The Fissures Between Worlds: A short fiction collection to make you think

The-Fissures-Between-Worlds

Have you ever felt like things were just a little off? That’s just how the characters in Nick Vossen’s The Fissures Between Worlds: Tales Beyond Time and Space feel on a regular basis. Fissures Between Worlds takes the reader to worlds beyond the veil of time and space where the unlikely, the improbable, even the impossible can and does occur. When the veil is breached, people get stuck in endless time loops, and creatures which can’t possibly exist wreak havoc within our own realities. Nick Vossen’s unique styles of storytelling take readers on a journey which will make you ponder the possibilities. A short fiction collection which is anything but typical. I give Fissures Between Worlds five quills.

Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.


“Denial of Justice”‘: Another winner by Mark Shaw

Denial of Justice

 

I was given the privelage of reading Denial of Justice, by Mark Shaw, a probe into the mystery  surrounding the death of journalist and media icon Dorothy Kilgallen.  Shaw’s investigation started with The Reporter Who Knew Too Much, revealing the circumstances around the mysterious death of Dorothy Kilgallen, who was investigating the death of John F. Kennedy and the possibility of a cover up by those in high places, involving the assassination of Lee Harvey Oswald and the botched trial of his killer, Jack Ruby before her untimely death.

Shaw’s in-depth investigation of Kilgallen’s death following the release of that first book raises the possibility of a full blown cover-up which explodes in Denial of Justice, presenting facts revealing evidence that Kilgallen was murdered because of the evidence of conspiricy may not have been the only one whoshe had uncovered and was preparing to publish in her upcoming Random House book, and the cover-up surrounding it denying her the justice she was entitiled to. (You can see my review of The Reporter Who Knew Too Much here.)

While Denial of Justice recaps much of the information presented in The Reporter Who Knew Too Much concerning the Dorothy Kilgallen story, it goes into much more depth, laying bare the connections between her death and her investigations into the JFK and Oswald assassinations. Shaw presents strong evidence indicating that there was, indeed, a conspiracy revolving around the JFK assassination, and that Jack Ruby was used as a patsy in it’s orchestration, taking the fall in order to protect the powerful people behind it. It was a belief Kilgallen had been a major proponent of and didn’t hesitate to proclaim publicly in her newspaper column, The Voice of Broadway. Evidence indicates that Kilgallen held the evidence which would prove her conspiracy theory and reveal the powers behind it when she died. Shaw’s in-depth investigation uncovers facts that support this belief. In fact, he reveals a mountain of evidence that indicates Dorothy Kilgallen was murdered and point an accusing finger at the likely suspect. The cover-up of Dorothy Kilgallen’s murder is an extension of a much greater conspiracy, one that reaches all the way through time into the present day.Shaw’s straight forward journalistic approach to the telling of the facts makes the story unfold with smooth finness that keeps the pages turning. You may be shocked or surprised as he reveals evidence which indicates the powers operating in 1964 beyond the public eye and the hidden agendas they carried. Not one, but two lives wasted as tools to promote their unseen goals and a reporter who came too near to the truth may be pieces to puzzle that makes up what may be the biggest conspiracy in modern history. Shaw offers evidence which indicates who may have been behind it all, and the motivations for the taking of at least four deaths as sacrifice for keeping their secrets hidden.

Those who are supposed to be the guys aren’t always so good. Mark Shaw has expertly crafted the evidence into a story that changed my view of history and made me ponder what might have been, had events unfolded differently in 1964 and Dorothy Kilgallen lived to tell all that she knew. I give Denial of Justice five quills and kudos for a story well told.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.


“A Warm Winter Skye”: A Christmas Novella that touches the heart

A Warm Winter Skye

A Warm Winter Skye, by J.C. Wing is a Christmas novella in Wing’s Gannon Family series. Even if you haven’t read the previous books in the series, this story is easy to follow and you feel as if you almost know the characters. I’m not sure why it is labeled as a Christmas Novella, other than the fact that the story takes place in the months preceeding Christmas.

I had trouble as I went to write this review, because I wasn’t sure what to say. It’s a good story. The problem might be what I said about ‘almost’ knowing the characters. This could have been a novel, instead of a novella. Wing could have gone into more depth, allowing us to know more about them. Perhaps if I had read the preceeding stories in the series, I wouldn’t have been left feeling as if there should be more.

It really is a good story. One that will make readers fret over the possible outcomes and remind them of the power of love and family.  The characters need to be more fully developed, and the Irish dialect is too heavy and hard to understand, but I still wanted to read to the end. I give A Warm Winter Skye three quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.


Double the mystery, double the suspense with “Double Blind”

Double Blind

Double Blind, by Dan Alatorre is a riveting suspense thriller that will keep the pages turning. I didn’t want to put it down. I was forced to stop in the middle of a climactic scene because I couldn’t hold my eyes open any longer and my brain was muddling the words. But, I was back at it first thing the next morning because I had to find out what happened. And you will, too.

There’s a brutal serial killer on the loose, but when he strikes two members of the same family on the same night, it sends police looking for connections that don’t seem to be there, and the killer seems to always be one step ahead, and brings in Johnny Tyree, a P.I. and friend of the family right into the thick of things. When the two detectives working the case, Carly Sanderson and Sergio Martin, become the targets, it sends police reeling in yet another direction.

Dan Alatorre does a marvelous job of weaving the subplots together without revealing the surprise twist at the end in this well-crafted crime novel. I give Double Blind five quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.


