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surviving dreamland: escape from terror by william Penoyar

15/2/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Surviving Dreamland: Escape From Terror by William F. Penoyar takes us deep inside Iraq, before and during the invasion that was Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lara Al-Mohammed was just a baby when her parents fled Iraq and settled in Ann-Arbor, Michigan. When Lara graduated High School and before starting University studies, to potentially become a doctor, like her father, she was encouraged to visit her relatives in Mosul, Iraq, to get in touch with the Iraqi side of her heritage. Taking the opportunity with both hands, Lara decides to stay on in Iraq for one year and attend University in Baghdad. Little does she know the country is about to be entangled in an invasion by coalition forces, led by the US, to uncover the mythical weapons of mass destruction. When she, her cousin and three of her university room-mates are kidnapped by Saddam Hussein’s son, Uday for his depraved use, Lara begins a journey of fear and horror. Major Joe Keith is commander of Task Force 20 Delta, one of a number of Special Op teams injected into Iraq prior to the invasion to search for the weapons of mass destruction. Lana and Joe’s paths are destined to cross as they both become entangled in the search to find and destroy Uday Hussein.

Surviving Dreamland: Escape From Terror is a combat thriller that incorporates all the elements of an exciting action novel yet subtly blends in elements of ordinary Iraqi lives. What I liked about this story was author William F. Penoyar’s determination to not show this as a “gung-ho” glory show for the Americans. He was careful to show us the impact of Hussein and his murderous regime on everyday Iraqi’s but not gloss over the fear, trepidation and often outright rejection of the coalition’s invasion of their country. The characters he developed showed he had an intimate understanding of the realities of war and especially of special force’s operations. Equally the author seemed well versed in Iraqi culture and life, as well as being conversant with the region. I particularly enjoyed the moments of introspection that the soldiers underwent went they realised that the “weapons of mass destruction” may be over-exaggerated, yet they understood their duty to their commanders. Also Major Joe’s dilemma over whether to surrender his life as a special force’s leader to ensure the survival of his marriage and to be around for his children’s formative years gave a real human touch to the big, brave, special-forces’ commander. It is surely a dilemma many armed force’s personnel must face on a regular basis. This is a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying read and one I highly recommend.

You can find Surviving Dreamland: Escape From Terror by William Penoyar, here on Amazon:

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NOTHING IS MORE: a High Black Comedy in Verse with Music for Six Actors by Dolly Gray Landon

11/2/2019

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Nothing is More: A High Black Comedy in Verse with Music for Six Actors is a farcical attempt by Author Dolly Gray Landon to lampoon and ridicule the elitism and pretension of both the art world and academia. Set in the fictional world of Pimpleton State Luniversity it is a musical and poetic play that introduces us to the minimalist artist, the outrageous Phangbang Bonation whose art-style known as “Nadaism” has taken the art world by storm. Essentially Bonation does nothing, “nada” and calls it art. The Luniversity has introduced a degree higher than a Doctorate, called a Stool and there are five budding academics striving for the degree and the lucrative “Moddiger Prize”. Friends, Pelvin Penisovich and Purvel Schlignatz are abhorred by what they consider the fraud that Bonation is perpetrating upon the art-world and the scholarly world and are determined to see him taught a lesson and drummed out of their world shamed and ridiculed for the charlatan he is. Hatching a plan, the pair set about to impugn and destroy Bonation’s ascendant star in the artistic heavens. Throw in a couple of impressionable and malleable, young women students, a chorus and a musical score and you have the makings of Landon’s six-act play.

My initial reaction to Nothing is More: A High Black Comedy in Verse with Music for Six Actors was almost the same a Pelvin and Purvel’s response to Phangbang’s non-existent pieces of art – “the emperor is wearing no clothes”. I was ready to dismiss author Dolly Gray Landon’s work as; “having a laugh at the reader’s (or theatre-goer’s) expense but I continued reading in order to give the work a chance. Whilst it may transfer differently to the stage, as a read, it was difficult, with a surfeit of nonsensical words and passages that needed to be visualised in the reader’s mind before they made much sense, there nonetheless was an element of depth to the writing and understanding slowly dawned on me as to some of the clever techniques used by the author to gain my attention and understanding. Some of the longer sections of dialogue had much philosophical meat on them and some fascinating insights into the way we view and cherish the opinions of “artists” and “experts” often at the expense of our own common sense or “gut feelings”. Phangbang Bonation was the star of the show and as a character bounced from one extreme to the other. In many ways I was reminded of a much more extreme “FlashHeart from Blackadder, morphing to the extreme pragmatism and cynicism of Blackadder himself. No, it wasn’t an easy ride, but it was one worth persevering with. I won’t comment on the musical scores inherent in the play, as a musician I ain’t. Overall… “and now for something completely different!”

