Review: The Amish Christmas Letters

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

With Christmas around the corner, it’s time for Amish families to include holiday greetings in their circle letters, each writer adding to a growing collection as it travels on to the next. In this delightful trio of stories, three cousins scattered across the country share their blessings—and reveal news of romantic surprises . . .

To win a friendly annual competition, matchmaker Marybeth Martin must bring one more couple together by Christmas. Her only prospect is a man more interested in a nanny than a wife—until his little girl shows him the light. . . . Struggling farmer’s daughter Katie Mae Kauffman discovers that she and a local widower and father of four can harvest more crops—and profits—together than separately. But she’ll have to put pride aside to make room for unexpected love. . . . Corralling an unruly brood of seven is not babysitter Carolyn Yutzy’s first choice for celebrating the season—but the sparks between her and their unsentimental yet irresistible uncle may be a gift neither was counting on . . .

Now, one by one, each resourceful young woman will have a holiday to remember—and to write home about . . .

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

The Amish Christmas Letters is a heartfelt Amish anthology that swept me off my feet. I loved the characters.

Marybeth is a single Amish woman trying to win a bet from her cousin. The loser has to house their mean relative. Only this bet ends up leaving Marybeth falling deep in love with the man she’s helping. As she works as a nanny, Marybeth gets to know the man she’s setting up…maybe, she will end up winning the Christmas met in more ways than expected. The man she’s trying to set up with a date, is strongly against marriage. But spending more time with Marybeth, the idea of marriage starts to look better. Then, there’s her cousin Katie.

Katie is a young unmarried Amish woman. Her father had a stroke and that left everything up to Katie to do. Doing women’s work in the house and keeping up with the farm, proves to be more than Katie can handle. Her Bishop notices it and sets a plan in motion. Little does Katie, her father, and the man with his kids know, but all of them will end up helping each other. At first, their resist the help and each other. But with a little more time, they each start to see the other one in a new light. From sassy and strong willed to becoming more than friends, these two were fun to follow.

Last, there was Carolyn. She was blindsided into babysitting for seven unruly kids. This one touched my heart even more so. The kids were misbehaving constantly, yet as soon as the parents entered into the scene, it was easy to see why. The children wanted their parents’ attention. Neither parent was giving their kids any attention. Their mother ignored their bad behavior. Their father refused to believe his kids were being bad. Both parents were to blame. At first, the children’s uncle thought it was Carolyn’s fault.  Thinking she was a bad babysitter, the uncle tried to get her fired. But he was wrong. Carolyn gave the kids more attention and love than their own parents. Soon or later, the parents would have to do something…In the meantime, Carolyn and their uncle keep bonding over the mishaps. Maybe, they will get their Christmas gift after all.

Overall, these three stories were sweet. I couldn’t stop reading them. The plots were fast. Plenty of action, intrigue, and romance to keep me interested. Themes such as faith, family, and love were shown. Obedience and respect were other lessons in this Amish journey. I recommend this collection to all readers.

 

Review: An Amish Family by Kathleen Fuller

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

In An Amish Family, beloved author of Amish romance, Kathleen Fuller, invites readers into the lives of four Amish families.

Building Trust 

Grace Miller and Joel King are in love. They’ve dated secretly for the past year and when he proposes marriage, Grace eagerly agrees. But when she tells her parents about the wedding, she’s shocked when her father tells her she can’t marry Joel. Can Grace get to the bottom of her father’s animosity toward Joel so they can have the happily ever after she’s always dreamed of?

A Heart Full of Love  (also in An Amish Cradle)

Ellie’s mother hasn’t stopped meddling in her personal life since Ellie lost her sight—and she’s taken it up a notch now that Ellie’s pregnant. When Ellie gives birth to twins, her mother insists on moving in to care for them. But when her mother’s behavior becomes unbearable, Ellie is forced to take a stand . . . and finally find out why Mamm can’t let go.

Surprised by Love 

In a desperate move to evade her match-making mother, Emily Shwartz announces that she’s already seeing someone: Reuban Coblentz. The trouble is, Reuban is barely even a friend. Seeing how desperate she is, Reuban plays along. But when the past sneaks up on them, will this temporary arrangement turn into everlasting love?

A Gift for Anne Marie  (also in An Amish Second Christmas)

Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were kids. Now things are evolving . . . in ways everyone else predicted long ago. But when her mother suddenly decides to remarry in another state, Anne Marie’s new chapter with Nathaniel looks doomed to end before it begins. 

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

An Amish Family by Kathleen Fuller is a wonderful anthology full of good Christian stories. Each story focuses on a lesson and they’re based on faith, love, and hope. Two of these short stories were previously published in other volumes. I enjoyed reading them all. They had a common theme and shared similar troubles. Love came in all many ways through each piece. Sweet, tender, and heartfelt…I felt a connection to all the of the characters. What I found most interesting what that in each new story, the focus on a female protagonist. Yes, there were strong male characters but it centered on the leading females. Everything they thought to what they did…moved the pages along. Overall, I found this collection engaging to read. I would recommend it to other readers.

