Free Book Reviews

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Birthright (My wife's book) gets a personal attack

Just in case any of my followers or those that have read or will read this blog does not know. RJ Palmer is my wife, she is also the author of the book Birthright and hopefully more in the future as she is busy getting out a second book titled Sins of The Father and a series called Chronicles of Faith, but I digress. She was doing quite well with her book sales on Amazon, staying in the 2500 - 4500 sales rank, before getting an absolutely horrible review. She does have a review from me but I do not hide the fact that I am her husband and in fact there is a second review that gives her a 1 star, which to me seems fair as the reviewer is only going after the book. The review I am talking about is by a person calling themselves Odysseus that seems particularly personal. They first attack the book, then the author's ego, then whine about self published authors (which I fight to help because I love indie authors) and then goes on to attack me. I would normally let this go but it feels as if maybe this person attacked me because I did something to them or maybe I reviewed their book and was not so nice. I can understand being angry with my review but to personally attack my wife ( a fellow indie author) is so childish that I would be surprised if the author of the reveiw could handle the true meaning of being an indie author. Indie authors have to bypass all the left over stigma from bygone times to get people to move past and take that leap of faith as it were and purchase an unknown author's novel. So if the person responsible for the review will be honest and comment here with how they came to be able to read my wife's book without purchasing it and how their review can be honest notwithstanding that they did not purchase the book and how they deemed it fair to attack the people not the book. Yes my reviews on Amazon do not say verified purchase but that is because I usually get them free or from Smashwords. To read the review and RJ Palmer's reaction visit her blog.

Deadly Deception

Synopsis:
A chance encounter brings together two Americans on holiday in the beautiful country of Panama, setting fire to a passion neither had known before. But bliss in the tropics turns into nightmare as Laurie Martin, a beautiful research scientist employed by the US Government, and Jim Barnes, a businessman and combat veteran from Fort Worth, Texas, find themselves pitted against a well-organized and well-armed band of international terrorists. Before their “vacation” is over, people will die and a virulent biological agent will be put into the hands of a hostile foreign power. And Jim and Laurie will find themselves in a fight for their lives.

This book contains content that may not be suitable for young readers 17 and under.

Review:
This novel grabs your attention from the beginning and pounds your mind with quick, rapid pace plot and prose. I could not get enough and read this in about 1 and a half hours. Do not pass up a chance to read a adrenline pumping story and click buy now. You will not be disappointed.

Where to Find:
Smashwords
Amazon

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Stories from the Strangers' Universe

Synopsis:
This is a collection of three stories, in chronological order, from the Strangers' Universe: End of an Era, Dawn to Dawn and Just Another Scout. End of an Era tells a story of a vast battle long ago, Dawn to Dawn follows a miner named Nick during a single day and night when everything changes and Just Another Scout tells about Alex who is on a scout mission five years after the Revelation.

End of an Era
Long ago, the Hwzeenn Empire, the oldest civilization in the Milky Way, is going into battle against an enemy known as the Strangers. They expect an easy victory, but the Hwzeenn do not know the enemy. And those who do know better have decided not to warn the Hwzeenn; a decision that will have grave consequences for the Hwzeenn Empire.

Dawn to Dawn
"Good morning! Today is Tuesday, May 27th, 2927." Nick, a mineworker in the mining station KCap16 in the Kuiper Belt, has another day ahead of him. He's going to work on the asteroid field during the day and then spend his evening in the pub—like he does every day. He couldn't know it, but his life would change forever before the next dawn.

Just Another Scout
It is five years after the Revelation. A lone scout ship with a crew of five is on a routine mission to explore habitable planets for colonization. The routine is about to end when the ship enters a seemingly normal system and discovers an unidentified radio signal from one of the planets...

Review:
This is a great collection of short novellas for those that need a little sci fi but do not need to get overly involved in a huge story. I thought that each story was well written and perfectly in sync with one another. I do recommend that you purchase this and enjoy as I did.

