Amazon Associate Book Links

I don't make any money being an Amazon Associate. I joined because it was a great way to get Amazon links for display. These are on my sidebars, but a lot of people don't see them because they read blog posts through readers like Feedly (the one I use) which put all the blogs I like to follow in one place. Very convenient, but I don't see the extra stuff on blogs.

All of these books are in the KU and KOLL programs. People who subscribe to Kindle Unlimited or are Prime members can read these books free. The advantage for me, the author, is that when people read them, the pages are counted and I get paid for page read. So, reminder to you folks getting the free reads. Be sure to flip through the books so the author (who otherwise earns nothing) get a little from the deal. Feel free to click through from these links.
*Note I placed the graphic below the links so this post will have a picture to go with it.

New Release: Tangled Rose by Renee Duke

I had the pleasure of being a beta reader for Renee Duke's fourth entry in the YA fantasy Time Rose series. It's now available in ebook on Amazon (probably other stores as well).

See my review below the book cover and blurb.

THE TANGLED ROSE
by Renee Duke

On Paige, Dane, and Jack’s fourth time trip, the medallion connects them with children living in Pre-WW II Germany. One, Hani, has Down Syndrome. Another, Nicko, is a gypsy.

The Time Rose Travellers know the Nazi regime will soon begin persecuting such ‘undesirables’, but keeping Hani and Nicko from becoming victims isn’t going to be easy.

Plagued by enemies from their own time, and not even sure who they’re supposed to be helping, they’re meeting with resistance from Nicko, and open hostility from Hani’s sister Marta, an ardent member of the Hitler Youth.

REVIEW

The time-traveling Rose series is one of my favorites in both time-travel and the YA genres. The series has taken us from the Tower of London, to the mudlarks on the Thames, to thousands of years in Canada's First Nation past. In each trip, the cousins, Paige, Dane, and Jack, travel back to become help history flow properly. Their task is to find the child in the past to which they're sent who possesses a match to the Rose amulet which expedites the time traveling.

The Tangled Rose takes us on a time trip to pre-war and Nazi Germany. This is a tough subject. How do you write for kids when you're setting them down in the midst of one of the most horrific times in history. How can the kids find the person who they are meant to help during those perilous times?

The first person they see who has a keeper piece (one of the Rose time travel devices) is a girl with Down Syndrome. She definitely needs help having slipped and hanging perilously off a cliff. A gypsy boy, Niko, helps them rescue Nani. The cousins figure their task may be complete. They've saved a kid in possession of a keeper piece. However, their own amulet doesn't give them the signal that their mission is over.

They discover the keeper piece doesn't belong to the girl they rescued, but to her older sister, Marta. What's worse, Marta has been taken up with the Nazi cause. She's not a pleasant person. She has been indoctrinated into the Nazi ideal. People like her own sister and the gypsy boy who helped rescue her are undesirables. The Third Reich will soon start to eliminate the non-Aryans.

Can the cousins figure out what they're supposed to do to help Marta? Maybe talk her out of being a Jungmädel (Hitler Youth). The cousins decide they need help from Uncle Gareth. Since he had been a piece keeper in his own youth, he can go along on their own time trip to help them figure it out.

Are the time travelers assigned to save Nani, the "defective", Niko, the gypsy, Marta, the obsessed Nazi, or is it somebody else?

I was totally caught up on the historical period in this book in the series. Renee Duke does an excellent job keeping up with both historical accuracy, the fantasy of the time-traveling children, and drawing the reader along into the next book. The hints are there. The kids will be facing their greatest challenge in the next book in the series. I can hardly wait for it to come out.

Free to Read KU/KOLL Ebooks On Amazon

Free with Kindle Unlimited subscription. Free to borrow in Kindle Owners Lending Library. Prices reflect the retail price to buy the book.

Witches of Galdorheim Series (3-Volume Book) $5.99
 Audio books available for all three in the series.

Tales of a Texas Boy $2.99
 Audio book available.

Tales of a Texas Boy - Photo Illustrated $2.99
 Audio book available.

Lemons and Other Kid Tales $0.99

Fish Story: A Three Story Sampler $0.99

FINAL Free Day for TALES OF A TEXAS BOY

All good things must come to an end. Today is your last chance to grab the free ebook of Tales of a Texas Boy.

If you or a relative grew up in the 20's and 30's, experienced WWII as an adult, and is fond of stories set in rural America, this is a book they will enjoy. Also, it's available in a Large Print paperback and audio book for the vision-impaired.

These are stories about my father. He's passed now, but he took great pleasure reading his almost true tall tales. Many of the stories feature my grandfather, who Eddie looked up to and admired. I think you'll enjoy them too.

*** EBOOK FREE SEPTEMBER 25 ***

Here are the buy links:
Ebook:  Kindle Ebook

Large Print Paperback Amazon $8.99

Audiobook Only $1.99 on Amazon if you download the ebook

BLURB
How do you handle a crazy jackass? Eddie knows. If you ask Eddie, he'll tell you pigs can fly and show you where to find real mammoth bones. Take his word for it when he tells you always to bet on the bear. These are things he learned while dreaming of becoming a cowboy in West Texas during the Depression. Through Eddie, the hero of "Tales of a Texas Boy," we find that growing up is less about maturity and more about roping your dreams. Hold on tight. It's a bumpy ride. A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys books like "Little House on the Prairie" or "Tom Sawyer." A great bit of nostalgia for seniors, too.

EXCERPT
Out of the Chicken Coop

Most animals on the farm were there for a purpose, rarely as pets. That meant that animals were not allowed in the house like they are today. If they got in, however, it wasn’t always easy to get them out again.

When I was just a little kid, no more’n seven if I remember rightly, I was down in the chicken yard tossin’ grain like I was tol’. This one little red hen started followin’ me around instead of peckin’ up the grain like the other chickens. I thought it strange, but just went about my business.

When I opened up the gate to leave, the red hen just whooshed right through ‘fore I could get it closed. I tol’ her, “Now you get back in there,” and opened the gate just a bit for her. She didn’t pay any mind to the invite, but just headed on across the yard as fast as two feet could take her.

I latched up the gate and took off after her. I thought I’d better grab her before she got up to the porch. Ma doesn’t like chickens on the porch ‘cause of the mess they make. So, I was runnin’ after the hen and she was makin’ a bee-line for the house.

Well, she was faster ‘n me, so she beat me handy and up on the porch she went. The kitchen door was open to let the heat out since Ma was bakin’ pies. That hen just traipsed right in like she’d come to visit. I caught up with her finally and she and me went round the kitchen table a time or two. I was glad Ma wasn’t there ‘cause I know that hen wouldn’t of lasted two seconds if that were the case. I figured I’d better catch the chicken ‘fore Ma turned her into supper.