Cover Reveal: The Meat Market by S. Van Horne and many others…

 

 

The Meat Market

By: S. Van Horne, Riann C. Miller, Winter Travers, Trinity Rose, Mary B. Moore, Tracie Douglas, Gwyn McNamee, ML Rodriguez, Sarah O’Rourke, Mayra Statham

An Anthology to Support Prostate Cancer Awareness

Genre: Romance

Release Date: August 15th 6, 2017

Cover Design: SK Designs

 

 

When Jason Somers inherited the family butcher shop, he had no idea he was taking the helm of a sinking ship. With the help of his younger brother Jaxson, a plan emerged to save The Meat Market.

 

What better way to earn some extra cash than to target one of their biggest customer group’s most basic needs.

 

All they needed were some willing men and some clever marketing.

 

The Meat Market is now the go-to place to order prime cuts of meat, both for human consumption and companionship.

 

The women of Chicago know where the best cuts can be found.

 

Come into The Meat Market and order whatever looks appetizing.

 

 

                            AMAZON US     AMAZON UK     AMAZON AUS     iBOOKS     NOOK     KOBO

 

   

 

                            

 

S. Van Horne was born and raised in the small town of Belton, Missouri, which is a part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. She’s from a very large family and is the oldest of six. Growing up, she didn’t have the easiest life. She learned quickly that family means everything, even if it’s the type that you get to pick for yourself.

She met the love of her life at the early age of twenty and was married just after nine months of meeting him. Shortly after marriage, her husband rejoined the U.S. Navy and they moved from Kansas City and started their journey together. Currently they have two amazing children, a boy and a girl, and are still enjoying the Navy life.

She spends her days being a wife, mom, reading books, writing her latest novel, watching her beloved Kansas City Chiefs or Kansas City Royals, watching movies, hanging out with family and friends and having girls’ day at least once a month.

You can find S here:

http://authorsvanhorne.com

 

 

 

Riann C. Miller lives in southeast Kansas and writes steamy contemporary romance stories. When she’s not reading or writing, she spends time with her friends and family or you might catch her watching a baseball game with a beer in her hand.

You can connect with Riann here:

Website:www.riannmiller.com

Goodreads:http://bit.ly/1OUfX3S

Facebook: http://facebook.com/authorrainnmiller

Twitter:https://twitter.com/rianncmiller

 

 

Winter Travers is a devoted wife, mother, and aunt turned author who was born and raised in Wisconsin. After a brief stint in South Carolina following her heart to chase the man who is now her hubby, they retreated back up North to the changing seasons, and to the place they now call home.

Winter spends her days writing happily ever afters, and her nights zipping around on her forklift at work. She also has an addiction to anything MC related, her dog Thunder, and Mexican food! (Tamales!)

Winter loves to stay connected with her readers. Don’t hesitate to reach out and contact her.

www.facebook.com/wintertravers

Twitter: @WinterTravers

Instagram: @WinterTravers

 

 

 

Trinity Rose (AKA Jamie Cercone) was born and raised in southwestern New York. Never in her wildest dreams did she see herself become an writer, but with one sentence you read that shit some much you should just write it!” from her hubby the rest is history. Now this devoted wife, mother of two awesome kids and RN writes about alphas, strong willed women and badassery. When she’s not writing, playing mom, performing her wifey duties or saving lives you can find her surviving on Nutella, Halloween, purses and reading.

Go and stalk Trinity Rose at the follow social media and drop her a line:

www.facebook.com/authortrinityrose/

www.facebook.com/groups/365487050468779

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01M4GQ6II

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16056186.Trinity_Rose

 

 

I’ve always been an avid reader and writer, so when my best friends (three males who drive me closer to insanity daily) dared me to publish, in fact triple dared with no returnseys, I couldn’t say no – the forfeits are always painful. Deciding to shelve all of the work I’d ever done and to start with a new project was my best idea though, at least I think so. After being on the brink of insanity many times, I’m delighted to confirm that I came out of it with my dignity still intact…just!

 

I’m the daughter of diplomats who has lived all over the world and you’d be hard placed to figure out where my accent was from – it’s a Heinz 57 variety accent. My poor child has also picked up my accent and vocabulary, which is predominantly American I guess. We should really be classed as having United Nations accents.

 

My projects so far are a contemporary romance series called the Providence Series, an MC series which I love called Luther’s Vengeance and also a paranormal series. In Luther’s Vengeance, I’ll be using my background to make it as ‘real life’ as possible, never let it be said my childhood was boring.

 

For now though, it’s going to mainly be about the romance…lots of romance!!

You can find Mary B Moore at:

https://www.facebook.com/author.marybmoore/

 

 

Surviving on caffeine most days, Tracie Douglas lives in Southern California with her husband, two children, two dogs and one really fat cat. She spends her days chasing children and fur babies, all while maintaining the illusion of sanity.