Where to Find:
Smashwords
Amazon

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Thirsty Planet (a novel)

Synopsis:
Thirsty Planet, is a speculation on what Earth might be like in 100 years if scientists are right about global warming and climate collapse. Whatever your personal opinion about this controversial topic, the book is a page turner. Using current climate science and physics theories about the nature of time, this is a fast moving adventure novel.

The story takes place in two time periods and is packed with intrigue, murder, suspense, and even an inter-century love affair. And for people who like literary puzzles, there is an allegory with clues to be found in the key character’s names.

When the wife of physicist, Moss Leder, is brutally murdered during the theft of the couple's drinking water a grief stricken and angry Leder vows to journey to the previous century where he hopes to alter the flow of events that led to his world's personal and ecological tragedies.

It's the year 2121 and the veneer of civilization is crumbling. Leder has been secretly dabbling with time travel and is close to achieving success. His plan is violently opposed by his employer, Rafe Bradshaw, whose private black market water business is threatened by the scheme. This leads to open warfare between those who control the water resources and those who don't, with Leder emerging as the charismatic leader of the latter.

A century earlier, in 2022, Cassie Lopez has uncovered evidence linking the powerful Senator Alphonse Grimsby to the murder of several environmental activists, including her friend and professional colleague, Senator Joyce Gardonie. When she tries to make this information public powerful forces are unleashed that threaten to destroy her and her husband, Paul. Cassie is an environmental specialist in the Administration of President Samantha Blackwell.

When our 22nd century physicist and our 21st century politician team up to try to fix things, all hell breaks loose. The paradox of time travel brings both stories together with a satisfying resolution in the year 2104.

"Thirsty Planet" is a plausible tale of environmental collapse in the 22nd century. Al Gore's movie, "An Inconvenient Truth," raised public awareness of global warming and prepared the marketplace for new fiction on this theme. "Thirsty Planet" is commercial science fiction on this hot contemporary topic. It asks the question: Can Sustainable Business Practice help save the planet?

Review:
This book was informative a great future speculation. I was enthralled with every page and enjoyed it to the last word. If you were a fan of An Incovenient Truth then this is a book right up your alley. We need to get this out to as many people as possible as this is something that is important to our future.

Where to Find:
Smashwords
Amazon

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Nashoga: Book 1 of the Redstone Series

Synopsis:
Nanshoga, the alpha of the Redstone Pack, has been run off from his pack and his love, Tala, by a wolf from Tala's past, the ruthless Farkas. While in exile, Nashoga meets Buck, an elk with an attitude, and the two are thrust into a dire situation. Will the two be at each other's throats or will they learn to work together to defeat this new threat? Will Nashoga reunite with his pack and his love? Only time will tell in this story of power struggles, love, and friendship.

Review:
This book was just incredible and I invite all to read it as soon as they can click on buy now. I fell in love with the furry creatures of this book and in fact I can not wait for more. I had a conection with the furry creatures of this book that most save for human characters. Who thought creatures could convey such human qualities, other than the author. Good work Rebecca and I can not wait for more from you.
Where to Find:
Smashwords

Forty Leap

Synopsis:
What if you could travel into the future? What if you couldn’t stop travelling into the future? You might lose a minute or an hour. You’d get bewildered stares from your family when it takes you five minutes to retrieve your sister in-law’s cup of tea from the next room. You’d have to beg for your job when you missed a week because of jumping into the future. Blocks of time would suddenly be behind you. And during those blocks of time, people might leave. People might die. The world might change around you. What happens then if you start to lose years? Then people finally start to believe your story? Then they want to study you. They want to harness your curse as a power. As the generations pass you by, what does the world become in your absence? Who are you when you finally emerge into each new era?

I’ll tell you who you are. You’re Mathew Cristian, that’s who.