It were a standoff. I’d go right around the table, and the hen’d go left. I’d go left, and she’d go right. When I stopped, she stopped. Mostly, chickens don’t have much sense, which is why people don’t take to them much. Except for eatin’ and eggs, of course. But, I was beginnin’ to think this was one smart chicken.

I’d left the kitchen door open so’s I could chase the chicken out, but that just perked up Ol’ Spot’s curiosity as he come in to see what was up. Of course, Ma don’t allow no dogs in the kitchen, neither, so I’d two strikes again’ me already.

The hen didn’t care for Spot bein’ in the kitchen, neither. That’s one thing Ma and the hen would agree on. So, she gave out a couple of clucks and jumped up on a chair, which was shoved under the table. So, I got down on my hands and knees and crawled under the table. Spot thought this was a good idea, so he come under, too.

The hen spied Spot and Spot spied the hen and there was a lot less room under there after that. Spot jumped at the hen and she jumped over to another chair and Spot just followed her under the table. He’d pretty much forgot I was there, too, so he scrunched his way right over the top of me, pushin’ me flat to the floor. The hen’s jumpin’ from one chair to the next and Spot was runnin’ around in circles trying to catch her.

Cluck, cluck, bark, bark. I was surprised Ma hadn’t already showed up.

Read the rest in your free ebook copy from Amazon.

Tales of a Texas Boy FREE 9/24-25

If you or a relative grew up in the 20's and 30's, experienced WWII as an adult, and is fond of stories set in rural America, this is a book they will enjoy. Also, it's available in a Large Print paperback and audio book for the vision-impaired.

These are stories about my father. He's passed now, but he took great pleasure reading his almost true tall tales. Many of the stories feature my grandfather, who Eddie looked up to and admired. I think you'll enjoy them too.

*** EBOOK FREE SEPTEMBER 23-25 ***

Here are the buy links:
Ebook:  Kindle Ebook

Large Print Paperback Amazon $8.99

Audiobook Only $1.99 on Amazon if you download the ebook

BLURB
How do you handle a crazy jackass? Eddie knows. If you ask Eddie, he'll tell you pigs can fly and show you where to find real mammoth bones. Take his word for it when he tells you always to bet on the bear. These are things he learned while dreaming of becoming a cowboy in West Texas during the Depression. Through Eddie, the hero of "Tales of a Texas Boy," we find that growing up is less about maturity and more about roping your dreams. Hold on tight. It's a bumpy ride. A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys books like "Little House on the Prairie" or "Tom Sawyer." A great bit of nostalgia for seniors, too.

EXCERPT
The Corn Patch Incident

Barn raising is a community affair that takes place in almost all rural societies across the country. In Texas, nearly every community event also includes a barbecue, although it’s sometimes by default. The kids helped out by gathering additions to the dinner.

I grabbed Sister, who’s really Dorothy, but we called her Sister. Anyways, we took off to the corn field and proceeded to pull the ripe ears off the stalks. It takes the right eye to get the ripe ones. Some folks have to peel back the silk from the ear and take a look. Me and Sister had done this so many times, we could tell just by how fat the ear looked. So, we were movin’ along pretty good and had about half the ears Ma said to get.

I looked down the row to see how far we’d got when I saw a skunk traipsin’ up toward me. First off, I wondered what the little polecat was doin’ out in the middle of the day. Most often, they hunt at night. I stopped quick and looked around to see where Sister was. I couldn’t see her, so I decided just to let her know.

“Hey, Sister. There’s a skunk up here, so don’t go up the row no more,” I yelled.

“What row, Eddie?” she hollered back.

“The row I’m on,” I answered and wondered why she couldn’t have figured that out herself.

“Which row, I say-ed?” she asked again, soundin’ a little disgusted now.

“This darn row!” Why didn’t the fool girl know which row I was on? Then it occurred to me I didn’t know where she was neither.

“Say somethin’ again and I’ll find you.”

“I’m heeere!” she sang out.

I could tell she was in front of me and a row or two south. I looked back to where the skunk was, but he’d disappeared. It came to me she might be close to where the skunk was by this time.

“Look out for the skunk,” I called out.

“What skunk?” Sometimes I wondered if she thought anything out.

Read the rest in your free ebook copy from Amazon.

Free Tales of a Texas Boy 9/23-25

If you or a relative grew up in the 20's and 30's, experienced WWII as an adult, and is fond of stories set in rural America, this is a book they will enjoy. Also, it's available in a Large Print paperback and audio book for the vision-impaired.

These are stories about my father. He's passed now, but he took great pleasure reading his almost true tall tales. Many of the stories feature my grandfather, who Eddie looked up to and admired. I think you'll enjoy them too.

*** EBOOK FREE SEPTEMBER 23-25 ***

Here are the buy links:
Ebook:  Kindle Ebook

Large Print Paperback Amazon $8.99

Audiobook Only $1.99 on Amazon if you download the ebook

BLURB
How do you handle a crazy jackass? Eddie knows. If you ask Eddie, he'll tell you pigs can fly and show you where to find real mammoth bones. Take his word for it when he tells you always to bet on the bear. These are things he learned while dreaming of becoming a cowboy in West Texas during the Depression. Through Eddie, the hero of "Tales of a Texas Boy," we find that growing up is less about maturity and more about roping your dreams. Hold on tight. It's a bumpy ride. A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys books like "Little House on the Prairie" or "Tom Sawyer." A great bit of nostalgia for seniors, too.

EXCERPT
Cage McNatt and His Prize Sow

Each evening, when the fair was over, Dad would untie Sophie from her post and let her sit closer to the fire. One night, after things calmed down, Dad Boles and I were sittin’ by the fire with Sophie right next to us. Dad Boles was in the middle of a story about trappin’ when we heard something crashin’ around inside the fairgrounds. Dad decided to go check what was goin’ on, and I followed along since he didn’t say to stay put. We went into the fairgrounds to see what was up. The moon was full so we could see well enough.

A man was goin’ toward the fairgrounds’ front gate and it looked like he was pullin’ a big dog along behind him. When I heard the squeal, though, I realized it wasn’t a dog, but a pig. I could also see the pig was white, so I knew right off it was the Luck’s sow. The trouble was that the man was Cage McNatt and not one of the Luck brothers.

Well, you might already have guessed what was goin’ on. Cage McNatt was stealin’ Whitey, or at least, he was tryin’ to. The problem was Whitey was bigger than Mr. McNatt and she wasn’t of a mind to go along quiet. She was doin’ her best to pull away from the rope. She was shakin’ her head back and forth and kept up squealin’ the whole time. That was about the unhappiest pig I ever saw.

Read the rest in your free ebook copy from Amazon.

Magical Runes in Bad Spelling

BAD SPELLING SPECIAL! 99 CENTS ON AMAZON 9/14-9/18

Smashwords (all ebook formats - #FREE)

A lot of fantasy novels based on Euro-centric mythologies use Runes in their plots, be it a tattooed rune on the hero’s chest, the discovery of a runic tablet that leads a worthy band of heros on a quest for dragon’s gold, or a villain who casts his dark spells in the ancient runic language. All very cool stuff.

