Mad Dog Justice by Mark Rubinstein

Blurb:

Roddy Dolan, a surgeon, and Danny Burns, an accountant, are being hunted as prey. Someone is after them with lethal intentions but they don't know who or why.

Whoever it is, and for whatever reason, they and their families are in the crosshairs of killers. Everything they know is unraveling. They must hide, send their families away, abandon their homes, and leave their lives behind.

The second book in the Mad Dog series, Mad Dog Justice is a harrowing tale of friendship, morality, betrayal, and dire consequences.

Review:

I would need to go back and read Dr. Rubinstein’s Mad Dog House to see whether the parts that involve Roddy and Danny in the present are told in first person present, but this book is, when it’s in Roddy’s point of view, from which it rarely digresses.  That brings it up front and personal, as though you’re witnessing the action as it unfolds.  The action was so in my face, I was tempted to turn myself in to WITSEC.  Needless to say, I could not put the book down.  And there were enough people who had reason to kill Roddy and Danny and threaten their families to keep me guessing who was after them until the very end.  Way to go Doc Rubinstein!  Woo Hoo!  What a ride!

If you want to feel as though you’re not just reading a thriller, but experiencing it, by all means, grab Mad Dog Justice!

Length:  328 Pages

Print Price:  $10.44

Buy Link:  http://thunderlakepress.com/mad-dog-justice/

You’ll notice we always include the publisher’s buy link.  That’s because authors usually receive 40% of the book price from the publisher.  Editors and cover artists usually receive about 5%.  When you buy a book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or another third-party vendor, they take a hefty cut and the author, editors and cover artists receive their cuts from what is left.  So, if a book costs $5.99 at E-Book Publisher.com and you buy from there, the author will receive about $2.40.  If you buy the book at Amazon, the author will receive about $0.83.

Downloading the file from your computer to your Kindle is as easy as transferring any file from your computer to a USB flash drive. Plug the larger USB end of your chord into a USB port on your computer and simply move the file from your “Downloads” box to your Kindle/Documents/Books directory. You can download your books onto your computer using “Save As” to a “Books” file you create and sort them into sub-folders by genre, author, or however you wish before transferring them to your Kindle. That way, if there’s a glitch with your Kindle, the books are on your computer. Your author will be happy you did when he/she sees his/her royalty statement.

Thanks for visiting. Rose, Julie & Rochelle

Foreshadow by Cynthia Joyce Clay, Reviewer Julie Grimm

Blurb:

Princess Royal, Tristabé-airta of Allsongs, daughter to King Freyzyn, is the darling of her father's court. Poet souled, she can never contend for the heirship of Allsongs because she is flawed. Never will she transform to demi-dragon form as her kingly father does. Nefarious magical creatures have designs against her; neighboring rulers, King Pict and the Usurper King Knag plot the overthrow of King Freyzun; and malcontents work to undermine the simplefolk’s trust in the magic of the poets. As small as she is Tristabé-airta must, for the sake of the future of her father's kingdom, make an alliance with a child as royal as she is, but this child hates her...

Review:  

Foreshadow: Book I of the Saga of the Dragon Born by Cynthia Joyce Clay is a lengthy tale with Tristabé-airta, daughter to the king, as the central figure of the story.  Although she is considered flawed, Tristabé-airta is a baby whose powers begin to show when she is very small.

I would have given this book a thorn, except I think it would have great potential if this one book could be made into several smaller books without so much detail. I could even picture it as a movie while I was reading it.  It jumps around a lot, and it would help if the characters were introduced at a slower pace.  I simply couldn’t keep track of them all. The chapters start out jumping back and forth between the nobles and the simple folk with no real reason for doing so which adds to the confusion.

What I enjoyed about the book was the main noble characters as they have special powers which are different from powers used in other fantasy novels.  I also was entertained by the simple folk who get into trouble for proselytizing.  However, the proselytizers names made me roll my eyes, and so did key words that were used that didn’t fit the time period.

I was also very unhappy with the ending.  There is a way to tell a tale without leaving the reader hanging but yet wanting more.  It didn’t make me want to read the next one.

Length:  324 Pages

Digital:  $6.00

BuyLink:http://www.amazon.com/Foreshadow-Book-Saga-Dragon-Born-Dragon-ebook/dp/B00KQVNPE6/ref=la_B001K8EOAI_1_6_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409436067&sr=1-6

Thank you for visiting, Rose, Julie, and Rochelle

Spent: The Emotional and Financial Journey of Laici the Mouse by Brenda Lenz

Blurb:

This is a story about Laici, who is trapped in the rat race of middle class American life. The tale tells how she freed herself from the monsters who were stealing her time and money.

Review:

Spent: The Emotional and Financial Journey of Laici the Mouse is a light and interesting little book that I could closely relate to my richest dreams—it is about the need for a chocolate lifestyle.  My first thought upon starting this book by Brenda Lenz was that I may learn how to make my dreams come true. However, by the time I had finished reading it, I realized that I already do live the chocolate lifestyle; I have the dream life in many ways.

