The Clock Strikes Midnight by Joan Curtis

Blurb:

Janie Knox wants nothing more than to live her life quietly in Savannah, Georgia and never return to her hometown of Atlanta. At age seventeen, a week after a jury convicted her stepfather of killing her mother, she packed all her worldly possessions in a single duffle bag, hopped on a bus, and vowed never to return. But, when she learns that she’s got three months to live, she journeys back home to finish what she couldn’t do when she left--kill her stepfather.

As the clock ticks away, Janie’s uses the last days of her life to right the wrongs that have haunted her for twenty years. She faces more than she bargained for when she discovers her sister’s life in shambles. Meanwhile her stepfather, recently released from prison, blackmails the sisters and plots to extract millions from the state in retribution.

The Clock Strikes Midnight is a race against time in a quest for revenge and atonement. This is a story about unleashing the hidden truths that haunt a quiet Southern family.

Review by Rochelle:

When Janie left Atlanta, she didn’t say goodbye and everyone there thought she never looked back. That wasn’t true. While she led a quiet, successful life in Savannah, Janie never forgot the events leading up to the day her and her sister’s lives were shattered by their mother’s death—or the man responsible. When she finds she has only three months to live, she knows she has to exact her revenge, and repair the shattered relationships she left behind.

The Clock Strikes Midnight is the story of two generations of Atlanta women and the demons that drive them. It’s the tragedy of basing one’s self-esteem on being the prettiest girl in school, and what happens when your life peaks at sixteen—and crashes at seventeen. It’s the tragedy of losing a loving father at a young age, and of living with an abusive stepfather. And it’s a tale of revenge and of amends. Most importantly, it’s skillfully woven with deeply-drawn characters. Some will tug at your heart-strings, and others will make you want to wash your hands a couple of times when you put down the book. Hurry to the MuseItUp Publishing, Inc. bookstore and buy The Clock Strikes Midnight.

Length:  328 Pages

Digital Price:  $5.95

Buy Link:  https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/museitup/mainstream/the-clock-strikes-midnight-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 royalties from what is left. So, if a book costs $5.99 at E-BookPublisher.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 e-reader is as easy as transferring any file from your computer to a USB flash drive. You can download your books onto your computer using “Save As” to a “Books” folder you create and sort them into sub-folders by genre, author, or however you wish before transferring them to your e-reader. That way, if there’s a glitch with your e-reader, the books are on your computer. Once you’ve saved the book to your computer plug the larger USB end of your chord into a USB port on your computer and simply move the file from the folder you created to your E-Reader/Documents/Books directory. Your author will be happy you did when he/she sees his/her royalty statement.

Thanks for visiting. Julie, Donna, & Rochelle

Cuba Undercover by Linda Bond

Blurb:

His revenge will change her life forever...

Cuban-American TV reporter Rebecca Menendez's success comes from playing by the rules. When she's kidnapped by a fierce and intensely handsome man who needs her help. However, all of those rules seem pointless. Nothing could have prepared her for being taken hostage...or the irresistible reward if she complies: information about her long-thought-dead father.

Antonio Vega has spent almost every day of his adult life dreaming of revenging his father's death. With his sister's life and freedom in jeopardy, Antonio isn't taking any chances. But once Rebecca and Antonio are in Cuba, they're immersed in a world of corruption, deceit, and betrayal. It's a deadly game...and there are no rules.

Review by Rochelle:

According to her biography, Linda Bond is an Emmy-winning journalist. She’s able to draw on her work experiences when she creates her characters, and has even reported from Cuba. That’s where she met her husband and adopted one of her sons. So when she describes the view of the Havana skyline from the wall of the Castillo De Los Tres Reyes Del Morro or Morrow Castle, or the feel of balancing on that wall, it’s from being there. She has seen the poverty of that island country firsthand, and felt the struggle of its people for a better life.

In addition to putting you there as though you’re seeing it through her cameraman’s lens, Ms. Bond takes you on a nail-biting ride across the Florida Straight, through the Cuban jungle, and into the heart of Havana. And along the way, you meet and fall in love with the people. You feel the hunger, the poverty, and the heartbreak of broken families. I once went an entire school year in which I only got to spend five minutes with my children. I spoke to them weekly on the phone, but it was one of the worst years of my life. I can’t imagine going ten years without seeing them. I think I’d die. Yet so many Cuban families are broken with no hope of ever again seeing their loved ones, because that trip can be fatal, and it’s one way only.