In my Witches of Galdorheim books, I decided to use runes as the magic language. Kat, the teen witch introduced in Bad Spelling, just couldn’t get the pronunciation of the runes right. The results she got were often spectacularly wrong. In other words, she was a bad speller.

I researched runes and found a few I could use to give some depth to the magical language of the witches. Runes are like hieroglyphics in that each run stands for a word or concept rather than a letter. I found a handy phrase chart and stole what I could. Elder Futhark is the oldest known runic alphabet. Each rune has a name. Each rune is a word of power.

My Mashup

In Bad Spelling, Kat’s teacher listens to the misspelling witch as she attempts a simple transformation spell:

Kat held her wand over the pentagram and repeated the spell, omitting the spell’s finishing word. Miss Mariah shook her head. "Katya, you said îgwaz instead of perßô."

Later, Kat’s aunt Thordis uses a runic spell to enable her to speak with Katya’s dead father. I found this spell to raise the dead on an Icelandic runic stave site (how cool is that!).

When she felt her magic to be at its peak, Thordis opened the book to the chapter titled Speaking to the Dead. She zipped through the incantation:

Þat kann ec iþ tolpta,
ef ec se a tre vppi
vafa virgilná
sva ec rist oc i rvnom fác,
at sa gengr gvmi
oc melir viþ mic.

But nothing happened. She slowed down and spoke the spell with precision, putting as much magical force as she could into it. Finally, she felt the spell break through the barrier.

Bad Spelling (Book 1 of the Witches of Galdorheim)
A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?
Amazon Kindle (SPECIAL: $0.99, buy the ebook and the audio book is only $1.99)
Smashwords (all ebook formats - #FREE)
Audio at Audible.com

If you’re a witch living on a remote arctic island, and the entire island runs on magic, lacking magical skills is not just an inconvenience, it can be a matter of life and death–or, at least, a darn good reason to run away from home. 

Katrina’s spells don’t just fizzle; they backfire with spectacular results, oftentimes involving green goo. A failure as a witch, Kat decides to run away and find her dead father’s non-magical family. But before she can, she stumbles onto why her magic is out of whack: a curse from a Siberian shaman.

The young witch, accompanied by her half-vampire brother, must travel to the Hall of the Mountain King and the farthest reaches of Siberia to regain her magic, dodging attacks by the shaman along the way.

Borrowing a Box Set on Amazon

Read an entire series for free? What kind of insanity is that? However, if you're a Kindle Unlimited or Prime subscriber at Amazon, you know all about reading for free. So, how about using your super ability as a KU/KOLL know-it-all to borrow my series THE WITCHES OF GALDORHEIM. It's a KU/KOLL offering from Amazon.

Have you already read the individual books in the series: Bad Spelling, Midnight Oil, and Scotch Broom? Do me a favor and borrow the box set and do a leisurely flip through the pages so I'll get those valuable KENP (Kindle page reads) credits. At the end of each month, I get a small amount (like .0004/page) for pages read. That small amount can help make up for those who don't want to buy the box set because they've already read the books individually. Or maybe you have read one or two of the books, and would like to read the third without paying out any more money.

THE WITCHES OF GALDORHEIM 
A KU/KOLL FREE BORROW ON AMAZON

BAD SPELLING
A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?
Follow the adventures of Katrina and her half-vampire brother, Rune, as they chase down an evil shaman. Dodging the shaman's curses on a dangerous trip across the ice-bound arctic seas, they meet both friends and foes. Kat and Rune must find the shaman and stop him before their beloved island home is destroyed.

MIDNIGHT OIL
Shipwrecked on a legendary island, how can a witch rescue her boyfriend if she can't even phone home?
Traveling with her newly-found grandfather, a raging storm catches them unawares. Kat is tossed into the icy seas, while her brother and grandfather travel on to find help. Kat is rescued by an unlikely creature, and Rune is captured by mutants. Only the magical Midnight Oil can save her brother, but an evil forest elemental is trying to stop her.

SCOTCH BROOM
A magical trip to Stonehenge lands a witch in the Otherworld where an ancient goddess is up to no good.
Kat is on her way to an exciting trip to a faroff land, but is led astray by a jealous rival. Caught in the Otherworld with a has-been goddess trying to kill her, Kat has to defeat the goddess and rescue her brother from the hag's clutches.

Set Your Own Price at Smashwords

Twelve books on Smashwords provides multiple formats other than Kindle. See everything I have to offer on my Smashwords Author page. Prices from #Free to $2.99, but you can set the price you want to pay on checkout, including $0.00.

Witches of Galdorheim Series:

Bad Spelling
A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?

Midnight Oil
Shipwrecked on a legendary island, how can a witch rescue her boyfriend if she can’t even phone home?

Scotch Broom
A magical trip to Stonehenge lands a witch in the Otherworld where an ancient goddess is up to no good.

Spellslinger
What does a teenage half-warlock, half-vampire do to have fun? Why build an old west town on a glacier in the Arctic?

Tales of Abu Nuwas Series:
Setara's Genie
A girl, a genie, a few demons. What could go wrong?

Faizah's Destiny
The gods are at war and only a farmer’s daughter can save the world from Armageddon.

Adventure and Mystery:
Missing, Assumed Dead
Prejudice, murder, insanity, suicide: Every small town has its deadly secrets.

Eagle Quest
A Vision Quest turns deadly when four friends confront eagle poachers in a wildlife refuge.

Science Fiction:
Ultimate Duty (Adult) and First Duty (YA)
A military officer must choose between her sworn duty or her rebellious blood ties. 

Collected Short Stories:
Mixed Bag and Mixed Bag 2: Supersized
Collections of short stories. SF, Fantasy, Mystery, Humor--a little something for everyone. MB2 contains all the stories in Mixed Bag plus a bunch more.

Book Review: Black Horses for the King

Black Horses for the King by Anne McCaffrey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not much need for a review. After all, its author is Anne McCaffrey. That's recommendation enough right there.

On the other hand, this is not a fantasy book like her Dragonrider series. While set in Arthurian times, Merlin isn't hanging around casting spells, there are no magic swords, the lake contains only fish, not mermaids.

Since this book appears to be out of print, you'll have to look for a used copy. Some are offered on Amazon. There is no ebook version I know about.

Anyway, find a copy if you're into McCaffrey or different takes of the Arthur legend.

View all my reviews

The CEO Came DOA - New Alvarez Family Mystery

NEW Alvarez Family Mystery!

I had the privilege of reading an Advanced Reader Copy of the latest in this series. I've read them all and enjoyed every one. This book can be pre-ordered on Amazon for $3.99 or the print edition is available immediately. Following this brief description, read my review of the CEO Came DOA. It will be posted on Amazon on September 1st--the book's release date.

