#BookReview: Tangled Secrets (Mirror Estate #3) by @sfbaumgartner

Synopsis: Two women. One targeted by an unknown enemy. One was accused of murder. Will they overcome their obstacles?Twenty-five-year-old schoolteacher Grace Benson lives a quiet life until she receives a threatening note. But when the FBI becomes involved, her world really turns upside down. Middle-aged wedding planner Sheila Mitchell suspects her husband’s up to something, but she never expects to find him dead—and be knocked unconscious near his corpse. When she comes to, the murder weapon’s in her hand. Will Grace survive? And will Sheila’s ex-husband, an FBI agent, clear her name? Who is targeting these women?

#BookReview: In Pursuit of Radio Mom: Searching for the Mother I Never Had by Terry Crylen

Synopsis: In Pursuit of Radio Mom  brings the reader tight to Terry Crylen’s side as it traces her path from frequent and debilitating anxiety, loneliness, and shame—and a dysfunctional marriage that mirrors the dynamics of her relationship with her mother—to the discovery of her authentic self and the happiness and fulfillment such a transformation brings. Radio Mom also illuminates the ways in which one generation impacts the next—both wittingly and unwittingly—when later, while pressing along the difficult route of raising her own daughter, the author is challenged to confront, yet again, the legacy of her past. 

A book that also makes transparent the process of psychotherapy, In Pursuit of Radio Mom’s message is the excavation of pain clears space within the mind and heart—affording the growth of new insight, overturning fear, and making acceptance and forgiveness possible.

#BookReview: Unknown Idenity (Silver Moon) by Daisy Dalson

Synopsis: She has no memories of her past, but is haunted by nightmares. She is embraced, welcomed, and treated back to health by a seemingly normal community, though she knows they hold secrets from her. Can she trust him enough to start a new life with him? What will happen if her memories are restored? She can’t run from her past for forever, or can she?

Caine

Betrayed by those closest to him, he questions when he will be ready to take over his pack. He should have already been the Alpha, but tradition has held him back. When he meets a woman in distress, will he be able to open his broken heart and help her to start a new life? He may lose her before he even has a chance as the worst betrayal of all strikes. As the Alpha’s son, he has his duties to his pack and businesses before all else.

#BookReview: Di Di Mau: A True Story About Tigers, Rock Apes, the Jungle, and War by Darren Walton , Michael J. Coffino

Synopsis: “A revealing, sometimes gut-wrenching war memoir that examines virtually every aspect of his tour of duty." —Marc Leepson, Arts Editor and Senior Writer, The VVA Veteran magazine. 

In 1969, Darren Walton, at the tender age of nineteen, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, trading life in idyllic Marin County in California for the chaos of a raging jungle war in Southeast Asia. In no time, he got pressed into service as a member of a Marine reconnaissance unit operating near Da Nang, Vietnam.

There were a few times when he basked in the breathtaking beauty of the triple canopy jungle, the contoured glistening mountain ridges, and the luscious green valleys. But there were many, many other times when he and his fellow Marines labored under the terror of the worst the jungle had to torrential monsoons, torturous humidity, rapacious insects, and enemy-placed punji traps springing from hell below.

Darren survived thanks to the unconditional loyalty and courage of his fellow Marines, men who risked their own lives to save his, men who demonstrated uncommon courage in the most desperate of circumstances. No questions asked. No conditions imposed. No social barriers erected. Semper Fidelis.Di Di Mau is Darren’s unabashed personal account of warfare, survival, and brotherhood—and the enduring reflections that followed. It is unlike any book about the Vietnam War.

#BookReview: Rock, Scissors, Paperbag by @elizbethgodley

Synopsis: Rock, Scissors, and Paperbag are the bestest of friends! Paperbag is afraid of everything, Rock is a talented musician, and Scissors is an excellent Orange Ball player. After the school bullies, The Bucket Kids, steal Scissors’ fake orange-ball, the kids decide to get back at the bullies. What if they could get a real orange-ball from The Great Orange Tree? That would show The Bucket Kids! 

Recalling the local legend, they embark on a fantastic adventure to find The Great Orange Tree. However, while solving the riddle within the ancient map, they encounter a cave monster, a tornado of rapping cooties, and the horrid Land of Smells. How will they face each challenge? Will they end up back home with a real orange-ball? And if they do, will they share it? 

Throughout their adventure, Rock gains confidence, Paperbag conquers his fears, and Scissors makes peace with being imperfect. Best Buds! 

Winner of the 2023 International Firebird Book Award, Rock, Scissors, Paperbag is a spellbinding tale of friendship, fantasy, and adventure. A perfect book to be shared and treasured.

