​Swearing Allegiance by Jana Petken continues the amazing series of historical romances this superb author keeps turning out. 

This is the fourth Petken novel I've read and it will be far from the last. Her work is detailed, very character driven and her research, to my mind, is as good as anyone I've read who writes historical fiction. The four books I've read to date, cover diverse and differing periods of human history; from the Spanish Inquisition (The Errant Flock) to the U.S. Civil War (Dark Shadows), to World War I (Swearing Allegiance), to the Spanish Civil War (Guardian of Secrets). Her forte appears to be romance in the midst of conflict and it is something she does brilliantly. She has received numerous awards to date and I have little doubt more will flow for this talented woman. 

Swearing Allegiance is set during World War I, but focuses principally on the Carmody family, an Irish family and their struggle to pursue Irish Independence, beginning with the 1915, Irish uprising. I loved the characters in this novel. They were so real and their struggles to find love and happiness amongst the terrors and slaughter of World War I endear them to the reader. There is an element of the ubiquitous loveable Irish rascal character about the children in this family, which was very endearing. Their father was Irish, but their mother was English and during World War I, when millions of British lives were being slaughtered or wounded, the distinction between Irish and English was as marked as it has ever been in British history. 

When the book ended I really did have one of those; "DAMN!" moments. I didn't want to leave these characters. I wanted to find out what will happen next. I am reassured to know there will be another story, at least, in the Carmody Saga. 

I can only implore discerning readers who have yet to sample this wonderful author to give her books a real try. If you love historical fiction, you will love Jana Petken's novels. They are the equal, if not the better, than anything I've seen in this genre from ANY legacy published author. I am an enormous fan of this author, as I guess you will have gathered by now. 

I look forward to reading many more stories from this author's exceptional literary brain, in the years to come. Just keep churning them out - as long as they are as good as your work to date, they'll be amazing. 

No question about this one - Swearing Allegiance is a 5-Star novel, all the way.    

Check out all Jana Petken's work here: http://amzn.to/1R5g3UI    

​I was pleasantly surprised with Almana. It was a well-written story that immediately drew me in and endeared the characters to me. In its essence Almana is a dystopian, young-adult novel from Julayn Adams. 

Set following World War III, humanity is struggling to survive in North America, especially on the West Coast and Los Angeles. The city is ruled by an evil overlord, Equis, who commands obedience through fear and terror. Scattered around the surrounding countryside are small enclaves of survivors who are determined to rebuild civilisation and live happy and productive lives despite the horrors that have been bequeathed them. 

Into one of these enclaves, the Angel Almana has been sent. Heaven and Angels, it appears, have almost given up on humanity. They tried desperately to stop the conflict before it began, but man's evil nature won out in the end. Almana's specific task is to protect a young girl, Alexa, who is destined to be the one who will save the world and humanity. 

The story has the feel of the old west, with good, upright citizens trying their best to live fruitful and productive lives, whilst surrounded by violence and terror. When Almana arrives in this tiny settlement, she meets and falls in love with Alexa's brother. The story is full of the usual issues and petty jealousies that one would find in any small, self-sufficient community. I particularly liked the way the author was able to weave in a real humanity into Almana's character, who is, of course, a supernatural being. The romance, I felt, was especially well done.  

I enjoyed this story much more than I expected. As the first book in what is clearly to be a series, I must congratulate the author on hooking the reader to await the next episode of this captivating tale. If dystopian, young-adult fiction is your thing, I am confident you will love Almana. An excellent beginning to this new series and I'm happy to award a very solid four stars to Almana by Julayn Adams. Good job!   

You can check out Julayn Adams' Amazon Page here:   http://amzn.to/1UqCF69

​Well, at just on fifty odd pages on Kindle, Little Red will not completely satisfy your desire for a good, long read, but it is a lovely morsel to munch on when you have an hour to spare. This is more of a short story than a novella, but that's fine as I knew going in, what I was buying, 

What James', it appears, is intent on doing, is taking our beloved fairytales from our childhood, placing them in a modern-day setting and throwing in some adult-themed context. Initially, I was a bit uncertain about having all my childhood illusions of sweet Red Riding Hood blown apart by an adult context, but having read Little Red, I can say I was satisfied with James' efforts. 

Little Red is heading off to take some baking to Grandma, who lives alone in the woods. Yes, the Big Bad Wolf is indeed waiting for her, but not perhaps in the way you might expect. 

I was impressed with James' writing style and the story flowed very well. The character of Ruby was well defined and easily identifiable. I think the author's handling of the adult scene in the story was exciting, extremely vivid and hot. This is not a fairy-tale for children, by any stretch of the imagination. 