THE CEO CAME DOA (Kindle)
Print Edition
Someone is trying to sabotage the Initial Public Offering of 'Read-Out', a small Silicon Valley start-up, and Lee Alvarez has been hired to find the culprit. Meanwhile, the first Alvarez grandchild is about to be born while Lee is planning her very own Christmas wedding; or rather letting her mother plan it. When Lee finds the CEO hanging by the neck in his boardroom wearing nothing but baby blue boxer shorts, she has to ask herself, was it suicide? Or was it murder? If so, was the saboteur responsible, one of his business partners, or even his famous rock star ex-wife? There are too many suspects and the bodies start piling up just in time for Christmas. Ho, ho, ho

MY REVIEW OF THE CEO CAME DOA

The CEO Came DOA by Heather Haven
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This fifth book in the Alvarez Family series should come with stock options for readers to get in on the ground floor. The previous Alvarez novels are top notch woman sleuth reads and I've enjoyed every one of them.

How is The "The CEO Came DOA" better than the rest? It's a matter of the series' style increasingly getting better with each book. It's clear that Ms. Haven is pretty much taking on the Lee Alvarez persona in both narrative and dialogue. Practice makes perfect.

I particularly enjoyed this one with its Silicon Valley setting. I'm familiar with the area and history of the high tech breeding grounds. Even though I haven't been there for many years, the book rings true to what I do know. I love when a book sounds like the author actually knows what they're talking about. That's the feel I have here. Lee is less than a computer genius, relying on her techie brother for that sort of thing, but she knows enough to figure out the whodunnit and why.

There's some excellent action in here as well. A scene on a sailboat in the middle of the night tensed my muscles as Lee Alvarez fought for her life. The feisty PI could have stayed ashore, but just couldn't let it alone.

I can not only highly recommend "The CEO Came DOA," but also give the overall series my highest rating. Not many books hit my 5-star mark. Ms. Haven has earned top marks by consistently producing book after book in a really fun and exciting series. Her characters are engaging and the plots suitably diverse to keep a reader's interest.

My general complaint about the Alvarez series has been too much focus on haute couture. There's still a little more than this blue jeans gal likes, but I've even gotten over my completely adverse reaction to high fashion. Hey, it's just part of the Alvarez family mystique. Wear those Pradas with pride, Lee. You know when to kick them off to run down the bad guys.

Highly recommended.

I was given an advance release copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

View all my reviews

Audio Books Only $1.99 at Amazon

Buy the Ebook on Amazon, Get the Audio Book for $1.99

Note: If you buy the ebook on Amazon, you can get the audio book for $1.99. With Whispersync, you can switch back and forth between reading and listening. Or, you can listen while you read.

Tales of a Texas Boy  $1.99

Missing, Assumed Dead  $1.99

Bad Spelling - Book 1 of Witches of Galdorheim $1.99

Midnight Oil - Book 2 of Witches of Galdorheim  $1.99

Scotch Broom - Book 3 of Witches of Galdorheim $1.99

Spellslinger - A Witches of Galdorheim Tale  $1.99

Excerpt from FISH STORY - KU/KOLL Free Reads

FISH STORY is a selection of three tales from my collection, "Mixed Bag 2: Supersized." Smashwords doesn't want to carry samplers, so Amazon gets to keep this one in KDP. That means it's free to Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owners Lending Library subscribers.

Today's excerpt is from the second story. It has a bit of creepiness that some readers kind of liked. I hope you'll enjoy the excerpt and borrow the book free on Amazon's KU and KOLL programs.

Do you like my fish? It goes with the first story in the 3-tale collection. I came up with something different for story #2, "The Vision." Check
out the short book and read all about an interesting inhabitant of a small town in the Cascade Mountains, "Chilpequin - 22 Miles."

THE VISION

Previously published in “Weirdly, Volume 2” from WildChild Publishing

Real Mind-Reading Magician.
Check out http://tinyurl.com/zms9pfm

Charlie just had his first real vision, and it couldn’t have surprised him more. He glanced out at Mary Beth in the audience giving him frantic, although subtle, signals. He shook his head and almost heard Mary Beth gasp. Charlie shouldn’t move his head more than a centimeter, and he’d clearly moved it at least ten. Ten left, ten right, and ten left again.

He saw Mary Beth register his confusion. “Charles the Great is tiring, so that’s all the answers for this evening, folks. Next up, Gale and Her Magic Chickens!” she said.

Charlie took Mary Beth’s hint for a way out. He bowed to the audience a couple of times to a light smatter of applause, exiting stage left as fast as he could. Charlie collapsed on the folding chair sitting off stage as the startled Gale trooped by him with her colorful box full of chickens.

“Just what is wrong with you?” Mary Beth hissed the instant she arrived behind the curtains.

“I don’t know. I just got dizzy for a second,” Charlie said, bending his head down between his knees to emphasize his statement. He didn’t feel dizzy at all, but he wasn’t ready to tell Mary Beth about the vision. He had to sort it out himself first.

The partners of the mind-reading act of Charles the Great stumbled through the dark backstage to their dressing room. Mary Beth sat at the dressing table, pulled off her costume jewelry, and applied cleansing cream to her face. By the set of her mouth, Charlie knew that the rest of the evening might not be a pleasant one.

Charlie and Mary Beth had a great little mind-reading act. Mary Beth selected a person from the audience and chatted with them for a few moments before holding up the microphone.

“Charles, are you receiving anything from this person?” she’d say.

Charlie would already have taken on the glazed look of a person in a deep trance. Staring directly at Mary Beth, he picked up the cues which provided the information he used to ‘read’ minds.

“The lady is married,” he intoned. The wedding ring on her left hand provided the clue. Mary Beth’s lips barely moved, no more than a ventriloquist. She held the mike close to her mouth, but angled slightly to one side. Her mouth formed the letters, and more often, the shorthand codes they used.

“M. I see an M. The lady’s name begins with M?”

Mary Beth’s head twitched to the right. “No, she’s married to an M.” Mary Beth smiled.

“Is it Mike?”

Mary Beth twitched her mouth to the left. “No, no. It is M A, I can see it starts with M, then A.” An imperceptible nod, and her right little finger curled a micrometer.

“Marvin!” the woman blurted.

“Yes, you are married to Marvin,” Charlie said.

Charlie loved it when the audience did his work for him. The smart ones kept a straight face and didn’t say a word.

Charlie noted the woman’s smile turning downward. Could it be? He took a stab at the meaning of the expression. “Is Marvin no longer with us?”

“Yes, I mean no. That is, he died last summer,” the woman sputtered.

“I’m very sorry for your loss.” Mary Beth moved quickly to the next person. A raised left eyebrow, and she hauled the microphone through the audience looking for the clues that told a person’s story. Wedding rings, expensive watches, callouses, scars, clothing…open books to Mary Beth and Charlie’s skills.

