GRANT LEISHMAN
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  • ABOUT
  • MY BOOKS
    • THE SECOND COMING
    • RISE OF THE ANTICHRIST
    • HOLY WAR
    • JUST A DROP IN THE OCEAN
    • PARANORMAL ALLEY
    • TORTURED MINDS
    • THE PHOTOGRAPH
  • ARE YOU AN AUTHOR?
  • MY BLOG
  • Be A Part of the LIMITLESS Anthology
  • BOOK REVIEWS
    • BOOK REVIEWS
  • CONTACT & LINKS
  • AFFILIATE - Rachel McGrath
  • THAT'S LIFE
    • FOOD - PINOY STYLE
    • THE GREAT BEETROOT HUNT
    • GETTING AROUND THE METRO
  • PHILIPPINES
    • PLACES TO VISIT >
      • BORACAY
      • OCCIDENTAL MINDORO
  • SPORT
    • NEW ZEALAND SPORT
    • PHILIPPINE SPORT
  • TRANSFORMATIVE POWER
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GRANT LEISHMAN

riding for the brand by lawrence h. lee

31/1/2018

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman 
​Riding For The Brand by Lawrence H. Lee is an autobiography of the working life of Larry Lee, of Western Airlines on the West Coast of the USA. Larry started at Western Airlines in the early days, at the age of just sixteen, as a junior stock clerk and through his over forty years of service he rose, through the ranks, to be, at various times, President, Chairman and CEO of Western Airlines. He oversaw the airline through its most difficult period that struck all airlines in the US, during deregulation of the air, in the 1980’s. At times, just days away from declaring bankruptcy, Lee, with his dogged determination, his love of Western and his belief in the people at the airline, he cajoled, managed and inspirationally led Western out of the mire and into profit. Resigning prior to Western’s eventual demise, with merger to Delta airline, this book tells the story of an upright, moral man determined to make a mark in the company and the industry he loved.
 
It became clear, after finishing Riding For The Brand, that Lawrence H. Lee and his beloved wife Margie are no longer with us, both having passed away, within months of each other in 2017, after an incredible 70 years of marriage. As a tribute, I assume by their children, to their father, the publication of this book could not be a more fitting record of what can be achieved with grit, determination and belief, even in the face of overwhelming odds. Although some might find passages of the book to by a little dry, I don’t count myself as one of those. There are plenty of humorous and fascinating anecdotes to keep the reader amused and as an insight into the rarefied world of both the airline industry and large corporations, I found this book to be both insightful and fascinating. Ultimately though, this story is about one man, a man of courage and conviction who was not only prepared to put his beliefs on the line, but also had faith in others around him to follow his lead. Lawrence H. Lee was a wonderful business leader and a decent human being. This book is a fitting tribute to the man, his story and the airline that he loved with a passion.        

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Visions (almana book 2) by julayn Adams

30/1/2018

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​Visions (Almana Book 2) by Julayn Adams is the second of a planned trilogy following the adventures of Almana an Angel who is sent to a dystopian earth to try and help humanity recover from its ails. Heaven has almost given up on humanity, but Almana (Ali) still believes there is enough good in humanity for them to overcome the evil. She fell in love with a human, Cam and their souls were entwined, but when Cam was killed, Ali had to face the bleakness of a life without her soulmate. 

Ali and her friends live in the forest, hiding from the evil ruler of Los Angeles, Equis, who they fear will one day send his Armageddon army against them. Ali and her friend Alexa dream of taking back Los Angeles from the evil that has befallen it and restoring humanity to a loving, caring community. For now, though, survival is the key and Ali, with help from her brother Patrick will do their best to ensure their community survives and flourishes. 

It is some time since I read the first book in this series, but I remember it well as it made a significant impact on me at the time, as Julayn Adams' debut novel. I know I tend to repeat myself a little, but watching an indie author grow and develop throughout a series, is one of the most rewarding things about being a reviewer. Almana was a good debut novel, but Visions, its follow-up is simply superb. Adams' writing has tightened and credit to her editor, the editing is faultless in this book. The characters that I grew to love and identify with in Almana are all back in Visions and we have a whole new cast joining the band of survivors which adds diversity, interest and significant conflict. I love watching Indie authors get even better and Adams definitely has, with visions. 

There are some neat little twists and turns in this story, that I particularly enjoyed and the book sets the scene perfectly for the final installment in the trilogy, Insurgence, which I am waiting for, with bated breath. Having written a trilogy myself, I know how hard it is for the author to sustain the tempo right to the end, but thus far Adams is showing every ability of being able to do just that. Julayn Adams has rocketed toward the top of my favourite indie authors with Visions and I have every confidence she will bring the series home, with a bang, with Insurgence. Great stuff!    

