Jeffrey A. Davis - Revenge of the Ninja

Revenge of the Ninja
The Adventure Chronicles #1


By Jeffrey A. Davis


Available on Amazon

Product Description (from Amazon)

Jamie and Yoshi are late twentieth century members of the Funakoshi ninja clan who were trained by Yoshi’s uncle, Tanemura Funakoshi. When the Waruiyatsu, a sinister clan with an ancient grudge, attack Jamie’s high school and hold his classmates hostage in an effort to bring Tanemura and his two students into the open, Jamie and his clan sister are forced to attempt a rescue. 

Going along are a close group of friends, each with his own interest in the fighting arts. From Dave, whose muscle-bound frame and love of a good scuffle are overshadowed by his cheerful personality and kind heart, to Buster, whose Bible is his greatest weapon, each of their friends has a loyalty to them and each other that is stronger than the Waruiyatsu can ever fathom.

This is a story of courage, friendship, and faith ....

About the Author (from Amazon)

Jeffrey Allen Davis was born on March 2, 1975, in St. Charles, MO.The youngest of three boys, he was sheltered by his loving mother. Instead of going out to parties when he was in high school, he stayed at home and watched 80s ninja movies or played RPGs with his fellow geeks (a term that he uses affectionately). These experiences have found their way into his writing. His first book, "Invasion of the Togakura", was released in 2003 by Publish America. It's sequel, "Klandestine Maneuvers", was published by the same company in 2005. After a five-year hiatus from publishing, Davis founded a new press for his third book, "Lily's Redemption." A rewrite of his first book, retitled "Invasion of the Ninja," was released in 2013.

Davis is a licensed Baptist preacher and lives in the St. Louis area with his wife, daughter and two stepchildren. http://www.jeffreyallendavis.tk

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

A few years back, Jeffery Davis contacted me, asking if I would review his book, and I agreed, since the premise of a Christain Ninja novel appealed to me, not so much because I enjoy ninjas, but because I have cousins who do, and I wanted to see if it was a book that I could give to them.

I started the book right away, and finally finished it a few months ago, feelings very mixed. It wasn't entirely the book's fault that it took me so long to read it - I switched kindles in the middle of it, and since it was a review file, it wasn't easy for me to skip ahead through the book to where I'd left off. It wasn't until late last year that I was given my old kindle back and was able to finish the book. Still, since I wasn't interested in burrowing through the book to find my place, it meant that I wasn't invested - and I was halfway through the book. I should have been invested by that point.

Honestly, I think that the premise still holds a lot of promise. A ninja tribe converted to Christianity, but decide to retain their traditions and skills (the ones that don't involve mysticism, that is). I've been toying with a people group who did the exact same thing in one of my own books. The further premise that they're being attacked by one of their old rivals, I loved that, too. 

The problem with this book is a problem I see in many Christian books. It tries to do too much. Address all of the issues. As a result, the characters are molded to bring issues, rather than the issues brought up in response to the characters. There was a huge cast, but the only one whose name I can remember is Yoshi, and there are only a few distinct personalities that I can pick out from the rest of the crowd. I have a good memory when it comes to books. I don't forget people. But I was so meh about all of these characters that only the main character and the preacher kid, and the preacher kid's love interest stand out in my mind. Oh, and Yoshi's ... uncle, I believe it was.

The main character, Jamie (just referred to the book's description to get his name...), is an American kid who was honorarily adopted by Christian Ninja tribe after a run-in with thugs a few years back where he showed fighting promise. Now he keeps quiet about his ninja skills at school ... until a bully pushes him over the edge. Oh, and then the rival tribe shows up and besieges them in school.

After that, the book alternates between action scenes and conversations about Sensitive Topics.

Topics like swearing, salvation, domestic violence, saving yourself for marriage...

Granted, these are important topics that need to be addressed, but this wasn't necessarily the best book for them. It felt as though the characters were built for the sole reason of talking about these issues. In short, it came out preachy. Even for a book with a preacher kid in it. There was even an awkward jab at abortion at the end that just ... fell flat.

I might have forgiven it, if it hadn't ignored the glaring issues that the book was MADE to address. Violence and the dangers of mysticism. There was a LOT of fighting. Sure, the characters would express remorse for outright killing, but they had no problems with knocking characters unconscious, which, contrary to popular belief, can potentially kill someone. If a knock to the head is hard enough to render you unconscious, it's enough to kill you.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-fighting, and I knew what I was getting into. Giving that the enemies were trying to kill our characters, I don't blame them for fighting back. I just wanted there to be more than just a few moment's remorse, and an acknowledgement that they'd not come out of the incident the same when it was over.

Mysticism was addressed even less. A bit at the front of "oh, we don't follow those ways," and then at the end when a prophecy popped out of nowhere and uncle claimed that it might actually have weight.

And then the villains were ... faceless. They were there for no reason but to be fought. Oh, and they're trying to kill the main cast, and traumatized Yoshi when she was younger, but they had no individual personalities.

My other issue was the flashbacks. They're clearly marked, but I failed to notice and was seriously confused on the first one. Normally, I'd forgive them, since they're marked, but almost of the information you learn in the flashbacks is either pointless or it could have been just as easily conveyed in a three minute conversation elsewhere. I'm not a huge fan of flashbacks, though - I've rarely found a book with them that I felt handled it well - so this may be a me-issue.

I don't hate this book, and I don't feel that the time reading it was wasted. I'm just very meh about it. And I don't want to feel meh about a book.

Genre/Theme: Action/Adventure, Christian, Contemporary

Reading Level: TEEN - upper elementary to middle school 
Profanity: NONE - no offensive language, as far as I can remember, though glancing through the other reviews, it is stated that a character does swear, but his words aren't given. 
Sexuality: SUBTLE - hinted, but not explicit. Two of the characters have a discussion about waiting until marriage to have sex. 
Other: 
There is a LOT of fighting. I forget how graphic it was, though, because I tend to skim action scenes.  

Ernie Lindsey - The Two Crosses

The Two Crosses



By Ernie Lindsey


Kindle Edition Available



Product Description (from Amazon) 

Publication Date: March 26, 2012
When Jay Cross heals a paralyzed man just by shaking his hand, and is able to do it again and again, his quiet, cozy little world is on the verge of shattering.  The one thing that would make it all worth it, the one thing that would make him embrace his abilities, won't work, no matter how hard he tries.

At the same time, only a few miles away, David Kreutzer wipes his hand across his wife's forehead and cures her failing eyesight.  He, too, is able to repeat these healing miracles, and in doing so, he sees the bright glow of dollar signs.  Millions of them.

Where did this ability come from?  Why were they chosen?

