Review Wednesday: The Departed by Chase McCown

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Standalone to date

Goodreads Blurb:

"The United States is under siege!
A devastating new bacterial disease sweeps across the states on the west coast and saps its victims of their own free will. Four strangers must work together to survive a mad dash across the United States to find safety in the nation’s capital. The outbreak chases them from their homes on the west coast, and they struggle to reach the capital before the disease does. When they arrive, danger rears its ugly head again, and the four must race against time to save not only themselves, but the entire country from destruction. The Departed is a story filled with the unlikeliest of heroes, who must find hope even when things look hopeless."

Author Post Thursday: Fred Holmes (ft. adventures in the Congo and other cool places)

Today I have something special for y'all!  I recently reviewed The Ugly Teapot by Fred Holmes and he graciously agreed to do an author post!  Fred Holmes has had the experience of adapting a screenplay into a book and has many years of experience in the film field.  We in the bookish community often talk about the struggles of adapting a book into a film but rarely is it ever brought up about the opposite!  Fred has had the unique experience of going through the process and has shared his process and what he learned below.

R&R Review Wednesday: The Ugly Teapot by Fred Holmes

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The Ugly Teapot #1

Goodreads Blurb:

"Fourteen-year-old Hannah Bradbury loved her father so much that she worried about him constantly. After all, he was a photographer who traveled to the most dangerous places in the world.

To allay her fears, each time he came home he brought her silly gifts, each one with supposed magical powers: the Seal of Solomon, the Ring of Gyges, even Aladdin’s Lamp. It was that lamp Hannah found the most unbelievable, for it looked like an ugly teapot. Nevertheless, her father assured her it was real, and made her promise to save her three wishes for something very special.

Then . . . six months later . . . the unthinkable happened. Her father was killed while on assignment to Baghdad. And so on the day of his funeral Hannah did something she never thought she would ever do.

She took out that teapot and gave it a rub . . .

The Ugly Teapot by Fred Holmes is a timeless tale, filled with magic and adventure. More importantly, it will make you believe in the overwhelming power of love."

R&R Review and Interview Sunday: The Awakening by D.J. Torres

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The Nature of Gods #1

Goodreads Blurb:

"When gods and goddesses abruptly overthrow Earth, humans are given two choices – worship or die. Desperate to survive, Olivia and her family devote their days to fulfilling the will of the gods. But the wrath of the gods is insatiable and unpredictable. With her hope crushed, Olivia is resigned to her bleak fate . . . until she meets Nature.

Immediately, Olivia knows this charismatic girl with color-changing eyes isn’t normal. Nature looks like a teenager yet she has the power to control the weather and converse with animals. Nature opens Olivia’s eyes to a hidden world that had always existed in harmony with her own. However, know-it-all butterflies and mystical creatures aren’t the only secrets revealed as Olivia discovers the dark plan of the gods.

When Nature decides to confront the gods, Olivia is catapulted to the forefront of humanity’s battle for survival. Olivia must rely on her courage, strength, and newfound gifts as she faces monster-infested pathways and ever-looming traps. But does she have enough courage or skill to battle brutal gods eager to rule the world and dole out punishment to anyone who defies them? Nature and the world depend on it."

ARC Review Wednesday: The Last Shadow Gate by Michael W. Garza

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The Shadow Gate Chronicles #1

Release Date: 3/3/17

Goodreads Blurb:

"Summer vacation was never supposed to be like this.

It was bad enough Naomi had to be shipped off to her dad's home for the summer and deal with her half-brother Gavin, but when the siblings are forced to spend their break with their great-grandmother in upstate New York, everything changes. An investigation into the strange disappearance of their great-grandfather forces them to retrace his footsteps. They discover a gateway between worlds and encounter extraordinary creatures in a land where the people are desperate to escape the coming of a shade lord. To survive their adventure, Naomi and Gavin must settle their differences and find the elusive shadow gate that will take them home again.

*Grab a copy today and begin your search for the Shadow Gate*

THE SHADOW GATE CHRONICLES:

Book 1: The Last Shadow Gate
Book 2: A Veil of Shadows (Coming 2017)
Book 3: The Shadow of War (Coming 2018)"

R&R Review and Interview Friday: Romance Is For Other People by Lee Wolf

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Stand-alone to date

Goodreads Blurb:

"Lydia: “You must be sure you have a shot. But you don’t. Romance is for other people.”
Jeremy: “Do you actually think I believe that?”


Chris Howard is content with being “Best Friends Forever” with Lydia Jamison, but Lydia secretly wants to go out with him. Meanwhile, Chris’ older cousin Jeremy and Amanda have a tumultuous love-hate relationship. After a recent fight with Amanda, Jeremy starts pursuing Lydia and refuses to leave her alone.