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Do pop on over to Amazon and check out Visions by Julayn Adams. I would strongly recommend you read Almana first, as Visions flows on perfectly from Almana. It's well worth taking a look.   

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secrets of my heart by imania margria

28/1/2018

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman 

​Secrets of My Heart by Imania Margria is a collection of poems and short prose that deals with the innermost thoughts and feelings of our hearts. As such, it is a deeply personal and insightful view into the heart of the author. The prose and poems that makes up this book are short and sharp, but all of it is extremely heartfelt and touching. As well as the works in English, there are also a significant number of works in other languages, including Italian and perhaps Spanish. The author has thoughtfully given the reader the full translation of the work following the non-English version. As the title suggests the works focus on secrets that we keep deep inside ourselves and rarely, if ever, let anyone see. The author’s pretext is to inspire others to share their own secrets of their own hearts.
 
I think, as we progress as readers we tend to focus almost exclusively on long prose and novels, perhaps feeling there is more meat in those longer novels. What Secrets of My Heart reminds me is that it does us no harm to revisit the short, sharp, poems and prose that was often where we, as writers especially, began. Poets, in general have suffered over the years from the perception that their work was not fulfilling for readers. I think Imania Margrina, for me, refutes that belief. The words here are so powerful and the emotions so compelling that it is hard not to get caught up in the pain and angst the author clearly had suffered and was expressing – her deepest held desires and fears were boldly displayed for the reader to feel also. I expect this book was quite cathartic for the author and that is why she is challenging all of us to consider exploring and expressing our own deepest desires, fears and secrets of our heart. A bonus in this work was a significant glimpse of part of Margrina’s upcoming romance novel, Eyes, which looks appealing. This work is not pretentious in any way, just raw, untamed emotion on paper. Well worth a break from the long novels to read and savour.


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Do pop on over to Amazon and check out Secrets of My Heart by Imania Margria 

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eloah: no hell by lex allen

24/1/2018

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Eloah: No Hell by Lex Allen is the second installment in his Eloah trilogy that brings us the idea that Jesus was not the Son of God at all, but just another human visitor from a technologically advanced parallel Universe. When Eloah first trod the earth 2,000 years ago, his teachings of "The Way" could be written down on a single parchment document. In fact, it was a magician, Simon Magus who founded the Church in Rome and began the 2,000 years of lies and deceit that followed. Eloah, has now returned to our Universe to try to correct the wrongs perpetrated by two millennia of deceit and to halt the almost inevitable march toward nuclear annihilation that humanity seems set on. With his modern day disciples and his magical, mystical, powers (advanced technology) Eloah will try to convince the Pope, and World Leaders that the whole basis of their religion is a fraud. Not only are earthly powers forming against Eloah, but so are numerous other visitors from alternate Universes, who see Eloah as a threat to their perfect lives on Earth. 

The second installment in this trilogy did not disappoint in any way. I love a good, biblical-based story, as much as the next man (having written three of my own) and Eloah: No Hell continued to expand on the twists and turns taken in the first book. The writing is fast-paced and at times almost breathlessly so, but there is still time for Allen to develop his characters. Some of the more minor players look to have the ability to play a big role in the third and final installment and I look forward to seeing the author develop these more in Book 3. Not being a biblical scholar myself, but still well versed in the basic biblical stories and a history buff, I found Allen's grasp of both the region and the Church, in particular, to be excellent. He has done his research well in my opinion. 

Eloah: No Hell does what many second books in a trilogy fail to do - it moves the story forward and sets up for a fantastic finale, which I am sure will come in Eloah: No Religion. I can't wait to get my teeth into that. Good job Mr Allen.

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Absolutely, shoot on over to Amazon and check out Eloah: No Hell by Lex Allen, as well as the rest of the trilogy and his full portfolio of work. 

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william wilde and the necrosed (the chronicles of william wilde) by davis ashura

24/1/2018

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Reviewed for Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman 

​When seventeen-year-old William Wilde’s mother, father and brother are killed in a car accident, with William as the sole survivor, his life changes forever, but in ways he could never possibly have foreseen. The accident was, in fact, no accident; it was orchestrated by an evil zombie-like creature, known as a Necrosed. In William Wilde and the Necrosed, by Davis Ashura, William must not only cope with the death of his family, but as time goes on he becomes aware that this evil Necrosed, Kohl Obsidian, is actually after him, for something he wasn’t even aware he possessed. William, along with his friends from High School are all, your typical, quintessential nerds and along with the beautiful and mysterious Serena, who is also much more than she seems, embark on an expedition to kill the Necrosed and to introduce William to his true identity and his true heritage.
 