Her nights are spent toiling away at the keyboard, creating a world filled with hot men and strong women. She loves to read and write all types of book but tends to lean on the darker side of the spectrum. She’s pretty handy with a crochet hook too.

Tracie loves to hear from her readers!

Facebook:www.facebook.com/authortraciedouglas

Reader’s Group:http://bit.ly/2t7iPIr

Amazon:http://amzn.to/2t7wGyl

Goodreads:http://bit.ly/1RuenWm

Email: traciedouglas.author@gmail.com

 

 

Gwyn McNamee is an attorney, writer, wife, and mother (to one human baby and two fur babies). Originally from the Midwest, Gwyn relocated to her husband’s home town of Las Vegas in 2015 and is enjoying her respite from the cold and snow. Gwyn has been writing down her crazy stories and ideas for years and finally decided to share them with the world. She loves to write stories with a bit of suspense and action mingled with romance and heat.

When she isn’t either writing or voraciously devouring any books she can get her hands on, Gwyn is busy adding to her tattoo collection, golfing, and stirring up trouble with her perfect mix of sweetness and sarcasm (usually while wearing heels). An admitted shoe whore, Gwyn’s closet rivals Carrie Bradshaw’s and is constantly expanding.

Gwyn loves to hear from her readers!

She can be found here:

Facebook –https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGwynMcNamee/

Twitter –https://twitter.com/GwynMcNamee

Instagram –https://www.instagram.com/gwynmcnamee

FB Reader Group –https://www.facebook.com/groups/1667380963540655/

Newsletter –www.gwynmcnamee.com/newsletter

Website –http://www.gwynmcnamee.com/

 

 

A proud Texan, ML Rodriguez resides in Bavaria, Germany with her husband, two children, and their dog–Bolt. When she’s not writing, she loves to drive her husband crazy, laugh at the hilarious things her children come up with, or enjoys curling up on her couch with her Kindle.

You can find ML at:

BookBub:http://bit.ly/2os4nUV

Website:http://bit.ly/1Rb2F3W

Facebook:http://on.fb.me/1lqHj7B

Twitter:http://bit.ly/1KYhpDL

 

Goodreads:http://bit.ly/1EQg0Xw

 

 

Sarah O’Rourke is actually TWO besties who live three states apart and write at all hours of the day and night! Born and raised in the Southern United States, they are overly attached to their one-click accounts, can’t make it through the day without copious doses of caffeine, and spend way too much time on the phone with each other.

 

Between them, they have four children and eighteen years of marriage…one to a super soldier and the other to egomaniac engineer. They hate empty chocolate wrappers and writer’s block, love to talk to readers…and oh, by the way, they write about strong, kick-ass women and hot alpha heroes!

Sarah loves to connect with readers and you can find them here:

https://www.facebook.com/sarah.orourke.503

 

 

Mayra Statham resides in southern California with her three kids and husband. When she isn’t writing or hanging with family, you can probably find her hidden behind a romance novel while having a highly caffeinated iced drink.

You can find Mayra here:

https://www.facebook.com/mystathamwrites

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review: Hearts Entwined (Anthology)

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

Four top historical romance novelists team up in this new collection to offer stories of love and romance with a twist of humor. In Karen Witemeyer’s “The Love Knot,” Claire Nevin gets the surprise of her life awaiting her sister’s arrival by train. Mary Connealy’s “The Tangled Ties That Bind” offers the story of two former best friends who are reunited while escaping a stampede. Regina Jennings offers “Bound and Determined,” where a most unusual trip across barren Oklahoma plains is filled with adventure, romance, and . . . camels? And Melissa Jagears’ “Tied and True” entertains with a tale of two hearts from different social classes who become entwined at a cotton thread factory.

Each tale is a fun blend of history and romance that will delight readers.

Rating: 4.5-stars

Review:

Hearts Entwined is a super sweet collection of historical romances. Each story bares a different cast of characters as well as hardships. These writers have unique writing styles.

The Love Knot featured a story of one sister receiving her sister’s baby via train carried by her past lover. Claire gets the surprise of her life. From there, loving her nephew like her own child and working on her relationship with her love, Claire has her hands full. It was heartfelt. I love Claire. She’s a good woman.

The Tangled Ties that Bind featured two young lovers who grew apart. Now, one of them returns back home to pursue his heart. Yet his love isn’t interested. The suspense of what happened next between the two kept me hooked. I had fun following this story. It tempted me. Conor thought he did the right thing. While Maggie felt like her left her for good.

Bound and Determined was really interesting. It involved a heard of camels! That was rare in a story such as this one. Two young people meet in this journey. One is a young man needing to mature, so he is assigned military work. The other is a daughter of a military man. Both find a lot more than they were expecting.