You can find Nothing is More here on Dolly Gray Landon's Amazon page:

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a bend in time: Never without her book 1 by anne c. maxwell

8/2/2019

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

A Bend in Time: Never Without Her Book 1 by Anne C. Maxwell was a love story with a science fiction/time travel twist. Elena Villiers is a beautiful, determined young woman who is an Agent working for MI6 in counter-terrorism. Very successful at what she does, she is shocked when she is sent to infiltrate a Saudi Bank in London that is suspected of laundering money and funnelling it to terrorists. The CEO of MGB just happens to be her childhood companion and major crush, growing up in Riyadh, Omar McGovern. Struggling to keep her priorities straight Elena finds herself deeply drawn to the now grown-up Omar and the feeling is clearly mutual. How can she carry out her spying activities when she is falling in love with the man she is spying on? Whatever happens, neither Elena nor Omar are prepared for the weird and wonderful time trick that is about is to be played on them as they are both thrown into alternate time universes, one into seventeenth Century France to the court of King Louis XIII and one to a rural Baron’s house in nineteenth Century England. How will they return to their own time and their real lives?

I was impressed with the premise on which A Bend in Time: Never Without Her is based and was keen to see how the author would handle three different stories essentially with the same characters. Author Anne C. Maxwell did an excellent job of keeping the reader on-track throughout the narrative. The characters, Elena and Omar are both overachievers and extremely successful at what they do and it could be assumed readers may have some difficulty with identifying and empathising with them. This was certainly not the case and Maxwell gave both characters enough flaws to make them vulnerable and recognisable as ordinary people. I particularly enjoyed the passionate love scenes in the story, of which there were a number. Her poetic word choices and deeply descriptive passages gave the scenes a sense of beauty and magic, rather than any tawdriness or crudity. What Maxwell has done here, in what I am assuming is a debut novel has beautifully set up her series with these characters. I cannot wait to find out where the “Bend in Time” might take this pair next. For me, I can pay no greater tribute than that to this author.

You can find A Bend in Time: Never Without Her, here on Anne C. Maxwell's Amazon page.

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journey to the west valley wall by mark l. lloyd

8/2/2019

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

In Journey to the West Valley Wall, author Mark L Lloyd has cleverly combined two stories into one novel. Jack Van Horne is a successful Science Fiction writer. Both his first two books based around the character of Sage Sauer’s space adventures have been best-sellers with both novels being made into blockbuster feature films. Despite his success, Jack is wracked with self-doubt and the crippling effects of agoraphobia and fandom pressures. He rarely leaves his apartment these days and is unable to write the much anticipated final book in the Sage Sauer series. Crippled by fear and uncertainty, Jack finally experiences an epiphany when he is forced, by circumstances, to run for his life, along with his twelve-year-old niece as they try to escape a raging forest fire. We follow the trials and angst of Jack, in his crawl back to something resembling normality, as well as those of his space hero Sage Sauer, as the third book begins to come together.

I thought the premise of two stories into one, in Journey to the West Wall, was a clever technique employed by author Mark L Lloyd and he made it work extremely well. The character of Jack Van Horne was eerily identifiable by fellow authors who have all gone through those mental demons, although not as badly as Jack, usually. He was a character that evoked extreme emotion in the reader, ranging from deep sympathy and sorrow, right through to intense anger at the man’s stupidity and inability to cope, at times and yet always tempered by a feeling of sadness that despite his clear brilliance he must suffer so much. I particularly enjoyed the interactions between Jack and his niece. The parallel story of Sage Sauer was equally compelling, especially for Science Fiction fans. The journal of his adventures left the reader wanting to know more about the character and the processes by which humans had survived or modified in the world of Sauer. It left questions in the readers’ minds and that’s a great thing to achieve. This is an excellent story and one I can highly recommend.

You can find Journey to the West Valley Wall, along with the rest of Mark L. Lloyd's portfolio, here on his Amazon page:

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triumphant ride: by permit only by herman cajigas jr.

5/2/2019

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Herman Cajigas was just a normal, teenage boy growing up in New York City in the 1970’s. From a hard-working immigrant family from Puerto Rico, Herman and his classmates were enjoying their final year as High School Seniors before heading off to various colleges. A school field trip to Wildwood, New Jersey would irrevocably change Herman’s life forever. An accident at the beach sees Herman robbed of his mobility and trying to adjust to life in a wheelchair, as a quadriplegic. Triumphant Ride: By Permit Only brings us author Herman Cajigas Jr.’s inspiring story as he comes to terms with the cards fate has dealt him and determines how he will succeed in this life, confined to a wheelchair. Rising from his impoverished but happy childhood, Herman’s grit and determination carry him from hospital, to University and on to be an inspirational entrepreneur in the booming tech industry – along the way finding his soul-mate and the love of his life.

Triumphant Ride: By Permit Only is a simple, straightforward summation of author Herman Cajigas Jr.’s inspirational life. The messages he brings in this journey are ones of humility, acceptance and raw courage to go on, no matter what the circumstances life throws your way. If anything struck me most, as a reader, it was Herman’s humility and his determination not to see himself as handicapped by his injury, but instead to look for ways in which he could still do all the things he desired to do. I liked that he was also prepared to examine his own character, recognise his own flaws and work on improving them. Running through the narrative is a simple expression of faith, but not the type engendered perhaps by organised religion. Herman lived his life according to the dictates of what we now know as The Law of Attraction. His faith in family, in his beloved wife and in a higher power, as recognised by the Universe shone through every page of this book. I found the story more compelling perhaps because of the no-nonsense and straightforward style of the writing. There was little hyperbole or attempt to claim greatness at overcoming his limitations, just a sweet and delightful joy at being alive, being in love with life and still able to do the things he wanted to do. This is an inspiring piece of work and one I can highly recommend. “There, but for the grace of God, go I!”

