Review: Five Days Left by Julie Lawson Timmer

Five Days Left by Julie Lawson Timmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very well-done. Two distinct stories, not one. Link between them is tenuous. Both stories are gripping in themselves. One seemed to resolve a little to easily. A flip flop of situation. I very much liked this story, though I didn't expect that I would.

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So, that's probably one of the shortest reviews I've posted here. I borrowed this from the library and read it for book club, which this book seems made for. These are some of the things we discussed.

Book club topics:
Huntington's disease: knowing vs. not knowing, whether suicide in the case of terminal disease is acceptable, whether leaving while somewhat functional is better than staying beyond one's ability to even recognize family.

Adoption/foster care: motivations of families who decide to foster/adopt, resolving feelings of jealousy of attention (foster mother in this was jealous of her husband's attention to Curtis over the baby she was carrying), marital strain when one spouse wants to adopt while the other doesn't.

Suicide: Selfish or selfless, particularly in the case of debilitating terminal illness.

If you've read this, feel free to tell me what you thought of it in the comments.

Conclusion of Fight for Valor sale. A big thanks to all of you for supporting it...

I'd like to thank everyone who took a look at my books or spread the word about them last week when Fight for Valor was on sale. And, for those who picked up a copy, I hope you enjoy what you read.

This story will always have a special place in my heart as my very first trilogy. Shadows of Valor was the first book I wrote on my own. Forgotten Valor was first sequel I ever wrote. And Fight for Valor was the longest book, to date, that sprung from my imagination, and also one of the most difficult to write, since I didn't want to blow the trilogy in the final act. I learned a lot by writing these, but mostly I had fun.

I've always loved origin stories, and Edwin's origin continues to intrigue me. I've been tossing around the idea of going backwards in time to the events hinted at in Fight for Valor, if only to explore that potential. Believe me, you'll be the first to know if that becomes a reality.

Anyway, thanks again. Don't forget to leave a review wherever you like leaving them, tell your friends about the story, or drop me a line on Goodreads.

And, in case you missed the sale, but would still like to read the trilogy, here are the links. Folks signed up for Amazon Prime or Kindle Unlimited can read all three for free.

 

New Release Spotlight: The Lizard Queen Books Five and Six by H.L. Cherryholmes

Today I'm featuring two new releases in a new series that has quickly become one of my new favorites. You know the kind that just resonates with you, that draws you in and feels good to read. I believe there are 9 of these in total, and we are on books 5 and 6 now. I really can't wait for the next ones, either. 

Fans of fantasy who enjoy richly developed worlds, interesting characters and intricate plots will likely love this series as I did. It might help to dust off your Spanish, but it isn't really necessary except you'd get some of the clues and interesting connections a little sooner.

Anyway, enough about that, here are the latest in The Lizard Queen series by H.L Cherryholmes.



The Lizard Queen Book Five: A Wedge Between

Release Date: August 14, 2015

As word makes its way across the nations that the prophesied Lacáruna has arrived, the forces against Amy Darlidale press on from unseen corners. Now the reach of danger seems to have penetrated the realm of her own mind. Although jolted by the sacrifices her protectors have had to make, Amy forges ahead as new relationships surface and new truths are revealed.

When the group is forced to turn in a new direction and it becomes less clear who to trust, Amy has no choice but to seek out the help of a Trotéjo comrade with whom she’s barely had a passing acquaintance in order to find the remaining Extiguos. Yet despite her resolve to fulfill the Promise of a New Morphósis, Amy understands that achieving this goal is going to be difficult. Because now it seems she’s not the only one on the Most Wanted List.

*~*~*~*

The Lizard Queen Book Six: Furious Angels

Release Date: August 14, 2015

Forced to rely on her own instincts, along with the limited knowledge she’s gained of this world in the quest to fulfill the Promise of a New Morphósis, Amy Darlidale must find a way to acquire the remaining three Extiguos to piece together the prophesy and reunite her team of protectors. But despite feeling constrained in her ability to combat otherworldly forces she cannot comprehend, she discovers she must now strive to overcome the darkest intent of those before her as an emerging foe poses an unimaginably sinister threat.

