If Only by Norma Budden

Blurb:

While still in high school, Demi gave birth to a baby girl and, feeling she had no other options, put her up for adoption. Having moved on with her life—gotten married and having had two other children—16 years later, Demi Glenn suddenly cannot get her firstborn daughter out of her mind. After hiring two private detectives but getting no solid information to go on, Demi turns to the one man who will not come back empty-handed, who will not give up until he finds the answers—David Alexander, a married father of two daughters—the father of the baby she had given up so long ago who had no idea he had sired a child as a teen. Together, will they be able to find their daughter without their families being torn apart or will fate intervene, upsetting their lives in a way they'd never dreamed in the pursuit of finding the daughter they can no longer live without?

Review by Rochelle Weber:

Demi Glenn has recurring nightmares that her firstborn child, born while she was a teen and put up for adoption, is in danger. She sees someone sinister chasing her daughter down a beach. She hires two different private detectives, neither of whom can find the child. Desperate, she turns to the one PI she knows will not stop until he finds the girl—David Alexander—her high school sweetheart, and the baby’s father. Both are married with children and neither has told their families about the baby. How could David tell his family? Demi never told him about the baby.

Their child, Renee, has never felt quite comfortable with her parents. They have different interests, and as an only child, she’s lonely. She’s often wondered if she could be adopted, but her mother swears she’s not. Still, that vague discomfort is always there. But, she’s looking forward to the future. Her best friend/boyfriend is leaving for college, and her parents are allowing her to go live with her Aunt in Alberta to be close to him. She can’t wait to start this next adventure in her life.

I never figured out when, where or how Renee was in danger aside from her adoptive parents finding out her birth parents were looking for her and trying to keep her from finding out she was adopted or from meeting them. I spent much of If Only waiting for Renee to be in danger, but it never really happened, and I felt a bit cheated.

There is a mystery here with elements of the paranormal as Demi, David, and Renee all reach out to each other in their dreams. And there’s a bit of a chase scene at the end, but again—I never felt Renee was in danger of anything but being prevented from meeting Demi and David. There is danger, but it’s not directed toward Renee. Just don’t look for the scene that seems to keep recurring in Demi’s dreams. You won’t find it. If you read If Only without the expectation of anyone chasing Renee down a beach or anywhere else, you’ll enjoy it.

Length:  202 Pages

Prices:

Print:  $9.99

Digital:  $2.99

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/If-Only-Norma-Budden/dp/1507870930/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427823069&sr=8-1&keywords=If+Only+%2B+Norma+Budden

Thanks for visiting. Rose, Julie, Donna, & Rochelle

Cop With a Wand by James Hartley

Blurb:

Daisy Hudson is a newly reinstated plainclothes cop, but more importantly, she has just come to the realization that she’s a witch. Not just any witch, but a very powerful witch.

After reuniting with her partner Inspector Herb Farrell who eventually catches on to Daisy’s powers—as well as falls for her charms—together they conclude that the ordinary crimes of their city have become overshadowed by the evil conspiracy of a sinister group of gray men.

From petty crimes to those committed at the highest level of government, it becomes apparent that these tall, ugly, gray-skinned men known as the Warlocks harbor a far-reaching, ominous plot...an alien takeover of the Earth.

Even with the aid of the forceful local coven, will Daisy and Herb have the fire power to prevent the Warlocks’ impending overthrow of the government?

Review:

Okay, I admit it; I’m prejudiced. Being Wiccan, I love books about witches—especially ones with a sense of humor, and Mr. Hartley’s witches always have an acerbic wit that tickles my humerus. I’m a fan, so I kind of go into his books expecting to have fun reading them and Cop With a Wand did not disappoint.

The first time Daisy uses her powers, she puts a bully in his place, and in the hospital with a crushed testicle, and she doesn’t even realize she did it.  Well, she’s only in Junior High. She barely mutters the spell. She doesn’t even know it’s a spell. These strange words just sort of come to her and he’s on the ground, writhing in pain. The kid he was beating up swears she was at least ten feet away. She couldn’t have attacked him.

Daisy’s boss suspects she’s a witch, but maintains a “don’t ask; don’t tell” policy while sending her out on cases that include strange elements. And they all seem to lead back to the grey men, the Warlocks, who seem to be turning up everywhere, including above her boss’ head.

Needless to say, Mr. Hartley grabbed me on the first page and kept me going right through to the last word. Despite its length, the book sped by all too quickly. I hope there will be sequels.

Length:  251 Pages

Price:  $5.50

Buy Link:  https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/now-available-in-ebook/cop-with-a-wand-detail

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