Tied and True featured a love between a poor man and a rich woman. Both are strong, independent, and stubborn. In this tale, the woman did the chasing. She also went a long way, to try and catch her love’s heart. I felt connected to her. Her hope and determination made me like her all the more.

Review: Christmas in Kilts

Synopsis:

Tis the season to fall in love! These five bestselling authors bring you great tiding of highlanders and romances this holiday season!

A HIGHLANDER’S HOPE by Terri Brisbin

A village harlot who would never dream she could have a different life meets a Highlander visitor for the holidays who brings with him an offer and hope!

LEFTOVER MISTLETOE by Lavinia Kent

What happens when a highlander finds himself stranded, maybe kidnapped, with an English lady around Christmas… maybe the mistletoe will help answer that question.

A SCOT FOR CHRISTMAS by Bronwen Evans

She’s ready to embrace her life and future as a spinster, he’s trying to have one last hurrah before he gives into his family’s wishes and proposes marriage to his neighbor, but fate has other ideas when the lady and the Scot meet at a holiday house party in the wilds of Scotland.

SWEET HOME HIGHLAND CHRISTMAS by May McGoldrick

A chance encounter between a ship’s captain and a desperate aunt trying to keep custody of her young niece leads to a little magic during the holidays.

A HIGHLAND CHRISTMAS WAGER by Lecia Cornwall

When a snowstorm forces a charming lass hiding a broken heart to take shelter in a castle with three fine Highland lairds just days before Christmas, there’s a game afoot—who will be the first to win a kiss and maybe her heart. 

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Christmas in Kilts is a fascinating yet sexy tale full of Highlander romances. Every story was as enticing as the previous one before it. I couldn’t put this book down…too good. Heat, chemistry, and lovable characters. They pulled at my heart strings. Sweet, engaging, and funny, too. These writers have brilliantly captured my heart and soul with every page. 

A Highlander’s Hope by Terri Brisbin was good. Her hero falls for a woman of different standing. One that was considered below everyone in the clan. A herlot. The woman protagonist came from a mother who was a herlot. Her backstory of being rapped broke my heart. I felt sympathy towards her. Despite her position in life, she had good friends who supported her as an equal. That made me like the characters even more. Terri Bisbin created a beautiful heartfelt tale of overcoming obstacles and finding happiness. I recommend her story to all. 

A Highland Christmas Wager by Lecia Cornwall is funny and sweet. A young woman faces her past mistake from the age of eighteen. It haunts her still with the man who stole her virtue. He teases and pushes her in all the wrong ways. However, she’s not interested. The lady has grown up since that encounter. Strong, smart, beautiful and caring as ever…her grandmother is betting on her getting a husband. Yet, she’s determined not to wed. Tha was until a particular laird comes forth. Something about his kind eyes and listening speaks to her. Hishandsome features also make her heart beat faster. A few kisses in and both are wanting each other forever. Only, jealously and other problems get in the way. It was addictive to watch the characters fallhard and fast. I loved it. Lecia Cornwall can write well. Overall, I recommend her tale to all. 

A Scot for Christmas by Bronwen Evans is fun and addictive tale. The woman protagonist leads her own fate. I found that quite interesting. Tired of waiting for what may never come, the lady goes after her heart’s pleasure. It will cost her, her pride and maybe her friendship. But if she’s successful, all may be well. Loving a man whose wife died, is hard. He can’t let go. His wife never loved him and he only lusted after her. Not a great foundation for a marriage. Fate has brought two friends together in a way one of them never expected. Hot, sexy, and charming…Bronwen Evans delivers the most exciting Christmas journey ever. I recommend her story, A Scot for Christmas, to all. 

Leftover Mistletoe by Lavinia Kent is full of innocent love. A young innocent English woman is stranded with a Scot. His large form intrigues her. Thinking he’s asleep throughout the ride, she doesn’t push away from him too much. But little does she know, the Scot is very aware of her and her beautiful frame. His friend ends up bribing the coachmen to leave the pair stranded nearby a cottage filled with food, water, and drink. Christmas is approaching and the Heat intensifies with every page. Sexy, hot, and sweet. Both characters were charming. Their dilemma was interesting. Captivated me from the beginning to end. I couldn’t stop reading it. Lavinia Kent surely knew how to capture my full attention with every word. Overall, it was a perfect romance. 

Sweet Home Highland Christmas by May McGoldrick is a stunning yet hilarious tale. A Scottish soldier and a young woman with her niece are brought together. But it wasn’t by fate…the source that brought them together will surely surprise readers! I couldn’t believe it…it was so cute. I fell in love with all the characters. The good ones anyway. Love, hope, and a lot of laughter are found on these pages. The entire tale made my heart melt. An aunt must marry in order to keep her sister’s child. Or else lose her niece. An arrangement to marry a terrible cousin, she has no choice. Until a certain soldier comes into her life, making her dream of happiness. The niece loves the soldier…

Review: Coulrophobia & Fata Morgana

Synopsis: 

In his ninth book and fifth collection of stories, Jacob M. Appel introduces readers to a a diplomats wife who attempts to seduce her chimney sweep through Norwegian lessons, a minister whose dead wife is romantically involved with Greta Garbo and a landlord menaced by a rent-delinquent mime.

