Month: October 2015

The Demon’s Grave (Book One of the Demon’s Grave Trilogy) by E. M. MacCallum

Review - Submitted

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Nora has been haunted her entire life with mysterious messages and shadows as well as the death of her twin sister at an early age.  In high school, Nora meets Aidan and along with her friends travel to his ancestral home.  This is where the Demon’s Grave lies in wait for Nora, Aidan, Phoebe, Read, Robin and Cody.

Faced with six challenges in the world between light and darkness, all must successfully defeat their own challenges to escape back to their life.  Within each challenge Nora and Aidan are reminded of who they are and what they have encountered.

“Was that really JWD?  I stared at the foreign corpse-like creature.  I couldn’t let it catch me, not like before.  My shoulder ached with a phantom pain and I nudged Aidan.” 

Nora has to defeat doppelgangers, spiders, eyeless bikers, zombies, an evil Maserati and the demon in charge of her nightmare.  Nora questions her sanity – what if it’s all real and not just in her head?

“Sighing through his nose, shadow-man finally said. “Call me Damien, for now.”  Like the little demonic kid in The Omen?  Of course I’d pick that name for a demon.”

MacCallum has created an imaginative plot with realistic characters while engaging the readers and holding their attention captive.  Well written and edge of your seat suspense, MacCallum has successfully crafted a tale that will have readers waiting eagerly for the next in the series.

Once you begin reading this book, there is no putting it down – it will haunt you until you come back and finish it!

WordsAPlenty awards The Demon’s Grave (Book One of the Demon’s Grave Trilogy) written by E. M. MacCallum with a 5-star review.  Click here to purchase the book and begin your own experience.

 

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Book Announcement: Now Available! Travel the Wicked Road by M. L. Sanford

Review - Submitted

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Travel the Wicked Road by M. L. Sanford is an intriguing tale of paranormal happenings and mystery.    Eaton Elvis Prescott is seeking an escape that will aid him to escape his sad, pathetic life.  Headed for a job interview in New Gamore he takes a wrong turn down a deadly and life changing road.

Eaton’s prophetic words:  “My former pitiful life is gone for good. Thank God!”  Truer words were never uttered, and in hindsight, ones he wished had never come true.

Gamore was a town that was destroyed in one day back in 1956, leaving only four survivors.  New Gamore rose out of the tragedy and struggled to survive.  Key characters include Nerv, Sheriff Bustovf, Tul, Dr. Dunner, and Mrs. Smeers.  With these pivotal characters and a deep secret held by two of the four survivors and one has a wonderful treasure trove of mystery to solve.

Filled with mystery and intrigue peppered heavily with paranormal happenings, Sanford has brought to life a world that lurks on the outer edges of dreams.  He successfully blurs the lines of reality and shows the connections and secrets of a small town are real and for some, deadly.

“She meant the ‘in pain’ kind.  They were shrieking like it was a B-grade horror movie or something.  And she told the cop it wasn’t coming from just one voice either, but multiple voices – all crying out in pure agony.”

Vivid and rich in detail, the reader will connect with the characters and the story as they watch the mysteries unfold.  Sanford taps into all our fears – dark lonely roads, mysterious people, the inability to walk away, and helplessness.

This is not a book to miss as it is captivatingly well written and attention holding.  Sanford soundly develops the characters and several sub plots that all come together in the end with a twist that no one will have seen coming.

WordsAPlenty gives this book a well-deserved 5 star review.  The book will be available at Amazon on October 28th!  Be the first to reserve your copy today!

 

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Sunswept by Leigha Lennox

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WordsAPlenty.com is pleased to announce the blog tour of Sunswept by Leigha Lennox.  Her tour runs from October 20 to November 1, 2015.

 

Meet Trista Carmichael. She was once Hollywood’s hottest TV star. Until a surprise firing and a broken heart led her away from Tinsel town and back to her hometown of Blue Mountain Beach, Florida.

Meet James Riker. He was a bartender living a surfer life in Blue Mountain Beach. The hottest catch in town, Riker could have any woman he wanted.