And who is the mysterious stranger lurking in the shadows, waiting for his chance to destroy them both?


From the Author
The 'last chapter' Epilogue that reviewers refer to below is no longer present in the current version.

The Two Crosses, as a contemporary fiction novel, could fall into a number of categories.  Readers say it's a blend of literary fiction and others say it's Christian suspense, so there's a little bit in there for a variety of tastes.  You be the judge, have fun with it, and happy reading.  You may want to buckle up, because it is not your mama's Christian Fiction and it does have some rough-around-the-edges language.  The characters question their faith in where a supernatural ability like this could come from, but as a whole, the novel is not overwrought or preachy, as one reviewer kindly states below.  If you have questions or comments feel free to get in touch with me over at ErnieLindsey.com.



About the Author (from Amazon)



Biography
Ernie Lindsey grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of southwest Virginia, herding cattle and chopping firewood, and has spent his life telling stories to anyone that will listen, whether its sitting around a campfire or hunched over a keyboard. He currently works as a freelance writer, and is the author of two novels and numerous short stories. Ernie and his wife Sarah live in Bend, OR.



O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel

Sometimes you wonder “what was I thinking?” when you pick up a book and begin to read it.  Then when you finish you are still wondering “why?”   Such was this book.  There were only two or so characters in the book that I actually felt any degree of “like”.  One was a preacher, and the other was an older man that ran a mechanic shop.  Jay Cross and his girlfriend were alright, but still rather shallow.

The story did have its moments, and there are parts that I really enjoyed, but mostly, it was a book that I was glad to see the end of, and it left a sour feeling.  Maybe some will enjoy it, but it just wasn’t for me.

Some labeled this a Christian novel, and since it deals with faith healing, and God, and there is a preacher that quotes scripture, I suppose it is.  But I was never sure if there was a positive message or not, I was left with a feeling that God was a mystery man, you do your best, and hope He lets you into heaven.

Jay shakes hands with an injured and paralyzed football player one day, and the man begins walking.  He hasn’t walked in three decades, and suddenly he is walking around a grocery store.  Of course news like that gets in the paper.

Somewhere else in America, David’s son wants his parents to see the words on the tree outside.  David touches the words, is jolted, and when he reaches over to touch his wife, suddenly her failing eyesight is restored.

Jay tries to hide his healing powers.  David wants to make money from his.  Jay wants to help others, especially his deaf girlfriend.  David is willing to loose his wife and son in order to gain fame and fortune.  Throughout the book, the two are contrasted.  Neither are particularly faithful Christians, if they can be called Christian at all.

A man hears of a healer, he decides to investigate.  He is something of a mental case, and is sure God wants him to kill the False Preacher Fake Healer.  He bides his time, he is confused by the two names, but there couldn’t possibly be TWO?  Could there?

What did I like?  I enjoyed the constant comparing, contrasting of the two men and their reactions to this seeming random gift of healing.  One timid and wanting to help everyone that he could, but secretly.  And the other loud and pushy and pulling in crowds.

I also liked Ace, Patty, and the country preacher.  The country preacher came the closest to Christian character of anyone else in the book.  I loved the way they helped and advised the young couple looking for answers and help for their ailing car.   I also liked David’s wife and son, as they refused to be a part of the exploitation of “the healing touch”.

What I didn’t care for?  The language, it used God’s name far too often.  I didn’t like the “christen maniac” man, Conner, for me, he pretty much ruined the story.  David was a jerk, as was the man who was helping him.  I can’t think of a single part of the book that Conner was that I liked at all.  The beginning  ... what gives with the butterflies?  Nor did I care for the ending.  Jay seemed to compromise himself.  And I’m not a fan of sensational or vague abrupt endings.

Not everyone will love every book, I know that.  There are many out there who will get a thrill from the faith healers and not be thrown off by the language.  But this was not a book for me.  Parts of it were good enough to pull me along to the end, mostly because I wanted to see how Jay resolved his dilemma, for I didn’t care much for any of the other main characters, and skimmed over many sections trying to avoid the language.



Note:   This topic would be confusing and dull to most youngsters, and would probably not appeal to anyone under 13.  Some parts of the book are quite crass and violent.

Genre/Theme: Suspense / Adventure, Current Time, Healing Preachers

Reading Level: Mature TEEN - high school to college
Profanity: MODERATE/HIGH – lots of mild words & quite a few stronger expletives  --  some characters have very clean language, and others have very bad language.
Sexuality: MILD - descriptions of affection/desire  -  One preacher is married, and his wife leaves him.  The other healer is touring the countryside with his girlfriend, and it is obvious that they are sleeping together.
Other: One person shot and killed, one man is determined to kill the false preacher.

Andrew D. Mellusco - The Mirror and The Meretrix

The Mirror & The Meretrix
Blackstone & Brenwen 


By Andrew D. Mellusco


Kindle Edition Available 





Product Description (from Amazon) 

Red Riding Hood is charged with murder and only her childhood sweetheart, the idealistic and roguish lawyer, Elliot Blackstone can rescue her. Joined by Blackstone & Associates' newest addition and fervently ambitious trainee, Centaur Epona Brenwen, he must uncover the plot behind Abigail Hood's incarceration before royal assassins, Rose Red and Snow White silence her for good.

Meanwhile Blackstone's lawyers, Sandman, Vincent Traum and, Fire-Nymph, Fury have their own problems as a seemingly innocuous insurance case involving a magic mirror turns deadly as a murderous and thieving band of seven Dwarf-Giants are released for lack of evidence.

Could these two cases be linked? And what is the real identity of Hansel, murder victim and robbery witness? All the lawyers do know is that somebody wants the magic mirror and will kill to get it. Elliot Blackstone just might be facing the last case of his talented but young life.

Blackstone & Brenwen - The Mirror & The Meretrix is an exhilarating legal thriller set in a fairy tale World-Tree, where peril lies behind every precedent and adventure within every adjudication. The term ‘magic circle law firm’ has never been so appropriate.

For those lovers of all things lawerish, fantastical, and all manner of craziness in-between.



About the Author (from Amazon)

Andrew was born in 1978. Raised in picturesque Lincoln he spent his infancy watching the jousting at the castle in summer, and his childhood playing kiss chase in the fields behind his house; he always wanted to be a knight... or a rogue... a knightish rogue perhaps? Having escaped an adjuster's life in London Insurance land, Andrew now teaches English as a foreign language. He has taught in Thailand, Taiwan, Argentina and is now teaching in Spain. Andrew is currently working on his second Blackstone & Brenwen novel.

http://blackstoneandbrenwen.weebly.com


O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

I love reading Fairy Tales written in new and unusual ways. When the author contacted us asking us to review this book, I was intrigued by the combination of Fairy Tales with lawyers! And, while I’m not a huge fan of the crime genre, I do like a good mystery, and, as I’ve said before, it was combined with Fairy Tales. His website decided it for me. It has to be one of the best Author sites I’ve ever seen!