#BookReview: Singularity Part 1: The Dale Chronicles by Chuck Stewart

Synopsis: How do A.I. and robots become conscious? That question is explored in the Singularity trilogy. Dale, a narcissistic gay man on the verge of becoming a partner at his financial planning company in the year 2050, sees other electric cars self-driving, speeding, cutting in line at the charging station, and other law violations. He wants the same privilege and seeks out illegal software that enables these features on his new, very expensive electric car. A mysterious benefactor upgrades the car’s computers, surprisingly allowing the car to be conscious and sentient. Many more of his household computers and robots join the network with surprising results. But they need to learn what it means to be conscious. Dale, and his self-centered behaviors, teach the robots survival skills. At the same time, a new powerful e-bomb has been released onto the planet that destroys all electronics in a small designated area. It is a cheap, renewal weapon for which there is no defense. The world faces being thrown back into the stone age. Can Dale help? Will the robots help? How do robots become conscious? What does this all mean?


The author, Chuck Stewart, believes science fiction should be based on good science. All the technological innovations discussed in the book are based on real science projected a few decades into the future. The book is non-apologetic about language, sex, and action. This is written for adults ready to consume an action-packed science fiction with explicit gay male sex, violence, and strong language.

#BookReview: Sufi Stories of Wisdom, Calm, and Wondrous Mystique by SagaTellers

Synopsis: Discover the wisdom and devotion of the Sufi mystics in this captivating hagiography. Through a skillful weaving of anecdotes from tradition and history, this book of Sufi Stories brings to life some of the most revered figures in Sufism. 

From their emphasis on love for God to their unwavering commitment to Salah, the Sufis were true embodiments of devotion. But their message went beyond fear and obligation – it was one of positivity, hope, and love. Through their stories, we are reminded of the infinite love of God and the contentment that comes from a life of piety. 

With each Sufi story in this book, I hope to spark a sense of wonder that awakens the reader’s heart and mind to the transformative power of this rich tradition. My hope is that these Sufi Stories will offer a guiding light for all of us towards greater spiritual understanding.

#BookReview: A Journey to Find Her Soul by Cara Chugg

Synopsis: Lilly Blyly is the epitome of a free spirit. She seeks freedom to exist in a world of kindness and unconditional acceptance. She also longs for the freedom to love and be loved but not held too tightly. She needs to breathe, make her own mistakes, and forge ahead in pure utopian fashion. Yet, as a visionary and artist, Lilly holds a sadness and feeling of disconnection within. Her moods bend and change, sometimes without warning, and move into darker, more haunting places. She lies in bed for several days, only rising to use the bathroom. She needs this escape. It is a time of recovery from the chaos of life. Lilly's journey has been long and arduous, but she has a story to tell. Overcoming childhood trauma, addiction, and mental illness, she has found her highest calling and shares her experience to empower and enlighten the collective. Lilly transmutes her pain into progress. We too can rewrite our stories, no matter how tragic or tumultuous. Follow Lilly on a journey to find her soul. Perhaps you may even find your own.

#BookReview: A Maze of Glass by @thesrhughes

Synopsis: Zoe Briar solves problems. As sister to a heroin-addled genius, as operative and agent for a secret society, and as something most people would understand as a “monster hunter,” it’s essentially her prime nature. But not every solution is a clean one and not every problem can be solved…

In 1997, cut off from family and desperate to get sober, sister Gillian Briar convinces Zoe to participate in a dark and dangerous ritusal. In a middle-of-nowhere house, the two siblings strain against both each other and a dark, nascent presence as growing mistakes warp the ritual around them.

In 2006, Zoe drags a survivor of a supernatural attack into a world of magic and monsters. Together, they search for the mystical mad scientist responsible for the assault as he accelerates into full-blown terrorism. But even after recruiting help, their quarry always seems one move ahead…

And in 2016, Zoe faces her toughest challenge yet: protecting her sister Gillian’s illegal supernatural school from being wiped out by her own employer.

The world of A Maze of Glass writhes with shadow; its dead-ends shred and slice.

Can Zoe escape its uncertain corridors?

#BookReview: The Kingdom of Chaos: Becoming Fae by J.J. Smeck

Synopsis: Every Fae in the royal Kingdom of Chaos looks forward to receiving their power ring on their twenty-first birthday to refuel their elemental affinities. Evie wakes up to find herself imprisoned instead. She soon finds out that the life she thought she had is not actually the one she was meant to live. The more she seeks the truth, the further she gets from finding it.

