C. F. Fruzzetti and M. I. Pearshall - The Light Bringer's Way

The Light Bringer's Way
(The Light Bringer's Series)


By C. F. Fruzzetti and M. I. Pearshall


Available on Amazon

Product Description (from Amazon)

In book two of the The Light Bringer series, THE LIGHT BRINGER’S WAY, Whitney and Reid arrive home after their first mission and Whitney is left wondering if and when her eyesight will return. More of Reid’s secrets are revealed and Whitney discovers together they can accomplish more than she ever imagined. THE LIGHT BRINGER’S WAY deftly weaves a physical journey of adventure through Africa rife with dangerous obstacles to obtain an ancient spear of pure energy with an emotional journey of love, trust and belief. The dark and deadly path she must travel down calls on Whitney to use her strengths to survive but will she once again be able to turn adversity into advantage? Each second counts in this young adult adventure as more truth comes to light and Whitney finally discovers Karen’s hold on Reid...or does she?

About the Author (from Amazon)

Best friends since childhood, Carolyn Fruzzetti and Meghan Pearsall always knew that they would work together on a creative endeavor. In 2011, they formed Pure Energy Books and released SUNDIAL, the first novel in a young adult series.
Originally from Alexandria, VA, Carolyn currently resides in Arlington, VA with her husband and two daughters. Carolyn has a B.S. in Public Administration from James Madison University and is a professional culinary graduate of L'Academie de Cuisine.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel

Overall, I enjoyed book 2 of this series almost as much as the first one. The romance department rivets up a notch or so, and so does the action and adventure. The story picks up almost immediately at the closure of book one, so there is no interruption of the story line. In fact, the entire book takes place in very few weeks times and culminates on Halloween where the book ends with a bombshell of a discovery. The foreshadowing of this discovery is throughout both books, but believe me, you will probably miss it just like I did! Of course, the authors already have their third installment available, so no waiting to see how this will move the story along.

The story has the same setting, with another overseas adventure, this time stylized after Indiana Jones. There is even a mine train ride! The plot was excellent, speed without being too rushed, details without drowning in them, info dumps were kept to short clips in a fashion that made them seem natural. There were tons of new information that will thrill and amaze and keep you riveted at the edge of your seat for most of the story.


Basic Plot


The story opens with hours of the last books ending. The mission has been completed, but Whitney is now blind. Of course, she doesn't let that stop her. She may be blind, but she still has her intuition and she is perfectly healthy otherwise. She finds herself in a fight with Reid and manages to best him, proving to herself and others that she will manage life being blind if she needs to.

The group returns home and life resumes right where it picked up. Everyone in the high school believes Whitney was absent due to an allergic reaction to nuts, if only they knew the truth. But things don't really go back to normal, events have been set in motion, and nobody is safe, especially not the ever independent Whitney. Reid certainly has his hands full trying to keep her safe. Whitney isn't very sure she can trust Reid yet either, just what kind of hold does Karen have on him, rumors have it that she is his girlfriend and she wants him back.

But life is not going to drift back to "normal", by Chapter 3 there is a family emergency that has Reid whisking Whitney as well as her best friend Blair and Patrick off to the yacht. There they meet Reid's aunt, and she has a job for the 4 teens. The plane leaves in two weeks. She also drops some history and background into Whitney's lap and is shocked that she had no idea any of this was happening. Imagine discovering that most of what you thought was true about your life and the world around you was just a cover up for a whole sub world of people with special talents like Whitney and Reid.

The four teens arrive at their destination, where the adults will keep an eye on them as best they can, and begin to work their way toward the retrieval of a special artifact. Of course, the plans go awry almost as soon as they get settled. Que the Indiana Jones music, because shortly after they leave the plane in Chapter 8, the action will involve deep caves, molten rivers, poison darts, melting floors, mine trains, secret riddles and much more. Time is ticking. Nothing is as it seems. And everyone must face fears and learn to work together. The only other option is failure and death deep inside of the mountain puzzle.


As a whole, I enjoyed the "old world" explanations of history and how whole races of secret people with amazing talents have been manipulating legends and history from the earliest days of history. Peoples who hear more than others, see more than others, can predict time, and many more. Whitney was in for more than a few shocks and surprises.

The genre stayed true to the first book. A lot more kissing, but about the same as far as action, no gore - although their were bones. Language was mostly clean. Self Control was still a big theme, and so was learning to trust others and the importance of good communication. Whitney had a lot to learn about keeping secrets, and when it was important to share feelings rather than keeping them secret.