William Wilde and the Necrosed is a fantastic coming-of-age novel, with a massive dollop of fantasy and fun thrown in. With Davis Ashura setting the novel in the mid-1980’s and having the main characters as nerds, it was inevitable that many of the iconic movies, songs and heroes of the period would find their way into this story. If anything, that served to give the story more character and depth than would have otherwise been the case. The main character of William Wilde was beautifully drawn, as the sensitive, caring, yet geeky High School senior who slowly but surely discovers his true self, his strength, and his true destiny. The close and caring friendships and inter-friend banter was certainly a highlight of the story for me. Don’t lose sight of the fact, though, that this is also a fantasy, adventure story that absolutely rollicks along at a fantastic and, at times, dizzying speed. The fight scenes in the book were carefully orchestrated and choreographed. Ashura’s knowledge and clever writing certainly made these scenes a highlight of the book. An excellent read and I look forward to the second book in this series.    


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Why not pop on over to Amazon and check out William Wilde and the Necrosed, along with Davis Ashura's full, impressive body of work. 

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the separation by thomas duffy

21/1/2018

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Imagine, for a moment, a world where the sexes are separated at birth and brought up apart, never knowing the existence of the other sex until after they graduate college, at around age 22. This is the scenario brought to us in Thomas Duffy’s science fiction novel, The Separation. The United States Government has decreed that because of the rising crime rate, high unemployment and massive rate of teenage pregnancies, the economy is suffering immensely. To fix this, all babies will be taken away from their parents at birth and raised separately in “boy States” and “girl States” – never the twain to meet. Finn was taken to a “boy state”, where he was raised by child minders and taught in boy only schools. Finn graduates from Harvard, a mathematical genius and begins his successful career, as he has been groomed to do. The problem is, Finn is not only horrified and disgusted when he learns the truth about the sexes, he cannot accept that this is the way it should be.
 
The premise behind The Separation is an interesting one and Thomas Duffy explores many aspects of the moral and social dilemmas of what the State has done. His main character Finn is extremely intelligent and, as such, questions the way things are – the status quo. Although the writing is somewhat simplistic at times, the interest is maintained by the many moral questions Finn raises in his mind and then seeks answers to. Finn, as a character is well-developed, but some of the supporting characters came across as rather flat and almost like cardboard cut-outs. The story is very easy to read, as the writing is simple and straightforward, although the dialogue did seem at times to be too simplistic and too clipped to be realistic. All in all, a good premise that has been thoroughly worked by Duffy and an interesting read that raised questions in my mind, as a reader.   


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You can check out Separation and all of Thomas Duffy's portfolio here on Amazon: 

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shiva xiv: Shiva xiv #1 by lyra shanti

19/1/2018

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman 

​From the moment of Ayn’s Royal birth his future was predestined. Ayn was the reincarnation of the great Adin and would save his world from turmoil, disease and war. In Shiva XIV: (The Shiva XIV Series Book 1), by Lyra Shanti, we meet the young boy who will grow up to be King. Not everything is as it should be though and Ayn is torn by doubt and uncertainty as to whether he is indeed a God. Born with an unusual sexual orientation, the boy is constantly torn between his devotion to his teachers and mentors, his duty to his country and his desire to be simply a boy. On Ayn’s fourteenth birthday he is due to be crowned and recognised, by his people, as a King and a God, but on that day, all hell breaks loose at the castle and Ayn, along with his new friend Zin make an escape from the certain death that was awaiting him, to begin an adventure through the galaxy.
 
This is the first in a series of books focusing on Shiva XIV by Lyra Shanti and she gives us ample opportunity to meet, understand and invest ourselves in the young characters, especially Ayn and Zin. As Science Fiction, this story appealed because it made no pretentions of being overtly technical, it just happened that the coming-of-age story was set on another planet among different species. This made it extremely readable for those of us who like Sci Fi, but sometimes get lost in the author’s overactive imagination. There are a couple of aspects that I particularly liked about the story. The backstory of Ayn’s sexuality was only briefly touched on in passing in this book, but I am sure future stories will focus more on whether indeed, he is male or female, or both. This aspect of the story is particularly relevant in today’s confusing sexual world, for young people. The second thing I loved about Shanti’s writing in Shiva XIV was the deep emotions she evoked in her characters. They were not afraid to show their emotions and “wore them on their sleeve”, so to speak. The character of Pei is fascinating and I’m sure will be explored even more in future episodes. As the start of a series, I would have to say this looks fantastic and well worth getting into.    


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Do pop on over to Amazon and check out the entire Shiva XIV series as well as Lyra Shanti's full portfolio. 