When Mathew begins to lose time, he loses the ability to maintain his secure lifestyle. He struggles to preserve what he has known for so long just because it is all that he does know. But as his leaps through time get longer and longer, the changes around him grow more and more stark. He emerges from his leaps disoriented and out of place. Sometimes he is hunted. Sometimes he is revered. He meets and forms strong bonds all because of his condition, only to have those bonds broken by that same condition. And yet, though the state of the world is different from era to era, the world itself rarely changes. Eons may pass, but humanity is a constant. Everyone is excited, preoccupied, afraid. And the further he goes through time, the more he evolves as a person, the less frantic becomes his search for a cure and the more curious he becomes about what’s on the other side of the next leap.
Review:
This is an incredible book and draws you right into it whithout a second glance. The author gets you right in tune with the character and takes you on the journey right along with Mathew. Do not pass up the chance for a great science fiction novel and click on the buy this book now.

Where to find:
Smashwords
Amazon

Friday, March 25, 2011

Tortilla Press

Synopsis:
A story of contrasts, of people with separate, yet connected lives, whose paths converge and the effects of those interactions change each of them forever. A strong, centered woman, her star-crossed son and a younger, 'fortunate' boy from the East, each of distinctly different backgrounds, transform each other's life in a way that could have never been foreseen.

Review:
I was not too interested in this book. The story seemed to drag and it seemed disjointed. I had a hard time having any emotion whatsoever for the characters and the plot seemed to keep miscommunicating with itself. I do not recommend this as a read.

Where to Find:
Smashwords

We Be Big

Synopsis:
They are the most unlikely broadcast stars imaginable, yet hundreds of thousands of loyal listeners start their day with them every morning. They don't have "radio voices," don't spin the latest hit songs, don't do "shock jock" humor, horoscopes, or celebrity birthdays. Instead, Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey-collectively known as "The Rick and Bubba Show" on scores of radio stations coast to coast-share real stories about real people, inviting their vast audience into their families and circle of friends to experience with them uproarious happenings and moving events with which they can all identify. Beyond that, these two non-radio radio personalities break the biggest no-no for secular radio as they openly share in a forceful but non-threatening way their faith in Christ and their common-sense way of looking at the world.
Now, in We Be Big: The Mostly True Story of How We Became Rick & Bubba, they (with the assistance of best-selling and award-winning author Don Keith) share how this unlikely pairing came about and how the show found even higher levels of popularity, even as the two of them deliberately steered away from every accepted rule for radio success. Alternately hilarious and heartbreaking, this is also the highly personal story of two men who-like most of us-resisted stepping through the doors God opened for them, opting for the easier path when tested. In this compelling story, "the two sexiest fat men alive" share their experiences and demonstrate how, with the help of faith and family, they have become a true blessing for so many.

Review:
I did not have any real expectations for this book as it is a biography. We Be Big is the biography of two radio deejays in Alabama that made it big because the stayed true to one cause.. "Be who we are and nothing less". I am not a big reader of biographies but I do really enjoy radio. So I figured what the hay, I can read about how two unlikely men became deejays and did the most unlikely thing and made it big. After reading the story of these two I see that they really do mean that they will refuse to change just because someone tells them that studies show or the big station down the road is doing it this way. After the first few chapters and a lot of digging in my heels to continue I am glad I finished. I never give away a plot in my reviews and I am not about to start so you must read and trust me when I say it is well worth the spectator admission price for this viewing.

Where to Find:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paperback

Author InterView: Jean Joachim author of Sunny Days, Moonlight Nights

About your book: Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights
Caroline Davis White is a well-known artist and married to a wealthy, controlling man. She has everything money could buy except one thing: Love. Brad refuses to give her a divorce she so desperately wants. With no money, family, or friends, she flees to the Catskill Mountains where she spent her summers as a young adult.

Mike Foster has achieved success and made more money than he could have thought possible, but it destroyed his marriage and cost him his son. He is wary of every woman he meets, knowing his money may be more attractive than his good looks.