The two collide with a force that can only be described as explosive. Who said falling in love was easy? A series of events, that neither expected, threaten to tear them apart.

Riker moves to the Florida Keys to lick his wounds. He opens his dream bar, Mangoes, and tries to put Trista out of his mind for good. And another woman aims to make Riker forgot all about his one true love.

Trista lands a coveted role on Broadway. She loves the big city and the bright lights. Putting the past behind her, Trista falls for a handsome real estate mogul. He offers her a life of luxury and ease. But her heart still yearns for the one person she can never have.

True love only comes around once in a lifetime. Losing that love can be devastating. Finding someone new for a second chance at love takes bravery.

Will Trista and Riker realize the love that binds them together or choose a different path?

Sunswept is the sequel to Sunkissed.

#1 Amazon International Bestselling Author Traci Hohenstein has kept you in suspense with her mystery novels. Now she’s back writing under the pen name, Leigha Lennox, with page-turning romances that will spice up your nights.

**Intended for mature readers 18+**

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Blog Tour: Sunkissed by Leigha Lennox

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WordsAPlenty is pleased to announce the blog tour for Sunkissed by Leigha Lennox running from October 20 – November 1, 2015.

Sunkissed is a #1 Amazon International Bestselling Author Traci Hohenstein has kept you in suspense with her mystery novels. Now she’s back writing under the pen name, Leigha Lennox, with a page-turning romance that will spice up your nights.

When television star Trista Carmichael leaves behind her glamorous Hollywood life – unemployed and broken-hearted – she hopes to make a fresh start in Blue Mountain Beach, Florida…

Her first night in town she meets a mysterious bartender. She doesn’t believe in love at first sight, but there’s a mutual attraction that can’t be denied…

Until life throws her another curve ball when she attends a surprise party that her estranged sister throws for a boyfriend. Then the lies and deceit start to build…

When secrets are revealed every single aspect of Trista’s life will be changed forever….

This is a love story of a woman who struggles to mend her fragile relationship with her sister while looking for her happily ever after with the man she so desperately desires.

**Intended for mature readers 18+**

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The Nocnista Agenda by Christopher Hepworth

Review - Submitted

The Nocnista Agenda by Christopher Hepworth is an intriguing adventure that is action packed with deadly political agendas, past abuses, vengeance, and a strong lust for power.  This not just a story about politics or nations in danger, and it is not just about morals and ethics – it is about so much more.  Hepworth weaves a storyline that demonstrates the differences in culture and societies and the differences in people.

While struggling to acquire data base storage, Sam Jardine meets a list of characters that will try to seduce him, beat him, outsmart him and save him.  Jardine has his moments where he is strong yet weak, smart yet one step behind.  He is a complex character that is driven by past demons and failures.

“She did not look back as the sounds of the old priest trying to break down the door of his side of the confessional box reverberated throughout the old church.  She made a mental note to thank the carpenter for swapping the locks on the confessional box and adding the clasp to the grill just as she had instructed.  … Natalya opened the heavy wooden doors of the old church and closed them behind her just as the grenade exploded with a ‘whump.’ The blast vaporized the confessional box and the old priest, …”

Hepworth writes strong women into his books and he does it well.   The above quote taken from the book demonstrates Natalya’s thirst for vengeance and strength to carry it out as well as intelligence.  Trust me when I say the priest was not as he appeared and deserved his fate.  Harsh?  Read it and find out!  No one is truly as they appear and that is what keeps it nail biting and intense.

Hepworth has done it again.  An excellent story told in rich details and descriptions.  I loved it!  I could not put it down.  Hepworth does not allow the reader to get lost, rather he builds a strong connection between his characters and readers.  You can not only see the Cossacks on the ridge, but you can feel the fear they induce and jubilation of Jardine when he sees them.

I look forward to more writings by Christopher Hepworth!

WordsAPlenty gives this a 5 star review.

Click here to purchase.

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Blame The Child – It’s Easier: Learning Difficulties Can Be Solved by Henry Blumenthal

Review - Submitted, Uncategorized

This book was submitted to WordsAPlenty for an honest review by the publisher of Blame the Child – It’s Easier: Learning Difficulties  Can Be Solved.

