Locket Full of Secrets from Dana Burkey is a well-constructed suspense, adventure, thriller that sees three people crossing the planet to solve a riddle from the past; the reasons behind the meltdown at the Chernobyl Nuclear plant in the Ukraine. 

Claire, Olena and Steven embark on a mission that will see them shot at, wounded and in constant peril, both in the U.S. and later in the Ukraine as they seek to recover evidence of what really happened at Chernobyl. 

The story is incredibly fast-paced and the action non-stop. I enjoyed the read, but I did find myself having to suspend my belief from time to time. I struggled with the idea that Claire, a first-year College student, would so easily join up with Olena on this frantic dash across the continents. Clair was painted early on as a fairly quiet and naive young lady. I found it difficult to contrast this with the willing participant in Olena's mission, that she so quickly became. She seemed unwilling to even question Olena's decisions to head for the Ukraine. It did seem just a little far-fetched in that respect. 

That having been said, it was a fun read and one that I am sure a young adult audience will relish. It would probably be educational to today's youth as well who probably have little idea what Chernobyl was. A good, satisfying, four-stars read from Burkey.:

You can check out more of Burkey's work here: http://amzn.to/1PYAg0F    

​I had read McGrath's previous memoir Finding the Rainbow before I read her latest effort Eye of the Storm. It isn't necessary to have done so but for me, this just gave me a better context in which to evaluate Eye of the Storm. This is quite a short book at just 60 pages on Kindle, but those 60 pages are absolutely chock-a-block full of raw emotion and pain. What McGrath had done in this story is to take one of the miscarriage incidents from Finding the Rainbow and examine her feelings and reactions to that miscarriage in much more depth. 

The emotion in this treatise is bubbling furiously along on the surface of every word. You can feel intimately the pain and self-doubts both McGrath and her husband went through during the miscarriage. I was pleased, as a man, that she did not ignore the pain her husband was going through at this time and realised and understood he had his way of dealing with it. 

This is a raw, hard-hitting book that pulls no punches and requires some level of commitment on the reader's part to accept this. To quote Donald Trump; "not everything is nice" and there are parts of this memoir that are far from "nice", but it is an honest, truthful, and refreshingly frank account of what a woman and her partner go through to try and achieve their dreams, of having children. 

McGrath makes the point that miscarriage is a socially unacceptable subject to talk about in general conversation; taboo almost. It is wonderful books like this that can dispel that taboo and allow us to talk openly about something so many of us take for granted, yet causes so much angst and pain to so many. I salute McGrath for her courage in opening up her life to the general reading public; I'm sure it is not easy.

Having now read both her books on miscarriage, I am, like so many others I'm sure, vicariously invested in Ms McGrath's quest for the Rainbow Child. I wish her and her husband only the best for success in the future. As she rightly pointed out in the book; the window of opportunity is closing rapidly and she will ultimately have to accept whatever cards Mother Nature finally deals her in this matter. 

The ultimate final memoir would have to be; "The Birth of the Rainbow Child" and I hope for this author and her husband that dream comes to fruition. I'm rooting for them as I'm sure are many other readers of this fine book. Five stars is a given for this superb, little gem.

You can check out all of McGrath's works here: http://amzn.to/1RYmw8K    

Black Magic Man was definitely something new for me. It exposed me to a world of voodoo and black magic, that I'd not come across before. That having been said, the story was not so much focused on the black magic, but more on the loving, relationship between the two main characters in this story. 

Set in the exotic village of La Souf on St Lucia, part of the West Indies, we meet Solange (Lange) to her friends and her husband Rupert. Newly married and deeply in love, everything seems perfect for this couple until the arrival of the Black Magic Man. Once Jean Louis has set his sights on taking and having Solange for himself, the stage is set for a battle that pits the newly-weds against the evil of the Black Magic Man.

As I said this book is more about the relationship between the two main characters and what a wonderful, hot and sexy relationship they enjoy. This book is not for the underage. The sex scenes are hot and steamy and very graphic. Ephraime has that art of writing sex in a way that doesn't seem dirty or demeaning, but is still highly erotic. I very much enjoyed this aspect of the book. 

I enjoyed the story and learnt much about a previously unknown (apart from the odd movie) and ancient are that is still very much alive and thriving in the Carribean. If you are a fan of the paranormal, I'm sure you'll enjoy this adventure. Well worth the five stars I've given it.

You can check out all of Ju Ephraime's work here: http://amzn.to/216bh3M    

I had read one previous book by Janet Morris, which I enjoyed immensely, so was looking forward to A  Man and his God. I was not disappointed. Although this book is quite short, it is the first in a series dealing with the Sacred Band of Stepsons. 

We are introduced to this strange and marvellous world Morris has created and we meet the main protagonists who will continue on in the series as part of this Band of Brothers who will fight for Tempus. 

As always Morris' writing is rich and redolent. Her command of the English language is probably unmatched in contemporary literature and her ability to transport us into this world of her making is a tribute to her abilities. 

As a primer for the series; A Man and his God serves its purpose extremely well. I am desirous to read more of this series and that is the sign of a good primer. An excellent read as always from Morris and this comes highly recommended from me. Five stars all the way.

