Tag Archives: books

book reviews, novel, relationships, romance

Review of Devilfire Book 1 of American Hauntings by Simone Baudelaire

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Overview.

This exciting paranormal romance is set in Texas in 1886. Quite a page turner. There is some explicit sex, but not too much. 

I am pleased to see that it is book 1. That means I can spend more time with these characters, and see how they continue their development, and if Gavin can come to terms with his own unacknowledged talent.

Although I don’t usually enjoy graphic sex scenes, there wasn’t too much in this book and it didn’t bother me. What I can’t stand is what seems to be a story simply to carry the sex scenes.

And I love the cover.

It is an excellent read.

Blurb

Texas, 1885

In the aftermath of a deadly fire, Dr. Gavin Morris, on hand to render aid to the few survivors, runs into someone he does not expect. Medium Annabelle Smith has arrived to help the dead cross over. Despite the grim work, the two find themselves immediately drawn to one another.

But this one chance encounter does not end their unexpected connection. Time and again, fate draws them to scenes of destruction, until they can no longer pretend that the fires are natural…and cannot deny that their connection also transcends the ordinary.

But Annabelle is not all she appears. One of her many secrets may be what saves them… or what ultimately leads to their deaths. Are Gavin and Annabelle doomed to burn with more than passion?

This western historical/paranormal contains strong religious themes and graphic sex scenes.

Story.

A mysterious fire breaks out in the southern states of the US destroying a complete village and killing most of the inhabitants.

Doctor Gavin Morris is trying his best to help the dying and injured when he meets Annabelle Smith. She appears to be speaking to the ghosts of the dead.

Gavin does not believe her, but she explains how she has been called here to help the dead on their way. She is emaciated and obviously poor, so Gavin feels sorry for her and wishes to help.

Not to give too much away, there are more inexplicable fires, and the pair decide to investigate. During their investigations they grow closer. 

They find themselves in a terrifying situation, being stalked by an entity far more frightening and dangerous than the ghosts.

Characters 

I liked the main characters. They had their struggles with both the paranormal and the romantic feelings developing between them. 

They developed nicely throughout the novel, with Gavin reluctantly accepting Annabelle’s work, and the fact of the ghosts.

Secondary characters were also well developed, including the ghosts, some of which had to be told they had died. They also kept their worldly characters, especially one rather unpleasant woman.

Writing

I thought that Ms Beaudelaire gave us a clear feeling of both time and place. I had a clear picture in my head of every setting, and believed in the characters.

No grammatical mistakes, nor typos.

I give this book 5*

  My ranking of books. In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

Have you read any of Simone Baudelaire’s books? This is the first one I’ve read of hers, but will certainly be looking out for more.

announcement, fantasy, novel

Unmissable Deal: Bestselling Elemental Worlds Collection Now Available at 0.99 ($ or £)

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The Elemental Worlds duo has been added to Next Chapter Best Sellers page. I’m thrilled about this.

Amazon ranking:
Best Sellers Rank: 820 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
1 in British & Irish Literature Anthologies
1 in Fantasy Anthologies (Kindle Store)
1 in Fiction Anthologies (Kindle Store)

Currently, the duo is available for the low price of 0.99 ($ or £). Don’t miss this chance of getting two bestselling books. This offer ends next Wednesday, 21th August, so don’t delay.

You can buy the Elemental Worlds Collection by following this link.

Don’t hesitate. Click the link NOW before it’s too late.

The books are available in other formats, paperback and hardback, and also as an audiobook.

See other Next Chapter Best Sellers by clicking here.

fantasy, novel, offers

A Free Dystopian Novel

2 Comments

Echo 1 is FREE for five days (8/5-8/9), Echo 2, 3, and 4 are $0.99 for a week! (8/5-8/12)
book reviews

Review of Heidi, a Puppy’s Progress by Brian L. Porter

5 Comments

Overview

A lovely recounting of a very small puppy’s first year.