Excerpt from LEMONS - A KU/KOLL Kids Book

Over the last couple of weeks, I've featured excerpts from my books free to read for Kindle Unlimited subscribers and Kindle Owners Lending Library (for Prime subscribers).

Much to my amazement, some people have noticed and used the power of their Amazon subscriptions to take a look at my books. Thank you! What you have done by flipping through those ebook pages is allowing me to finally make a little money from NOT selling books, but by loaning them through the #KU and #KOLL programs,

Today, the excerpt is from LEMONS AND OTHER KID TALES. It contains three short stories specifically written for younger end of the reading scale. The stories all involve animals. It's a really short book and I hope folks borrow it. It does have color photo illustrations, but it's not a picture book. Here is an excerpt, complete with the photos. The excerpt is from "A Practical Cat," the last story in the book. By the way, the book is only 99 cents, so it wouldn't hurt to buy it.

A Practical Cat

Boots lay on her back, tucked between the chair arm and the Big’s leg. This was her favorite place to snuggle.

Spaghetti night was best. The Bigs ate dinner watching the loud bright square. Boots had no idea why. Still, it made it easy for Boots to slip a paw into the dish and snatch a piece of meat.

She just had to say mrrrow, and she got whatever the Bigs held in their hands. Sometimes, Boots only needed to stare at them without blinking and think hard.  The Bigs did what she thought and opened the treat box. Of course, the Bigs spoiled her since she was the most beautiful cat.

One day, Boots was sitting on the back of the couch watching a squirrel running up a tree. She thought she would like to play with the squirrel, but she couldn’t get outside. She could only look at the squirrels and birds from her place on the couch.

Boots looked at the big square showing the real outside. The Bigs never let her go through, but she decided that she could find a way. After all, Boots was the smartest cat in the world, and the most beautiful.

Slàinte! - Excerpt from the Witches of Galdorheim

I'm featuring excerpts from my books free to read for Kindle Unlimited subscribers and Kindle Owners Lending Library (for Prime subscribers).

Lucky KU and KOLL people can read the entire three book series with a single download. The only thing missing is a prequel short story (Spellslinger) for fans of the main characters smart-aleck little brother, Rune. Hey, the short is only 99 cents, so think of it as getting the ENTIRE four book series for 99 cents. 

Get your KU/KOLL Free Download of Witches of Galdorheim by clicking this line.

Today's excerpt is from Scotch Broom, the second book of the series. Hey, we've got fairies here!

Chapter 21 - Slàinte!

Cait Sidhe stood up on her hind legs and marched left and right with her nose held high. It surprised Kat that Cait seemed quite comfortable walking on two legs.

“What—?” Kat gasped as Cait Sidhe grew taller, her body wavering and twisting as she morphed from black cat into what appeared to be a human girl the size of a ten-year old. The child-like Sidhe was as black as her cat form with a spot of white running from her neck to her collarbones. Her translucent wings formed a shimmering rainbow growing out of her shoulder blades. Never at rest, the wings flashed pale flickers of rainbow colors around the fairy’s back.

“Oh! Self-transformation. I should have guessed. Sidhe does mean fairy, and fairies are master transformers.”

“Catch on fast, don’t you, witchy.”

“I see your, um, personality didn’t change.” Kat moved to slide off Diamond’s back, but he told her to wait until they got to a dry place. She settled back as well as she could behind Diamond’s withers. “Are there any dry spots in this swamp?”

Cait answered. “Yes, which is why I switched to the less efficient, bipedal mode. I must take this inconvenient form to get Seonaidh’s attention.”

“Who is Show Me?” Kat asked.

“SHOW NEE,” Cait snarled. “Can’t you get any of our names right?”

“Well, don’t get your tail in a twist. They are unusual names, you know.”

“Ha. Your jokes stink, too.” Cait said no more, but flew upward, then flitted away across the bogs.

“Why are we stopping to see this Seonaidh? I don’t want to waste time on another roadside attraction.”

“Seonaidh can see the future. Cait Sidhe believes we can find out what happens to your brother.”

“That’d be great! I want to know if Rune will be okay.”

They soon came to another pool, much like the others dotting the bogs, except the water was clear. Kat could see to the bottom of the pond, where underwater plants swayed to and fro.

“It’s beautiful,” she said and then yelped when Diamond bent his front legs. She pitched forward and planted her face in his mane. Sitting up, she threw one leg over his back and rolled off. She put her hands on the small of her back and leaned backward then forward to take the kinks out.

Cait Sidhe stood by the edge of the pool, looking down. Kat walked over to the pond. It was only then Kat noticed the fairy was naked.

“Seonaidh,” Cait yelled. “Get your ugly butt up here.”

Kat turned her attention away from Cait and looked into the pool. She inhaled and thought the sweet smell of fresh water a nice change from the constant dank smell of swamp. A dark form lay at the bottom among the wavering water plants. Cait pointed to the form. “That’s Seonaidh. If I can get him up here, he’ll want a cup of ale. You’re a witch. Can you produce that?”

“Sure, but how long is this going to take?”

“Not long if you whomp up that ale,” Cait replied.

* * *

The three books in the series:

BAD SPELLING

A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?

Follow the adventures of Katrina and her half-vampire brother, Rune, as they chase down an evil shaman. Dodging the shaman's curses on a dangerous trip across the ice-bound arctic seas, they meet both friends and foes. Kat and Rune must find the shaman and stop him before their beloved island home is destroyed.

MIDNIGHT OIL

Shipwrecked on a legendary island, how can a witch rescue her boyfriend if she can’t even phone home?

Traveling with her newly-found grandfather, a raging storm catches them unawares. Kat is tossed into the icy seas, while her brother and grandfather travel on to find help. Kat is rescued by an unlikely creature, and Rune is captured by mutants. Only the magical Midnight Oil can save her brother, but an evil forest elemental is trying to stop her.

SCOTCH BROOM

A magical trip to Stonehenge lands a witch in the Otherworld where an ancient goddess is up to no good.

Kat is on her way to an exciting trip to Stonehenge but is led astray by a jealous rival. Caught in the Otherworld within the Scottish Highlands with a has-been goddess trying to kill her, Kat has to defeat the goddess and rescue her brother from the hag's clutches.

Witch Way? Excerpt from Witches of Galdorheim

I'm featuring excerpts from my books free to read for Kindle Unlimited subscribers and Kindle Owners Lending Library (for Prime subscribers).

Lucky KU and KOLL people can read the entire three book series with a single download. The only thing missing is a prequel short story (Spellslinger) for fans of the main characters smart-aleck little brother, Rune. Hey, the short is only 99 cents, so think of it as getting the ENTIRE four book series for 99 cents. 