Oh, yeah—Cuba Undercover has a hot hero and plenty of sexual tension as well. You’ll devour it, and want more from this journalist-turned-novelist. I can’t wait to see what awards Ms. Bond wins in this phase of her career.

Length:  221 Pages

Digital Price:  $3.99

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Cuba-Undercover-Entangled-Select-Suspense-ebook/dp/B00ZOIDG2W/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1435947819&sr=1-1&keywords=cuba+undercover

Thanks for visiting. Julie, Donna, & Rochelle

Son of a Duke by Jessie Clever

Blurb:

Society’s most capable housekeeper, Eleanora Quinton, has a problem.  Not only does a dead body fall right into the middle of her mistress’s ball and her son get kidnapped, the only person who can help her also forces her to face her most crippling fears.  

But the last thing Eleanora expects when the dead body hits the floor is love with the son of a duke. 

A spy for the British War Office and illegitimate son of a duke, Nathan Black pulls the infallible housekeeper into a cyclone of espionage, intrigue and danger as he searches for the meaning behind her son’s kidnapping. Fighting to keep Eleanora safe, Nathan struggles with his growing attraction to the unflappable housekeeper, but as the treasonous plot twists around, too many clues point to Eleanora and a past of which she will not speak. 

Can their love withstand her dangerous secret? 



Donna's Review:

In Son of a Spy Jessie Clever takes us into the world of espionage during the Napoleonic era. Spies abound, treachery is everywhere, and spy Nathan Black and head housemaid Eleanor Quinton’s worlds collide.

While there was nothing particularly remarkable about his book (I didn’t learn anything new, I wasn’t taken into a world I didn’t know, I didn’t have any earth shifting eye opening experiences) it was a very enjoyable read. The plotting was quick and moved along, and I found myself irked I had to put the book down when I just had to go do something. (My family does have to eat now and then.) I certainly did not mind picking it back up again. In fact, I made time to do so. That says a lot.

Jessie Clever has a distinctive, fresh style that is easy to read. The only problem with this is that the “voice” of each character sounds very much the same, but this is a skill authors refine over time. It is also one of the hardest things for an author to do. It did not, however, detract from the story, and this is Ms. Clever’s first novel. There is also the matter of quite a few mistakes, but again, I am easier on first books than subsequent books. 

The relationship between Nathan and Eleanor was sweet and endearing. Their internal and external goals are clearly defined straight away, and these goals play well off each other as they work towards their happily-ever-after. Clever leaves no stone unturned in making the most of her plot twists.

One word of caution – this book does goes beyond “steamy” as far as the sexual content, so if you only read clean fiction with nothing more than kissing, then I recommend you pass this one up.  There is also an unresolved story line with two characters (not Nathan and Eleanora), so you will wish to pick up the next book in the series right away if you read this one.

4 roses for this one for a quick, entertaining read.

Length: 297 pages

Price:     

   Print:   $9.99

   Digital: $2.99

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Son-Duke-The-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B00DQI48YW

Death Scene by Sara Jayne Townsend

 Blurb:

British-born, Toronto-based, actress Shara Summers turns amateur sleuth when her sister is stricken with a mysterious illness. Summoned back to England to be with her family during a time of crisis, Shara discovers doctors are at a loss as to what's causing Astrid’s debilitating sickness.

After her aunt is found dead at the bottom of the stairs the death is deemed an accident. Shara suspects otherwise. Her investigation unearths shocking family secrets and a chilling realization that could have far-reaching and tragic consequences that affect not only her own future, but Astrid’s as well.

Review by Rochelle:

SPOILER ALERT:  Do not read the Acknowledgments before reading Death Scene! Normally, I would simply delete roses for such an oversight, but this book was so good even with the spoiler, I asked the author if she did that on purpose. I thought maybe she meant the reader to know what was going on even if Shara didn’t. She told me she thought the Acknowledgments would be placed at the back of the book. She is planning to ask her publisher if it’s possible to change it. Meanwhile, I suggest saving them for the end.

That said, even knowing more than Shara, Death Scene was a gripping ride watching Shara figure out what was going on, why, who else was involved, and who would survive. I highly recommend it.