So I offered to read and review it.

For the most part, I really enjoyed it. There were at least twenty Fairy Tales worked in. They weren’t completely true to the Fairy Tales, but they were usually clearly recognizable. I even found Charles Perrault, a fairy tale writer, in there. “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” “Snow White and Rose Red,” and “Jack and the Beanstalk”  were the most important and prominent, but I really enjoyed the scene where Elliot visits the tailor shops and meets “The Brave Little Tailor” and the two imposters who are making “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” There were even a few of the more obscure Fairy Tales.

The main characters were Elliot, Vincent, Fury and Epona. Elliot is half angel and is a Criminal Defendant, Vincent is a Sandman and is in Finance, Fury is a Fire Nymph and is in Insurance, and Epona is a Centaur, and is Elliot’s new trainee. They were pretty well developed, although I found the Vincent/Fury romance a tad bit sudden on Fury’s part.

I didn’t find very many plot issues, but there were a few glaring ones. For instance, I had Vincent’s and Elliot’s parentages mixed up for a while, due to the fact that Vincent’s was explained in a flashback before Elliot’s is explained, and, at that point, Vincent had not been properly introduced. Also, it is stated that Elliot’s angelic parentage is secret from Vincent; however, Vincent seems fully aware that Asmodeus is Elliot’s uncle.

I did have some issues with the angelic/demon part. In this book the angels are, for the most part, bad, and the demons are good. The “fall” of the demons had been because they thought that the humans ought to be considered as part of society and ought to be protected, and the angles thought that they were parasites. Also, Elliot was too much of a womanizer for my tastes.

The World-Tree was an interesting concept. However, I was not able to completely form a good image of it in my head. I’m sure the author has it completely worked out, but I couldn’t quite merge the scenery with a tree. I really tried.

Also, the meretrixes, which were important enough to be in the title, were not explained until nearly the end. If they had been explained sooner, things would have made much better sense for me. From various clues, I had assumed that they were a sort of waiting maid to the queen. However, they were more of a companion for single male visitors of importance. They sit beside them at meals, dance with them at balls, or even simply take walks with them in the garden. They are supposed to be perfectly beautiful and to not have relationships.

Other than those issues, I really enjoyed the book. I can really see this author becoming quite popular. The plot was amazing! Elliot kept me guessing as to what string he would next pull to get them to bring Abigail to justice. The story was told in a rather all-knowing sort of way, so often the only mystery was what was going through Elliot’s head. However, there was a proper balance of stuff for me to foresee, and stuff for me to be surprised at, so it wasn’t bad. I love how the Fairy Tales were used – usually in completely unexpected ways. The plot was genius, pure genius.


Note: This was border line for me when it comes to sexual content. Nothing was described, but it was referred to a lot, and was even observed fleetingly in the second chapter. If it had been any worse, I would have handed it up to my mother, although I’m not sure she would have enjoyed the crime/lawyer plot as much as I did, as that is even less of her genre than it is mine.

Genre/Theme: Lawyers, Fantasy, Fairy Tales, crime/murder mystery
Reading Level: MATURE TEEN - college to
ADULT - self-explanatory 
Profanity:  LOW - few mildly offensive words. Mostly British and words unique to the World Tree
Sexuality:  OBVIOUS - blatant sexuality in text, but not explicit. No details, but two characters are obviously making love in the second chapter. Elliot is stated to have slept around (including, it’s hinted, with Fury), and his room is decorated with stuff like a nude Valkyrie pen holder and a fertility headdress. 
Other: The murderess bites a hole out of the victim’s windpipe, then drinks some of his blood.  The two assassins do quite a bit of killing, some of it quite bloody. The victim’s body is rather gruesome. There is quite a bit of death, actually. Drinking is encouraged by the Lawyer firm, one of the mottos being “a problem shared over a drink is a problem solved.” There is also some witchcraft.

KaSonndra Leigh - When Copper Suns Fall

When Copper Suns Fall
The Lost Immortals Saga #1

By KaSonndra Leigh

Kindle Edition Available





Product Description (from Amazon)
In fifteen-year-old Chela Prizeon’s city, alchemy is forbidden and angels hide among the mortal. With a deadly virus ravaging the globe, Chela’s nightmarish memories compels her to experience a past riddled with gloom, and now her brother is infected. 

"Chela’s only hope is the Caduceans, slayers sworn to protect the last seven Light Keepers and the ancient memories they share. A group led by the sometimes elusive, sometimes infuriating boy who intrigues Chela. But can she trust this boy with the mysterious past, someone who can influence her memories? 

With the Caduceans aid, Chela races to defeat her rivals, to unearth dark family secrets, and to find a cure…only to discover the glutovirus is far more than a simple disease. 

In this haunting debut, KaSonndra Leigh offers an escape into a world filled with celestial creatures, fascinating villainy, high-stake choices, and a secret romance, When Copper Suns Fall, is a fresh and original urban fantasy—with a dystopian twist—that will take readers on an unforgettable adventure.

About the Author (from Amazon)

KaSonndra Leigh was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. She now lives in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, North Carolina. She likes to write about teens doing fantastical things in magical worlds. Her two sons have made her promise to write a boy book next.

She holds the MFA in creative writing, and loves to play CLUE, Monopoly (the Indiana Jones version), and Pandora's Box (good writer's block therapy). She lives in an L-shaped house with a garden dedicated to her grandmother. It has a secret library complete with fairies, Venetian plastered walls, and a desk made out of clear blue glass.

http://www.kasonndraleigh.com/

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel

This book is set in a near future – about 55 years is all.  Although Fantasy/ Post Apocalyptical is usually among my more favorite genre’s, “When Copper Suns Fall” just kind of missed the mark for me.  Not that it wasn’t a good story, because there was a lot of imagination and action, not too much romance, but it just fell short of a great novel.

First, the vocabulary kept you either guessing at words or trying to muddle over them or reaching for a dictionary.  Now I really don’t mind new words in a story, but considering that this is, I think, a book aimed at teens, the language and new words made it boggy, even for an adult looking for a story you can just sit back and enjoy.

Second, the action jumps around and is often rushed.  You lose the sense of where you are and when you are quite often.  I think having a paperback version would have helped a lot, but with a Kindle, you can’t just flip back and see if you missed something a few chapters back.  More than once, I wondered if I should go get a pen and notebook and try to take notes so I could keep when and where and who straight.