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project amber: the Milestone incident by carl lakeland

18/1/2018

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman 

​Don’t worry about aliens coming to earth – they’re already here and they have been for aeons. They look like us, they talk like us and they’re almost impossible to distinguish from us. This is the scenario presented to us in Clive Lakeland’s, Project Amber: The Milestone Incident. When a successful, young television journalist, Angel has the temerity to ask the U.S. Secretary of State about the visit to Australia of an nuclear powered carrier, all hell breaks loose for this young woman. Unbeknownst to her, Angel is someone special and has been groomed all her life for the new role she will undertake as a member of Australia’s elite Secret Service (ASIO). Set principally in the outback of Australia, Angel will join forces with an elite team to try and stop the destructive events that are unfolding around the world that could easily see life on earth, as we know it, end. She, alone, has the ability to stop Project Amber and Operation Milestone from devastating our world in a nuclear holocaust.
 
I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to read about another country’s Secret Service, rather than the USA. It is clear that Clive Lakeland has done his research well in Project Amber: The Milestone Incident. From his descriptions of the facilities at Pine Gap and Nurrangar, right through to the weaponry used and the attitudes and beliefs of these dedicated elite forces, it all rang very true for me. As an ex-pat New Zealander, it was refreshing to read some good old-fashioned “Aussie” banter, with its unique phrases and expressions. The story is super-fast and action-filled, quite often, literally, leaving the reader panting for breath. I found the premise of aliens always living among us to be believable and even the seemingly impossible “magic” to be acceptable and this is a credit to Lakeland’s skill as a writer. I was intrigued to read the short excerpt at the end of the next book. It looks fascinating and I will be checking it out when it becomes available. The ability to prime a reader for the next book in a series is critical to authors and Lakeland has done that well. It’s an excellent fast-paced, science fiction thriller for fans of the genre. 

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You can find Project Amber: The Milestone Incident on Carl Lakeland's Amazon page:  

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un-holy grail by keith holmes jr

16/1/2018

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman 

​It’s 2068 and still people are searching for that most elusive of all relics – The Holy Grail. In Keith Holmes’ book, Un-Holy Grail, we meet Jonathan Cain who is an experienced and wealthy Grail Hunter. The opportunity to find and, of course, drink from the Grail Cup, hence gaining immortality, comes around only every ten years when the majestic and mythical Grail Tower appears somewhere in the world. The last time the tower appeared Jonathan was just a mere teenager, when he, his father and his brother went in search of the elusive Grail. The trio were successful in their quest, but his brother and he drank from false Grails and although they received Grail powers, they did not find the ultimate prize of immortality. Their Father, however, appeared to drink from the true Grail and is now lost to them. When the Grail Tower is sighted in Soltania, just off the coast of Florida, Jonathan heads out for another wild Grail adventure.
 
Un-Holy Grail is a relatively new genre, called Lit-RPG. Although classified as Science Fiction, the story Keith Holmes unveils for his readers is very reminiscent of many of the video game stories I have watched my son play in the past, even down to the magic of the players, diminishing each time they use it. While this is not necessarily my genre, as a reader, there is plenty of non-stop action here to keep the most ardent Lit-RPG reader fascinated and engaged. I did find the constant changing of perspective, from chapter to chapter (all in first person), to be a bit confusing at times and I had to keep reminding myself who was speaking at any given point. This did detract from the flow of the story I felt, but definitely not from the action and battle scenes, which were numerous and vividly written. The characters were many and varied – all with weird and wonderful powers and weapons. The author’s imagination was clear for all to see in this story. A solid and at times enthralling fantastical, future read for fans of the genre.


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You can check out Un-Holy Grail, here on Amazon: 

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malthus revisited (4th in lindsey mccall series) by lin wilder

15/1/2018

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman 

​The idea that the world’s population was out of control and needed to be dealt with by intervention was something first postulated by Thomas Robert Malthus in 1798. In Malthus Revisited: The Cup of Wrath by Lin Wilder, a madman has made the determination that Malthus was right and is determined to destroy most of the earth’s population, using an air-borne disease to create a pandemic. Dr Lindsey McCall and her ex-policeman husband Rich are called in by a collection of international law enforcement agencies to help find this madman and neutralise both him and his maniacal plan to destroy most of the earth’s population. Lindsey has just been reunited with the daughter she gave birth to eighteen years ago, but who had been adopted by her best friend at the time. LJ and her College room-mate the autistic and gifted Morgan join her “new” parents in this out and out thriller. Throw in some supernatural happenings and the adventure begins.
 