As new truths are revealed by those she thought she knew, Amy finds the lines between this world and her own continue to blur. Pushed to her limit, she shatters preconceptions about what she is capable of and takes charge of her fate. Forever changed, she pushes forward toward her destiny but finds she must reclaim what was left behind before she can move ahead.

*~*~*~*

Follow links: 

Want to know right away when the next one comes out? Follow the H.L. Cherryholmes' Amazon Page. While you're at it, check out his Goodreads Author Page, too, and give him a follow there.

Buy links:

Interested? Here's some links. You may find my reviews for each rather easily since there aren't many. If you pick one of these up, add yours to the mix. Even a few words and a rating help. :-)

Special military organizations, psychic powers, and a decades old war...

This year I completed my first trilogy, Shadows of Valor. I wanted to share all three of them today and to announce a freebee at the end.  Happy reading!

 



 

Four years ago, Edwin’s father was slain by Verackan raiders, intent on plundering the Orescan heartland to supplement their own waning resources. Now seventeen and intent on vengeance, Edwin runs away from home to join the Orescan Army. Soon, he finds himself a Probationary Recruit, not in the Army, but in the Special Air Corps. Through a combination of natural and technologically enhanced gifts, this elite and secretive organization battles the Verackans from the shadows. As Edwin explores the full potential of his gift, a new objective begins to take hold… ending the Verackan threat for all time.

Continuing the story began in Shadows of Valor, Edwin is stuck back at SAC headquarters reeling from the effects of his first mission. Haunted by nightmares and recovering from a training injury, Edwin desperately seeks a solution to the horrors that blast him awake each night without fail. At the same time, war waits for no man, and the Commander assigns him a new mission, one that will take him into the heart of Veracka.

Meanwhile, Peggy is offered an ultimatum: accept enhancement or watch as Edwin is sent alone on a mission he may not survive without her. Disillusioned and suspecting her superiors intended this outcome from the beginning, Peggy must face the most difficult decision she's ever had to make. And, even if she takes the plunge, the effort may be too little, too late.

Edwin's long awaited awakening reveals more than he'd ever expected, even before his self-inflicted memory loss. Armed with new knowledge, he is torn between loyalty for Oresca and new, unavoidable obligations to Veracka and Princess Dorothea. Peggy, finally coming to terms with her enhancement, faces a new dilemma. Edwin seems to have returned to himself, but she knows he's hiding something. She wants to trust him, but can she?




This week, Fight for Valor is free on Kindle.  It's a great time to read the trilogy.


 

Psychological Thriller Review: Whispers by Dean Koontz

Whispers by Dean Koontz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Super creepy!

This psychological thriller twists and turns in terrifying and creepy ways. It's part mystery, part horror story, and part love story. The starlet at the center of things triggered the murderous intent of the villain simply by resembling his mother. Due to no small measure of luck, she manages to fight him off twice, giving him a fatal injury the second time. And that's where the story would have ended in a less inspired book. Not this one, though, because the dead man comes for her again and again.

I love how the story shifts to the different perspectives, giving just enough to understand the various characters, even the villain, without prematurely solving the mystery. The love story is also pretty sweet, but edgy, too, as the girl and the detective (who happens to be the only one to believe her) work to discover how a dead man manages to keep turning up.

As for the horror side of things, the villain himself is completely insane, and his inner ramblings are shocking, and horrifyingly believable. To me it seemed that his descent into madness and murder could plausibly happen, and that totally creeped me out. As for his back story, it was tragic, and even his victim felt sorry for him by the end of things. And the whispers themselves, eep! The story walks along a tightrope between realistic and supernatural, with just enough of each to keep the reader guessing until the very end.