I see on Amazon she has already added her unique touch to Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, which I have no doubt will be on my TBR list soon. If I could make one plea to the author it would be that she tries to flesh out one of these stories a little more and turn it into a novella, or better still, a novel. She is talented and I would like to read more of her work. 

For what it is and within its genre, Little Red is a great story. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a momentary diversion for an hour or so and likes a salacious touch to an old classic. Great job Jess James and five well-earned stars from me.

Check out all of Jess James' offerings here: http://amzn.to/1XIZzbM       

Ayesha, by Valentine Renehan is an unapologetic love story. It tells the story of Ayesha and Ger, who first meet at Design School in Glasgow, Scotland and form a lasting friendship that takes some time to blossom into requited love. 

Ayesha, although second generation Scottish, is by culture and family tradition, still very much an Indian girl at heart. Her parents, both successful doctors desire Ayesha to follow them into medicine, but Ayesha's heart and passion has always been for fashion and design. Ger, has always wanted to be a designer, from a very young age. When the two meet, the attraction between them is undeniable and clear for all to see. Both Ayesha and Ger have their own perceptions of their relationship and things do not run as smoothly as they should. 

Ayesha takes us behind the scenes of the high-fashion and modeling world and exposes some of the perils of that industry. I did find some aspects of Ayesha and Ger's relationship pushed the boundaries of believability at times. I remember saying more than once; "can anyone really be that blind, or that dumb to reality". That having been said, I've always been a sucker for a soulmate meets soulmate romance and Ayesha is definitely that. 

The story was well told, with plenty of intrigue and adventure along the way. I did love the way Renehan seemed able to interweave seemingly disparate characters into her tale. Everyone, it seemed was somehow inter-related. I find these seamless interrelationships as the sign of an excellent author. 

I enjoyed Ayesha and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes a "soulmate" romance or has an interest in high-fashion fiction. I would give Ayesha a very solid four-star rating. Just checking Renehan's Amazon page, I do notice there is a second book in this series; Ayesha, To Break a Promise. I'll definitely be having a look at that. The synopsis certainly teases me. 

A good story and kudos to Renehan.

You can check out the Ayesha Series here: http://amzn.to/1TA1eyD          

When I first picked up this book I thought it was actually a children's book, but it's not, it's definitely a young adult, science fiction adventure. I thought the theme of the book had an interesting premise, so was keen to give it a read.
A young man, sixteen year-old Michael Morgan was born on the space station, orbiting earth, and had spent his entire life, to that point on the station - he had never been to Earth. 
Michael's parents were both long gone when he was a baby. His mother had been killed in a re-entry accident and his father, distraught at the loss of his wife, had effectively abandoned young Michael on the Space Station. Michael had literally become a ward of the Government and as such had become a glorified experiment to the doctors and scientist at NASA.
Perhaps because Michael had never known anything different, he was relatively indifferent about his structured, managed and ordered life aboard the space station. All that was about to change, though, with a chance email from a young Welsh boy and the opportunity for Michael to visit earth for the first time.
In Exchange won't set the world on fire with intellectual debate, but it is a fun adventure, that is very age-appropriate and I have no doubt it would be enjoyed by anyone who has ever dreamed of soaring above the earth at thousands of miles per hour.
Some of the best interactions in the story come between Michael and his new friend from Earth Peter Davies. I enjoyed their comparisons of their different lives and how, despite their differences, they would discover much they had in common. I'm not sure that Y/A novels actually need a moral, but if there was one in this book, it would be that the grass in not always greener on the other side of the fence. 
This was an easy to read, well-written and enjoyable. For a first novel, which I think it probably is, Caddy did an excellent job. One can tell from the title that he has other adventures in mind for young Michael Morgan and I am sure they will be just as enjoyable.
An excellent start Mr Caddy and I'm more than happy to award four well-earned stars to In Exchange.

You can grab this book here at Amazon if you wish to check it out: http://amzn.to/1TH5t7D   