Lin Wilder’s thriller Malthus Revisited: The Cup of Wrath is a solid, fast-paced thriller that will certainly keep you on the edge of your seats for the entire breakneck ride. I understand this is the fourth book in the Dr McCall thriller series, so fans of that will undoubtedly find their favourite characters here and enjoy them. There was also a supernatural, quasi-religious tinge to the story, which elevated it above your standard spy/special forces thriller. The action was full-on, although the scenes jumped sometimes disconcertingly at times as did the perspectives. That having been said, it was a very easy read and one I had some difficulty putting down at times. For me, the best and most interesting character was the young Autistic girl Morgan. She had some unique talents and a fascinating character that could have been even deeper delved into. I hope Wilder plans to include this character in future Dr McCall thrillers as I feel there is much more yet to be unearthed and learnt from young Morgan. Joseph Cain, the assassin, turned hero, was also a fascinating study in the two sides of evil and good. The overarching theme being, nobody is irredeemable. All in all, a good, solid, and, at times, spectacular thriller.      


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Why not pop on over to Amazon and check out Malthus Revisited plus the full gamut of Lin Wilder's extensive bibliography. 

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ravenhill court by david r. beshears

15/1/2018

2 Comments

 
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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman 

Ravenhill Court by David R Beshears is the second short story/screenplay adaptation, I’ve read of his in the last couple of weeks and certainly this author is growing on me. In this story, a middle-aged Ben Foster returns to the world of his childhood, Ravenhill Court, a middle-class, suburban, Californian cul-de-sac. All the houses in the street are abandoned, the weeds grow wild and doors hang open or are long gone. Ben opens his friend’s Peter’s journal from 1964 and his mind travels back to when it all began; when four young teenagers discovered that their world was not what it seemed to be and they themselves were not what they thought they were. Ben, his sister Julie, best friend Peter and Louis, are caught in some sort of dimensional shift that they don’t understand and don’t know what to do about. The Professor, who lives down the street will provide them with a clue as to where to start looking and so, their incredible adventure begins.
 
As I read Ravenhill Court by David R Beshears, I couldn’t help but think of that wonderful movie, The Truman Show, starring Jim Carrey. There was certainly an element of The Truman Show shining through this work – not everything is as it seems. One thing that struck me about this book was the dialogue between the young friends, which was witty, cleverly written and totally appropriate for the age and the period. I almost found myself back in 1964 and thinking about how I was way back then. I could certainly identify with Ben, Julie, Peter and Louis. I particularly enjoyed the Professor. Perhaps it was one of those days when I couldn’t help but see this story as a screenplay, but I also kept thinking of the brilliant Christopher Lloyd as Dr Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future franchise. The plot was cleverly woven and the young adults certainly had some questioning to do about who they were, what they were doing, and what their place in this Universe was. This is an excellent science fiction/fantasy story, particularly suitable for the young adult market, but equally applicable to all ages. Clever, witty, and sometimes, dark humour, will always have a place on our bookshelves. 

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Do pop on over to Amazon and check out Ravenhill Court plus David R. Beshears full and extensive portfolio. 

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kindness in a scary world by rebecca hubbard

13/1/2018

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman 

As adults, we have difficulties dealing with the traumatic events we see every day on the news; wars, often horrific scenes of violence and devastation, and of course, the aftermath of terrorism. If we struggle to handle these images and react appropriately, imagine how much more difficult it is for our children to cope with this. Children can often be left confused, scared and misunderstanding what is happening, by either the adult’s reaction to the event (anger, fright and worry), as well as by the pictures of the event themselves that are screened live into our television screens or our computer monitors. This is the issue Rebecca J Hubbard seeks to address in her timely little book, Kindness in a Scary World: A Children’s Book about Terrorism. Hubbard seeks to give us no nonsense advice on how to explain to a child what has happened when a terrorist strikes.
 
Rebecca J Hubbard, specifically addresses terrorism in this particular book, Kindness in A Scary World: A Children’s Book about Terrorism, but what I did like about this was the advice she gives is equally applicable to many of the events occurring around the world on a daily basis, from natural disasters, to war/refugees, right through to the witnessing of an act of terrorism on live television. The book is not long and would be suitable to sit down and read to your child, regardless of age. Perhaps, most importantly, it stresses the need for the parents to ensure their child understands that nothing they did, or didn’t do, had anything to do with what was perpetrated. Children can often blame themselves for bad things they see happening around them. The book also provides a guide (at the end) for parents to prepare themselves for addressing this issue with their children. All-in-all this book is a useful addition to a parent’s arsenal on how to deal with questioning children. The illustrations were a bonus and very nice, but would definitely suit the paperback version better than the kindle version I read.     

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You can find the paperback version of Kindness in a Scary World, by Rebecca Hubbard, here on Amazon. 

