have plagued so many of the aliens Earth has encountered since it gained faster-than-light travel.

But there are those out there who don’t want an answer, who wish to maintain their own power with the status quo. Beyond the dangers of star travel, Gray must contend with politicians looking to end the influence of artificial intelligence on human decisions, a secret fleet out to destroy him, hostile aliens, and the vast, uncharted space full of clues but short on answers.

A species must evolve to survive into the future. But that species must have a vision of the future. Gray hopes to find that vision for humanity…800,000 years in the past.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Ian Douglas is one of the many pseudonyms for writer William H. Keith, New York Times bestselling author of the popular military science fiction series The Heritage Trilogy, The Legacy Trilogy, The Inheritance Trilogy, The Star Corpsman series, The Star Carrier series, and The Andromedan Dark series. A former Navy Hospital Corpsman, he lives in Pennsylvania.

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

Friday, November 27, 2020

The Disappeared by C.J. Box






This is a Joe Pickett novel.  Joe is a game warden in Wyoming.  He has a buddy Nate who has a thing for frozen fish.   A dual plot with a missing Brit and strange happenings at the lumber yard provide a good pace to the book.


Joe is a straight arrow and his buddy Nate, not so much.  The author paints a very cold picture of Wyoming winters.   Very cold!  

The story has enough twists to make it interesting and political games are sadly all too familiar.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it.

 


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

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Spotlight on Robert McCaw's Death of a Messenger

 

Ever wonder how Koa Kane got his start?

 

Death of a Messenger is the first book in the Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery series by Robert McCaw https://robertbmccaw.com/   Revised and updated, it will be released by Oceanview Publishing on January 5, 2021.

 

Read my reviews of his 2nd and 3rd books, Off the Grid and Fire and Vengeance, no spoilers in either review, both of them 5 star mysteries.

 

On Hawaii Island, an anonymous 911 caller reports a body at Pohakuloa, the Army’s live-fire training area. Hilo Chief Detective Koa Kane, a cop with his own secret criminal past, finds a mutilated corpse—bearing all the hallmarks of ancient ritual sacrifice.

 

He encounters a host of obstacles as he pursues the murderer—an incompetent local medical examiner, hostility from both haoles (Westerners) and sovereignty advocates, and a myriad of lies. Koa races to discover whether the victim stumbled upon a gang of high-tech archaeological thieves, or learned a secret so shocking it cost him his life and put others in mortal danger.

 

Will Hilo’s most respected detective stop this sadistic fiend—or will the Pohakuloa killer strike again, with even deadlier consequences?

 

Coming soon in early 2021!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert McCaw

  is the author of Fire and Vengeance, Off the Grid, and Death of a Messenger. McCaw grew up in a military family, traveling the world. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, served as a U.S. Army lieutenant, and earned a law degree from the University of Virginia. He was a partner in a major international law firm in Washington, D.C. and New York City, representing major Wall Street clients in complex civil and criminal cases. Having lived on the Big Island of Hawaii, McCaw imbues his writing of the Islands with his more than 2-year love affair with this Pacific paradise. He now lives in New York City with his wife, Calli.

 


This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Sunday, November 22, 2020

Under Currents by Nora Roberts


I struggled with the beginning of this book due to the descriptive aspects that probably fall under spoilers so I will just say that the first part of the book is not for the squeamish.   It is worth persevering as the book describes the healing of multiple people from life’s trials.

Roberts books depend on her excellent character building.   She lets you see who they are and how they became the person that they are.  Roberts also provides messages of hope that karma functions and that people can be very supportive and loyal when they are treated right.

This was a good read and ended up in a satisfactory manner.


I recommend it, just push through the beginning. 

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

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Blue Moon by Lee Child



Reacher gets into a Ukrainian/Albanian turf war.   Take a guess as to the winner.

Child is successful in providing a credible explanation for how and why Reacher ends up in so many fracases.

I enjoyed the book and it is a quick read.


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

Saturday, November 7, 2020

The Headshrinker's Brigade by Leslie Tourish NOW and Audio Book

A poignant journey, newly released as an audiobook,  to finally seeing what’s truly important

The Headshrinker’s Brigade By Leslie Tourish

About the Novel:

Julia Longley seems to have it all - a great job as a photojournalist and a perfect boyfriend in Nick, the paper’s star reporter. But it all comes crashing down when she experiences a trauma on the job and temporarily loses her eyesight due to hysterical blindness.

In The Headshrinker’s Brigade, Leslie Tourish weaves a story with a quirky and memorable cast of characters, starring Julia, a young woman who was blind to many aspects of her life, but who sets off on a journey to rediscover her true calling as a therapist and what she really wants in love.