Get your KU/KOLL Free Download of Witches of Galdorheim by clicking this line.

Today's excerpt is from Midnight Oil, the second book of the series.

Chapter Seven -  Witch Way?

The boat slammed into another wave trough, and the block slipped a few more inches. Kat feared it would slide off the boat at any moment. She edged out of the wheelhouse and dropped to her hands and knees to avoid the worst of the wind.

Ivansi glanced in her direction. “No! Stay!” he shouted. She ignored him and continued to creep to the stern, water and wind lashing at her, holding the sides of the boat or anything else she could get a grip on. 

“Don’t, Kat! You can’t do anything about it,” Rune yelled. With both hands occupied keeping himself and Nadia upright, he was unable to stop her.

She looked back at her brother and saw the desperation in his eyes. “Got to try,” she whispered, knowing the howling wind would whip away any words she spoke.

She reached the closest line holding the ice. Thinking hard, she tried a containment spell, gesturing with one hand while she gripped the rope with the other. The ice slipped again, tugging her to the back of the boat. The rope burned her hand, and she shut her eyes against the stinging salt spray. A huge wave hit, and Kat flew through the air, following her father’s body into the angry sea.

“No,” Rune screamed as his sister disappeared behind a huge wave. Ivansi slowed the engine, but he didn’t dare stop or try to turn back. He had to keep the boat headed into the wind or risk being capsized. The boat kept pitching with the high waves. Rune strained to extend his vision in the direction his sister and the block of ice vanished, but even his vampire eyesight couldn’t find her through the tossing waves and the wind-driven spray. The salt water stung his eyes, and the motion of the boat kept him from focusing in any one direction long enough to pick up Kat’s life force.

The wind blew them farther and farther away. Ivansi slammed the throttle to its forward stop, and with the engine screaming at full power, he attempted to bring the boat about. As he turned the bow away from the howling wind, the boat heeled over until the rail was almost under water. He had to bring it back around before it shipped too much water. Freed from the weight of Boris’ ice block, the little boat bobbed like a cork. Punching his fist against the wheelhouse wall in frustration, Ivansi brought it back. It was no use. The boat was no match for the wind and the monstrous waves. The sea tossed them around like a giant slapping the boat back and forth. Indeed, it was a giant—the giant sea playing with the toy boat.

Rune squinted against the spray and then turned back to Ivansi, whose grim face did nothing to raise Rune’s hopes. 

“We go.” The old man pointed away from where Kat had disappeared. 

“But we’ve got to go after her,” Rune yelled. “We can’t just leave!”

Ivansi looked away from Rune and spoke to Nadia.

Nadia turned to Rune, her eyes sad. “No choice. Boat can’t do it.”

Rune pulled away from her and slipped and slid toward the stern, searching the crest of every wave for something, anything that might be his sister. He saw nothing but the raging sea. Rune hung his head. He could see that trying to follow was useless. He held his hands up, closed his eyes and concentrated on a farseeing spell. Again, nothing. Kat was lost.

* * *

The three books in the series:

BAD SPELLING

A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?

Follow the adventures of Katrina and her half-vampire brother, Rune, as they chase down an evil shaman. Dodging the shaman's curses on a dangerous trip across the ice-bound arctic seas, they meet both friends and foes. Kat and Rune must find the shaman and stop him before their beloved island home is destroyed.

MIDNIGHT OIL

Shipwrecked on a legendary island, how can a witch rescue her boyfriend if she can’t even phone home?

Traveling with her newly-found grandfather, a raging storm catches them unawares. Kat is tossed into the icy seas, while her brother and grandfather travel on to find help. Kat is rescued by an unlikely creature, and Rune is captured by mutants. Only the magical Midnight Oil can save her brother, but an evil forest elemental is trying to stop her.

SCOTCH BROOM

A magical trip to Stonehenge lands a witch in the Otherworld where an ancient goddess is up to no good.

Kat is on her way to an exciting trip to Stonehenge but is led astray by a jealous rival. Caught in the Otherworld within the Scottish Highlands with a has-been goddess trying to kill her, Kat has to defeat the goddess and rescue her brother from the hag's clutches.

Review of Active Shooter by Eduardo Suastegui

Active Shooter by Eduardo Suastegui
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This novella is book 3 in the Our Cyber World series by Eduardo Suastegui. Its purpose is to introduce us to a new player in the Cyber series. Andre Esperanza is a former cyber-spy who just wants to go about his new job as a fine art photographer. However, circumstances throw him slam-bang back into the covert world he wants to leave. The LA airport is attacked by a band of terrorists. Split into groups, the terrorists are making their way to an airliner to plant a bomb. They're leaving plenty of bodies in their path. As it happens, Andre is in the airport and his training kicks in. He turns into Jason Bourne (not the actual Bourne, but sort of like that).

This whole airport scene is quite exciting and well-written. I could visualize every part of the encounters between terrorists, cops, and Andre.

The story continues to show us more about Andre's past as he gets together with the reporter interviewing him after the big shootout in the LA airport. However, Bridget is more than just a reporter. She has a secretive source who knows about Andre's past, but we never meet that source (that may be coming in "Pink Ballerina," the next book in the series). Suffice to say, Andre and Bridget end up in escape mode fleeing some nasty characters. Andre shows his resourcefulness. Kudos to Mr. Suastegui on his believable use of spycraft.

Let's just say this is an interim book meant to introduce a character in the next books. I kind of wish it was put together with Pink Ballerina to make it a bit clearer about who the bad guys are and what role Bridget plays in the future. Another interesting character added here is Luz, a woman who wants to represent Andre's fine art photography. She, too, will most likely show up later.

Overall, this is a good read, but I would have liked a little more to gnaw on about the bad guys. That's a little too unclear for me. I guess that just means I'll need to continue to the next book to find out what happens. Don't worry, though, this is not a cliffhanger ending, but it is a book which leaves you wanting more.

View all my reviews

Trolls on a Bridge - Excerpt From Witches of Galdorheim

I'm featuring excerpts from my books free to read for Kindle Unlimited subscribers and Kindle Owners Lending Library (for Prime subscribers).

Lucky KU and KOLL people can read the entire three book series with a single download. The only thing missing is a prequel short story (Spellslinger) for fans of the main characters smart-aleck little brother, Rune. Hey, the short is only 99 cents, so think of it as getting the ENTIRE four book series for 99 cents. 

Get your KU/KOLL Free Download of Witches of Galdorheim by clicking this line.

Today's excerpt is from BAD SPELLING, the first book in the series.

Chapter Fifteen - Three Trolls on a Bridge

“I hear three voices, but I can’t make out what they’re saying. Follow me. I’ll go ahead to see if they be friend or foe.”

Kat shook her head but smiled at Rune’s reference to the giant, close call and all. “Do you suppose they’ll grind our bones for bread?”