Check out all of Janet Morris' offerings here: http://amzn.to/1Q8XIJQ   

​Okay, so I was asked to read this book and give an honest review. I'll try to be as objective as possible while still remaining honest. 

Firstly, let me address the issue of the title. The full title as displayed on Amazon is; Seeds of a New Birth A Genetic Engineering Science Fiction Thriller (The Kindred Series: Book 1). Now, okay, I get it. The author is desperate to get as many of his "keywords" into the Amazon title as possible, in order to get the book noticed. I'm an author also, so yeah, I get it, but I neither like or approve of it. The title should be Seeds of a New Birth. 

Having got that off my chest, let's address the book itself. As a story, it is inoffensive and quite acceptable. It doesn't disclose anywhere, who the target audience is, although the writing style and word usage strongly suggested to me that it is targeted at Young Adults. Here's where I have a problem with that. The basic premise of the book is strongly and suggestively erotic. We have a man sleeping with numerous women in succession (a harem if you will) and impregnating them all with his genetically modified sperm. We even have a scene in which the "hero" if you can call him that, is beaten, raped and thrown into the gutter by one of his conquests. None of this is indicative of a story aimed at Young Adults.

If we look at the story as pure Science Fiction or Science Fantasy, how does it bear up? It's very, very light on the "Science" and very heavy on the "Fiction or Fantasy". The premise on how this genetically modified product contaminated the subject is so light on explanation, it is almost laughable. Apparently the scientist was working on some sort of "template" that spilled and was then transferred to the "hero's" penis while urinating, finding its way into the reproductive system.    We actually have no idea of the type of experiments the scientist was performing, although there was a passing mention of results in lab animals. I still don't really know what a "template" is, in this context. 

Anyway, I'm not here to criticise the story to any great extent. It was a very readable book and the characters if a tad too stereotypical, were, in general, likeable or understandable. I finished it and I enjoyed it so that in itself says something. Look this book won't set the Science Fiction literary world aflame, but it is a harmless enough tale and worth whiling a day or so away reading if you have nothing more substantive to read. 

Oh, before I forget, I absolutely adore the cover. Best cover I've seen this year. Kudos to the man who did that. Did it make me want to read the sequel? Sorry, no it didn't. It's a good, solid, three-star read though and there was plenty in the author's story to believe he has talent. Certainly, don't dismiss Seeds of a New Birth out of hand; I didn't.

You can check out all of Orrin Jason Bradford's work here:  http://amzn.to/1KoZ56V      

​I have heard it said that Hodden's Fisher and the Bear stories are an acquired taste and I think I have to agree with that sentiment. They are a taste I have acquired, though, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read three of the stories in this Collected Adventures anthology. 

For those of you not in the know, Fisher is Fisher King a young man who lives in a seaside town called Eternity. Long ago, one of Fisher's forebears was cursed and the curse has carried down to Fisher. His job, on earth, is to keep supernatural forces at bay, be they demons, ghosts, witches, trolls, or whatever. He uses magic to send these creatures back where they invariably belong; The Other Side. 

Fisher is not alone in his role, however, he is helped by o coterie of "teddy bears", who to all intents and purposes are just little people. They are, without a doubt, the stars of these stories and each has a unique and often hilarious personality. There is Tiger, Edison and my personal favorite, Ginger. Ginger's specialty is anything to do with fire. He just loves using a blowtorch or whatever else is  handy to deal with those pesky demons. There is even a love interest of sorts, for Fisher, but in line with the tone of these tales, it is no normal love affair. 

These are three full-length adventures and will give you a full almost 600 pages of reading.  The tales do follow on one from the next, so it is best to read them in chronological order, but having said that, not absolutely necessary.

I had read one Hodden bear story prior to this and I have to say I am now smitten with the cute, furry, little fellow. I know you will enjoy this book if you like a quirky, black humour with a bit of old-fashioned adventure and fun. An excellent read. Well worth the four stars I gave it. With an editing tidy up it would be worth five. 

You can check out all of Tom Hodden's work here: http://amzn.to/211SROk    

I will say right off the bat that I did have a problem with the Kindle Version of this book and I was unable to read it right through to completion, which was disappointing, as I was enjoying this fresh, new approach by Stibor. 

The story of a serial killer who goes by the nickname of "Mister" was brutal and harsh, but well written and I liked the way the author made this particular serial killer personable almost. He toys with the FBI and taunts them. Enter forensic psychologist Jeremy Foster who believes he can track down this "Mister" and _finally put him away...something he had previously managed with a copycat "Mister". 

The book is definitely not for the faint-hearted, but if you can handle it, it really is a great read. A well deserved four Stars for Oldrich Stibor's The Black Chronicle.

Check out all of Oldrich Stibor's work here: http://amzn.to/1PMVj7q  

​The author Hodden states in his introduction that the two stories in this book were written as a challenge to him, to write something outside of his normal genre - to write of those falling in love. I think he has done exceptionally well to capture the passion and the pain of love. 

I did find it interesting, though, certainly in the second story that he still managed to weave the presence of the supernatural into the story, his true genre. 