Originally released as a paperback, it is now available as an audiobook on Audible. It is narrated by voice actor Carrington MacDuffie, known for her narration of Marianne Williamson’s A Politics of Love and Marilynne Robinson’s What Are We Doing Here.

About the Author:

By day, Leslie Tourish helps others - via screen now - through life’s biggest problems. By night, she follows her lifelong dream of being a writer. The thread that continues to weave between the pages of her life is her love for the written word. Stories and characters have always played in her head, just waiting for the day they can bust out and have a life of their own.

Just like her main character, Julia, after a career as a photojournalist, she decided she needed a change and returned to school where she earned a Master of Arts in Human Services specializing in counseling. While employed in various mental health clinics, the idea for a book took root and resulted in The Headshrinker’s Brigade. It won the 2019 Texas Authors Book Award Contest for general fiction.

Born and raised in Texas, Leslie currently lives in a small town in the Texas Hill Country with her husband and three terribly spoiled dogs. For more on Leslie, www.latourish.com.

Praise:

 "Through her array of colorful characters and their funny, sometimes poignant, stories, Ms. Tourish offers readers a glimpse into the common humanity of therapists and clients alike."—Shelly J. Oliver, Amazon reviewer

"Fun novel that takes you through the trials and tribulations of a young woman trying to find her true calling. The characters are engaging and the story line is rife with quirky hilarity. Love this book."—Jana Kaura, Amazon reviewer

"The detail is crisp; the wit solid."—Julia Jerome, Amazon reviewer

"Tourish’s use of metaphor is exceptional, transporting the reader to an emotional as well as descriptive place. "— Joe, Amazon reviewer

 Author Links:

Website: www.leslieanntourish.com

Facebook: Leslie Tourish, Author

Instagram: @leslie.tourish

Twitter: @leslietourish

 Book Details:

 Audiobook: 12 hours 29 minutes, available on Audible, Amazon and iTunes

Publisher: Treaty Oak Publishers/The Block House (October  2020)

Narrator: Carrington MacDuffie

Language: English

ASIN: B08L55CFJN

 
This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Monday, November 2, 2020

Spotlight on Anstey Harris’ THE MUSEUM OF FORGOTTEN MEMORIES

At Hatters Museum of the Wide Wide World, where the animals never age but time takes its toll, one woman must find the courage to overcome the greatest loss of her life.

Cate Morris never expected to meet the love of her life, Richard, while on a date with his best friend. Despite an awkward start, the pair had a blissful marriage—until Richard began to fade away before Cate’s eyes. Boisterous and bright, he felt the weight of the world more deeply than most, his thoughts clouded by depression.

Four years after Richard’s suicide, Cate is emotionally raw—from the guilt, the anger, the sadness, but mostly, the loneliness. Laid off from her job, Cate and Leo, her energetic 19-year-old son with Down syndrome, seek temporary refuge in Richard’s birthright, a magnificent Victorian museum, where long-kept secrets await.

Notwithstanding an unpleasant start with Araminta Buchan, the old family retainer, Cate is soon charmed by the peculiar menagerie and senses Richard’s presence everywhere. Cate and Araminta have long been weighted down by a responsibility of care—one to a fading husband, the other to a Downton-esque dwelling—both bound to duty by love. Resolving to save the forgotten museum, the pair face unexpected threats, forcing Cate to confront the reality of Richard’s death in order to reimagine her future.

 Perfect for fans of Katherine Center and Evvie Drake Starts Over, THE MUSEUM OF FORGOTTEN MEMORIES grapples with life’s heaviest burdens, all the while offering an unexpected tale of hope and wonder.

 


About Anstey Harris

Anstey Harris is based by the seaside in south-east England where she lives with her violinmaker husband and two dogs. She teaches creative writing in the community, local schools, and as an associate lecturer for Christchurch University in Canterbury.

Anstey writes about the things that make people tick, the things that bind us and the things that can rip us apart. In 2015, she won the H G Wells Short Story Prize for her story, Ruby. In novels, Anstey tries to celebrate uplifting ideas and prove that life is good and that happiness is available to everyone once we work out where to look (usually inside ourselves). Her short stories tend not to end quite so well...

Things that interest Anstey include her children and granddaughter, green issues and conservation, adoption and adoption reunion (she is an adopted child, born in an unmarried mothers' home in Liverpool in 1965), stepfamilies, dogs, and food. Always food. She would love to be on Masterchef but would never recover from the humiliation if she got sent home in the first round.

 

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