“Shhh.” Rune walked out of sight. The voices stopped, and then Kat heard a shout. Worried about Rune, she ran around the hummock to see what was happening.

Three trolls stood in front of a wooden bridge over a tiny stream. They held long knives pointed at Rune. They didn’t look very friendly at all.

Kat ran to where her brother and the three trolls faced each other. The trolls stood shoulder to shoulder, their big, splayed feet firmly planted in front of the footbridge. They bared their chunky yellow teeth and growled at Rune. Although hardly reaching Rune’s shoulder, they each outweighed him. Clearly, the trolls did not intend to let him cross. Looking up and down the streamlet, Kat wondered at their careful guarding of the bridge. Kind of silly, she thought, since anyone could easily step across the rivulet without even getting wet feet. She wondered if these were children, given their short stature. However, their long knives looked very grown up.

Enunciating each word, Rune held his hands out to show they were empty. Kat had no idea what her brother was saying, since Rune was speaking Old Runish. Except for a few spell words, Kat didn’t understand the ancient tongue.

Evidently, neither did the trolls. Rune spoke again, louder this time, and took one slow step forward. At this move, the troll on the left lunged at them, jabbing at Rune with his knife. Rune sidestepped the rush, and the troll, taken off balance, stumbled and fell flat on his face. Kat stepped over the troll and grasped his arm but only caught hold of his sleeve. He screamed and pushed her away. The other two trolls ran at her with their knives raised, yelling as they advanced.

Rune stuck out his foot and tripped the middle troll. The last troll standing went after Rune. The young warlock threw up his hands, arms crossed to fend off the attack. A bright red light arced from his hands to hit the charging troll in the face. The troll dropped his knife and fell to the ground, screaming and rolling around with his hands pressed over his eyes. Rune snatched up the knife and held it to the middle troll’s neck. Kat sat on the one she grabbed, pulling the knife from his flailing hand. The recipient of Rune’s flash attack kept his hands over his eyes.

Rune spoke again in Old Runish, shouting to make himself heard. It didn’t do any good; the trolls all continued screaming and squealing at the top of their lungs.

Kat jumped up from the troll’s back and grabbed Rune’s hand, pulling the knife away from the little man's neck. “Rune,” she yelled, “tell them we won’t hurt them!”

The thrashing troll froze then turned his cumbersome head toward her. 

“You can speak our language!” He slapped the troll nearest to him, who abruptly stopped screaming. The one whose neck Rune held the knife to spread his fingers to peek at Rune and Kat. 

Rune released the troll and stood up, looking a little sheepish. “I just assumed—” He stopped then shook his head.

Kat crouched on her knees next to one of the trolls lying on the ground and patted him on the shoulder. “We mean you no harm. We’re Wiccans from Galdorheim. Maybe you’ve heard of it?”

Slowly, the trolls climbed to their feet, looked at Kat, then at each other. The three trolls huddled, conferring together. Kat heard a murmur but couldn’t make out what they said.

Kat continued, searching for something to say. “My Aunt Thordis…” Three pairs of troll eyes turned to her and opened wide. They stared at Kat. The middle troll elbowed the one on his left, who giggled. The troll on the right gave a great whoop of laughter then slapped the middle troll on the back. All three trolls broke into huge guffaws and ended up leaning on each other, wiping tears from their eyes. Rune and Kat stared open-mouthed.

Finally, the middle troll controlled his laughter long enough to say, “We thought King Ole said to watch for the ones Thor sent. He wouldn’t want any Viking warriors breaking into the hall. ” He broke out laughing again before snorting a couple of times to clear his nose. “Maybe we got the message a little mixed up?”

“That’s understandable, but we hardly look like Vikings or warriors,” Rune said, backing away from the troll.

Kat smiled with relief. “Well, Aunt Thordis thunders a lot, and I have known her to conjure a lightning bolt or two. But she only does that,” Kat hastened to add, “when she’s really upset.”

* * *

The three books in the series:

BAD SPELLING

A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?

Follow the adventures of Katrina and her half-vampire brother, Rune, as they chase down an evil shaman. Dodging the shaman's curses on a dangerous trip across the ice-bound arctic seas, they meet both friends and foes. Kat and Rune must find the shaman and stop him before their beloved island home is destroyed.

MIDNIGHT OIL

Shipwrecked on a legendary island, how can a witch rescue her boyfriend if she can’t even phone home?

Traveling with her newly-found grandfather, a raging storm catches them unawares. Kat is tossed into the icy seas, while her brother and grandfather travel on to find help. Kat is rescued by an unlikely creature, and Rune is captured by mutants. Only the magical Midnight Oil can save her brother, but an evil forest elemental is trying to stop her.

SCOTCH BROOM

A magical trip to Stonehenge lands a witch in the Otherworld where an ancient goddess is up to no good.

Kat is on her way to an exciting trip to Stonehenge but is led astray by a jealous rival. Caught in the Otherworld within the Scottish Highlands with a has-been goddess trying to kill her, Kat has to defeat the goddess and rescue her brother from the hag's clutches.

A Taste of Texas Boy - No Angel

I'm featuring excerpts from my books free to read for Kindle Unlimited subscribers and Kindle Owners Lending Library (for Prime subscribers).

There are two editions of the book, but only one difference between them. The first is all text; the latest has the photo illustrations which are included in the Large Print Paperback edition. Some of the photos are from my family albums, others from the Portal to Texas University website. If you're interested in Texas history, this is a great site to bookmark and browse.

First, the links to the two KU/KOLL editions of Tales of a Texas Boy:

Original edition
Illustrated edition

So here we go with an excerpt with the illustration that goes with it.

NO ANGEL

Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. So goes an old saying. A boy with nothing much to do can sometimes find the worst possible things to escape boredom.

From what you've heard about me, you might come to the conclusion I was a well-behaved child. Well, I don’t mean to give you a false picture of what I’m really like. I know it’s hard to believe, but sometimes I did stuff that was not exactly admired by my Ma and Pa. I wasn’t exactly the devil, but I weren’t no angel neither.

Ma and Pa liked to go to town, that bein’ Hereford, on Saturday nights. They’d visit friends and sometimes eat at the diner. They left me home to take care of my sister Dorothy. Generally, we behaved ourselves as we knew the consequences if we didn’t. One of them Saturdays, I was outside not doin’ much of anything. You know, just watchin’ the clouds and throwin’ rocks and so on.

I noticed a flock of blackbirds lit on Ma’s clothesline, so I went in and got the shotgun. I loaded it with smallshot and snuck around the side of the house so’s not to scare the birds. I figured I could get the whole flock of birds if I shot straight down the clothesline from one end to the other.

I had to be real quiet, so’s I thought I’d sneak up on ‘em like I was a Comanche. I got down on my belly and rested the shotgun across my arms. The grass was high enough so I’d not be seen. I dug in my elbows and pulled myself real slow around the corner of the house. When I got to the lilac bush, I got up behind it and checked if the birds had a notion I was there. They just sat on the line and didn’t even look my way, so I hunched over and ran lickety-split to the oak tree. From there, I was right at the end of the line and no more’n ten feet away.