Blurb

In May 2023, Brian Porter and his wife added a new member to their family of rescue dogs: in this case, a tiny Dachshund puppy who they named Heidi.

She had been the runt of a litter and barely survived her first day of life. Only the love and devotion of the lady who bred her managed to literally breathe life into her lungs, and proceeded to hand-rear her for the first two crucial weeks of her life. Having recently lost their beloved Muttley, the Porters decided to give this beautiful puppy a home.

This book chronicles Heidi’s first year with the family and how she was accepted immediately by the rest of the dogs, despite some initial worries by Brian and Juliet. Anyone who’s ever raised a puppy will recognise many of the trials they went through in those early months: the laughs, the utter mayhem and the satisfaction that comes from seeing an undersized, weak and vulnerable puppy dog grow and learn to love life.

Review.

Brian and his wife, Juliet, have dedicated their lives to rescuing many dogs who have suffered terrible things. Those who have read Mr Porter’s previous books about these dogs will know how dedicated they are to this project. This is number 11 in the series.

Sadly, one of the six rescue dogs, Muttley, became ill and died at the age of thirteen. Juliet decided that, in order to help her husband to get over the loss, a new puppy would be the right thing. But her suggestions fell on deaf ears.

She suggested a dachshund, as the first two dogs Brian had were two dachshunds, Sophie and Candy. (You can read about them in Sophie and Candy. A tale of two dachshunds.)

It took a while, but eventually, Brian went to look at a litter and fell in love with a tiny scrap of a puppy. She had almost died, being so small, even for a dachshund, and only lived thanks to Julie, the owner of the mother. Brian decided to buy Heidi, as he named her.

When the day came to bring her home, both he and Juliet were concerned about how the other dogs would react. But I’m saying no more about that here, as it would be a spoiler.

The book goes on to tell of how Heidi grows from a tiny puppy to a happy, confident little dog. We learn of her antics, and how her personality develops throughout her first year.

There are lots of pictures of both Heidi and the other dogs, as well, so we know exactly what they look like, which is lovely.

There are some typos, but that did not detract from my enjoyment of the book.

This is a very readable book. I fell in love with Heidi, as I am sure all readers will.

I give it 4*.

My ranking of books.

In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only. This guide refers to fiction, as you will notice, but I think it gives the general idea of my thinking.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

Have you read any of Brian Porter’s A Family of Rescue Dogs? Please leave your comments in the comments box. I love to hear from you.

fantasy, novel

Jovinda’s Court Presentation at Aspirilla: A Noble’s Exciting Experience

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I asked Jovinda to tell us about her visit to Aspirilla, the captial of Grosmer, when she went to be presented at court. Here is what she told me.

Me: Hello, Jovinda. I hear you recently went to court and met the king, queen and Crown Prince Gerim.

Jovinda: Oh yes! It was so exciting. I’d recently celebrated my sixteenth birthday and so I was now of age. When girls of the nobility, or from other important families, come of age, they usually get presented at court.

Father received a letter with the Royal Seal on it. He wouldn’t say what it was and took it to his study to read. I was jumping up and down, wanting to know what it said, but he made me and Mother wait until dinner time to tell us.

When he read it out, my stomach turned over. I was included in the guest list! I could hardly eat my dinner for excitement.

The next day, we went to see Madame Frimb, the best dressmaker in Bluehaven. She made a wonderful dress in green velvet. It set off my auburn hair perfectly.

The dress had a high neckline with small pearl buttons sewn around it. The buttons ran down the centre of the bodice and the sleeves stopped at my elbow with pearl buttons around the cuffs. The skirt flared from my waist to give my feet room to move during the dancing. And it had more pearl buttons around the hem.

I was so excited I hardly slept that night. Nor the others before the banquet. I was dreaming of dancing with the prince. I thought I would look so beautiful that he would fall in love with me at first sight.