Shadow Stalker (Part 1) is effectively a novel split into two separate books. This seems to be becoming a common practice amongst some authors and can catch the unwary reader by surprise from time to time. To be fair, Scattergood has made it quite clear that this book is a bundle of Shadow Stalker stories and in followed by Shadow Stalker Part 2. For this reason, I have no problem with the way the novel has been structured. Of course, if you enjoy Shadow Stalker Part 1, there is no doubt you will feel compelled to purchase Shadow Stalker Part 2 and find out what happens.
All is not lost for readers though, who wish to avail themselves of Book 2 of the series. By joining Scattergood's fan base of "Shadow Stalkers" my understanding is you will be able to receive the second book in the series for free. Considering she currently has the first book for free also, that's a pretty good deal. I think the authors efforts to build a fan base and involve her readers, in her activities, is something to be applauded and should be considered by other Indie Authors. Kudos to her!  
Shadow Stalker is a young adult/fantasy novel that follows the adventures of Auren, who discovers at eighteen that she is much more special than she ever thought she was. Raised by the strict and seemingly stern foster-father Kado, she is unaware of who she really is until her world falls apart and the forces of the Galvadi Empire invade the islands of the Coalition. Thrown into turmoil by Kado's revelations, as to her true nature and on the run from the Galvadi Emperor the story follows Auren's journey of discovery and understanding of herself. There is plenty of action for those that seek it, but there are equally some interesting and thoughtful questions raised in the story as to the nature of family, love, and relationships, in general.
For a Young Adult novel, I really enjoyed this book. As with all novels where the author has created a brand new world in which to place his/her characters, there is some time needed, as a reader, to understand and integrate themselves into the concepts and names of that new world. Once that has been done, however, it is all plain sailing and a very well told, easy to read, story. 
Scattergood's writing style is simple and straightforward and her characters very believable. I particularly enjoyed the, at times, testy interactions between Auren and Kado. I was more often than not seeing it from Kado's perspective, although the book is clearly written from Auren's perspective.
I would highly recommend this read to young and older readers alike, especially if fantasy adventure is your favoured genre. I happily give this book a very solid five-star rating. It's not my favorite genre, but within that genre I felt is was a winner. Definitely give this book a look.
You can check all of Renee Scattergood's work here: http://amzn.to/1TUiTzD   

When it comes to Science Fiction, which I Am Sleepless: Sim 299 is, I like my books not to way out in the Science Fiction scale. In other words, lots of the fiction and not too much of the Science. One thing I always find with "hard" science fiction is coming to terms with the new and novel ideas and names for things the author has come up with. Although there was some of this in Sleepless, it wasn't so overwhelming as to distract me from the story. This is probably a book aimed at the Y/A S/Fiction market, but as anything but a young adult, I found I Am Sleepless: Sim 299 by Johan Twiss, a very enjoyable read and I am sure it appeals to adults as well as young people.

The story focuses on a group of young people, "Prime Cadets" who were selected, at birth, to receive what is known as the Prime injection, which will turn them into one of several different types of genetic mutations, with both special powers, but also special "defects". I guess there is a similarity here to the ideas such as X-Men, but in reality, this story stands up well as an individual effort. Separated from their families, the "mutants" are raised in training camps, where they are trained to ultimately face the biggest threat to this world, the, as yet, undescribed Splicers.

Aidan, a year 12 cadet, is the main character in this story and it appears early on that Aidan has more than just one "mutant" power. The Sim 299 in the title is the final simulation that cadets can achieve during their training. Because Aidan never sleeps, he has already achieved Sim 299, way ahead of any other cadets, but he is unable to defeat the final simulation. 

Twiss' world building is a little minimal and, as a reader, I was left wondering at times, wanting more information about the history of these people, who were clearly human originally. I know this is the first book in an intended three book series (at least), so I will look for more backstory in books to come. As a teaser for a new series, this book achieved its goal. When it finished I said; "damn! So what happens next?" In many ways that all an author can expect or should expect. 

Do I want to read the second book in this series and will I be waiting with bated breath for it to be released? Surprisingly, for me anyway, the answer to this was a resounding YES! I enjoyed I Am Sleepless: Sim 299 and want very much to know what happens to Aidan and his coterie once the next challenge has begun. 

Twiss has set up an excellent base for his planned series and I can only hope he uses the next two, or however many, books there are in the series to develop the lead characters further. There are doubtless some excellent backstories to be devolved here and also some more information about the past, as well as their main enemies, the Splicers. 

This is an excellent piece of work and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has a science fiction bent, especially readers who like a good story with some clever wordplays at times. I am impressed with Twiss' first literary effort and I am happy to award this book four VERY solid stars and hope for even greater things with his future releases in this series. A great beginning. You've got me hooked.   

You can check out I Am Sleepless: Sim 299 here: http://amzn.to/1SY08Jd

Jarred Dreams, by Camilla Chester is essentially a children's book, or perhaps more correctly a teenager's or young adult's book. It is the story of the Dream Thief, who has stolen all the dreams from the people of Stanbridge, which has essentially turned gray, without its people's dreams. The population exists, they don't live. 