I leaned around the tree trunk and eyed the line. Yep, I could see right down it. My hands aren’t big enough to span both triggers, so I have to pull them one at a time. I figured I’d shoot the first barrel and then real quick-like, fire off the second. That way, I’d get to hit the flock twice.

I eased the shotgun up to my shoulder and pulled back slow on the left-hand trigger. The first shot blasted off and knocked me back a few feet where I landed on my rear-end real hard. I still held the shotgun in my hands, but I wasn’t in any position to fire off the second barrel. When I sat up and looked to see how many birds I got, I was in for a shock. All that noise and not one feather to show for it. But Ma’s clothesline . . . now that’s a different story. The durn thing looked like a dead snake layin’ there.

I knew right away Ma would not be pleased with this.

I got myself up and was wonderin’ what to do next when I looked up and saw the blackbirds flyin’ in a circle like they were waitin’ for the clothesline to be put back up for ‘em to light on.

Well, that burned me up they were so cheeky. To get even with ‘em, I set the butt of the shotgun on the ground, pointed it up at those birds and, standin’ to the side, pulled the second trigger. Boom! The birds flew up in the air, but I got me a little flashburn on my face from the hot barrel. I hadn’t leaned far enough away, I guess.

My ears was ringin’, but I decided I’d better get some twine and string a new clothesline before Ma got home. When I started up to the house, I saw Sister standin’ on the porch, laughin’ her fool head off. Of course, she’d watched the whole darn thing. Now, I knew if I were goin’ to get away without a whippin’, I’d have to come to an understandin’ with her.

* * *

TALES OF A TEXAS BOY

Also available in Large Print Paperback and Audio Book (only $1.99 if you purchase either ebook edition)

How do you handle a crazy jackass? Eddie knows. If you ask Eddie, he'll tell you pigs can fly and show you where to find real mammoth bones. Take his word for it when he tells you always to bet on the bear. These are things he learned while dreaming of becoming a cowboy in West Texas during the Depression. Through Eddie, the hero of "Tales of a Texas Boy," we find that growing up is less about maturity and more about roping your dreams. Hold on tight. It's a bumpy ride. A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys books like "Little House on the Prairie" or "Tom Sawyer." A great bit of nostalgia for seniors, too.

Book Review - Silicon Man by William Massa

Silicon Man by William Massa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm reading in the 3-book box set, but will review this one separately because I might not read the others (or not anytime soon).

I really like William Massa's writing. He's a real pro. I liked this book well enough. I cannot fault anything technically wrong. It's me, not you, William. I just don't buy your main character's (both of them) background, motivations, and behavior.

First, I don't think the supposedly professional AI-TAC trooper could possibly assign blame to an AI (cyber person) for the death of his wife and daughter. He has an entrenched belief that AIs are just machines, but somehow he can work up a desire for revenge against a specific AI? It just doesn't make sense to me. If a horse kicked your kid to death, does it make sense to 1) take revenge on all horses or 2) hunt down the specific horse to exact revenge upon it? Maybe the second, but the first motive is senseless.

Then, the method he's conned into to exact this nonsensical revenge is even sillier. Going undercover by becoming the thing you hate doesn't make sense to me either.

Anyway, if I get past the basic premise and just read the story, it's very good. That's why four stars. I'm not letting my own opinion of the far-fetched storyline condemn an excellent read for all those people who really haven't a clue of why I feel this way.

So, hate the basis, loved the book in all other ways.

View all my reviews

Review - Derelict by LJ Cohen

Derelict by L.J. Cohen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This first book in Cohen's Halcyone series is a great start. The main character, Ro Maldonado, is a prickly and talented young woman with an abusive father. And let me tell you, her father is a major jackass, a criminal, and an all-round candidate for worst father ever. However, his bad parenting is almost equaled by Micah Rotherwood's dad, a disgraced senator in league with Maldonado senior. All of the despicable behavior is in spoiler territory, so 'nuff said.

When Ro discovers Micah in the crashed derelict ship, she wants to move in as well. She's fascinated by the 40-year-old tech and wants badly to fix this abandoned ship for her own. Micah has been using the space for botany experiments, which involve growing some illegal plant material.

Jem Durbin is a brilliant kid who is a little bit infatuated with Ro and eagerly takes on projects to help her revive the Halcyone. His brother, Barre, is a genius in a completely different way involving music, but has a bit of a drug habit. When Jem finds Barre unconscious, he asks Ro to hack the medical system to get rid of any evidence of drugs in Barre's system. As soon as he can get his brother up and moving, he takes him to the Halcyone to hide out from their parents. Jem knows Barre will be sent to rehab if he's found, so off they go to join Ro and Micah on the derelict ship.

Okay, four brilliant teens messing about with an old ship. What could go wrong? Plenty is barely sufficient to cover it.

Overall this is a great setup for the series as we learn about the main actors in the series books to come (there are three in the series as I'm writing this, so hurry up and get started now).

This is a strong opening to an entertaining series which is not all fluffy YA kid stuff. There is plenty of tech here to satisfy the hardcore Science Fiction fan.

Highly recommended. I'll definitely be hitting the other books in the series soon.

View all my reviews

Ebooks on Smashwords - All Formats

Twelve books on Smashwords provides multiple formats other than Kindle. See everything I have to offer on my Smashwords Author page. Prices from #Free to $2.99, but you can set the price you want to pay on checkout.

Witches of Galdorheim Series:
Bad Spelling
A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?

Midnight Oil
Shipwrecked on a legendary island, how can a witch rescue her boyfriend if she can’t even phone home?

Scotch Broom
A magical trip to Stonehenge lands a witch in the Otherworld where an ancient goddess is up to no good.

Spellslinger
What does a teenage half-warlock, half-vampire do to have fun? Why build an old west town on a glacier in the Arctic?

Tales of Abu Nuwas Series:
Setara's Genie
A girl, a genie, a few demons. What could go wrong?

Faizah's Destiny
The gods are at war and only a farmer’s daughter can save the world from Armageddon.

Adventure and Mystery:
Missing, Assumed Dead
Prejudice, murder, insanity, suicide: Every small town has its deadly secrets.

Eagle Quest
A Vision Quest turns deadly when four friends confront eagle poachers in a wildlife refuge.

Science Fiction:
Ultimate Duty (Adult) and First Duty (YA)
A military officer must choose between her sworn duty or her rebellious blood ties. 

Collected Short Stories:
Mixed Bag and Mixed Bag 2: Supersized
Collections of short stories. SF, Fantasy, Mystery, Humor--a little something for everyone. MB2 contains all the stories in Mixed Bag plus a bunch more.