Triumphant Ride is, unfortunately, not yet available for purchase, but when it is, it will be well worth looking out for.

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the amethyst: the gemstone chronicles #2 by william l stuart

4/2/2019

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The Amethyst (The Gemstone Chronicles #2) by William L. Stuart is a delightful epic fantasy that takes us, the readers, into the mythical land of Celahir, home of elves, giants and magic. Youngsters Aidan and Maggie along with their grandparents Nana and Beebop have visited this magical land before, when they helped the light elves search for the stolen four gemstones that make up the Elven Bow. This Bow allows balance and peace on Celahir, as well as creating a barrier between Earth and Celahir's realm, which ensures Earth is safe from the evil dark elves.
Episode one of this story saw the humans assist the good elves to discover the whereabouts of the first stone of the Elven Bow, the Carnelian. Now, though, the Dark Elf in the form of Naesse is causing havoc in Celahir and the barrier between there and Earth is breaking down. The team is summoned to help the elves again to find the next gemstone, the Amethyst. This time, the children's mother, Laura is roped into the adventure, as the humans set out for Celahir to find the stone and defeat the giant who is guarding it.
I found The Amethyst by William L Stewart to be an unpretentious and thoroughly enjoyable romp through fantasy world of the author's imagination. This novel is completely stand alone and there is no loss of enjoyment through not having read the first in the series (I haven't). I suspect Stuart's prime target audience is young adults and I have no doubt they will enjoy this tale immensely, with its youthful, brave and typically shy, young lead characters in Aidan and Maggie. I wouldn't dismiss it for adult readers though as it is a rollicking good jaunt through adventure and mystery. I think Stuart has hit the target spot-on with this tale and I look forward to seeing where the story leads now as they begin the search for the third stone of the Elven Bow. An excellent read and one I can highly recommend.

You can find The Amethyst, along with the rest of William L Stewart's Gemstone Chronicles saga, here on his Amazon page:

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like a girl out of water: the miller's creek trilogy by halle b atherton

4/2/2019

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Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

David Blackledge and Josh Walker had been friends forever, since first-grade in fact. Growing up, next to a river in rural Virginia, the pair were inseparable and although a rambunctious team who at times got into minor trouble, the general consensus in the region was that these two were “good boys”. In, Like A Girl Out Of Water: The Miller Creek Trilogy by Halle B Atherton, a chance encounter on the river when the boys are thirteen will come back to haunt them many years later. When David met Allie Wainwright the attraction between the pair was instantaneous and both had felt they had met their soul-mate. But, as so often happens, as teens grow into adults and drift apart physically, attending different colleges, petty jealousy and doubts arise and what seemed perfect just a month ago, no longer seems so. David, Allie and Josh will all go on to be incredibly successful in their chosen fields, but even as the years go by, neither can forget that first, perfect love and keeping them tied together is both of their deep friendships with Josh, now a Navy SEAL serving in Afghanistan. David is a major league baseball player and Allie, an Olympic champion swimmer, but it will take a tragedy to bring these two back together.

Like A Girl Out Of Water: The Miller Creek Trilogy is a wonderful exposition of young love and the accompanying angst that we’ve all felt at some point. Author Halle B Atherton has produced three gross over-achiever characters here that somehow seem to work and despite their phenomenal success are readily identifiable and draw empathy from the reader. I loved how, despite all their successes, all three remained grounded to their morals and their rural Virginian roots and family. Yes, at various times they all made poor decisions and yet, with grit, determination and sheer-bloody mindedness they still made their circumstances work for them. The narrative was well-written and flowed seamlessly from one POV to the next. I felt the passionate love scenes were exciting and sensual without crossing that line into crudity. This was a fantastic read and definitely one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Yes, it is a romance, but it is much more than that; it is a life-affirming tale of simple, honest folk achieving great success over sometimes seemingly insurmountable odds. I can highly recommend this read and look forward to the remainder of this trilogy. I am invested in these characters now and want to see where the author’s story-line will take them next.

You can find Halle B. Atherton's Like A Girl Out Of Water: The Miller's Creek Trilogy, here, on Amazon.

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surviving dreamland: escape from terror by william Penoyar

NOTHING IS MORE: a High Black Comedy in Verse with Music for Six Actors by Dolly Gray Landon

a bend in time: Never without her book 1 by anne c. maxwell

journey to the west valley wall by mark l. lloyd

triumphant ride: by permit only by herman cajigas jr.

the amethyst: the gemstone chronicles #2 by william l stuart

like a girl out of water: the miller's creek trilogy by halle b atherton

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