Rating: 4.5-stars

Review:

Coulrophobia & Fata Morgana by Jacob M. Appel is a collection of short stories. Stories that are quite unusual and extraordinary in their own way. Each tale has its way of dragging the reader further onto the pages. Engaging, emotional, and well-done. Jacob M. Appel has a knack for creating the most interesting fictional words I ever did read. His talent has once again left me wonderstuck. These tales are easy and enjoyable to read. They go by so quickly. Overall, Coulrophobia & Fata Morgana is an interesting collection of tales that I recommend to readers worldwide. 

Review: The Amish Christmas Candle

Synopsis:

At the heart of winter’s darkness is the joyous glow of the Christmas season. In this love-filled holiday collection, warm yourself with the peaceful light of Plain gifts. 

SNOW SHINE ON ICE MOUNTAIN

Kelly Long

When staid Naomi Gish’s mischievous father hires strapping Gray Fisher at their candle shop for the season, she’s positive the old man has an ulterior motive. She doesn’t need help–but as Gray learns the craft of candle making, Naomi learns that love is not only possible, but God’s most precious gift.

A HONEYBEE CHRISTMAS

Jennifer Beckstrand

Of all the sacrifices Bitsy Kiem made to raise her three nieces Amish, giving up her Englisch life was the only thing she missed. With the girls married now, she has a chance to kick up her heels this Christmas–unless widowed Yost Weaver can convince her that Plain love is a flame that will never go out.

THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE

Lisa Jones Baker

Blessing those in need at Christmastime is one of Lydia’s favorite traditions. But without her newly married sister’s help this year, the task seems daunting–until handsome Mennonite John King shows her that hands joined to do good may unite hearts, as well. 

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

The Amish Christmas Candle is a great collection. Not my overall favorite. The stories are more modern living than the Amish way of living. I did enjoy how each character found happiness, hope, love, and healing. 

Snow Shine on Ice Mountain by Kelly Long is a sweet yet inspiring Amish romance. Two young people who learn what love really is. Gray realizes love is peace and he’s never felt peace with any other girl except for Naomi. Naomi is a bit older than gray and very plain looking. But her heart, mind, and soul, are worthy of any man’s heart. Gray comes to realize that Naomi is the one. Naomi starts to feel like a wanted woman with Gray. But can she trust her heart to him? Kelly Long’s short story felt believable. It wasnt like other Amish tales I’ve read. Most wouldn’t allow the things that each character did without a chaperone or without some kind of consequence. However, it was sweet, engaging, and heartfelt. Gray not only finds peace but love and healing, too. 

A Honeybee Christmas by Jennifer Beckstrand is another entertaining short story. I liked how one English woman left her way of life to raise her three nieces as Amish women. That took a lot of strength, determination, and power. Imagine leaving the life you have now, to live a plain simple one…I don’t think I could do it. I may enjoy it, but I would miss a lot of things. The writer brought an untraditional tale and still gave it a heart tugging feeling. I warmed up to the main characters. Overall, it was realistic and a great adventure. 

The Christmas Candle by Lisa Jones Baker is the last Amish tale inside this collection. I felt the Christmas holiday sweeping over me. The pages went by quickly. Excitement rushed through me as I read every page. Filling me with a sweetness that I couldn’t let go. The main characters were enjoyable to follow. Both having faith in God. This story was more traditional in the Amish setting than the previous tales before it. I really loved this one. Giving back to the community, learning to trust, and not giving up hope are great themes found, here. Lisa Jones Baker created a piece that I fell in love with…overall, I highly recommend reading The Christmas Candle to all. 

Review: Romantic Times (Vegas)

Synopsis:

The Excelsior Hotel and Casino. Built in Las Vegas in 1960 by mobster Louis “The Lip” LaFica. For decades the towering hotel has been the subject of incredible stories and rumors that have kept it in the public eye the world around. Why have so many lovers been mysteriously, magically, magnetically drawn to this magnificent edifice? And why now have so many bestselling authors at last come together to reveal the adventures of these lovers who have stayed at the glorious Excelsior? 

Rating: 4.5-stars

Review:

Romantic Times: Vegas by nine talented writers is amazing. I felt my adrenaline rushing through me as I raced through the pages. Fast-paced, thrilling, and full of action. This collection of romantic suspense tales was addictive. Danger, risks, and killers. The whole anthology was magaical. I loved reading each one of the short stories. Entertaining, dark, and susepsenful. Highly engaging from beginning to end. Some left me on the edge of my seat, others left me holding my breath, and other had my heart racing as the dangers escalated. Every page was well-written. All the characters were brilliant. Both the bad and good guys were realistic. Try not to have nightmares…overall, I recommend this stunning collection of fiction to readers worldwide. 