Length:  353 Pages

Digital Price:  $5.95 (Without Tax)

Buy Link:  https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/now-available-in-ebook/death-scene-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 royalties from what is left. So, if a book costs $5.99 at E-BookPublisher.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 e-reader is as easy as transferring any file from your computer to a USB flash drive. You can download your books onto your computer using “Save As” to a “Books” folder you create and sort them into sub-folders by genre, author, or however you wish before transferring them to your e-reader. That way, if there’s a glitch with your e-reader, the books are on your computer. Once you’ve saved the book to your computer plug the larger USB end of your chord into a USB port on your computer and simply move the file from the folder you created to your E-Reader/Documents/Books directory. Your author will be happy you did when he/she sees his/her royalty statement.

Thanks for visiting. Julie, Donna, & Rochelle

False Impressions by Marianne Rice

Blurb:

As a recovering alcoholic, Cole Tucker has no intention of falling in love with Samantha Chase, especially when he learns her husband and daughter were killed by a drunk driver. How would she ever be able to forgive his past? Samantha Chase is happy to have found a place to start a new life with her son, the last thing she expected was to fall in love with her new boss. But, how can she overlook his former life?

You'll love False Impressions by Marianne Rice, a passionate and poignant tale of new love and second chances.

Donna's Review:

Most of you who read my reviews know that I analyze based largely on the elements that

create good fiction—plotting, characterization, prose (sentence structure), and setting. If these are well-done, even if I have particular issues with the subject matter, I will still rate fairly. Unfortunately, when these things are missing, I also rate likewise.

False Impressions falls short in all of the above. I hate to say it, but I got only 30% through the book before putting it down. I just could not go any further. I tried to like it. I really did. Authors put their heart and soul into a book, even if it is written badly, and every successful author has a few bad books (or a lot) under their belt. That having been said, however, it is not necessary for readers to read the bad stuff. Authors put the bad stuff in the file cabinet. It is either forgotten, laughed about later, or revised when they have better writing skills.

First, the characters and the plotting. I will oftentimes put up with a lot, especially off of new authors, if the characters are well done. In this case, I did not even like these people, and I certainly cared not at all what happened to them. They have issues (deceased spouse, alcoholism), but these have not been translated into clear cut internal and external goals. Without goals, I had no purpose for reading. I did not even have a purpose for reading each section/chapter, because it was not clearly stated (or subtly stated) what the point of view character needed to accomplish in that section to “fix” their situation. As a result, there was no disaster at the end (clearly stated) and no amendment of the goal as the plot drove forward (or was suppose to drive forward) to the next disaster.

Another problem was the dialogue, which in this situation falls flat. The characters spend too much time talking about ordinary things. (Actually, any dialogue discussing ordinary things, unless it drives the plot forward, is flat and unnecessary.) There are long sections with the hero discussing superheroes with the heroine’s son. Perhaps there was a point to this, but even at that, one conversation would have been fine. There is too much cussing that serves no purpose, and the sexual innuendos turned me off. I knew I was in trouble at the end of chapter one. “He looked reluctant but gestured to the back bedroom where she gave him the best two hours of her life.” Not only is the verb tense wacky, but she was merely going to paint the room. A few more of those did me in. There are better ways of creating a “sexy” or “romantic” mood within a book. It involves the emotions and conflict within the characters themselves, not off color dialogue and word play.

The sentence structure is way too long and windy. Some of the sentences are so long I had to reread to remember what was said at the beginning. In other places it was short, with dashes and clipped words. Granted, these have a place in fiction, but they should be used sparingly. Long sentences have no place at all (because basically they become run on sentences). There are tons of comma mistakes, and more often than not the verb tense is changed within a sentence itself. (Reference the quote above.) The poor sentence structure, combined with the ineffective dialogue, results in a confusing mush of sentences that do not enhance the story but merely muddle it further.

Last, but not least, this book is WAY WAY WAY overpriced. It is only 158 pages, which makes the likely word count around 80,000 words. This is the author’s third book, so she is not well-known. Few authors, even well-known ones, price kindle versions with that number of pages that high. Perhaps that is the publisher’s decision. Regardless, it is a bad one.

One rose for effort.

(Note: I did receive a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.)

Length:  158 Pages

Digital Price:  $5.99

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/False-Impressions-McKay-Tucker-Men-Book-ebook/dp/B00Y7C8HJ8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1435253904&sr=8-4&keywords=false+impressions

Thanks for visiting. Julie, Donna & Rochelle