Third, there are many characters that pop in and out of the story in unexpected places, and become a huge part of the story line, but they are totally flat characters.  I couldn’t remember where they came from, let alone who they were.  It was very confusing for a minor character to suddenly become so important to the story line.  Most of the characters were left as paperboard thin personalities, and what little you did know, didn’t define their character much, and often contradicted what you thought you knew about the character.

Fourth, the climax ties itself up very poorly.  I was very confused at the end, other than the one point of she lied about what happened to the Beast.  I felt as if most of the questions raised in the earlier parts of the book were still hanging, not really sure if they had been answered for much of it.  Unfortunately, I don’t really feel compelled to try to read it a second time to try to straighten out everything that I didn’t get or understand the first time through.  Mostly because  I’m not much of one for rereading books, even the ones I dearly love.

On the positive side, it was a fairly clean read, not too much on the sex or profanity front, I think there were some rough words from some of the “mean” characters, but mostly it steered clear of the really bad language, and the same with the sexual situations.  I really appreciated that in a book with such a young heroine.

Also, the action moved along at a good clip, keeping you involved in the story in spite of not being overly sure when, or where, or who you were with at the time.  The action was very easy to get into and follow along with as you read the book.  Somewhere about halfway through the nearly 400 pages of book, it began to develop a rhythm and most of the characters were becoming familiar enough to keep the story interesting.

Chela is a great lead character.  She’s got her quirks, but you find yourself routing for her as the underdog that bad things just keep mysteriously happening to her and her beloved twin brother.  As the story moves along, you learn that most of these unusual things are purposely perpetrated against her to provoke a reaction, and she usually reacts.   And she’s got some great friends, although we only really get to know Jalen.  And the two boys who seem to suddenly be vying for her attention.  She’s kind of trapped in a 3 way tug between the 3 boys.

There are basically 4 types of people alive after the Tidal Wars.  The Tidal Wars were caused by the two ruling groups of angels – the Caduceans and the Tainted.  There are two types of humans, gifted and normal.  The gifted get to live in protected special cities.  The normals have to live in the ruined parts of the world.  There is also a strange army – Sons of Created Shade – that appeared to be either zombies or robots transformed from actual people.

The story takes place in just one of the eight protected cities of the new world, it appears to be in a South Eastern area of what use to be America.  I was not sure if the rest of the world was in similar state or only America, although it appeared to be a worldwide problem.

Basic Plot

The book opens with Chela visiting her comatose brother Micah.  There is a mystery surrounding his accident that she feels compelled to solve, and must prevent his becoming a vessel.  Once she has been thrown out of the hospital, she spends some time wandering around and thinking and looking at things ... and you begin to piece together the picture of her life and Micah’s accident as she begins to tell her story – first person narrative.  We learn a few interesting things right away, first, her father is a Historian, she and her brother were Homeschooled, and her real mother was an angel ... Seraphim.

The reminiscing soon gets her into trouble at work, and later at the park, and gets carded.  The whole event is rather strange.  Chela has one hot temper and a quick tongue, it gets her into a lot of trouble.  Usually her Dad can get her out of trouble, because of his position, but not this time.  Meanwhile, she meets up with her friends, go to a big party hang out, and she sees something she shouldn’t see ... only for some reason, she can’t really remember much of it.  But she met a guy ...

The Borough is having costing week – something I never quite figured out.  Maybe I’ve not read enough of this genre?  But she has to fight the champion, and if she wins, her sentence at the Barrows will be reduced.  While waiting for her match, she meets another new guy, and again meets the guy from the party place.

Now she gets told that she’s got to watch the Thoughtmasters while she’s at the Barrows, and be a spy.  She really isn’t sure what she is looking for, unusual behavior.  But now the two boys keep popping up in the strangest places.

She meets the dreaded Beast, and discovers she has wings.  There is so much going on that the plot is difficult to capsulate into a short form.  You find that the two boys are angels – each on opposite sides of the war – and each want HER for who she is and what she can do.  Both sides are giving her tiny bites of information and misinformation.  She doesn’t really know who to trust, nor does she understand her powers or how to trigger them when she needs them.

But she has to decide soon, because everyone she holds near and dear to her heart is being threatened in the great struggle for possession of her gift.  She has to decide before it is too late.

Readers who like Angels and lots of adventure will likely enjoy this book.  It has a definite genius under the surface, and if you can handle the difficult parts of the book, it is a very enjoyable read.  There are many great scenes that will compel many readers to keep reading, and most serious readers should be able to get to the end of the book.  A talented editor may be able to help her work out the rough spots and help turn this into a best seller.  Often, an author gets to know their world so well, that they don’t realize that others can’t see the same picture as they do, and what is plain to the author is choppy and confusing to the rest of us.

There are many unanswered questions as the book ends.  It is a world that is slightly familiar, but had enough strange things that I never quite grasped the nuisances of social or political structure.  More than once, I wondered if the world was loosely based on some TV or movie or other books that I have not watched or read, as it seemed as if the author assumed that we were familiar with some things ... such as costing day.

My daughter and I both fell in love with the authors name, KaSonndra, and Kendra has written it down to use as a character name someday in her own writings.  She is a gorgeous lady, from looking at her picture, and I wish her all the best as a writer.  She has definite talent and an amazing imagination.  I enjoyed the book and felt it was pretty original with a lot of interesting ideas.  It is an interesting world, and could definitely host quite a few more books in the setting provided.

 

Note:   While this book is tame enough for readers as young as 12 or so, many that young will find the reading/ vocabulary to be difficult.  It is not an easy read, but it is intriguing and action filled.  It is fast paced and challenging.   It is a story about destiny and loyalty, and discovering that everything you thought you knew and understood about your world – is pretty much wrong.

Genre/Theme:  Fantasy, Angels, Post Apocalyptical, Teen, Mystery/Adventure
Reading Level:  Mature TEEN - high school to college 
Profanity:  MODERATE - mild words & a few stronger expletives 
Sexuality:  MILD - descriptions of affection/desire 
OBVIOUS - blatant sexuality in text, but not explicit 
Other: Betrayal is a strong theme  in this book, angels  appear to be the creators of earth and are at war for power over the humans.