Genre/Theme:  Paranormal, CIA, Adventure, High School, 1980s, Sci-Fi

Reading Level:  TEEN - middle school and up
Profanity: Usually None .... but occasionally leans toward
 MODERATE - mild words & a few stronger expletives  (the text is really quite clean)
Sexuality:  MILD - descriptions of affection/desire   (lots of kissing)  some skimpy clothing and some wet clothing
OBVIOUS - there is a shower seen that is "interesting", it's an outdoor shower, so Whitney is fully dressed.  Quite a bit of snuggling and touching.  Also one accidental nude scene at the beginning - no descriptions - but to explain would be a plot spoiler, it involves a shared shower and accidentally walking in on the other person.
Other: The last several chapters are very intense – Indiana Jones adventure style, ESP and other skills

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.

K.C. Neal - Pyxis

Pyxis
Pyxis #1

by K.C. Neal

Kindle Edition Available






Product Description (from Amazon)

Publication Date: December 2, 2011

Two worlds.... One 16-year-old girl must learn to protect them both. The nightmares haunting Corinne and her friend Mason hint at a universe that exists beyond the one they know. Her destiny is to protect a weakness between the two worlds, but the person who was supposed to teach her how is dead. As Corinne and Mason search for answers, she tries to ignore the sparks igniting between them, but can't deny she feels safe only when he's nearby. Will they find help before their nightmares break free?

About the Author (from Amazon)

Most of K.C. Neal's days are filled with some combination of writing, reading, gardening, working, and watching stuff on Netflix with her husband and their maltipoo, Oscar. She has an irrational fixation with L.A., and during occasional trips there she pretends her life is more glamorous than it really is ("Entourage" is her guilty pleasure). She likes to surf and hang out on sandy beaches, where drinks are served adorned with tiny umbrellas.

This biography was provided by the author or their representative.

O.Scarlett! Review by Rachel

Pyxis was an easy book to pick up and keep reading.  The story did a good job of sucking you in and pulling you along. Although I didn’t feel drawn to keep picking up my Kindle to read more, I didn’t switch to another book either.  But since reading it, I’ve hardly given it a second thought.  I would consider this a great rainy day read – fun and just a bit disturbing. 

I picked this book up because the story sounded fun and the reviews were pretty good.  The book has been fairly well edited meaning that most of the time I enjoyed the book, but there were also some dull and confusing spots.  The mystery and the details of the colored liquids and the teen drama it created, and later the search for a prom dress did not appeal to me.  Younger girls may find these parts exciting.  There is enough foreshadowing in the book to make it almost too predictable.  But overall, I did enjoy the story.

The story has a great beginning; I laughed and had to read the beginning to my daughters.  Everyone has heard of the bake sale ruined by an unreasonable person claiming that the food isn’t meeting “standard guidelines”.  This is a very well-played twist on the theme.  (The book opens with a bake sale.)

---------------------  Basic Plot  ----------------------------

Corinne has baked petite fours for her school’s bake sale.  They are a huge hit, but the kids who took a treat from her table, begin to act very strangely.  The boys suddenly want to date her; the girls want to be her best friend.  This doesn’t go over well with her nemesis Sophia, a few tables down.

Angeline helps her to connect their strange actions with the kids who bought her treats,  especially as the weird behavior continues into the afternoon when the girls go to work at Corinne’s father’s cafe.  What had Angeline done differently in making the petite fours?  She had used some old food coloring that her grandmother had left to her when she died.

After a few experiments with the food coloring, similar results are achieved, although not everyone seemed to be affected.  They decide to stop experimenting and try to find out more about this box marked Pyxis, especially when they find a paper tucked inside with the names of Corinne’s grandmother and aunt, plus her own, and then Angeline’s name, and Mason’s name... with a blank for the fourth name.

Mason’s family has been away in Africa for several months, and he had been almost dating Corinne just before he left.  But something happened, and she has a picture to prove it.  Corinne wants nothing to do with him.  Then suddenly Mason is back in town, and he’s having the same disturbing dreams as Corinne.  In fact, the only time that they don’t dream this disturbing dream, is when they are together.  Mason begins sleeping over in the evenings so they both can get much needed sleep.

It is a race against time, as the three teens try to solve the mystery of the box and what it has to do with the dreams.  One of Grandma Doris’s neighbors has the answers, but he can’t tell them as long as Aunt Dorthy is alive, who was struck down with a stroke on the day Grandma died.  In her dreams, Corinne is told to give Aunt Dorthy the white liquid.  After several failed attempts, she is able to sneak some to her, but there is no change – at least not immediately.  A few days latter, Aunt Dorthy calls and wants to come home.  She can speak and take care of herself again.  She begins to teach the children about the magic box.  But is it too late?  And who is the mysterious fourth person needed to make the magic work?

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A sequel is planned for the end of July – you can follow this author and her books at http://kcneal.blogspot.com/.

Note:   Most young teens will enjoy this book, but it does touch on some issues that may be inappropriate for some younger readers.  There are issues of teen drama and bullying, talk about sleeping around, liquids with magic powers, an evil force (demonic?) cloud that appears in their dreams, and mind reading.  If it was a movie, I’d rate it PG.