Into this boring, dull, lifeless world comes twelve-year-old Sade, whose mother is in a coma at Stanbridge Hospital and her father and her have moved to Stanbridge to be closer to Sade's mother. Sade quickly discovers that nothing in Stanbridge has any color. Her classmates at school, with one exception (a recent newcomer like her), are colourless and boring. There is no fun and no enjoyment. Sade sets out to discover the cause of the town's malady and fix it. The dream thief, from literature, it appears is very real and has stolen the dreams of the population. Sade must put this right.   

For a book primarily aimed at young people, (as someone not so young anymore), I found this little story grew and grew on me, the more I read. The author used the opportunity to investigate and discuss issues that are important to adults, as well as young people; such as the importance of dreams, the need to never give up on your dreams. In fact, what I initially thought would be a pleasant little diversion from my usual reading fare, turned into a really worthwhile exercise. I think this is the real mark of a quality author, whose target market is youth. To be able to write for young people, engage and interest them, but also to have concepts that can appeal to the older folk. Chester has got this dead right. 

I understand this is Chester's debut novel and I tip my hat to her. She has written a beauty and I look forward to more from her pen. I didn't expect to enjoy this book quite as much as I did and for that reason it fully deserve the five stars I have given it. Well done Camilla Chester; a wonderful debut story.  

​You can check pout Jarred Dreams here: http://amzn.to/1SMRLQA 

​Squirting Milk at Chameleons: An Accidental African, an intriguing title for an equally intriguing story from first-time author Simon Fenton. 

Simon Fenton is a Brit, who, from a young age, was seized by the urge to travel. After a number of years in Asia, mainly Vietnam, he visited Africa, including Senegal in West Africa, where he met and fell in love with a young Senegalese woman called Khady. Like a good boy, Simon eventually returned home to England, but Africa and Khady were already in his blood. When he discovers Khady is pregnant, he decides to return to Senegal and build a family in this strange and unusual country.

I've read a number of memoirs, but this one resonated with me more than most and I suspect it is because Fenton did something similar to what I did, but he went far more extreme than I did. I thought it was a major wrench to leave my safe life in New Zealand for the teeming metropolis of Manila in the Philippines, but that pales in comparison to Fenton's choice of Senegal over Brighton, England. 

The book is basically a tale of his first year in Senegal and details the many trials and tribulations he faced in trying to settle into a new life in a very foreign environment. The story is fascinating, the writing easy and conversational. He brings us his clear love of the country, as well as a healthy cynicism as to many of the cultural practices of deepest, darkest Africa. 

I think many readers will ask themselves; WHY? Why would you give up everything the West has to offer, for life where every day is a constant struggle against the heat, insects, corruption, mysticism, and the ever present attitude whenever anything goes wrong; "This is Africa!"? I think Fenton answer those doubts extremely well. It is clear from the story that despite all the problems, the rewards are more than compensation. He clearly loves his home and his family and is now well settled, with a small guest house he has built to host foreign tourists and provide him with someone to speak English with. I can identify with that desire, Simon. 

This is a fantastic book for a quick read or to discover something about a region of the world that few of us know too much about. I highly recommend Squirting Milk at Chameleons: An Accidental African by Simon Fenton. Definitely a five-star read in my book.

You can check out this book here: http://amzn.to/1rZoSul   

If you want to find out more about Simon Fenton and his Senegalese resort "Little Baobab, or you want to check out his blog, then visit his websites here:
http://thelittlebaobab.com/ 
http://thelittlebaobab.com/product/squirting-milk-chameleons/

Someone Else's Dream is the fourth Griffiths' book I've read now and is a significant departure from his usual genre, which tends to horror and the paranormal. Someone Else's Dream could best be described as a psychological thriller. 

Nothing has been lost from Griffiths' unique touch, though, with Someone Else's Dream. We still have a strong ensemble cast of characters who are easy to identify and empathise with. There are still the, now familiar, twists and turns that one has come to expect from the Griffiths' pen. The Author, himself, says he started off writing a romance but quickly realised that wasn't his thing and it turned into the psychological thriller we now are presented with. 

I can say that Griffiths has achieved his objective in trying a different genre. The story is engaging, the dialogue clever and local, plus as mentioned, the characters are genuine people we can all identify with. 

Someone Else's Dream takes place between Doncaster in South Yorkshire and the holiday resort of Porthcawl in South Wales. We first meet Carla Reid, a mid-list author, who is struggling to find her place in the publishing world and is beset with inhibitions and fears tracing back to an incident from her teenage years. 

Enter, Matt Conner, a man with serious psychological issues, who has never gotten over the death of his little, three-year-old daughter, Aimee, three years previously, or indeed, his divorce from his wife Hayleigh. Matt is on medication, but when he decides that he is better off without the pills, we know all hell will break loose. 