Lydia is at first disgusted, because Jeremy has been a pest to both her and Chris in the past. Chris doesn't believe that Jeremy has a chance with Lydia, and does nothing about it. But as Jeremy refuses to give up his pursuit….


Romance is for Other People is a unique novel told from first person from the point of view of two main characters: Chris and Lydia and their experiences with first love and first heartbreak."

R&R Review Friday: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading

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Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency #1

Goodreads Blurb:

"Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is the thrilling first installment in a new series of adventure mystery stories that are one part travel, one part history and five parts adventure. This first book of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series introduces Kitty Hawk, an intrepid teenage pilot with her own De Havilland Beaver seaplane and a nose for mystery and intrigue. A cross between Amelia Earhart, Nancy Drew and Pippi Longstocking, Kitty is a quirky young heroine with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting herself into all kinds of precarious situations.

After leaving her home in the western Canadian fishing village of Tofino to spend the summer in Alaska studying humpback whales Kitty finds herself caught up in an unforgettable adventure involving stolen gold, devious criminals, ghostly shipwrecks, and bone-chilling curses. Kitty's adventure begins with the lingering mystery of a sunken ship called the Clara Nevada and as the plot continues to unfold this spirited story will have armchair explorers and amateur detectives alike anxiously following every twist and turn as they are swept along through the history of the Klondike Gold Rush to a suspenseful final climatic chase across the rugged terrain of Canada's Yukon, the harsh land made famous in the stories and poems of such writers as Jack London, Robert Service and Pierre Berton. It is a riveting tale that brings to glorious life the landscape and history of Alaska's inside passage and Canada's Yukon, as Kitty is caught up in an epic mystery set against the backdrop of the scenery of the Klondike Gold Rush.

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is a perfect book to fire the imagination of readers of all ages. Filled with fascinating and highly Google-able locations and history this book will inspire anyone to learn and experience more for themselves as Kitty prepares for her next adventure - flying around the world!"

R&R Book Review: The Null Dimension by John Burnett

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Goodreads Blurb:

"Don’t shut your eyes…don’t turn out the lights…you might run into the coolest person you’ve ever met!

Sixth-grader Stetson Oliver has a great life: a loving family, good grades, fantastic hopes and dreams. One night while drifting off to sleep, Stetson thinks he sees movement in the shadows; in the blink of an eye, objects around his room have mysteriously been moved. When he turns his head, Stetson is met by a dark, hooded figure towering above him…

The Boogerman has haunted and tormented numerous children (Stetson included) for many sleepless nights, only to find that he’s getting a bad rap—but he’s just misunderstood, he swears! With Stetson’s help, he wants to reshape his image and right his reputation. As Stetson and the Boogerman embark on a dangerous adventure, the stakes are raised...and Stetson soon learns that making a deal with the Boogerman is like making a deal with the devil—nothing is an even trade."

Review:

Thank you to Whitney Martin on behalf of the The Zharmae Publishing Press for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This, my friends, is what I call an onion book.  When Whitney described it to me, she made it out to be a middle-grade book.  In a sense it is but you can also choose to take it to the next level.  That's the whole reason I didn't become bored or exasperated with this book.  The Prologue was especially thought-provoking.

It was a bit slow in the beginning, but once I pushed through those first 30 or so pages, there was a nice flow going that carried me to the end of the book.  Speaking of the ending, I feel like it was a little glossed over.  I think the author either should have saved that part for the next book or simply expanded the ending.

Overall, I really liked the idea behind this book.  It tied in demons and parallel universes and all that stuff.  I've read so many demons and angels book but I've never read one that focused on the things that haunt us in our sleep.  Because, admit it, even adults have nightmares.

As for the characters, I did get a little annoyed with Stetson at times but he just acted the way a kid his age would.  His thought process did mature a lot throughout the book as expected (he IS involved in some important stuff).  I think Paris is my favorite character.  She kind of reminds me of myself actually.  I would like a lot more explanation about the whole powers thing.  That seemed to come out of nowhere and then all of a sudden they just dropped it.  In the next book perhaps?

The plot was very good.  It wasn't constant action but it wasn't constant speculation and talking either.  It did waver a bit between the Boogerman's reputation and the whole apocalypse thing but overall it was quite enjoyable.

The Final Verdict:

A pretty compelling read with a nice flow.  A variety of ages would enjoy it - go onion books!!  The characters were consistent with their ages  and the plot was good.  I do wish the ending would have been expanded a bit more and have more explanation about the powers.

3.5 stars