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the war blog by glen sobey

12/1/2018

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman 

​Crystal Rose and her brother JD’s names pretty much sum up their parent’s attention to them. Crystal Rose Rock, named after a drug and JD, named after a popular brand of whiskey. Both children suffered from foetal alcohol syndrome, with Crystal being very underdeveloped and JD afflicted with learning and behavioural disabilities. Their mother was an addict and an alcoholic, while their father was a convicted felon. Fortunately the two children had been abandoned by their mother with their maternal grandparents and had been brought up in a small, Alaskan town, surrounded by love, but also some measure of deceit and lies about the past. Seventeen-year-old Crystal is appalled by the behaviour of her fellow male high-school pupils toward girls in general. They are just there to provide eye candy and easy sex for the boys. The girls, sadly, also seem to play along to the only game in town and Crystal becomes determined to make a difference and change the attitudes toward girls and women. A talented musician and singer, Crystal starts a blog and writes songs about sexism, chauvinism and abuse of women. The boys of the town and even some of the girls hate what she is doing, but she is a fighter. So begins the adventure in The War Blog by Glen Sobey.
 
As a reviewer, every so often a book crosses my Kindle, especially from a debut author, that makes me sit up and take notice. The War Blog by Glen Sobey is definitely one of those books. Sobey has taken an incredibly powerful and (in today’s environment) a very topical subject and forcefully made us, as readers, address the issues faced by Crystal and all young women today. The author tackles the hard questions head on, through the eyes of this young warrior, Crystal Rose. Although the book covers such angst ridden topics as sexual abuse, alcoholism, drug addiction and the objectification of woman, by viewing these topics through the eyes of a beautiful spirit, such as Crystal, the ugliness of them is softened by the love and warmth of the characters as well as the beautiful poetry of the songs written. I have no idea whether the author is male or female, but either way, I felt Sobey could not have done a better job of highlighting the often meaningless feelings of the younger generation at this time and more importantly, the idea of being trapped by the cultural norms and being judged by how they look and whether or not they “put out”, felt by young women everywhere. This is a powerful novel that all Adult (Young and otherwise) should read. I will be looking for more from this very talented author, in the future.    


Unfortunately, The War Blog, by Glen Sobey is not yet available, but definitely keep an eye out for this book and this very talented author. 
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khdz by david r. beshears

12/1/2018

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

​KHDZ by David R. Beshears is a short novella that whimsically explores the after-life and more specifically, Hell. John Smith has died and is sent down below, apparently an administrative foul-up. John was a good man and should never have ended up in Hell - Heaven was definitely the right place for him, but unfortunately the paperwork got mixed up and here he was - in Hell. He is told to report to the Hades Television Station, KHDZ, where he will be employed for the interim (until the paperwork is sorted out). Whilst at KHDZ John meets a variety of quirky and even downright weird characters who all influence his thinking and understanding of the afterlife, in some way. When John realises that any administrative foul-up in Hell will take some considerable time to rectify, he must adapt to fit in and survive in this strange environment.   

KHDZ is definitely a quirky, little, short story/novella, that I did enjoy. The premise itself was interesting. How would someone who had every expectation of going to Heaven when he died, cope with ending up in the other place, even if it was by mistake? The main character of John Smith was reasonably well expanded and explained in the short span of the book, but I think given the length of the story, there was not enough opportunity to develop and flesh out the other characters, especially those of Janice and Mr Horn. I would have liked to have seen more. Nevertheless, this was an enjoyable read and something distinctly different from the usual fare I am served up. For that the author deserves considerable credit. Beshears has an interesting and dark sense of humour, which definitely appeals to me. 

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Why not pop on over to Amazon and check out KHDZ and all of David R. Beshear's prolific portfolio. 

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the year they stole mama's turkeys by gerry lites watkins

11/1/2018

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman 

​Wesley was just a young farming boy in rural Texas, during the Great Depression, when an event happened that would change his life and bring excitement to his ordered existence. In The Year They Stole Mama’s Turkeys by Gerry Lites Watkins, we find the farming community of Cedar Creek, changed by the arrival of the Morans, an Oklahoma family who like so many other “Okies” had lost their farm when the rains never came and the Oklahoma fields turned into the notorious dustbowl. When the Moran’s car breaks down just outside Wesley’s family farm, a new chapter begins in his life. Watkins takes us back to those desperate days of the Depression, when half the country, it seemed, was looking for work and gives us tales of simple happenings in this rural backwater that allowed the inhabitants to keep their spirits up and to keep their humanity when everything in the Country seemed to be going from bad to worse.
 
The Year They Stole Mama’s Turkeys is a delightful, children’s book, simply full of sweet and lovely anecdotes that help to explain what is right and wrong, plus gives today’s young people a taste of what was a simpler, a quieter, but nonetheless, in many ways a happy life, despite the turmoil that raged around the family. Gerry Lites Watkins has written characters that are typical of children everywhere and simple to identify with. There’s the archetypal bully, who the author beautifully shows how to put in his place with some sage advice from Wesley’s father. All through this book you feel the love, the warmth and the sanctity of family and what it means to “stick together”, through thick and thin. This book shows us the best side of human nature and the innate kindness that is in everyone, if only we can find it. As an adventure, there is plenty to keep the young reader’s mind excited and occupied. I would really recommend this book as an excellent read for children, especially for those who have never ventured outside of their city neighbourhoods. I thoroughly enjoyed the read, although it is many years since I felt the thrill of childhood excitement.   