I did notice a few choppy spots as well as some occasional heavy-handed foreshadowing and reminding of the villain's craziness. So, the story wasn't entirely smooth. Also, I didn't expect the detailed intimate scenes, which weren't the focus of the story, but which were given a rather generous play by play over multiple pages. Well described, but I didn't exactly buy what the lady seemed to enjoy(seemed like what a man might think a lady would enjoy).

And the ending, while built up to rather masterfully, just kind of ended. Right after the action. Just ended. Not completely dissatisfying, but not the best ending I've ever read either.

Overall, I really liked this story and would recommend it to folks who enjoy a good psychological thriller with a hint of mystery and paranormal connotations. That being said, the story focuses on a serial rapist/murderer. If that's not something you want to read about (in detail, no less), then this is not for you.

I found a copy of this book in a little free library at work and picked it up because a relative said the author's books were good. At the time, I thought he'd recommended this one, but I think I was remembering the wrong title. Anyway, loved it. I'm afraid I've forgotten all the character's names since it's been a few weeks since I finished reading this, but the story itself is still fresh in my mind.

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Review: The Future Memory Man (Episode 5 of The Chronicles of the Harekaiian) by Shanna Lauffey

The Future Memory Man by Shanna Lauffey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description:
A cosmically displaced teenager with the genetic ability to time travel might be the key to understanding current questions and theories about the universe and what prevents time travelers from rewriting history.Kallie visits her friend Harlan Edmundson, a practicing Physicist and covert researcher for a revised guide to Time Travel Physics, who has spent his life searching for an elusive explanation for the Time Shifters' abilities. Kallie hopes to try to make sense of an impossible time loop and to learn why travel to the future has always been discouraged among the Harekaiian, even more than potentially paradoxical visits to the past. For decades, Doctor Edmundson has jotted down equations and kept a notebook filled with spectacular claims and outrageous plans to try to find the answers to many of History's unanswered questions, as well as solutions to unsolved riddles and to investigate his controversial theory of time loops, but now they find an even greater mystery.Kallie and Marcus' dreams of leading a quiet and peaceful life become shattered when Kallie realizes that only she can close the loop, but the price of what she must do could be higher than she can bear. A cosmically displaced teenager with the genetic ability to time travel might be the key to understanding current questions and theories about the universe and what prevents time travelers from rewriting history.

Kallie visits her friend Harlan Edmundson, a practicing Physicist and covert researcher for a revised guide to Time Travel Physics, who has spent his life searching for an elusive explanation for the Time Shifters' abilities. Kallie hopes to try to make sense of an impossible time loop and to learn why travel to the future has always been discouraged among the Harekaiian, even more than potentially paradoxical visits to the past.

For decades, Doctor Edmundson has jotted down equations and kept a notebook filled with spectacular claims and outrageous plans to try to find the answers to many of History's unanswered questions, as well as solutions to unsolved riddles and to investigate his controversial theory of time loops, but now they find an even greater mystery.

Kallie and Marcus' dreams of leading a quiet and peaceful life become shattered when Kallie realizes that only she can close the loop, but the price of what she must do could be higher than she can bear.

My Review:
Another fine addition to this series. Kallie and Marcus are getting cozy in their new life together, but Connor continues to pop up and throw in complications. The main focus of this story seems to be the lingering ambiguity of Connor’s past and future selves as well as a question of just how much of an influence his father had on his character. Kallie in particular has trouble fully trusting him, but cannot resist helping him when he asks.

As always, I enjoyed the sense of nostalgia that fills these stories. The photos (even one of Kallie and Marcus’ cat) are all pretty nice surprises whenever they pop up. They’re a nice touch and something that make this series unique. They show up well, even on my cheap, black and white Kindle.

Another thing I enjoy, though a lot of it in this book was over my head, is the theoretical exploration of time and distance travel. It’s fascinating, and I love how the science gets mixed in with the story. I think the only stuff that was really over my head, however, was what Harlan was explaining to Connor, and I pictured Kallie’s eyes glazing over as the two discussed it.