Genre/Theme:   Fantasy, Modern USA, Paranormal – Psychic, evil forces

Reading Level:   TEEN - upper elementary to middle school 
 Profanity:  LOW - few mildly offensive words 
MODERATE - mild words & a few stronger expletives 
There is very little profanity, but quite a few gray-area words.

Sexuality: MILD - descriptions of affection/desire   -   Older brother is sleeping with his girlfriend.  He assumes that his sister and Mason are also sleeping together.   Some kissing
Other: Teen Drama / Bullying.  Dreams are sinister and disturbing.  

J. Sterling - In Dreams

In Dreams



By J. Sterling

Kindle Edition Available




Product Description from Amazon
When Katherine Johns starts dreaming about a boy she doesn't know, her college roommate Taylor is determined to find him. Convinced he must exist, Taylor is relentless... until she finds out exactly WHO the mysterious stranger really is.

The realization sends the girls down a path of unimaginable heartbreak as they learn how to navigate their new reality.

Follow Katherine & Taylor's journey through love, friendship and tragedy in this emotionally captivating debut Young Adult novel (suitable for ages 12+).

About the Author from Amazon
     J. Sterling is a Southern California Native who has worked in the entertainment industry for what feels like her whole life. She has worked in radio, commercial casting and most recently for the Walt Disney Company (who doesn't love Mickey Mouse & Disneyland?) and Lucasfilm Animation (Star Wars, anyone?). She holds a degree in Radio/TV/Film and spends way too much of her time drinking Starbuck's Chai Tea Lattes and eating frozen yogurt. Really, can you blame her? :)
     In her spare time you'll most likely find her taking hundreds of photographs or watching a baseball game with friends. She loves to travel, meet new people, see new things, and is generally a ridiculously happy person all.the.time.
     Annoying, right?
     Nah, we think it's pretty awesome.
Jenn enjoys hearing from her readers:
     Website & Blog: http://www.j-sterling.com
      Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheRealJSterling
     Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RealJSterling

This biography was provided by the author or their representative.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel

Aimed at teen readers, this book should be liked by it’s target crowd.  The story has enough romance, teen drama, and mystery to appeal to the younger crowd.

The story was simple, and the book was a fairly easy and fast read.  The author has published updates that have fixed many of the typos and grammar errors, but still there is an immaturity to the book that leaves it feeling somehow flat.  There is action, suspense, romance, mystery ... but no real depth to the action or the characters.

----------  Basic Plot  --------------

Katherine and Taylor are roommates/housemates at a university.  They were instant friends the moment they met.

Katherine begins having the most amazingly real dreams ... about a man she has never met, yet feels like they are destined to belong together, and yet something feels very wrong.  Taylor thinks he may be real, and thinks the whole thing is very exciting.  And then there is Taylor’s best High School friend, Kylie, who seems to instantly dislike Katherine when she comes in for the weekend to visit.

The very day that her dreams begin, she and Taylor meet some amazing young men at a fraternity party that are the stars of the hockey team.  They instantly hit it off.  But somehow, Katherine cannot get past her dream man.  She feels that Cooper is a wonderful man, and he sweeps her off her feet, and his touch burns ... but her dream man keeps coming up between them.

Finally, it is Thanksgiving, and Katherine goes home with Taylor.  There she finds that Taylor is a middle child between two brothers.  The older one was killed in a tragic car accident and also involved his girlfriend Kylie.  A younger brother has been greatly affected by his brother’s death.  You can almost hear the mystery music playing, as the plot thickens.   Katherine almost goes into shock when she sees a picture of her dream man in a picture in Taylor’s room.  And everything takes a downhill spiral.  All Katherine wants to do it sleep, so she can spend time with her dream man.  Cooper is unsure of how he has offended Katherine, and begins to suspect that she has met someone new.

Finally, the 2 couples end up together at Cooper’s Lake house, where things seem to be going right ... until Katherine falls through the ice, and Cooper risks his own life to save hers. 

Now both of their lives hang in the balance and they must decide who lives and who dies and who gets the girl.

-----------------------------------------------------------

This book is outside of my preferred genre, so if Romance novels are your cup of tea, this may very well be a sweet little read.

The fact is that the boyfriend ends up being a dead man – with an eternal connection with Katherine.  They have lived many, many lives together, and loved deeply.  Reincarnation is a big part of this book, as well as how the afterlife and memories work.  The beliefs have an Eastern Mysticism flavor.

Genre/Theme:  Teen Romance, Dreams, Afterlife, Reincarnation

Reading Level:  TEEN - middle school and up
 Profanity:  MODERATE - mild words & a few stronger expletives 
 Sexuality: MILD - descriptions of affection/desire, there is some kissing and touching 
 Other: Rather graphic descriptions of a car accident, ice accident, and a hospital stay