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Why not pop on over to Amazon and check out The Year They Stole Mama's Turkeys and other work by Gerry Lites Watkins 

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the other side of freedom by cynthia t. toney

10/1/2018

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman 

​The Other Side if Freedom by Cynthia T Toney takes us back to 1925, pre-depression Louisiana and the small town of Freedom. Salvatore is just thirteen, but this son of Italian immigrants is a hard-working farm boy, whose parents and Uncle have struggled to make a good life for themselves in this rural area. Prohibition is in full swing in America and when Italian mobsters come to town and demand Sal’s father’s help in their plans to rob the Freedom bank, or they will hurt his family, Sal’s family finds themselves in a moral quandary. When the bank robbery goes awry, Sal is left with a secret that could destroy their entire lives and set their family on the run. This young man must weigh up the rights and wrongs of the situation and make a decision that he and the rest of his family can live with. Sal is just discovering his feelings and attraction to his best friend, Antonina and whatever decisions he and the family make are almost certain to affect the relationship. This is indeed a dilemma of morals.
 
I found The Other Side of Freedom to be a truly compelling coming-of-age story. The setting was beautifully described by Cynthia T Toney and one felt oneself being drawn back to the era of gangsters, the G-Men, and bootlegging across the south. The feel of the story was authentic and action fast and furious. I particularly found it interesting to compare the experience faced by the Italian and Sicilian immigrants of the 19th and early 20th Centuries to those of the immigrants of today. They faced discrimination and generalisation – they are Sicilians, therefore they must be gangsters and criminals where today we see, they are Arabs, therefore they must be terrorists. I also found interesting that Sal found some sympathy and empathy with his black friend Hiram in that the prejudices they both faced were somewhat similar. I particularly liked the fact that Toney offered some questions at the end of the book for younger readers to consider and reflect on the story. This is an excellent children’s story that poses some interesting moral dilemmas for the young readers to ponder.


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Be sure to pop on over to Amazon to check out The Other Side of Freedom, plus all of Cynthia T. Toney's offerings. 

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the golden helm: more tales from the edge of sleep by victoria randall

10/1/2018

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Short Stories are often the inspiration for novels and in The Golden Helm: More Tales From the Edge of Sleep, Victoria Randall has brought us an eclectic collection of tales built around sleep and dreaming. This is the theme that links the stories together, but the stories themselves are as wide and as varied as the imagination. Randall brings us tales as diverse as a journey back to the time of Christ in a time machine to offer Mary, Mother of Jesus, a parenting choice, in "Parenthood by Choice Inc. Invests in a Time Machine, through to a story of Aliens visiting the local library looking for information on Earth's defence systems, in Incident in the Library. In total the author has brought us twelve tales from The Realms on the Edge of Sleep, some long, some short, but all of them satisfying.
 
I think, as a reader, it is too easy to get caught up in the idea of reading full-length novels and it is wonderful, from time to time, to take a break and read some short stories, especially ones as well written as these in The Golden Helm: More Tales From the Edge of Sleep. As in any collection or anthology, there are some stories that spoke to me and warmed my heart more than others, but I can say each of them in this wonderful collection have something interesting and worthy of being said. My personal favourites are a little difficult to choose, but I was definitely taken by The Unicorn in the Garden, which I found to be extremely descriptively evocative and beautiful in its simplicity. Equally, the title story, The Golden Helm was sweet and rewarding. This whole collection is well worth the read and as I haven't read Victoria Randall before, I am sure I will be in the future. I must investigate her earlier Tales From the Edge of Sleep. An excellent collection of stories to be kept by the bedside for reading and rereading.      

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Be sure to pop on over to Amazon and check out The Golden Helm and indeed Victoria Randall's full portfolio of offerings. 

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eyes of the hunter by rosa marchisella

7/1/2018

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman 

​Eyes of the Hunter by Rosa Marchisella is a fantastic young adult adventure tale about a young Prince who may not be all that he seems. After years of giving birth to girls and no heir to the throne of Simanthea, finally the Queen produces a boy to claim the throne. Prince Erin is special, not only because he is a boy and able to rule when his Father, the King dies, but also in ways that will surprise. An overprotective Queen chooses a young lad, Caley, to be Prince Erin's friend, companion, and bodyguard to ensure the Prince's safety. As Erin grows he quickly realises something is wrong and ultimately he must run to escape the clutches of the King, as well as his now furious friend Caley, who feels angry and betrayed by the lies and deceit of the Queen and Prince Erin. What follows is a chase across many lands, by Caley - who is now known as The Hunter to seek Prince Erin and destroy the boy who ruined his life. 