 

Growing up my teachers took time to work with me and others in the classroom.  I had one teacher (my mother called THE HIPPY) that taught me so much more than any other teacher.  She taught me how to unlock my imagination and enjoy reading to the fullest extent any fifth grade child could.

Then I had teachers who were brash, rushed from subject to subject and who failed to answer questions unless during a designated time period.  These are the teachers Henry Blumenthal addresses in his book “Blame The Child – It’s Easier: Learning Difficulties Can Be Solved.”

Demands on a school system and its teachers have become more complex and instead of taking stock of the issues, they have fallen back on pointing fingers.  Granted some parents could become more involved and help but the student is with the teacher more than they are home.  In a sense the school/teachers are the parents.  Students look up to the teacher and those in the school for support and assurances that they will be successful.  Those students who fall behind are left.  There is no longer the time or the desire to keep at it until the child understands the lesson.

Blumenthal asks, “How do we measure if a teacher is good or just mediocre?  … In teaching it is more difficult to measure success or failure of a teacher statistically.”

All too often, a student who is failing is blamed and the parents are encouraged to seek out professional help to get the student back on firm ground.  However, no one thinks about how to do that.  Ritalin won’t fill in the missing gaps, it will just make the outbursts or questions from happening – it only helps the teacher.  The student suffers severely from lack of confidence, the feeling of being lost and shunned – no one wants to take the time to teach him/her.

Growing up I saw this happening to some of the students in my classroom and later when my children were in school.  And when students see this happening to one of their own they don’t want to chance being singled out either, so they often alienate the students who are behind as well giving credibility to the teachers claims that the student is disruptive and needs medication.

Blumenthal states his issues, clearly articulates the issues and offers up solutions.  This is a book that provides questions and answers with the issue of taking care of the children to be first and foremost.  I am not a teacher but I loved this book.  It was interesting and gave me several “aaahhh” moments.

I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.  This is not just a book about the school system but rather an opportunity to see how far these issues will follow a student into life.

This book receives 5 star rating from WordsAPlenty.

Click here to purchase.

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Gimme Shelter by Louis Spirito

Review - Submitted

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This author is a two time A B.R.A.G. MEDALLION HONOREE.

Gimme Shelter by Louis Spirito is an insightful and revealing story of a family who rescues a dog and how they are impacted.  Louis comes from an Italian family in which tempers flared and anger flowed freely.  It wasn’t until Louis and Eugenie found Tanner and welcomed him into their home did it become clear to Louis that his anger affected everyone.

Gimme Shelter by Louis Spirito is a brilliant story of how one family impacted the life of one rescue pit bull and how he changed their lives.  The decision to bring a rescue dog into one’s family is a decision that can have dire consequences if not handled well or thought out completely.

Spirito accomplishes many different things in his book, Gimme Shelter.  Not only does he provide much needed information on the care and resources available for a pit bull and rescue dogs but he provides support for each reader.  Spirito also addresses the stereotypical beliefs of some breeds:

“But Tanner was a far cry from the schizoid, hair-trigger killers portrayed by the fear-mongering media.  He was gentle, loving, intelligent, and eager to please quiet simply the best, sweetest dog I’d ever known.”

Although timid and shy, Tanner was also a handful.  It soon became clear that patience and keeping an even keeled temper around Tanner was very important.  Unfortunately, Spirito grew up in a volatile Italian family whose father gambled and expressed his anger physically and verbally.  Spirito’s temper and anger would slip out and terrify Tanner.

“Watching my jarring roller coaster ride, Eugenie was moved and impressed.  Nevertheless, she wondered why a brief, tenuous relationship with a rescue dog, even one as sweet and loveable as Tanner, would inspire me to undertake such a  difficult transformation when my human connections, including my twenty-year marriage to the woman I adore, had failed to move me to action.”

Gimme Shelter is an emotional read.  Furthermore, it is one that should be read by anyone who is considering rescuing an animal.    Don’t be surprised if during the course of your rescue relationship, the tables turn and it is YOU who are rescued!