Caroline reconnects with the life she had and friends from long ago. Mike stepped out of her teenage dreams into her life again, looking more handsome and tempting than ever. Caroline knew Mike back then, but is he still the man she fell in love with?

Free Book Reviews
What do you think readers will find most notable about this book?

Jean Joachim
What is most notable is the connection the main characters reignite after 20 years of leading separate lives.

Free Book Reviews
Have you acquired any good anecdotes surrounding this book? If so, could you share one?

Jean Joachim
Not an anecdote, per se, but I found a venue in which I am honoring two people who were especially kind to me in my childhood, kind when they didn’t need to be. I remember this couple as if it were yesterday that I was baking cookies in their house. I never forgot their kindness and now that they are in my book, no one ever will.

Free Book Reviews
Did researching and writing this book teach you anything or influence your thinking in any way?

Jean Joachim
It’s fiction and therefore required little research, although I did have to look up divorce laws in Connecticut.

Free Book Reviews
What would you most like readers to tell others about this book?

Jean Joachim
That it is a warm, feel-good story, unique, engaging, with depth and texture, entertaining that left them happy.

Free Book Reviews
Can you suggest one question readers might find interesting to discuss, concerning you, your writing in general, or this book?

Jean Joachim
Why I keep putting my heroines in sad, lonely situations.

Free Book Reviews
How can readers help you promote this book?

Jean Joachim
Read it and recommend it to friends. Write it up on Facebook. Put a positive review on Amazon.

About You: Jean Joachim

Free Book Reviews
Why do you write?

Jean Joachim
I’m driven to write. It’s who I am. I couldn’t do otherwise anymore.

Free Book Reviews
What is your greatest strength as a writer?

Jean Joachim
I’m a good story teller with original stories and 3-dimensional characters.

Free Book Reviews
What quality do you most value in yourself?

Jean Joachim
It’s a toss-up between honesty and loyalty.

Free Book Reviews
In addition to writing, what else are you passionate about?

Jean Joachim
My children.

Free Book Reviews
What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?

Jean Joachim
Raising my two sons and writing ten books.

Free Book Reviews
Is there any new or established author whom you feel deserves more attention, and what is it that strikes you about his or her work?

Jean Joachim
I am getting to meet so many new authors, most of whom I admire deeply. Dawne Prochilo is a fine erotic romance writer. Good writers are cropping up everywhere, which is a Godsend to us voracious readers.

Learn More about Jean Joachim at her website www.nowandforeverbooks.com

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Judgment Day

Review of Judgment Day by Wanda L. Dyson by RJ Palmer author of Birthright
Synopsis:
The weekly cable news show Judgment Day with Suzanne Kidwell promises to expose businessmen, religious leaders, and politicians for the lies they tell. Suzanne positions herself as a champion of ethics and morality with a backbone of steel—until a revelation of her shoddy investigation tactics and creative fact embellishing put her in hot water with her employers, putting her credibility in question and threatening her professional ambitions..

Bitter and angry, Suzanne returns home one day to find an entrepreneur she is investigating, John Edward Sterling, unconscious on her living room floor. Before the night is over, Sterling is dead, she has his blood on her hands, and the police are arresting her for murder. She needs help to prove her innocence, but her only hope, private investigator Marcus Crisp, is also her ex-fiancé–the man she betrayed in college.

Marcus and his partner Alexandria Fisher-Hawthorne reluctantly agree to take the case, but they won’t cut Suzanne any slack. Exposing her lack of ethics and the lives she’s destroyed in her fight for ratings does little to make them think Suzanne is innocent. But as Marcus digs into the mire of secrets surrounding her enemies, he unveils an alliance well-worth killing for. Now all he has to do is keep Suzanne and Alex alive long enough to prove it.

Review:
I thought the plot line was excellent and fast moving and I enjoyed the story thoroughly. I was able to get wrapped up in it easily enough though I felt that the story itself would’ve been far easier for me to enjoy and become flabbergasted if I were twenty years younger and not already desensitized to all the atrocities life has to offer. Forgive me for the moment of cynicism.