This is a wonderful story with a fascinating premise that had me hooked from the very beginning. Eyes of the Hunter is a very suitable story for young adults as it explores the aspects of relationshps and hpw they can be affected by lies and deceit. Rose Marchisella did a tremendous job with the two main characters, Prince Erin and Caley in developing the relationship between the pair and showing how love and hate can be two sides of the same coin. The action is fast and frenetic with plenty of little twists thrown into the story to keep the reader guessing. I found the writing to be tight and compelling, drawing the reader into the story and ensuring he/she just wanted to keep reading. This story could well be the basis for a series of books one feels and I for one would love to read more of the story of these two characters. The author definitely set the scene for a possible sequel, which is great. An excellent read that is as equally suitable for adults as it is for young adults. A great job Ms Marchisella.

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Do pop on over to Amazon and check out Eyes of the Hunter by Rosa Marchisella as well as this authors full portfolio of books on offer. 

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16 and pregnant with twins by elizabeth van der wilt

5/1/2018

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16 and Pregnant with Twins by Elisabeth van der Wilt tells us the story of sixteen-year-old, Catholic home-schooled Lora who is totally innocent in the ways of the world. When she meets up with her fellow home-schooled friend, Tommy, the inevitable happens and some innocent exploration of feelings quickly turns to much more, as the two innocents experiment with sex. When Lora realises she is pregnant, she reluctantly tells her parents who respond by throwing her out of the house and banning her from their family. Fortunately Tommy and Tommy's parents are much more supportive and pledge to help her and the young couple, especially when their first sonogram shows they are expecting twins. 

Elisabeth van der Wilt admits at the end of 16 and Pregnant with Twins that she wrote this story when she was twelve years old and for that she should be commended. However and consequently it does indeed read like a middle-grader's essay on the subject. The dialogue is unbelievable and poorly constructed and the story meanders from one event to the next, with no clear destination in mind. Don't get me wrong, there is a story in here and a good story, but what it needs is two things: A good content editor to tidy up the grammar and the structure of the story and a good proofread to remove and correct all the incorrect words, missing words, and typos. I would commend van der Wilt for this effort, but suggest it is not ready to be on sale and she should seriously consider making the corrections before re-offering it on Amazon. As I said, she is to be commended for being able to produce work of this quality at a young age and I hope she continues to write and continues to improve over time.

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You can take a look at 16 and Pregnant with Twins by Elisabeth van der Wilt here on Amazon: 

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the burnout cure - a prescription romance book by jill blake

5/1/2018

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman 

​Lily Reid, the only daughter of an eminent physician had dropped out of medicine during her residency and had instead focused her life and career on helping medical professionals deal with the overwhelming stress, depression and incredibly high suicide rate that so often is the bane of the medical profession. In The Burnout Cure: A Prescription Romance by Jill Blake, Lily believes vehemently in her advocacy and is a determined, strong and independent woman who has no desire or plans for a long-term relationship or a family. Her work and her passion to help medical professionals is her life. Wolf, was a doctor, who had it all - drop-dead gorgeous, he lived his life according to his own dictates. He loved women, but he didn't want a relationship. Sex was fantastic, but who wanted to overcomplicate it all with feelings? Wolf was of the old-school of thought. "If you can''t hack the pace of medicine, then look for another job." He looked at medicine like a soldier looks at Special Forces. It takes a special breed of man or woman to be a medical professional. "Suck it up!" was his opinion. When Lily and Wolf meet, the physical attraction is undeniable, but they are such poles apart in their views, can anything ever develop?

The Burnout Cure: A Prescription Romance by Jill Blake has absolutely no pretensions. It is pure light-hearted romance (chick-lit, if you like), but what I loved and what lifted it above your normal hospital, steamy romance book, was the seriousness and importance of the backstory to the two characters. Clearly depression, stress and suicide is a major problem within the medical profession and Blake has cleverly used the romance between Lily and Wolf to highlight something she feels strongly about. This is still a story about two disparate people, with virtually nothing in common, who find themselves, deeply physically attracted to each other, but the subtext gives it so much more depth. There is the full requisite of hot and steamy love scenes, which are totally necessary and I might add extremely well written by Blake, to not be over emphasised or incredibly crude as so often can be the case. I'm probably not the target market for this kind of steamy romance, but I was certainly glued to the pages and dying to know where it led us next. This is an excellent read and well above the usual hospital, romance pap, that can be so repetitive and boring. An excellent read from Jill Blake.     

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Do pop on over to Amazon and check out The Burnout Cure plus Jill Blake's full portfolio of wonderful books 

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