Both stories were very interesting concepts and I enjoyed them equally. In the first story we are faced with a girl, who for whatever reasons has sought her love and acceptance in all the wrong places. Now wanted, by numerous bad people, as a pawn in their schemes, to use as blackmail or bait, she finds herself being protected by some nameless Government organization. I don't want to give the plot away, but some of the best interaction occurs between her and one of the agents whose job it is to protect her. 

The second story concerns a simple policeman who falls in love with a young girl and then has to try and unravel and assist her to escape from the troubles of her past. 

I would not try to pick my favorite from the two tales. Both were interesting and captivating in their own right. A good effort for Hodden, in a genre he says he is not familiar with. Four stars!   

You can check out all of Hodden's work here: http://amzn.to/20OGpRT

​Bedtime Storybook is a delightful, little book that would be absolutely perfect to read to those little ones as they are tucked up in bed. Each story is short enough to ensure that you will get through it at one sitting. 

The stories themselves are simple but sweet and each one has a little, not so hidden message for our kids, such as; being happy with who you are, fitting in and not being boastful. The language Panayi uses is perfect for the age group this book is aimed at. 

My only criticism and really it is not one is that the book is not long enough. I was left hankering for more of the author's homespun wisdom. 

This is a little gem of a book and I would recommend it to all parents and grandparents who have their grandchildren staying over from time to time. Panayi has shown time and time again that she is capable of writing to any genre and any age group. I can honestly say that May J Panayi is now one of my favorite authors and I will always be on the lookout for her next offering. Five stars all the way for this wonderful, little book.
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You can check out all of May J Panayi's work here: http://amzn.to/1KSHAqg    

​Forget Indiana Jones or the Da Vinci Code, if you want to read a rollicking tale of an adventurous archeologist, Catholic Church conspiracies and U.S. Government interference then you shouldn't go past Brandt Legg's Cosega Search. 

This book grabbed me from the first chapter and never let go. It is a non-stop journey of evasion once archeologist Ripley Gaines finds what he thinks he has spent his whole career looking for; proof that man is much older than general archeological theories would leave us to believe. What he has actually found is an artifact that will change forever the way we view our world. So powerful is this artifact that the Catholic Church is willing to kill for it, the U.S. Government will do anything to gain access to it. 

On the run, with a young female reporter Gaines crisscrosses the country trying to evade the FBI, the Vatican agents and who knows who else, leaving a trail of dead bodies behind them. There is barely time to catch your breath while reading this book. 

Cosega Search is the first of a trilogy that follows the further adventures of the artifact, the archeologist, and the journalist. As an introduction to the series and an encouragement to read the rest of the trilogy, Cosega Search does its job extremely well. 

This is the second Legg book that I have read and I am convinced this author is a real talent and he will be top of my list of favorite authors and books to read from now on. 

The Cosega Search earned every single one of the five stars I awarded it and some more besides.

You can check out all of Brandt Legg's works here: http://amzn.to/1KksL4A    

​Outview by Brandt Legg was an absolute revelation for me. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting when I started reading, but the book just captured me from the first chapter and wouldn't let me go until it spat me out at the end. As the first book in a series of three, this is guaranteed to set you up to absolutely HAVE to read the next two. 

The premise was fascinating and although  there are plenty of books out there that focus on conspiracy theories within the government, this is different in that the focus is much more on the individual characters; brothers Nate and Dustin, their special psychic powers and their close group of friends that help them along the way to try and outwit the government agents determined to hunt them down. The characters were diverse and interesting and the storyline believable and at times simply breathtaking. 

Much of the subject matter resonated with me for many reasons. Having read extensively on "new thought" authors over the past couple of years, it was fascinating to see these concepts transformed into a novel - and done so wonderfully well. 

I guess Outview fits into a number of categories; Science Fantasy and Young Adult among others, but trust me this book will appeal to the widest range of readers. It was a real pleasure to read and I couldn't recommend it highly enough. Five stars all the way for this wonderful novel.

Check out this and all of Brandt Legg's work here: http://amzn.to/1KksL4A  

​Anti-Social Media is an interesting little tale that attempts to show us some of the failings of our internet and social media lifestyle. 

The book was relatively inoffensive and at times did raise a laugh or two. Perhaps I'm still social media naive but the basic premise seemed to be just a bit too far-fetched. That having been said it was an enjoyable read and one that I got some satisfaction from.

The basic plot revolves around an unknown screenwriter, Constance, accidentally following a major Hollywood actress, Jennifer, and then being accidentally followed back. What ensues could best be described as a comedy of errors as Constance is sucked into a world she knows little about and is even less prepared to handle.     

As a first-time author Heywood has probably taken on a difficult subject, but in general, it was well handled. The characters were almost caricatures of real people, but that may have been the author's intent to highlight the stupidity and falseness of social media. 

Despite my reservations, I would still say that this was a book that might well appeal to a wide range of people, especially those that live much of their lives out on the social media. I found it all a bit predictable and a little heavy on detail at times. A good read for a boring afternoon. Three stars from me. 

You can check out Anti-Social Media here: http://amzn.to/1PJfBRi