Wanda, the story line is absolutely incredible but I believe you could’ve done far more with it. You have the talent, use it. You were able to weave an in-depth tale of gaining wisdom and self-discovery though I did have a little bit of trouble getting into the beginning because I thought that though you brought several story lines into the same book and I admire that because it shows that you have the talent to place yourself in multiple situations at one time, the emotions and consequently the characters in the beginning lacked depth because you didn’t seem to feel comfortable placing yourself in the role of the character about whom you wrote. If you’re going to write from the point of view of a villain, be the villain and likewise with the saint. You gave so much to the self-discovery of the main character and made me empathize and relate to her very well toward the end, make me hate the villain too.

I also felt that some of the characters were somewhat typecast and nothing less than what one would expect of a modern day ass-kicking ball-busting heroine who has no problem firing a weapon but can’t seem to get in touch with her “feminine side”. She’s is just as likely to strap a holster and firearm to the inside of her thigh underneath the ballgown she’s wearing while simultaneously putting on glamour makeup and styling her hair flawlessly and can’t help but pull it all off with aplomb. There’s also the hero that’s so lost in not crossing her and getting on her bad side that he’ll refuse to stand up for himself and seems to look at her like she’s the greatest creature on God’s green earth anyway.

All in all, the story was relatively clean aside from some sketchy violence and I appreciated that there were no tawdry scenes that normally occupy one spot or another in a mystery thriller though I believe that there was missing character development and most of the journey of the main character brings to mind the line, “None are so blind as those who choose not to see.” Though I didn’t absolutely love it, I liked the story and think it suits well for an evening of light pleasure reading if a person has a few hours to spare.

Where to Find:

Amazon

An Exercise in Futility

Synopsis:
Beyond the borders of the mighty Kalharian Empire, the Tribes of Gurdur wander a vast plain. When the border falls under dispute and his tribe prepares for war, Ezekiel is left behind to train with his mysterious uncle. There he learns the art of necromancy, and begins to wonder: If a man can be brought back to life, why not a civilization?

Review:
I was completely and fully blown away. I was not expecting much when I first started this novel as the beginning felt like history class but then before I new it I was on the most amazing trek through the most amazing world and I have this author to thank. If you can stomach a little dry history to get to the juicy details then this novel is sure to please. One last word for the Author, when and where can I get more.

Where to Find:
Amazon

Verdant Skies

Synopsis:
The four giant satellites in Earth orbit were considered oases for humanity. But when a volcanic eruption threatens to finally ruin Earth's ecosystem, the remaining peoples of Earth demand access to the satellites, and threaten to overwhelm them. And as the satellites are under siege from below, a desperate gamble for the survival of the satellite Verdant is taken...

Review:
I was a little lost by the narration and the way names were used in this novel but all in all it was a great read. I found myself asking a lot of what if questions throughout the entire story. I feel this is a well thought out story with a few minor tweaks to the narration needed. The first or last name decisions should have been clear but it does not detract from the story too much.

Where to find:
Smashwords
Amazon

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Whisper

Synopsis:
The crew of the USS Whisper tries to get back to their rightful place in time after accidently being sent into the past over 200 years while testing a device to make the ship invisible. Captain Wiley Randolph and his crew fight against time, a 200 year old frigate, a Japanese Zero, and a German Wolf Pack of submarines.

This is Thomas Wilsons first novel and the first in a series of Wiley Randolph Novels. Join Wiley on what is supposed to be his last mission. If you enjoy it coming soon is SAC, a submersible Aircraft Carrier, WIley's first command and the beggining of many exciting adventures.

Review:
I was quite impressed by this novel and rather enjoyed the ship references. Although I did not know what most of the commands meant it made me feel as if I were part of the crew. I had a sense of being there and could almost taste the salt water and fuel. This is a recommended read.

Where to find:
Smashwords
Amazon Kindle

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