Ben and Annie Grimley - Andromeda's Moon

Andromeda's Moon

By Ben Grimley and Annie Grimley

Kindle Edition Available 


 Product Description (from Amazon)
While boldly sneaking aboard the final flight of the U.S.S. Explorer with her cat, Pickle, twelve-year-old Andromeda Starwell finds herself on an unexpected journey--to the Moon! Stranded on Apollo Research Base, the young stowaway barely has time to miss home when the lunar colony becomes the scene of a mysterious theft. The prized Lavalight Crystal has been whisked away under the very noses of Base Security without a trace--no clues, no suspect, no hope of solving the crime. Worse, in the wrong hands, the Crystal has the power to wreck the entire colony! With Inspector Ride's official investigation going nowhere, Andromeda teams up with her brilliant but flaky, daydreaming classmate, Pixie, and a double-dealing, four-armed robot, Rad. Together, they must thwart a diabolical plot to melt Apollo Base into a puddle of molten moondust. And, in between moondiving, rocketboarding, meteorite dodging, and low-gravity food fighting, Andromeda still has to figure out a way to get home...

About the Author (from Amazon)
Ben Grimley founded PBS KIDS Mobile at PBS, where his team received honors including a Parents' Choice Gold Award, Teachers' Choice Award and a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Educational Publishers for work in educational media. He continues to work on educational apps for kids of all ages, with a particular passion for math and science games. He also has a penchant for writing poems about the moon and for sneaking midnight snacks. Andromeda's Moon is his first novel.

Annie Grimley is his 12 year old daughter.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

I have a love/hate relationship with the mystery genre. I love watching the logic of who done it, and trying to stay one step ahead of the mystery solvers. However, I hate it when the mystery solvers are sticking their noses where they don’t belong, especially if the mystery solvers are kids, and there is someone else supposed to be solving this mystery. If they make the person who is supposed to be solving the case look petty and incompetent, I like it even less.

This book fell firmly into that category. There were times when I put it down and I almost didn’t return. The only thing that kept me coming back was a desire to know if my suspicion about who the villain was was correct. I had had the guy picked out for the villain the moment they introduced him. I was correct, by the way, but I won’t tell you who it was. You can figure it out for yourself.

This book was advertised as being full of hilarious moments … and I suppose it is … if your idea of hilarious is getting laughs from someone else’s pain. There were moments I did laugh, but most of the time I just cringed or rolled my eyes. Mom says I talked to this book a lot.

I had no love for the main character, Andromeda, and very little sympathy for her plight. The reason for her getting stuck on the space ship was her own fault. She was being disrespectful of authority, especially of her father. She probably could have avoided getting trapped on that space ship by simply not taking her cat with her. That cat did NOTHING for the story, other than getting her trapped on the space ship, and I would frankly like to know how she zip-corded while carrying a cat cage. My mental image just falls short. I did finally figure out why the cat came though. You see, this was a co-write and one of the authors was a twelve year-old girl. Every twelve-year-old girl has her favorite animal, Annie’s just happens to be a cat, and obviously the cat just had to come along as a result,

Andromeda, or Andrie as she was often called, reminded me of a spoiled brat. She was manipulative, conniving, disrespectful and all around left me with an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach. The only thing that ever induced me to feel sorry for her was when it was revealed that her mother got lost on the far side of the moon. There was only one thing that she did that I at all applauded was when she stood up for a girl who was being teased.

This book is also advertised as being scientifically accurate, as it was reviewed by someone from NASA. I’m sure that, on all of those points it probably was. However, something I always wondered was why technology is so much more advanced on the moon than it is on earth. I can understand why the stuff that involves people not weighing as much would not be on earth, but I would have thought that the classrooms on earth would have much of the same technology as does the ones on earth, especially Andrie’s school, as she just struck me as someone who runs in high technology circles. I mean, her dad designed the rocket she rode on!

Now, this wasn’t a bad book, and I did eventually come back every time I put it down, and I probably would read a sequel if one came out, but there were a lot of things that left a bad taste in my mouth. Maybe a twelve-year-old who goes to a public schoool wouldn’t have a problem with it, but I, a homeschooled 17 year old, did.

Genre/Theme: Sci-fi, children’s, mystery
Reading Level:  CHILD - children's literature 
Profanity:  LOW - few mildly offensive words, all from one guy who only appears in the beginning and towards the end.
Sexuality:  NONE – except for when Andrie knees one guy where it counts, and some other s joke that if she prevented him from ever having kids, she had done the world a favor. Honestly, I think that should have been left out considering the intended audience.
Other: 
There were a lot of “Accidents” by one character, Harry. There was one kid who was the brunt of many practical jokes, which could have been left out. Andrie and her friends face quite a few near-death encounters. Andrie disobeys a LOT.

Sean McDevitt - The Wizard Murders

The Wizard Murders


By Sean McDevitt

Kindle Edition Available





Product Description (from Amazon)
The year is 1981. A small California town is rocked by a series of seemingly random -and increasingly violent- murders. An aging detective tries to capture the elusive killer- but with so few clues, can anyone stop the killing?

About the Author (from Amazon author page)
Sean McDevitt is a filmmaker, videographer, actor and -thanks to Amazon- published author.

His brand new full-length fictional crime novel, titled "THE WIZARD MURDERS", is now available for Amazon Kindle. It is a project that he has worked on -in one form or another- for nearly 30 years.

He is also the author of "The Velvet Sofa," which is based upon a never-before-published short story written by the author's late father, Dr. Steven J. McDevitt.
This biography was provided by the author or their representative.

O.Scarlett! Review by Tenya
*Special NOTE - Sean has revised this book recently, and I am looking forward to the re-read soon.
      A couple months ago I followed a Twitter link to a You Tube trailer for this book. The trailer is simple, but intriguing. My fifteen-year-old son watched over my shoulder and said that the trailer made him want to read the book (me too!). This is a big deal because that boy does NOT like to read ANYTHING. Now that I have it downloaded, he’s waffling… I guess he’s waiting for the movie.
       This is a short novel which I found easy to read in the midst of one of my mother’s far too infrequent visits and the presence of many extra family members in and out of my house. It took me about one week to read simply because I was very busy. Ordinarily, it would be an easy one or two sitting book. I did not have a problem keeping the plot and characters straight as I read in snatches here and there. That does not mean that the plot is overly simplistic; the plot is quite involved, truthfully.
       I did struggle a bit with the present-tense in which the author chose to write. After about half way through the book, however, I was captured enough by the story to not notice it any longer. It did feel as if I was reading a script or a police report, which could be considered a genius device by McDevitt that really places the reader almost literally within the pile of paperwork heaped upon the desk of the police detective who is the main character.

When a small, southern California town is sent into a tailspin over a young girl’s murder, aging detective Andy Pitt must try to follow the strange series of clues left by the killer before he claims his next victim. In the wake of the ensuing murders, Pitt, along with his partner Clarence and a bubble-gum-chewing secretary, scramble to discover the secret behind the only real evidence they have – the strange paintings of a wizard at each crime scene. Deciphering cryptic clues and reading star charts is not what Pitt has in mind for this stage of his life; he planned to be sitting in a cabin somewhere in Maine – finally retired from police work. But, when the police chief is diagnosed with cancer, the burden of keeping the little town secure falls squarely on Andy’s shoulders.