That didn’t happen, of course, but something even more wonderful did. I met my true love, Nolimissalloran, know as Noli. He was an elf, and so beautiful.

But that’s another story. If you want to learn about what happened, you need to read Jovinda and Noli.

It’s available in all formats by clicking the link on the name, or the book cover in the side-bar.

Here is a short extract from the book:

Jovinda and her parents stood at the top of the stairs leading down to the reception room in the Palace. Jovinda scanned the room looking for Prince Gerim. The prince was not quite sixteen, but would be at such an important banquet as the heir to the throne. She frowned slightly as she noticed a young elf watching her as she descended the stairs.

Ellire had decided the best style for her dress for the banquet would be, not like the elaborate dresses they saw hanging in Madame Frimb’s workroom, but a simple style.

Jovinda saw the green velvet fabric and fell in love with the colour. Ellire agreed it would look good on her, and then went to discuss a style with Madame Frimb. The dress she now wore had a high neckline with small pearl buttons sewn around it. The buttons continued down the centre of the otherwise plain bodice with sleeves that stopped at her elbow. They also had pearl buttons around the cuffs. The skirt flared from her waist giving room for her feet to move when dancing, and more pearl buttons graced the hem. She wore small pearl drops in her ears and a white orchid in her hair.

The family walked down the stairs as a butler announced them. Jovinda stared around. The stairs descended from the balcony where they had entered, and flared out towards the bottom. A red carpet ran down the centre. Large floor to ceiling windows to her right opened onto the palace gardens, and doors carved with vines and fruits stood open on the opposite side. Torches in sconces lit the room, and glinted on the gold-leaf that covered the cornice. More gold covered a few chairs scattered around for those unable to stand for long, and at the opposite end of the room was a dais with two thrones, again, covered in gold leaf.

A waiter brought a tray of drinks.

Jovinda took a glass of Perimo, a sparkling wine from the islands, as she chatted with many of her parents’ friends and acquaintances, feeling very grown up.

Suddenly, a horn sounded. Everyone stopped talking and looked towards the stairs. The Royal Family entered and made their way through the crowd to the dais.

As they passed, people bowed their heads or curtseyed.

Once the king and queen settled onto their thrones, the butler announced the first of the young people to be presented.

As it was her first social occasion, Jovinda was one of those young people. When the butler called her name, she looked at her father who mouthed “Go on, Jo”.

Her mother gave her a little push to start her on her way.

She took a deep breath to try to calm her racing heart, and ascended the dais where she curtseyed to the king and queen.

The king smiled and his eyes twinkled. “We are delighted to meet you, Jovinda. Enjoy the occasion. There’s nothing quite like your first ball.” 

Then she moved on. Prince Gerim smiled at her and shook her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Jovinda.”

Jovinda curtseyed. He’s quite good-looking. I wonder if I can attract his attention? He may even ask me to dance. I wonder what kind of girls he likes?

If you decide to buy and read this book, I would be grateful for an honest review.

Warning: It contains adult themes that some might find upsetting.

book reviews, fantasy, novel

RJ’s Dragon Saga: Engaging Fantasy Adventure with Surprising Twists

8 Comments

Blurb

Jaiden’s simple act of freeing Skye, the blue dragon, along with her family became a movement to free all dragons. And that escalated to a rebellion. Now, all-out war seems to be the only solution.

Jaiden and friends Tristram, Wyetta, Gorn, and Aleena represent the surge of humanity who joined the fight for Dragon Freedom. Skirmishes, ambushes, intense battles and undercover operations transform everyday reality. Uncertainty surrounding the strength and weaponry of the Dear Leader’s human army adds to the tension.

 Mysteries, surprises, unexpected revelations and shocking outcomes mark the Final Dragon War.

Story

This is a story aimed at teenagers, but it is equally enjoyable for adults who enjoy the fantasy genre.