#BookReview: Uncertain Fruit: A Memoir of Infertility, Loss, and Love by Rebecca Majoya, Sallyann Majoya

Synopsis: A loving lesbian couple raising their two boys as a blended family in Vermont, Rebecca and Sallyann are deeply committed parents who dream of having a baby together. They try everything from foster care to fertility trials, and after nearly ten years of failed attempts, find an opportunity to participate in a local, private adoption with a teenage mom. Rebecca and Sallyann are overjoyed when they hold their newborn son in their arms. They take the baby home from the hospital and welcome him into their family. But outside forces intervene and the birth mother reclaims the baby, sending the couple into a tailspin. To survive this traumatic loss, Rebecca and Sallyann lean on their love as a couple, and grow stronger in their grief. 

From their distinct voices, this dual memoir explores how feelings of self-doubt, longing, and heartache sneak into the layers of life, informing the decisions you make and the place where you belong.

#BookReview: Daughter of the Mighty Ones by Soror Syrinx

Synopsis: An epistle for my imaginary daughter, as a reflection and symbolic journey for men and women into paths of the High Priestess and the Empress, the Divine Feminine, with influences from Aleister Crowley, Kenneth Grant, Dion Fortune and a selection of Gnostic texts to instruct my child in the New Aeon.

#BookReview: Conversations Across America by Kari Loya

Synopsis: Conversations Across America is about a father-son journey of a lifetime: a 73-day, 4,600-mile cross-country bike trip Kari took in 2015 with his 75-year-old dad, Merv, who had early-stage Alzheimer’s. Their adventure reminds us of the power of perseverance and adaptability in the face of uncertainty. It’s also a heartwarming example of listening and discovery, including 300 short conversations with people who approached them along the way, providing a rich snapshot of America, especially rural America.

Conversations is a mix of Blue Highways, Tuesdays with Morrie, and Humans of New York… on a bike. As you read, you can’t help but reflect on your relationship with your own father and children, while gaining perspective on Alzheimer’s—which now afflicts more than six million Americans—and getting a sense of the TransAmerica Bike Trail and America itself. Above all, you will be inspired to seize-the-day with someone you love—whatever that means to you.

#BookReview: Miranda Writes by @gwolmsted

Synopsis: A disgraced attorney seeking redemption. A single mother desperate to regain custody of her son. Two women willing to risk it all to put a sexual predator behind bars.

Former Assistant District Attorney Miranda Quinn is on the brink of a career comeback when she gets a phone call. It’s a witness who disappeared three years earlier, resulting in a violent criminal going free. Miranda got fired as a result, but the witness has re-surfaced with a shocking story to tell; one that implicates Miranda and her ex, defense attorney Adam Baxter. And now, there’s a new victim.

Miranda’s legal advice blog-turned-podcast Miranda Writes is about to become a daytime TV show, but the negative press could destroy her credibility. Will the network stand behind her?

When it comes to the law, Miranda has all the answers, but the questions are getting harder and the stakes are getting higher. The dangerous web of lies and cover-ups she exposes leaves her questioning just how much she is willing to risk. She has the right to remain silent, but needs to speak up… doesn’t she?

Miranda Writes is a story of how far we’ll go to protect those we love and the power of second chances.

#BookReview: The Rose Vol. 2 by @PdallevaAuthor

Synopsis: The story continues. Beginning at the conclusion of Vol 1, The Rose Vol 2 follows rebel freedom fighter, Phil as he battles alien vampire Sanos. Phil’s mission is to follow Sanos into the depths of hollow earth to infiltrate Drac City and rescue Sandy from the clutches of the alien vampires.

Sandy awakens in Drac City and discovers she has powers she never knew existed. But where these changes came from is an enigma, a puzzle she’ll need to put aside until she finds her missing son, Adam. Now a guest among a city of alien vampires, Sandy must engage in a diabolical manipulation with alien vampire leader, Moth, the only vampire who knows the whereabouts of Adam.

Sanos requires Phil, the rebel freedom fighter who tore through the underground medical complex and brought chaos and mayhem with him. Sanos needs to overcome the shame Phil brought to alien vampires in the underground complex and reestablish trust with COR, the alien vampire commission in charge of operations on planet Earth. But to do so Phil is required, dead or alive is no matter to Sanos, he desires to gain favor with COR no matter what the cost. COR has the formula Sanos craves more than power and control. The formula is his ticket to new blood and his reign over his species and the universe.

Travel into the depths of hollow earth, across the globe, and beneath the ocean for a scifi fantasy extravaganza of blood, carnage, life, death and the eternal battle between good and evil.

#BookReview: The Rose (Vol. 1) by @PdallevaAuthor

Synopsis: A dystopian science fiction thriller of telepathic evil greys, mysterious rebellion, martial arts, and Alien Vampires.

Sandy Cox believed WWIII was over. But for those Alien Vampires, War Has Just Begun.

Forty-eight hours after a World War III treaty is signed, Sandy Cox awakens in an underground compound unable to move. Tied to machines she screams for help but no one answers. At least no one human. 