“Tales of the Normal”: A Flash Fiction Collection

Tales of the Normal

Tales of the Normal, by DeAnna Knippling is an intriguing collection of flash and micro-fiction that is anything but normal. In fact, I’ve never seen a collection of stories quite like this one. As with all short fiction, some of the stories don’t quite feel complete, but others may leave you haunted.

A flash collection gets a flash review. Tales of the Normal kept me reading and made me think. I give it four quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.


Artemis: From Vigilanty Diety to Superhero

Artemis

 

One town, two killers and the body count is rising.  Artemis, by Chris Snider is the tale of how freak set of circumstances turned an ordinary scientist on the brink of death into something no longer human. With superhuman powers, including the ability to command animals, Joseph Art becomes Artemis, defender of animals and the innocent or vulnerable. The police don’t know whether they should string him up as a vigilante, or pin a medal on him. After he comes face to face with the evil clown axe murderer, the stakes are raised and the hunt becomes personal, and no one knows what will happen when the two killers confront one another a final time.

The individual storylines are skillfully woven into a single plotline and action filled climax. I give Artemis four quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.


“Operation Hail Storm”: A pleasant surprise

Operation Hail Storm

From the cover, I thought Operation Hail Storm, by Brett Arquette was going to be a military action tale, but I was a little surpised because it’s not. It’s more of a spy thriller with a touch of romance worked in.  It’s got spies and lots of action and the coolest drones.

Marshall Hail is in the business of nuclear energy and stealth operations using high tech drones in this futuristic thriller. As a wealthy enterprenuar, Marshal Hail has found a way to offer cheap nuclear energy to underprivaleged countries, and it has made him even richer. He chooses to use those riches to build his own team of operatives and take out the worst of the world’s worst, but the U.S.A. is unsure if he’s a good guy hero or a bad boy vigilante and they send one of their top operatives, Kara Ramey, to gather intelligence and help them decide. But their is something in the air between Hail and Ramey that’s ensures a gradually budding romance is on the horizon whether either of them is willing to admit it.

This tale is repetitive in places,  has headhopping omnipotence, and the snappy banter of many action novels which I  dislike if it’s not done well.  In spite of all that, it is a good story that kept the pages turning, and that’s what counts. I give Operation Hail Storm three quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.


“How I Sold 80,000 Books”: Advice Every Author Should Know

How I Sold 80,000 Books

How I Sold 80,000 Books: Book Marketing for Authors (Self Publishing Through Amazon and Other Retailers), by Alinka Rutkowska offers authors valuable marketing tips coming from the business end of writing. Coming from a marketing background, Rutkowska shares tips on the art of successful book marketing, which might be applied to increase book sales and push the author’s name up on the bestseller’s listings.

Although the advice in How I Sold 80,000 Books is aimed mostly toward nonfiction works, Rutkowska claims it can easily be applied to works of fiction, too. The book takes readers through the author’s step-by-step marketing system, which she uses to sell her own books. She shares her secrets for producing a quality product that sells, talks about the best outlets through which to offer your books, discusses how to put the best price on your books, and effective ways to promote your books. Although every step may not be applicable by every author, they are all good, solid book marketing advice.

The valuable book marketing advice contained within may be why this book was a Readers’ Favorite Book Award winner, and why every author should add How I Sold 80,000 Books to their must read list. I will use much of the advice received from this book and I give it five quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.


“Lost Girl”: A paranormal thriller mystery just in time for Halloween

Lost Girl

 

Lost Girl, by Anne Francis Scott keeps the suspense ratched up to high, with more twists and turns that a serpentine spiral. This paranormal suspense mystery is crafted with skill that keeps readers guessing, but in a good way. Her search for her past draws Alison to Dawson Mills, where some very strange things occur. She is haunted by a past that she can’t quite remember, one just as disturbing as the ghost children she sees in the woods around the large Victorian she intends to make her home. But, does the danger lie in the ghost children, or is there a greater menace lurking in the shadows?

Ghosts, suspense and questions galore, Lost Girl has all the elements of a good scary story. I give it five quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.


“Webs of Perception”:The Final Chapter of a Saga

Webs of Perception

Webs of Perception is the final novel in Darlene Quinn’s Webs series – the saga of  a high profile family in the high-end retail industry, the Taylors, who meet with more than their share of adversity, but always stand tall and come out stronger for it.

In this final novel, disaster strikes once again, in the form of a gigantic rogue wave, which blindsides an ocean liner, with the two Taylor twins on board, and it appears one was swept overboard and the other has developed amnesia from the impact, leaving open many questions and few answers. The reader is caught up in the mystery almost from the moment they open the front cover.

The use of multiple POVs and multiple voices is daring and inovative – creative way to get around the question of how to refer to an amnesia vicim, whose identity hasn’t been established. Short chapters keep the story moving at the perfect pace. This book is a relaxed read which never falters in tone, and is a smooth, easy read.

As the last book in the series, I can see how Webs of Perception might not work as a stand alone novel. I believe there are too many characters, as well as too much background to read this novel without the knowledge from earlier books in the series. I’ve read and reviewed two, (Twisted Webs and Unpredictable Webs), and still I had difficulty keeping track of the who’s who among the secondary players. But, as a wrap-up novel for the series, which it was crafted to be, I felt it was absolutely perfect.

I give Webs of Perception five quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.