Jaiden has joined with the dragons to try to end their enslavement once and for all. But the only way to do this is by all out war. He discovered in the previous books that he could hear dragon speech via the means of telepathy. This ability he uses to interpret the dragons’ orders to the people who have come to help.

Many people believe the dragons to be simply dumb beasts, and despise those who go to help them.

I don’t want to reveal any more here, except to say that there are a number of twists that genuinely had me saying ‘I didn’t see that coming.’

Characters

Jaiden is the main protagonist. We see the action through his eyes as it’s written in 1st person. He has already developed in the first two books into a young man with more confidence than he had at the beginning of the series, although he still has doubts about his abilities.

During this adventure, he becomes much more confident.

The dragons. Skye is the main dragon protagonist in this book, although Trigger and Dog play as big a part. Skye is a blue dragon, the biggest and cleverest of the dragons. Trigger is a silver, and Dog a gold. The gold are the smallest and least clever.

I liked these last two dragons. Dog is small enough to get into places others can’t go, and he plays a big part in rescuing Jaiden when he’s been captured.

Skye is a compassionate dragon who understands Jaidon’s lack of confidence, and she helps him with advice and an ear when he needs it.

Aleena is girl who had annoyed Jaiden in earlier years, always hanging around him. In this book, she grows from an annoying brat into a confident young woman.

There are many other characters I could talk about, but it would make this review too long. You’ll have to read the book(s) to find out about them.

Writing

While there are a few typos in the book, there were not enough to annoy me into giving up on it. The story kept me reading.

RJ has built his world well. I could visualise the characters and the landscape, including Big Hill and its caves, where Jaiden was held prisoner. And the cliffs where the dragons had their caves, too.

The descriptions of the action scenes were well told, keeping the tension going.

There is the possibility of further adventures. I hope RJ writes them.

I give this book 4*

My ranking of books. In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

announcement, book release, Cover Reveal, Poetry

Cover Reveal

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I was going to post some pictures from my recent holiday today, but I received the preview cover from my publisher this morning and so decided to run with that. Hence the delay in posting.

Here it is, alongside the first book.

These books have one poem to be read each day for a year. Here is the blurb about Book 1.

Take a lyrical journey through the first half of the year with V.M. Sang’s FROM JANUARY TO JUNE.

This anthology captures the essence of everyday life, nature, and the world around us through the versatile medium of poetry. From haiku to narrative poems, and the humour found in limericks, From January To June is a diverse collection of poetry.

A calendar in creativity, a diary in verse; this collection is the perfect companion for daily reflection and inspiration, providing a poem for each day that resonates with the diverse experiences of life.

And a review from Amazon.

Sashadoo

5.0 out of 5 stars Clever and unusual, a unique blend of poetic styles.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 December 2023

Verified Purchase

I thoroughly enjoyed this unique collection of poetry from V M Sang. I say unique because it’s rare to find such an eclective collection of different styles, forms and subjects in one one book, all by the same author. From Haiku to full length poetic pieces, covering a wide range of topics from the weather to personal feelings and the rare beauty found in the more mundane, everyday events in the poet’s life. Definitely something for everyone and I have no hesitation in recommending the book and giving it a 5 star review.

Here is a poem from Book 2 to whet your appetite. It is the first poem in the book, dated July 1st.

It’s deep into peach season, so I wrote this in honour of that delicious fruit.

Peaches

A peach with skin so soft.
Breathe in the sweet scent
As to my nose it wafts.
Made just to tempt.

Bite into the flesh.
That scent did not lie
The flavour is so fresh.
That I cannot deny.

Juice runs down my chin.
The peach is so sweet
It must be a sin
To enjoy such a treat.

The book contains many poems of different types, like the first one. I will keep you informed as to when it will be released. It should be sometime next month.

If you can’t wait, then you can get the first book by clicking on this link, or to get my previous poetry book, Miscellaneous Thoughts, you can click here.

Or click on the book cover in the sidebar.