Review: Uncharted Worlds – Xeno Encounters

Synopsis:

Uncharted Worlds—an exciting new speculative fiction series featuring bestselling and award-winning authors.

These ten mind-boggling adventures include tales of ancient aliens, other worlds, and imagined futures.

Join authors Michael A. Stackpole, Matthew Costello, F. Paul Wilson, Thomas F. Monteleone and others as they take you on a thrilling ride from the inner and outer edges of our universe and from the past to the future in: Uncharted Worlds—Xeno Encounters.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Uncharted Worlds: Xeno Encounters by many writers is quite the science fiction collection. This anthology features enegaging tales. Adventure, action, and thrilling worlds. Well-written. I’m not a huge fan of science fiction but the works found within this anthology were superb. I definitely look forward to reading more works by these writers. Overall, I highly recommend Uncharted Worlds: Xeno Ecounters to readers worldwide. 

Review: Never Fear – Christmas Terrors

Synopsis:

He see’s you when you’re sleeping …

Authored by Heather Graham, F. Paul Wilson, Lance Taubold, Aidan Russell, Thomas F. Monteleone, Lisa Harris, E. McCarthy, Richard Devin, Lee Lawless, Kristi Ahlers, Don Bruns, Ed DeAngelis, Lisa Manetti, Elle J Rossi, Deborah Grahl, Liah Penn, Crystal Perkins, Greg Linden, Connie Corcoran Wilson, Jeff DePew, Mathew Kaufman 
Twenty-Two Tales of Christmas Terror ranging from ancient Iceland to modern-day Iraq by New York Times Bestselling and award-winning authors, including: a new ghost story by Heather Graham, a Repairman Jack Christmas adventure by F. Paul Wilson, a spine tingling tale by master of horror Thomas F. Monteleone, and a special tale of Christmas wonder by Jon Land.
In a unique experience-a story within a story-you will follow along when the MacDonald family discovers an unidentified present under their Christmas tree. Who gave it to them? Where did it come from? No one seems to know. And when they open the mysterious gift, it sets them on a course to a Christmas of terror they could never have expected.

Rating: 4.5-stars

Review:

Never Fear: Christmas Terrors is another brilliant anthology collection. Full of horror, terror, and darkness. Thrilling to read. The feel of goosebumps on my arm…the edgy scenes…it was all so real. The short stories were well-developed. Each piece gave a unique brand to the book overall. Once more, I was introduced to many new writers. I’m very familiar with Heather Graham’s writing. I felt that this collection was spooky but entertaining. Don’t read this collection at night…the fear may just take over….I highly recommend Never Fear: Christmas Terrors to readers wordwide. Fast-paced easy to read fiction. 

Review: Never Fear – The Tarot

Synopsis:

13Thirty Books asked twenty-six authors to agree to write stories based on the Tarot, with the cards determining which stories the authors would write. 
Over the course of several months we reached out to some of the best genre authors and proposed our idea. 
Once we had our authors, we took a tarot deck and a list of all twenty-six names. We would read the author’s name, shuffle the deck, and draw a card. 
That tarot card and its traits were all the authors had to go on. 
The card was removed, the deck was reshuffled, and the next name was read off. 
This anthology contains twenty-six stories based on the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana and the four cards of the Minor Arcana. 
Award-winning and New York Times bestselling authors combine their talents to deal out twenty-six dark tales influenced by the Tarot. 
Authored by Heather Graham, Authored by Lori Avocato, Authored by Michael M. Hughes, Authored by Tim Waggoner, Authored by Tara Nina, Authored by C.M.C. Dobbs, Authored by Michael A. Stackpole, Authored by Matthew Costello, Authored by C.L. Wilson, Authored by Tori Eldridge, Authored by Lisa Mannetti, Authored by Patrick Freivald, Authored by Jamie Rush, Authored by Rebecca Paisley, Authored by Edward DeAngelis, Authored by Richard Devin, Authored by Lance Taubold, Authored by Jeff DePew, Authored by Lee Lawless, Authored by Hal Bodner, Authored by Jennifer St. Giles.

Rating: 4.5-stars

Review:

Never Fear: The Tarot is authored by twenty-six different writers. This amazing collection was fascinating. I surprised at the depth of this anthology book. Each piece was cleverly written in a way that either chilled readers to the bone or kept them in suspense. Intriguing, well-done, and highly entertaining. I enjoyed reading each short story. Another reason, I’m happy with this collection was that I was able to experience a variety of new writers. The only writer I was familiar with was Heather Graham. Then, I learned that I had been missing out by not reading works from the other 25 writers. Overall, I was throughly impressed. Dark and mysterious. I recommend this to readers everywhere. 