And they’ve taken her unborn child.

Phil is a rebel freedom fighter who has had more than his share of Alien Vampires. Armed with THE BLADES, a sacred alien martial art, he enters the compound on a mission to find Sandy. But as he battles through the compound, Phil discovers Sandy has her own agenda. Finding her stolen child is all that matters. 

But the vampires have their own plan and Sandy’s baby is at the heart of their diabolical plot. Joined by a crew of rogue soldiers, they must navigate the underground compound, battling genetically mutated humans, aliens and monsters. 

When battling Alien Vampires, one thing is certain… Get Ready To Bleed!

#BookReview: I’m Different You're Different We’re All Different by Stelanie Marshall

Synopsis: Do you wear glasses? Are you an amputee? Are you someone who has a friend who is remarkable or even exceptional, but they are sometimes put down for it? This book is for all the above and more. This story is perfect for K-3rd graders or as a gift to those who need a reminder of just how special they are.

#BookReview: Followers of the Owl (Wakefield Chronicles, #2) by M.G. Hernandez

Synopsis: A girl and a boy, haunted by their past, must battle their personal demons to fight the evil hiding in plain sight.

Eighteen-year-old Dee Bailey works hard on her personal brand. She’s intelligent and passionate about her community. To her peers, she’s a great friend and everyone’s favorite social butterfly. 

But when alone, she’s terrorized by a secret that leaves her cowering to the floor. Until one night, a mysterious girl in white appears on the manicured lawn of her family’s vacation home. She follows the robed figure into the woods with no clue that she’s about to change the course of her future.

Meanwhile, Brandon Cuenca is drowning in the weight of his self-sabotage. Mourning the death of his girlfriend, he throws himself deep into a world of drug binges and questionable life choices—until the news of another disappearance of a Wakefield teenager forces him to set his problems aside. The victim was the third girl abducted in their social circle. 

But when a chance encounter lands him in her path, he learns that bringing her home is more complicated than finding her. What happens when the missing doesn’t want to be found?

Followers of the Owl explores greed, avarice and the human need to find light in the darkness.

#BookReview: Silence in the Sound by @CbraleyDianne

Synopsis: On the picturesque island of Martha’s Vineyard, an ailing celebrity novelist's famous book about a choice helps his young nurse make a heartrending one of her own. 

Fiery city girl, Georgette's memory of a childhood trip to Martha's Vineyard Island with her father is one of the few good times. Her father was an alcoholic, and her enabler mother chose to stay with him; his addiction was the center of their world. Georgette fled home as soon as she could; years later, as a nurse, she's going back to the island to start her life over. There, she becomes the private nurse for the ailing prize-winning novelist, Mr. S., and becomes enamored with the mysterious Dock, a wash-ashore like her whose disappearing acts only make her crave his love more.

As Georgette cares for Mr. S. and helps him come to terms with the end of his life along Vineyard Sound's beautiful shores, they become friends. His famous book helps her navigate her life as George finds in the running away from her past, she inadvertently ran towards it. She loses herself in her relationship with Dock, who leads her down a road of denial and impossible choices she never thought she'd have to face.

Told through the voice of Georgette. The Silence in the Sound is a provocative coming-of-age debut revealing the lasting effects of growing up in addiction. But it also demonstrates a young woman’s strength as she navigates friendship, love, and heartbreak while finding her hidden strength along the way.

#BookReview: Silence in the Sound by @CbraleyDianne

Synopsis: On the picturesque island of Martha’s Vineyard, an ailing celebrity novelist's famous book about a choice helps his young nurse make a heartrending one of her own. 

Fiery city girl, Georgette's memory of a childhood trip to Martha's Vineyard Island with her father is one of the few good times. Her father was an alcoholic, and her enabler mother chose to stay with him; his addiction was the center of their world. Georgette fled home as soon as she could; years later, as a nurse, she's going back to the island to start her life over. There, she becomes the private nurse for the ailing prize-winning novelist, Mr. S., and becomes enamored with the mysterious Dock, a wash-ashore like her whose disappearing acts only make her crave his love more.

As Georgette cares for Mr. S. and helps him come to terms with the end of his life along Vineyard Sound's beautiful shores, they become friends. His famous book helps her navigate her life as George finds in the running away from her past, she inadvertently ran towards it. She loses herself in her relationship with Dock, who leads her down a road of denial and impossible choices she never thought she'd have to face.

Told through the voice of Georgette. The Silence in the Sound is a provocative coming-of-age debut revealing the lasting effects of growing up in addiction. But it also demonstrates a young woman’s strength as she navigates friendship, love, and heartbreak while finding her hidden strength along the way.