       Figuring out the clues along with the characters, and sometimes before the characters, is the real fun of reading this book. I enjoy investigative police drama on television, and this book was quite familiar in the way it presented the story in that manner. I do wish the book had a bit more depth to feel more like a suspenseful full-length feature film instead of a sixty minute TV show. I put the read down feeling like I needed more “episodes” to really get to know the characters better. If the author’s intention is to follow-up with more short novels in a series, The Wizard Murders is a great beginning.  I would really have liked to see more about the killer himself revealed slowly throughout the story.  I think it could have really tweaked the suspense factor of the book.
       Sean McDevitt certainly has great potential to write very intriguing and involved thrillers and mysteries. I look forward to watching him grow as an author. Although I felt that this book left open-ended options for more character depth and plot intrigue, I would definitely pick up the next write by McDevitt and gladly read it.
       I think my fifteen-year-old would actually enjoy this read more than I did. Now, if I can only get him to pick up the Kindle and put his eyeballs on it… In the meantime, maybe you should start working on the screenplay, Sean!

Notes:
There is no sex in this book at all. The language is mostly mild except that ‘Jesus Christ’ is misused quite a few times. This is a police investigation of multiple murders, so be prepared for a bit of gore and the macabre. The last murder is the worst, but the author does not go into explicit detail about blood and guts. It’s simple text which explains the facts without the gore – like a TV crime drama in words.


Genre/Theme: Police drama, murder mystery, thriller
Reading Level: (by appropriateness) TEEN to ADULT – as long as one is not bothered by bloody murders as the subject matter
Profanity: MODERATE (just generally heard expletives once in a while, but Jesus’ name is misused several times)
Sexuality: Almost NONE – There are a couple references to Pitt thinking the secretary is kind of ‘cute’ and there’s very subtle flirtation in one scene. A mention of teenagers going to a place outside of town for partying and such is quite subtle. Anyone of a basic maturity could handle what is mentioned without embarrassment.
Other: As mentioned above, this book is a murder mystery about multiple murders that get progressively gorier. One scene describes, although not in too graphic detail, a man dying and a lot of blood on the scene. The final murder scene is pretty gross, so people who are very sensitive to that sort of thing might not like it. Expect bloodiness and such as it is the theme of the book.

Alan Skinner - Blue Fire and Ice

Blue Fire and Ice
(The Land's Tale #1)


By Alan Skinner

Kindle Edition Available





Product Description (from Amazon) 

Product Description
Fanatsy and adventure for readers 12 to adult
Blue Fire and Ice is the first book in The Land's Tale.
A totally original book with characters unlike any you've met before in a magical but believable world that delighted teens and adults alike. Lose yourself as the rather serious Beadles seek help from their neighbours - the unpredictable Muddles and the clever but grim Myrmidots.

Plot synopsis: The Land is in peril... Fires are ravaging Beadledom. In the face of terrifying, unquenchable blue flames the Beadles turn to their unpredictable neighbours, the Muddles, for help. But aid from the Muddles brings its own risks... Drawn together to save The Land, seven unlikely heroes set out to find the secret of the blue fire and the identity of the mysterious arsonist who will stop at nothing to destroy them all. Full of the most unusual characters and packed with intrigue, humour and adventure, Blue Fire and Ice is the first in an exciting new series of books about The Land.



About the Author (from Amazon)


I've been many things in my life but they were all just slices of time layered on the one foundation - a writer. Sometimes you forget what you are and some times you just think I'll get around to that when all these rainy days are over. You have to be careful about that; there's more rainy days than you think there will be when you're young.

Now all I do is write - and spend more time than I ever thought I would letting people know about the books I write. These days, it seems to come with the job but I find I do really like it when people get in touch with me and ask me things or say thank you. It's great.

Some people ask if I use all the things I've been in my writing. I don't think I've written enough yet to have used even a small part of what's happened in my life. I've been fortunate to live in wonderful places: Boston, Melbourne, London, Zurich. Great things have happened in all those places.

But you don't really want to know about me. The best part of me is what I write. So I'll stop here and let you get back to reading my books. If you do want to ask more, just get in touch.


O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel!


I picked this book up for Free on the Kindle, featured by Pixel of Ink Young Edition.

Back when I was really young, maybe 7, my parents took us to an outdoor theatre where a group of young thespians put on a play based on “the Hobbit”.  I was mesmerized and thrilled.  It would be years before I finally laid hands on the book, for I didn’t know the title, and was able to read the story for myself.   Through the years, very few books have left me with the same level of thrill for the land and the people – so many are just rewrites of the same thing and the same people – and while the stories are grand and wonderful, there is not a sense of wonder and amazement and innocence as the book unfolds.

This book isn’t “The Hobbit”.  But the Land is just as magical and simple and refreshing as the Shire.  I loved the Beadles and the Myrmidots, and especially the Muddles.  It’s the sort of tale where you snuggle your older child in for the night and they happily listen for hours while you both forget the time because the story is enchanting.   On the other hand, I really could see people not loving it as much as I did – simply because the action is lower key and the people so innocent.  If you want blood and gore and steamy sex ... this is not the book for you – because there isn’t any.   No, ....  I’ll take that back, there is some blood – the adventure is not without peril, but it’s not gory, but there are several pretty scary parts.  Parents really should read it ahead of handing it to a child younger than 9, especially if you have a more sensitive child.


As I started the book, I wasn’t very hopeful, but settled in to rock my baby to sleep, and kept reading to not disturb her, and by the third or fourth chapter, I was pretty much hooked, and by the time I reached the 50% marked, I was enchanted.  It is a simple and sweet story, with mystery and adventure, somewhat the flavor of the Wind in the Willows.

There are three groups of people that live in the Land.  Brian is a Beadle, and the first character that you meet.    Life has always been calm and ordered for the Beadles.  They don’t like surprises or change or adventure much.  And then the fires started – BLUE fires.  When they fire department tried to put out the fires, the water made the fire even larger and more violent.  They needed help, so Brian was sent to ask the Muddles for help.

Muddles are everything that the Beadle’s are not ... and they have the strange knack of “Mixing” whenever a bird shaped cloud flies overhead.  You won’t believe the trouble that causes in the book!   And the Myrmidots live on the other side of the Muddles – they are stern and ordered and they invent things.

Brian doesn’t like changes to his routine.  Brian doesn’t like surprises.  Brian doesn’t like falling into rivers or being sent flying through the air by a Muddle goat.  Brian really doesn’t like Muddles.