Review: Love Happens

Synopsis:

In this must-have short-story collection, Melanie Moreland introduces us to Ethan Thomas in When Love Blooms. Melanie Harlow shares her novel, Some Kind of Love. Molly McLain and Rhonda James share Luke and Mia’s no strings weekend that could lead to love. Claudia Burgoa visits New York City in How We Met. Leap with Dylan Allen to London where we meet Cara’s dream man. Emery Jacobs revisits the Beautiful Torture Duet. Go on vacation with the beloved characters of the Unspoken Series by Gabbie Duran. I See You is based on secondary characters in Ginger Scott’s How We Deal With Gravity. Fall in love with Jeanne McDonald’s Shadow Kingsley in All Of Me. Lisa Kamps takes us to the ice arena with First Shot At Love (A Baltimore Banners Story). Bad girl Delilah meets Lance, her total opposite, in Wild Pumpkin by Martha Sweeney. Mia Kayla brings us Kent and Beth from Marry Me for Money, a couple with different views in All Work And No Play. In Love on The Edge, Molly Lee’s Dash and Blake from the Edge of Chaos spend their honeymoon chasing storms. Rockstar Silas Palmer finds love on the side of the road in Hitch by S.M. West. 
Fifteen authors come together to celebrate Autism Awareness month with proceeds benefitting SARRC and Myles-A-Part. 
Love Happens features stories about finding love, falling in love and being in love.

**Includes Some Kind of Love By Melanie Harlow** 

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Love Happpens is anthology by many authors. Each one with their own unique talent. They have come together to put this collection for readers and to raise funds for Autism. I love when talented writers get together to help others. It nails my attention immediately. 

After reading these stories, I got to go on a lot of adventures. Different experiences of love, life, and meaning. Each tale was deep. Emotionally, I was swept up in its great wave after wave of stories. Another amazing thing about this anthology, I got to taste other writer’s work, whom I never heard of until now…their stories are not only entertaining but inspiring too. Love Happens is romantic, hopeful, and well-told. Sexy, realistic, and contains a lot of real life issues. That’s what really had me hooked. I was able to connect to the charcaters because of that. Overall, I recommend this collection to readers worldwide. There’s a little of everything inside…I have received this free copy for an honest review. 

Review: Dead is Dead and Other Stories

Synopsis:

‘Dead is Dead’ is a collection of twenty compelling stories which focus on the complexity of being human. All of the stories have already met with success: broadcast, appearing in magazines or doing well in international competitions.

The title story, Dead is Dead, is set in colonial Africa and is told from the point of view of a little girl. Her father’s gun goes missing and so does one of the servants. Events unfold and end in tragedy, and in the little girl coming to a new understanding.

In ‘This is not Miranda’s story’ a woman observes her neighbour’s wife becoming a mother and, at the same time, sliding into madness. Here’s a small section from it: ‘Tim came round the next Saturday. He brought the big pram with the baby at one end and Hayden at the other. When I asked how Miranda was, he said, “She’s convinced that this little one is a daughter, although it’s obvious he’s not. She calls him Eve.”’ 

‘The Sleeping Handsome’ retells the story of ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ but with a male sleeper and set in modern times.

‘My Beautiful Dad’ is written from the point of view of the son of a man who is becoming a woman. Finally the boy meets the woman his father has become: ‘I push open the door to the café and there is ‘Rosalie; quite beautiful, long blonde hair, long slender legs elegantly crossed. She wears earrings that hang almost to her shoulders, silver bangles on each smooth arm, a short skirt, high-heeled shoes, a lacy blouse buttoned up to her cleavage, the hint of breasts. She holds her hand there, the long fingers fiddling with the top button, wanting to undo it .’ 

Matilda is dealing with writing a philosophical essay on the subject of free will and determinism, it is also her birthday and her mother, with whom she does not get on, is coming to stay, next door there is building work going on and bones are discovered. These are the themes for ‘Matilda, the Determined Woman’.

‘Polly’s Day’ is about the awfulness of war for the families whose men have gone to fight. It is set during the Second World War with flashbacks to the first. Here’s a section from one of those flashbacks: ‘Mum was in the kitchen. She was crying like she had been on the way to school, only worse. Gran looked up as Polly came in; her eyes were red and her face all wobbly. But it was Uncle Artie who said it, ‘Your dad’s dead. Killed. In action.’ 

‘When Mum came in from the bedroom, she had pink cream on her face but you could still see the other colours underneath, especially just below one eyebrow where there was a rim of black coming through. Her lips looked sore, too, swollen and bitten and when she yawned, it was almost as if she was trying not to cry. She walked through to the kitchen end of the living room.’ This is the opening to ‘One of Those Days’ a horrific story about a dysfunctional family, a battered wife and mistreated children. 

In ‘Dead Heading the Roses’ the narrator is dealing with an unwanted pregnancy and the request from her neighbour’s son, who has become a paraplegic, for her to help him die. It starts like this: ‘Three years ago, Dylan, who lives next door, slid off the roof. The fall didn’t kill him but now he is unable to walk or talk. He communicates by blinking. One for no, two for yes, several when the right questions aren’t being asked.’ 

