Fortress of Mist: Sigmund Brouwer

   Secret identities, unknown enemies, suspicious allies? What else could you want? Sigmund Brouwer really went all-out with this page-turner. You never knew where Thomas stood with someone or what their motives were. Did they want to help him maintain his strenuous hold on Magnus? Do they want to swipe control of Magnus away from Thomas? In this book you never know.  It's a page-turning adventure filled with mistrust and intricate plots.
   Thomas is an intriguing character. To his peers he seems exceptionally wise, but in reality he actually gained this knowledge from a stash of hidden books no one knows about. He is a cunning man and he uses every advantage he can to keep a hold on Magnus.
   Due to his book stash he was able to conquer Magnus a supposedly unreachable province and he gains control of Magnus without the loss of a single life. Due to this he impresses his peers and commands the respect of his troops. Where you go in Fortress of Mist you never know.

This book was provided free of charge by Multinomah publishing

Seismic Influences: Priscilla Audette

   In Seismic Influences we join main character Joy in the early years of the sexual revolution. Joy tells us about the ups and downs of the 70's and the different types of people their were. Over-all I greatly enjoyed Seismic Influences. I was up all night reading it. My favorite part about this book is the fact that you never know what's going to happen. It's a mystery the whole time.
   There are definitely some interesting people involved in the storyline, each with their own motive. There is the very sick-minded owner of the restaurant. The married detective who works the murder of the body she finds. The Mississippi Cowboy. The jewelry store owner with a hidden profession. And the runner of an escort service.
   The end was never quite clear. You never know what's going to happen.

Chasing the Lost: Bob Mayer

   Chasing the Lost follows a group of ex-military,an ex-ranger, and a veterinarian as they attempt to rescue a boy Cole Briggs from kidnappers demanding $50 Million dollars in super-bowl bets from his father. His mother Sarah Briggs runs to Chase as she's being pursued by her son's kidnappers. It's a race to the short deadline that's been set.
   Wow. This definitely took some unexpected turns. All in all I loved it. There were a lot of technical details, but the story was still easily understood. I loved how all the ex-service men reacted when they were suddenly thrust back into action in a way none of them could have expected.
   With a fast moving plot and an ending that will stun you, this makes a perfect read for pretty much everyone. Absolutely amazing.

White Lies: Alice Sabo

   White Lies revolves around an actor (Asher) who's struggling to piece together his life after it was torn a part by alcohol and drugs. It starts out with him being falsely accused of murdering a former manager of his who had stolen money from him. During this book it delves into his experiences with recovering lost friendships, finding love, and solving the mystery surrounding his false charges.
  
   He learns how to walk the straight and narrow, while narrowly avoiding temptation. A murder investigation is the last thing he needs while trying to recover his life again. Through an intricate plot Asher discovers himself facing numerous charges, that make it nearly impossible to guess the ending.
  
   White lies was an amazing book. I got it in the mail and I had it read a few hours later. It was a page-turner that left me craving more when it ended. I truly hope to have the privilege of reviewing more of Alice's books. She is a truly talented author, and I hope she finds a successful career that fully utilizes her talents.

Francesca of Lost Nation: Lucinda Sue Crosby

   Francesca of Lost Nation follows Francesca, 59 and her granddaughter Sarah, 10 in their adventures. I honestly don't have much to say about the novel. I thought the writing tended to be a bit bland at times. There was nothing really wrong about the writing it just wasn't my style. 
   It felt kind of like a historical fiction piece. So if you like a story filled with an antiquated feel to it. I recognize it was well written; however, it didn't really capture my attention.
   I think that if there had been a little more action and less description that it would be a much more interesting read. So I think you should get this if this kind of thing appeals to me, but it wasn't really up my alley.
   Other people greatly enjoy this story due to its odd sense of humor and sensitivity; however, this kind of book was never very appealing to me. For me it failed to draw me into the story.

   A free copy of this book was provided by the author for reviewing purposes. 

Nothing Down: Mike Reuther

   I'll admit that I'm not a Baseball fan. I'm basketball through and through, but like it says on the back of the book 'You don't have to be a Baseball fan to enjoy this page-turning novel'. This is entirely accurate. Nothing Down is about a rookie Major League Baseball player, Homer Newbody, who is quickly ostracized for publicly stating that he'd happily play for nothing more than 'meal money'.
   This story really is captivating. The way Homer is willing to stand up for his beliefs even if they're not popular. This story really shows a strong faith in America, for the fact that he isn't interested in money like so many people are.
   This is a surprisingly touching tales about sticking to your morals no matter what, and following your dreams.
   It really was a page-turner. This story about a young American hero was brilliantly told.

This book was provided for free for reviewing purposes by the author.