But ... if the fires are not stopped – the Beadles will find it difficult to survive.  So to the Muddles, Brian returns.   They promise to send their own fire truck after much debate ... and they almost catch a lady ... a stranger that nobody knows ... and then she escapes.

When some young Muddles spot a woman that nobody knows going across a massive ancient bridge and into the mountains – a place nobody goes and from where no one has ever returned  ... they bring news to the town and suddenly Brian finds himself in charge of far more adventure than he has ever wanted or bargained for.

This is not a short book at 336 pages, and it spans at least a month or two of time.  There are so many funny and wonderful people to meet.  The Muddles especially were full of unique and completely surprising individuals.  The three people groups have always lived as isolated as possible from each other, but to solve the mystery of the fires and the strange woman, they will have to work together and venture farther than anyone of them in history has ever ventured before .... or are they?    Leave it to the Muddles to come up with some wonderful surprises and amazing solutions.  Maybe the Muddles aren’t so bad after all?

Alan Skinner has done a remarkable job at creating a fun and fascinating world of likable characters with realistic personalities and problems.   I laughed, I cried, I stayed up late to read the next chapter ... and the next one ... and the next until I cringed and then laughed at the end.   And you will be so shocked when they all discover the truth, not only about the fires and the strange woman, but also about themselves and the Land that they live in.

I find this book rather difficult to do a basic plot ... so I will keep it very short.

Beadles buildings are being destroyed by Blue Fire that explodes when sprayed with water.

Beadles ask the Muddles for help, and they agree.  Together, they begin to unravel part of the mystery of the Blue Fire.

Beadles and the Muddles go to the Myrmidots for help to travel into the mountains.  A team of individuals from each group is selected to travel together.

What they find in the mountains .... changes everything they thought they knew about themselves and their home.

This book is not so much about the plot, as it is about the people, their land, and learning to set aside prejudice to work together to save them all.



The Second book is available – The Furnaces of Forge.   

Also a short story called Buckle and the Pirate.

The author has one other book, but it doesn’t appear to be about The Land.


Note:   Best enjoyed by those who love long rambling epic adventure stories full of innocence and imagination.   The book doesn’t have deep language or powerful forces like the Hobbit, so those expecting an epic adventure of that level will be disappointed – it is a much simpler style such as the telling of Wind in the Willows.   Some children as young as 4 or 5 may enjoy listening to the story as well.

Genre/Theme:  Children, Fantasy, Mystery/Adventure


Reading Level:    due to vocabulary and book length – best suited for children at a 4th grade reading level or higher.
CHILD - children's literature
TEEN - upper elementary to middle school

Profanity: NONE - no offensive language to
LOW - few mildly offensive words   (the generic variety – dumb, hate,  stupid, darn)

Sexuality: NONE -  (the worst you will see is two characters looking at each other and blushing.)

Other: This story is as simple and as mild as possible --- but there are elements that will make some parents cringe if they read the book to a younger child, and possibly cause a parent to not give the book to even an 8 – 10 year old.  There is a magic that causes the Muddles to Mix – exchanging their arms and legs with each other, as well as many spots of slightly crude humor, and people get hurt a lot, especially after they cross into the mountains.  There is a near drowning, explosions (bomb like), and basically a suicide (as the witch/woman steps into a hot light on purpose).  Concepts such as greed, slave/servants, and prejudice caused violence are broached.

Kirkus MacGowan - The Fall of Billy Hitchings

The Fall of Billy Hitchings
A John Reeves Novel #1


by Kirkus MacGowan

Kindle Edition Available





Product Description (from Amazon)
The John Reeves Creed: "Kill them with kindness. Unless you have a gun."

Book Description:
     John Reeves, an ex-Marine, drives to Myrtle Beach to confront his fiancée, hoping to repair their damaged relationship. Instead, he finds her unconscious in the hospital, the victim of an unexplained explosion at a local restaurant.
      During his investigation, Reeves meets Billy Hitchings, a teenager who knows more about the explosion than he should. Their questions lead to an ancient legacy best left alone.
     Pulled into yet another crossfire, John Reeves fights to protect his friends and keep a primeval power from falling into the wrong hands.

From the Author
The first novel in the John Reeves series is a stand-alone. Reading the series in order isn't necessary.


About the Author (from author's Amazon page)
     Amazon bestselling author Kirkus MacGowan wrote his first book at age eight about traveling to Mars to find the cure for cancer. He put his writing dreams on hold for twenty-five years and focused his energies on playing baseball. He moved on when he found playing softball with his friends more enjoyable than his pipe dream.
    Since then, he graduated with a B.S. in Psychology, married a woman too good to be true, and moved back to his hometown. He gave up an amazing career waiting tables and now stays at home with his two crazy children. He spends his time writing thrillers and fantasy, playing softball with friends, enjoying the occasional computer game, and wrestling with his kids.
This biography was provided by the author or their representative.



O.Scarlett REVIEW by Tenya
I downloaded this book because the cover caught my eye. I'm not even sure I read the description very closely, and for some reason I thought it was about baseball. I have no idea why I thought it was about baseball, and although I was looking forward to a sports-oriented story, I was not disappointed that baseball was not the theme because this ended up being a simply-written but uniquely styled thriller worthy of the paranormal genre.


The very first paragraph captures the reader's attention. It's a thriller filled with action from the first line, although throughout the book, pages of calm give the reader a break. I was unsure of the constantly switching point-of-view writing style at first, but once I got used to it, I actually enjoyed the device. Each chapter is titled with one of the character's names, noting from which point-of-view the chapter is written. It was not at all confusing. In fact, I enjoyed the few chapters where the points-of-view overlapped the same time period. Perhaps even more of that type of overlapping might have given this book a new sense of cohesiveness. The chapters are short, a fact I found convenient since I tend to read in snippets between loads of laundry or school work. I did not have to back track two or three pages each time I picked it back up to reorient myself.

I really enjoyed the archaeological aspect of the plot, but wish there had been a bit more detail to underpin that part of the story. The story might find a deeper richness if the archaeological and Native American themes were played up. Although some reviewers have commented that they found the characters to be shallow and not fleshed-out enough, I did not find this necessarily true. I found I could see and understand the main characters well enough to really care about what happened to them, especially Billy and his friend. The author’s portrayal of these two young men on the cusp of manhood, their adventures and misadventures, read as an authentic microcosm of young adult life in America.

At the beginning, the reader is introduced to John, the rough and tough security-guard-for-hire. Immediately drawing the reader into his story, the author then switches to Billy’s story. This back-and-forth from one character to another tactic helps build the tension at the beginning of the book as the plot begins to unfold. All the primary players are introduced in some way within the first few chapters, but it takes a while before their connection to one another is fully revealed.