And there are plenty more stories, all gripping, all beautifully written and insightful, all of which will leave readers wanting more.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Dead is Dead and Other Stories by Jane Seaford is a brilliant collection of stories. Each story has its own point of view of major issues. Issues readers know and can relate to…I found myself exploring the human nature. Raw, realistic, and complex. Relationships within members of our own family or outside of it..can be messy. Confusion, emotions tugging at war, and the moments that readers will never forget. I don’t know how the writer, Jane Seaford did it, but she captured life in a nutshell on every page of her stories. I was hooked, captivated, and stunned. Her writing style is clear, easy to follow, and powerful. The messages are deep, thought provoking, and will leave readers wondering what next. Dead is Dead and Other Stories is a fascinating anthology of fiction that all must read. Once, I began reading these, there was no stopping…overall, I recommend it to readers everywhere.

Review: Because Beards

Synopsis:

Be it a little scruff or a full length beard, there’s nothing more attractive than a man with a well-groomed face. Masculine. Powerful. Sexy. Devoted. Lose yourself in this tantalizing collection of original short stories by your favorite romance authors in support of a great cause. Hipster CEO, bartender, best friend, baseball player—just to name a few—these men all have one thing in common: they’re bearded for your pleasure and deliver one hell of a happy ever after.

All proceeds from this anthology will be donated to The Movember Foundation, an organization that supports charities in the research and treatment of prostate and testicular cancer as well as other men’s health initiatives.
Written by Alexis Alvarez, Faith Andrews, M. Andrews, Jeannine Colette, Hayley Faiman, Angelita Gill, Ace Gray, Ruthie Henrick, Scott Hildreth, Evie Lauren, Jerica MacMillan, R.C. Martin, Emmanuelle de Maupassant, Leslie McAdam, Maria Monroe, Adrienne Perry, J. Quist, Renee Rose, Kacey Shea, Martha Sweeney, and Tom Sweeney.
Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Because Beards is one of the most packed anthologies I have ever read. This incredible collection featured stories by my favorite writers. Plus, with this book going towards a fundraiser, I was ecstatic to read it. I had to know what the writers have put together. Low and behold, I was blown away. There were so many talented writers besides the ones I already loved. I was super happy that I got this book. The writing styles were unique and a heady bunch when woven into one delicious read after another. I am a major fan of the romance genre. Here, I was presented with a unendless treasure’s worth of the hottest and best short tales. Each tale featuring a man with a beard. But the writers have gone on and beyond making me love this collection. It was a powerful and epic journey following the characters in each new piece. Every story presented had something new, exciting, and delicious to offer. My heart melted many times over as I flipped through the pages. Wow! There’s every kind of happy fantasy waiting readers inside…I couldn’t choose which writer did better because each story wrapped itself around my heart. They captured my attention quickly. The price of this magnificent anthology plus, it’s quality and the number of reads…is a definite must for all. I highly recommend it to readers worldwide. Because Beards is sexy, addictive, and highly engaging. 

Review: Pieces like Pottery

 

Synopsis:

Filled with graceful insight into the human condition, each linked story presents a tale of loss and love mirroring themes from each of the five Sorrowful Mysteries. In Expect Dragons, James Hinri learns that his old high school teacher is dying. Wanting to tell Mr. Smith one last time how much his teaching impacted him, James drives across the country revisiting past encounters with his father’s rejection and the pain of his youth. Disillusioned and losing hope, little did James know that Mr. Smith had one final lesson for him.

In The Gravesite, Lisa and Mike’s marriage, hangs in the balance after the disappearance of their only son, while backpacking in Thailand. Mike thinks the authorities are right—that Chris fell to his death in a hiking accident—but Lisa has her doubts. Her son was too strong to die this young, and no one can explain to her why new posts continue to appear on her son’s blog.

Twenty-Two looks in on the lives of a dock worker suffering from the guilt of a life not lived and a bartender making the best of each day, even though he can see clearly how his life should have been different. The two find their worlds collide when a past tragedy shockingly connects them.

A collection of nine stories, each exquisitely written and charged with merciful insight into the trials of life, Pieces Like Pottery reminds us of the sorrows we all encounter in life and the kindness we receive, oftentimes from the unlikeliest of places.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Pieces like Pottery is a unique collection of stories that will captivate readers immediately. Dan Buri is a talented writer who knows how to hold his audiences’ attention with every word he writes. His characters instantly cause readers to feel a sense of connection as well as sympathy and love. Pieces like Pottery holds amazing tales that will tear at readers hearts and inspire them as well. I loved reading each story with its own meaning. Readers will see life in a whole new way after reading this book. One inspirational collection that will keep readers coming back  every time. Overall, I highly recommend Dan Buri’s book, Pieces like Pottery. Readers won’t be disappointed and I can promise readers everywhere that they don’t want to miss reading this!