Spirito is a gifted story teller and word crafter.  His ability to describe his experiences vividly and in great detail allows the reader to know him, Tanner and Eugenie.  It is a well written book and readers cannot help but connect to this family and Tanner.  This is a must read for all pet lovers!

Gimme Shelter receives a 5 star review from WordsAPlenty.

Click here to purchase Gimme Shelter.

 

 

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The Sleepwalker Legacy by Christopher Hepworth

Review - Submitted

The Sleepwalker Legacy by Christopher Hepworth is a financial thriller that will keep you up at night wondering just exactly what the government is truly up to in the pharmaceutical world.

British Scientist, George Napier saw first-hand the use of the drug Berserker and the violently deadly outcomes when used during the war of 1814.  The drug’s deadly after affects destroys the life of his Native American lover and drives him to eradicate Berserker and its “cure.”  The Berserker drug causes those who consume it to become fanatically dangerous.

She was still unable to explain what had possessed her to track down a murderous band of Taliban terrorists single-handedly for three days after they had captured her platoon’s Afghan interpreter.  Reineker had ambushed and destroyed the war band while they rested for water… She took out four of the Taliban soldiers … picked off the other three … She shot her final victim from a distance of over four hundred yards …

Two hundred years later, his descendant Sam Jardine who is a top notch negotiator finds himself drawn into the Sleepwalker Legacy and the fight his ancestors began to defeat the sale of the drug to the military.  Knowing that if this drug were released widely into the military or finds its way into the hands of terrorists, it would only be a matter of time before the end of mankind arrived.

The female characters: Nova, the Warrior Princess, Tiva her daughter, Cassie and Rachael all exhibit extremely strong female traits of high intelligence and personalities.   Sam, at first comes across as a victim caught in a web but over time he becomes a vividly strong personality and worthy of the battle he is going to face.

Highly believable and well-researched, this book will capture your attention to the point you cannot put the book down! Richly described, you can feel the emotions emanating from each character whether it is fear, rage or blind hate.  The characters are fully developed and weaved throughout the story to where you find each and every one integral to the storyline.

The plot is well executed and mind blowing.  Some of the twists are so unexpected that you will find your mouth hanging open in shock.  This is a great book and one not to be missed!

A definite 5 star review!

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It All Started with a Bicycle by Plum McCauley

Review - Submitted

It All Started with a Bicycle written by Plum McCauley is a pleasurable reminder of one’s childhood.  The awesome summer bike rides, the adventures one would have with friends and more.  Pam is eleven years old and her parents run a Bed and Breakfast in Cape May.  Pam is about to have a summer filled with adventures including working her first ever job with a mean witchy old woman, hunting for her missing bike, solving a decades old mystery and discovering just how fortunate she is in life.

McCauley has written an excellent character that resembles each of us at one point or another in our childhood.  Also, she has thoroughly captured our friends and summer adventures – while not all of our adventures turned out as Pam’s but they were still equally memorable and fun.

“… Pam couldn’t help wondering what Miss Perfect saw in Maddy, who, though extremely good natured, was not exactly “perfect” material.  Her stomach stuck way out, and when she walked, she sort of waddled.  And although she was hardly hideous or anything, her freckles did seem to have a taken over her face.  To be honest, Maddy was more like a boisterous puppy than a Miss Perfect, and that was rather nice.”

Pam is a smart girl full of energy and slightly self-centered.  Maddy is the friend everyone has had – happy go lucky but much more perceptive than most and Zara a disillusioned bored girl with too much time.

This is a book that all kids – young and old – appreciate.  McCauley shines in her ability to be a storyteller. Her rich and vibrant words paint detailed and vivid scenes that have each of us smiling in remembrance and promises of times to come.

It All Started with a Bicycle has a strong foundation and character base.  Each character visibly changes from beginning to end.  It is the last two pages when Pam recognizes how lucky and loved she truly is that marks her growth.

This is a must read!  It is well written, character development is top notch and it is engaging and fun.  A definite 5 star review!  To purchase this book click here.

 

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