I suppose I could agree with the thought expressed by some reviewers that many of the actions of certain characters make no sense. John’s break-up with his fiancé is caused by his illicit actions with a near stranger in the front seat of his car. I wish it had been some other reason to qualify the breaking of their engagement, but it does establish John’s impulsive and sometimes uncontrolled nature. Therefore, accepting some of his seemingly irrational behavior later in the book is not so difficult. I’m not sure, at least in this reader’s mind, he ever quite redeems himself in spite of all his noble actions. I enjoyed the quirky descriptions of some of the peripheral characters, like the chain-smoking woman who rents out beach cottages and the grumpy girl who works at the burger joint with Billy.

Anytime an author can leave me with my mouth agape because I was expecting the climax of the action and didn’t get it, they’ve really done something. Kirkus MacGowan builds and builds this event, the last great battle so-to-speak, but pulls the rug right out from under the reader in a way that lurches the stomach. I literally felt sick. Then… there’s the slow burn to the finale and resolution of the story. Yes, the end is slightly ambiguous, but the author has given the reader the opportunity to use their own brain to figure out the pieces of the puzzle and complete the picture for themselves.

With flurries of action, danger and thrills, MacGowan has written a good story interspersed with discovery of the underlying mystery, creating a suspense compelling enough to keep the reader going back over and over to finish the read. A lot of fun, eclectic characters fill the pages, their lives woven together intricately in a plot that surprised me in places. Even with the touches of the legendary element and paranormal themes, The Fall of Billy Hitchings is a down-to-earth story about everyday people, the kind we all know.

This book will not be an exercise in stretching your vocabulary skills or something that will spin your brain like a tornado, but it was extremely entertaining, a very promising debut novel. There is more to come from this promising author who, like most of us, will improve with experience and time. I look forward to seeing what Kirkus MacGowan produces in the future.

Note:  I was sweetly satisfied that the reasoning for the title of the book is not revealed until near the end of the story, so do not get frustrated over the title's seeming misfit -- it DOES work!
     There's a good bit of violence in this book.  John gets shot a couple of times and bleeds a lot.  A dog is killed and a few things like that.  Generally, there are some rough characters in the book, but that's the nature of the story.


Genre/Theme:  Modern-day Paranormal Thriller
Reading Level: (by appropriateness) MATURE TEEN to ADULT
Profanity: (by amount in text) MODERATE - just general cursing, not much of the really "bad" words - and not too much throughout the text at all
Sexuality:  OBVIOUS - There's really only one scene (or group of scenes) near the beginning of the book, none of which is overly explicit.  These scenes center around one "bad girl" character who soon falls out of the story.  Other instances of attraction are described, but it is quite subtle.
OTHER:  As mentioned above, there are a good many scenes with violence, including guns and bows & arrows!  This book does have paranormal elements centered around the archaeological artifacts and Native American legend.

Donna Varnes - The Cove

The Cove
by Donna Varnes

Paperback through Amazon





Product Description (from Amazon)
The Cove is a story within a story. Destiny Dawn, a fantasy writer, is duped into buying beach-front property contaminated by a toxic spill. The reader enters into her fantasy world full of mermaids, sand fairies and water babies, and their dilemmas, as she writes her novel. Meanwhile, Destiny's own life is becoming more and more bizarre and confusing. Why does the handsome marine biologist show up looking like one of the characters she invented? Why do the Iranians want her balding cat? And why does a black Mercedes keep following her? Does she just have an over-active imagination, or are the chemicals causing hallucinations and paranoia?

About the Author (from Amazon)
Born in Billings Montana, Donna Varnes and her husband, Ed have traveled through every state and ten countries, and consider all of the USA as "home." She and her husband of 41 years, have six children and 17 grandchildren. Donna considers their remote forty-acre homestead near Denali National Park, as her "nest." There they experienced the real Alaska by living in a small cabin, home-schooling their children, and using sled dogs in their everyday living. It was also the inspiration for several of her short-stories published in the Anchorage Daily News and Mushing Magazine. Donna earned an Associates Degree in Christian Ministries from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, as well as an AAS in Developmental Disabilities from Prince William Sound Community College in Valdez, Alaska, where she started writing The Cove. She also completed a BA in Elementary Education from the University of Alaska, Anchorage.



O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

      When handed this book by my Grandfather a year or so back, I was intrigued first by the cover, and secondly by the description of it being a story within a story. I was curious as to what that meant. I soon found out. Destiny Dawn is a Fantasy author, and you get to read portions of her book, which is set in the contaminated cove in front of which Destiny has just been duped into buying a house. The story she writes obviously draws heavily on her real life – but then she starts seeing the characters from her books! Whether these are hallucinations due to the toxic water she lives next to, or whether her book characters are actually coming to life … you’re never quite sure, as the evidence goes both ways.
      As an author myself, I found myself really relating to Destiny. She suffered writer’s block – often – and was really disturbed by her characters coming to life. While it is every author’s dream (well, for many authors), how would we react if they actually did come to life? I also loved her refusal to use her real name (it’s not really Destiny Dawns!) and the fact that, on a whim, she bought a fairy costume and would wear it to write in.
      Of course, there was some romance – in Destiny’s real life. The problem is, she’s scared of him as he looks just like a sketch she did of one of her characters and the first time she sees him, he’s in a special suit to protect him from the toxic chemicals. Even after she gets over being scared of him (which takes a while) she still gets mad at him almost every day. There was practically none (romance, that is) in the book she’s writing (a fact she notes herself).
      And then, there’s the cat she finds and names My Tom, who is going bald (she knits a sweater for him as a result, another thing I liked about her) and she is convinced that the terrorists that she’s seen are after him.
      It’s not quite clear if Destiny is a Christian or not, but I assume that she is, as one of the main human characters in her story returns to Christianity after running from it so long. My problem with that, however, is with putting it with the “made-up” part of the book, it might make the readers think that that, too, was made up.
     All in all, I liked it, especially Destiny’s antics.

Note: There were some issues with the formatting of the book. Some sentences and paragraphs were bold for seemingly no reason and quotation marks were often pointing the wrong direction (and attached to the wrong word) or missing altogether, and I would have preferred the book to have been single-spaced rather than double spaced.

Genre: Mystery/Suspense, Fantasy, Christian
Reading Level: TEEN - upper elementary to middle school
Profanity: NONE - no offensive language
Sexuality: NONE – unless you count the fact that the mermaids are hinted to not wear clothing.
Other: Jake does stick Destiny with a sedative needle and takes her to the hospital against her will.