Laici the mouse is transformed into Laici the woman, and then into Laici the goddess.  Here’s the basic trek that brings her to her fullest self, one who can enjoy the chocolates of life as she learns to create her own destiny:

• Teach children to take care of themselves so they become fully actualized humans
• Teach husband to participate in ALL areas of family life
• Understand that relationships are more important than possessions
• Simplify and de-clutter all that does not contribute to fulfillment or health

This book was a good affirmation of the appropriate priorities in life.  It was also a fun read, one that I recommend.

Length:  108 Pages

Print Price:  $21.88

Buy Link:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spent-brenda-lenz/1007942622?ean=9780977321711

Thanks for visiting, Rose, Julie & Rochelle

Alive at 5 by Linda Bond

Blurb:

TV news reporter Samantha Steele is one panic attack away from losing her job. Future on the line and cameraman in tow, she follows her mentor on an exhilarating adventure vacation. When he dies while skydiving, her investigative instincts scream “murdered”, and lead her to gorgeous thrill-seeker Zack Hunter.

Zack is an undercover police officer investigating his uncle’s death through the same adventure vacation company. Samantha is a thorn in his side the moment they meet. Not only is she investigating the same case, but the emotionally wounded loner doesn’t want another partner, especially one whose goal is to splash evidence all over the evening news. But Samantha’s persistence is quite a turn-on, and Zack’s overpowering desire makes it harder for him to push her away.

When the killer turns his attention to Zack, Samantha might be the only one who can save him, forcing the anxiety-riddled correspondent to finally face her greatest fear.

Review:

As Editor-in-Chief of the Marketing for Romance Writers Newsletter, I get inside information on what’s coming out each month. Linda Bond was our Featured Author for August, 2014. One of the first things I noticed about Alive at 5 was the fact that Ms. Bond’s name appeared above the title. That’s rare enough for seasoned authors. You have to be a Tom Clancy, a James Patterson or a J. K. Rowling to get your name above the title. Most mid-list authors’ names stay firmly below their titles. Next, I tested the link for Ms. Bond’s website and found myself watching her book trailer. I thought I was pretty clever narrating mine. All of the other book trailers I’ve seen have simply been a collection of stock photos accompanied by music. Ms. Bond’s trailer is live, with actors, dialog, soundtrack music and even out-takes at the end. It helps to be an Emmy-winning broadcaster and have access to a news crew, equipment and video studio. All of that, however, means Ms. Bond has a really good agent and friends in the right places. So, you’ve got my attention. Can you write?

Well, of course! You don’t get the kind of agent who gets your name above the title by writing a dull, slow-paced story with characters no one cares about! Alive at 5 lived up to its promise and then some. If it weren’t for the help of her mother’s former lover, Maxwell Wentworth, Samantha Steel would not be able to keep her mother in an expensive nursing home after a plane crash leaves her in a coma. Furthermore, if Maxwell hadn’t allowed Sam to accompany him on and cover his adventure vacation, she’d be out of a job. She’s had anxiety attacks every time she’s had to deliver a live broadcast ever since her mother’s accident. Covering Maxwell’s adventure vacation is her last chance—until his parachute fails to open in the first phase. When fellow vacationer, Zack tells her the chute’s been tampered with, Sam decides to follow him on the rest of his tour, and find out who tried to kill Maxwell and why, not realizing Zack is there to track the person who killed his uncle a year earlier on the same tour.

Alive at 5 grabbed me on the first page and held my attention all the way through. I truly did not know who did it or why until Sam and Zack figured it out, and regular readers know how rarely that happens. I’m excited for Ms. Bond. I think we’ll see a lot more of her. I really hope so. Oh, and watch for the hunky actor in her book trailer elsewhere. He’s a soccer player in an Adidas commercial.

Length:  309 Pages

Prices:

Print:  $14.99

Digital:  $0.99

Buy Link:  http://www.entangledpublishing.com/alive-at-5/

You’ll notice we always include the publisher’s buy link.  That’s because authors usually receive 40% of the book price from the publisher.  Editors and cover artists usually receive about 5%.  When you buy a book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or another third-party vendor, they take a hefty cut and the author, editors and cover artists receive their cuts from what is left.  So, if a book costs $5.99 at E-Book Publisher.com and you buy from there, the author will receive about $2.40.  If you buy the book at Amazon, the author will receive about $0.83.

Downloading the file from your computer to your Kindle is as easy as transferring any file from your computer to a USB flash drive. Plug the larger USB end of your chord into a USB port on your computer and simply move the file from your “Downloads” box to your Kindle/Documents/Books directory. You can download your books onto your computer using “Save As” to a “Books” file you create and sort them into sub-folders by genre, author, or however you wish before transferring them to your Kindle. That way, if there’s a glitch with your Kindle, the books are on your computer. Your author will be happy you did when he/she sees his/her royalty statement.

Thanks for visiting. Rose, Julie & Rochelle