Do you like the cover? Does it tie in with the first book, to show they are linked?

book reviews, novel

Review of The Wind Weeps by Anneli Purchase

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I didn’t post last week as I was on holiday. I’ll tell you about it in my next blog.

Overview

An exciting story that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.

Story

Andrea has left her safe home and finds herself in British Columbia. Here she gets a job on the wharf where she meets Jim, an attractive fisherman. They go on a few dates and she finds herself falling for him. But Jim goes to visit his family and makes no contact.

Along comes Robert. Handsome, strong, charming Robert. Thinking she’s been dumped by Jim, Andrea gets engaged to Robert. Many people warn her that he’s not what he seems, but without being specific, so she marries him.

She soon discovers her mistake.

Characters

The characters are true to life.

We meet Andrea as she starts her job on the wharf and experience her mistakes as a rookie. She is a likeable character, but like us all, makes wrong decisions with regard to her life. She is vulnerable and strong at the same time.

Jim is a kind and likeable man. The reader can’t help but like him and it’s ‘Oh no!’ when Andrea decides he’s dumped her.

Robert is charming and handsome at the start, but he has a dreadful flaw. We come to root for anyone who opposes him.

Then there’s Michelle, a French Canadian. Andrea shares an apartment with her. She is very supportive of Andrea. A likeable person.

Writing

The writing is good. I don’t think I found any typos or grammatical errors. It is told in the first person.

There are a couple of chapters where the Point of View character changes from Andrea. This confused me in a chapter near the end, but it soon became clear.

Ms Purchase brings us right into the action. We are on the edge of our seats, rooting for Andrea. She keeps the tension going throughout.

There’s a sequel. Yay! I’m off to read it now.

I gave it 5*

My ranking of books.

In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

book reviews, novel

Review of Ghost of a Chance by Jaye Marie

7 Comments

OVERVIEW.

A gripping story. I read it in one day of continuous reading.

STORY

This is the 4th book in the DI Snow series. I haven’t read the others yet, but it is perfectly readable as a standalone novel.

DI David Snow was seriously injured in a previous encounter and has been officially retired from the police. He is wrestling with the breakdown of his marriage at the same time.

He goes to the police station to try to convince them that he is still able to do his job. While there, he sees a young woman bringing in an elderly woman in great distress. He goes to help. No one knows who the elderly woman is, and she has amnesia. The girl had found her in a state of stress and wants to help.

DI Snow decides to help find out who the woman is, and why she is upset. This leads him into an investigation involving murder and ghostly happenings.

BLURB

A damaged detective, out of a job

A relationship on the rocks
What does the future hold for David Snow?
Just when he thought life couldn’t get any worse
A ghost with a grudge adds to his pain
A ghost hell bent on stopping him from rebuilding his life…

CHARACTERS 

All the characters in this novel are believable. They all have problems and faults as well as their good points..

David Snow is wrestling with depression after losing his wife and his job. He finds some relief in investigating the mystery woman.

David’s wife, Jane, has had a string of affairs after the breakup. Not all were satisfactory, especially one. She regrets this, but cannot find the strength to stop.

Laurie, the girl who brought the old woman to the police station, has her own problems. After a difficult childhood and adolescence, she finds it difficult to settle to anything. She has enrolled at University, and is determined to graduate, but finds the commitment difficult, as well as commitment to another human being.

Alan Turner is a person who was jealous of David Snow’s success. He is a thoroughly nasty person who plots Snow’s downfall, wanting his job. He has few positive traits. I disliked him all the way through. (Which I suspect I was intended to.)

WRITING.

Jaye Marie has created an exciting and enthralling story. The writing is good and there are very few typos.

She manages to build up the tension well, creating an unputdownable book. 

The story is told mainly in third person past tense, but David Snow’s chapters are in first person. This, I think, brings us closer to him and his problems. I like the idea.

I give it 5*

  My ranking of books. In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

entertainment, fantasy, Give Away, novel

A Fun Romp.

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