Another cool thing the book explores is the idea of the paradox and the time loop. I think it just touched on it, mostly setting up for the next book if my guess is right.

The one thing this instalment lacks is a clear and present danger. An imminent threat. The villains are mostly absent and everything seems to have shifted to information gathering mode. There’s still some action, it’s just not as much the center of the story this time around.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I recommend it to folks who like a well-thought out time travel story that fits plausibly into the real world.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.


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New Release Announcement: Episode Five of The Chronicles of the Harekaiian by Shanna Lauffey

Episode Five of The Chronicles of the Harekaiian
by Shanna Lauffey

Release Date: September 7, 2015

Description:
A cosmically displaced teenager with the genetic ability to time travel might be the key to understanding current questions and theories about the universe and what prevents time travelers from rewriting history.

Kallie visits her friend Harlan Edmundson, a practicing Physicist and covert researcher for a revised guide to Time Travel Physics, who has spent his life searching for an elusive explanation for the Time Shifters' abilities. Kallie hopes to try to make sense of an impossible time loop and to learn why travel to the future has always been discouraged among the Harekaiian, even more than potentially paradoxical visits to the past.

For decades, Doctor Edmundson has jotted down equations and kept a notebook filled with spectacular claims and outrageous plans to try to find the answers to many of History's unanswered questions, as well as solutions to unsolved riddles and to investigate his controversial theory of time loops, but now they find an even greater mystery.

Kallie and Marcus' dreams of leading a quiet and peaceful life become shattered when Kallie realizes that only she can close the loop, but the price of what she must do could be higher than she can bear.

-----
I have this on my to be read shelf, thanks to an ARC from the author. Based on the previous books in the series, I'm looking forward to it.  Below are the amazon.com links to The Chronicles of the Harekaiian episodes. Perfect for those who like a mix of realism and time travel. Probably one of the most solid time travel storylines I've read.




By the way, I'm running some promotions for my Shadows of Valor series this week. Today only, Shadows of Valor is free. All week, Forgotten Valor is only 99cents (US and UK). Check them out and tell your friends.

Contemporary Review: Everything I Never Told you by Celeste Ng

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yet another book that surprised me.

Honestly, I'm not a person who seeks out realistic and tragic stories, the kind that tug at your heart, like this one. I would not have picked this up were it not for the book club picking it and me not wanting to sit there not knowing what everyone else was talking about. Ah peer pressure. Anyhow, I found myself engrossed in this story. The tangled web of Lydia's family's past and present as several timelines work towards the moment that both begins and ends the book: Lydia's death.

The opening line sent shivers down my back. Wow. The initial few days afterward showing the family's confusion and hope. Then the revelation that dashes that hope. Just the beginning of the story. And then the author begins to reveal why we should care by taking careful backward leaps in time to explore each family member's past and how their experiences molded both them and their family and ultimately led, in part, to Lydia's untimely demise.

There were some amusing things about this book, but for the most part, each thread of the web linked to each other, and as the book progresses, it became clear why Lydia died. Why she had to die. A sad story, to say the least.

On the down side, this is one of those stories that hops around the timeline with abandon, jumping from perspective to perspective and giving the reader the story in snippets both long and short. I can see someone getting a bit lost in this timeline.

The copy I'm reviewing is an audio book, 8 CDs, 10 hours. Whew. Listened to this while driving to and from work. Overall, the quality of the narration seemed good. The narrator, Cassandra Campbell, took on different voices for the various characters and stuck to them consistently, making it easy to recognize each one. Her voice is steady and smooth. One thing I didn't like, however, is how some words were oddly pronounced, like sweat (swat?) and barrette. The book translates well to audio, and this narrator did an excellent job keeping everything straight for the listener.

So, overall, I loved this story, though it broke my heart. I strongly recommend this to folks who like dramatic, tragic stories and also to folks who like stories set in the past (1930s-1980s). The quality of both writing and narration made this easy to enjoy, despite the sad context of the story itself.

I borrowed the audiobook copy of this book from the local library.


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