Judge: R.J. Larson

   Judge is a pretty good book. What I got from it is the infinite is kind of like god. With prophets and holy missions.
   Kien Lantac didn't expect to be sent on a special mission from the Infinite on his first day of military leave. He's frustrated because his mission has absolutely nothing to do with his skills as a military judge in training. His job is to warn the people of ToronSea against turning against the Infinite in favor of a goddess that is quickly becoming the popular way of worship.
   Ela of Parne is the Infinite's chosen prophet. She is sent to Parne to try and rid the town of their unholy notions. However when she gets there she doesn't quite get what she expected.
   Although I'm usually pretty against books with religious undertones I thought this was an exciting tale that leads you through all of the different obstacles that Ela and Kien must face together and separately. This is an exciting tale that captures your attention from page one.
   It shows the importance of keeping true to yourself no matter what the consequences. That makes a pretty good story to me.

   A free copy of this book was provided by Bethany House publishers for reviewing purposes.   

The Scrolls of Xavier: John A. Ashley

   Okay, this was a pretty interesting science fiction genre novel. I was really impressed by the descriptiveness of the story. I always thought what made a good novel was the feeling you got when you read it. If you felt like you were right there with the characters while they're jumping through hoops to survive. When you find yourself rooting for the "good guys" to win. That's what makes a good novel.

   John Ashley certainly managed to accomplish that here. I felt myself hoping the characters could pull through just one more time. John Ashley certainly didn't disappoint with this story.

   I loved how the plot developed in completely unexpected ways. I've always hated being able to guess the ending of a story, but I never had to worry about that with this story. The characters were enticing, and the romance was complicated. All in all I would definitely recommend this story to anyone interested in a good science fiction book.

   A free copy of this e-book was provided by the author for reviewing purposes.

The Tainted Coin: Mel Starr

   The Tainted Coin takes place in a very early setting, 1367, to be exact. It takes place in Bampton where Master Hugh is enjoying the quiet life, until a badly beaten man is found under the porch of St. Andrews chapel. The beaten man is a traveling merchant of sorts. The oddest thing of all, in my opinion, is the fact that there's an old, corroded coin found in his mouth.

    First of all I did like the over-all sound and feeling that came from this creatively drafted story;however, due to the time period it was set in, I found it a bit difficult to follow.

   I do have to admit it's an enchanting little story; however, I may wish it wasn't true. I did like it over-all, but if you don't have penchant for understanding old texts it won't be any easier for you to decipher The Tainted coin than it was for me.

   Don't get me wrong, I loved the feelings that and setting the author incorporated into his novels, but I had to reread things a couple of times before I completely understood it. Which, of course, takes most of the fun out of it. Although I have to admit it was a little interesting to try to puzzle out the mystery. I wonder who'll try next.

   In my opinion if older stories interest you more than you'll love this book, but if you prefer modern work akin to Stephen King or Dean Koontz than you should probably steer clear of this book.

  Although I could never become a true fan of this book I'll admit if you like historical fiction this will probably appeal to you. I didn't like how hard the book was to follow, but I did think it had a classically antiquated feel to it.

   Another reason I was never quite able to get into this book was because I had not had the fortune of obtaining the books that were a prelude to The Tainted Coin; I strongly feel that prier knowledge to the series would have led to a better reading experience.

A free copy of this book was provided to me by Kregel at the expense of Kregel for reviewing purposes.  

                       

Death Comes In Pairs: Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton

January 14th, 2012 

 I've always loved westerns. My dad loves them and so do I. Death comes in Pairs is a western. Accused of killing two men in Douglas, Wyoming Jack Leige finds himself wanting to finally settle down in a nice quiet life. However it seems fate has other plans. Once again accused of killing two men Jack finds himself drawn to a local girl by the name of Vida Wrey. Now he has a reason to stay. If they don't hang him first.
   I loved Death Comes in pairs. My only regret was it wasn't longer. At the end of the book I found myself wanting to read more. Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton are talented writers, who built suspense to the end.
   Death Comes in Pairs brings to mind the old westerns that used to be so popular. I congratulate the authors on a job well done.

Against The Gates of Hell: Mylow Young

Against the Gates of Hell

Created by:

Mylow Young

   Against the Gates of Hell is about two twin brothers, twins Kerby and Herby Wilson. Herby's a police officer and his twin, Kerby is a drug addict. Kerby's headed down a desperate path full of Pride and self-destruction, while Herby is trying to shut out his brother at all costs thanks to his questionable life choices.   

   Herby is entangled in his own problems as he faces bitterness and resentment. All the while trying to keep away from his brother. 

   First of all the main point I got from this story is the struggle that everyone faces in their life. Some aren't as serious as this but everyone has problems they have to struggle through. Internal and external. They can be anything, but a family dispute is one of the hardest things to over-come in my personal opinion. 

   It can be incredibly difficult to over-come personal problems while you're facing separate problems outside of losing faith, or family drama.

   I think this story is an extremely helpful read. In fact the only complaint I had was the street talk was a little annoying, but I do realize it was intentional. I would really recommend this book for anyone facing a crisis of faith or family problems.
http://mpnewsroom.com/books/against-gates-hell
This book was provided for free by MP News Room for reviewing purposes.