Throw in a massive, leather-clad biker (without a bike), named Crazy Cavan, a buxom barmaid Marcia and Carla's friends Darren, Smithy and Donna, plus a few more for good luck, you have the basis for a rollicking yarn. 

Someone Else's Dream is a great story, well told and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have no problem giving it the five stars I feel it richly deserves. A good change of pace from "The Paranormal King", Colin Griffiths.          

​You can check out the rest of Colin Griffiths' offerings here: http://amzn.to/1WwDpsk

​When you pick up a memoir to read, I guess you can be certain of two things; either you are going to read a tale of abuse, a heroic tale...or often a mixture of both. The reality is people who lead normal, everyday lives, don't tend to write memoirs. Naturally, when I first picked up Ghost No More, by CeeCee James, I guessed it was a book about child-abuse and I wasn't wrong. 

Ghost No More, details, in the main, the early years of CeeCee James' life. I think in her two sequels, she explores in greater detail her late teenage years as well as her adult years. I'm not sure if there are "levels" of child abuse, but if there are, then James' experiences are definitely at the extreme end of that continuum. Her treatment, by almost everyone who was "supposed" to love, care and protect her was appalling, by any standards and one was left with this horrible sinking feeling that her case might not even be unusual, which is an indictment on the society we live in. 

Despite the abuse she suffered, James' retelling of her childhood is done in a calm and very restrained manner.  Unlike many books in this genre, James' chose not to be explicit in her detailing of much of the abuse she was subjected to. Clearly this was a conscious decision, possibly governed by her faith and morality and for me, as a reader, it was refreshing not to have to wade through horrific tales of, especially, sexual abuse. 

I enjoyed the reflective, self-examining style the author chose to write this book in. In many ways, the terrible life she endured, as a child, was often balanced by the whimsical thoughts she also indulged in, to try to cope with the horrors of her childhood. 

I imagine it takes immense courage to put your feelings and emotions out there on public display when you have suffered so terribly, as she has. I think it is probably a sign of the acceptance and understanding of herself now, in her adult years, as a mother herself, that has allowed her to do this. I have no doubt there was a cathartic element to this story for her, but she has to be congratulated for fearlessly and honestly detailing her innermost thoughts and self-loathing, throughout those tumultuous years. More power to her for that. 

I look forward to reading her other two offerings in this series; Fear No More and Lost No More. I would highly recommend this book as essential reading for anyone who feels life has dealt them some tough cards to play with. When faced with struggles, it never hurts to remind ourselves that "there but for the Grace of God, go I!". The real benefit of this type of memoir is in that very message; the human spirit is capable of dealing with and overcoming even the greatest of pain and suffering. CeeCee James does well to remind us of that in this fine book. For that reason alone, I would happily award Ghost no More, five well-earned stars and congratulate James on her courage and fortitude. She teaches us well.    

You can check out CeeCee James' other works here: http://amzn.to/1NKAlHu        

Water Into Whine, I guess is a marked departure for Kelly, from his usual genres, which tends toward comedic slapdash, as evidenced by his Damsels' series, with a bit of horror and mysticism thrown in for good measure, in some of his other offerings. 

Kelly made it clear in his introduction that the motivation for writing Water into Whine, was a challenge from a couple of his friends to write something "smutty". Well, Mr. Kelly, you answered that challenge in "spades"! Water into Whine, if nothing else, is a definitely one enormous pile of smut. Unlike the Damsels' series where the smut is implied through the use of ribald and euphemistic jokes, the grubbiness is laid out for all to see (and read) in Water into Whine. The concentration on the erotica (although pleasant to read) didn't take away from the quirky story being told, however. 

We are introduced to the Reverend Redders who, along with his wife Miriam has a very interesting philosophy on life, especially as it applies to sin. In a nutshell, the good Reverend believes we are all sinners and we are all forgiven our sins by Jesus' death at Calvary. It is, therefore, our bounden duty, as Christians, to sin well and to sin often, something they are quick to do.      

This is a funny, quirky, little story, with a whole heap of sex scenes. Do nit read this book if you are of the prudish mold, however, it is a fun story. If I had a couple of riders to my review, they would be as follows: The sex scenes did at times tend to become repetitive, although kudos to the author for varying the ways and means of the participants to reach their climaxes. I do realize, as an author, how hard it is to write fresh and inspiring erotica. I think Kelly did a pretty good job of handling all of this "smut". The second thing that disappointed me a little was the focus on the Reverend's sexual impropriety, to the detriment of his financial improprieties, which I felt could have been explored a little more. 

The good thing is, it appears the Reverend Redders and his seductive wife Miriam have been reassigned to a remote Scottish Isle and reappear in the next installment of this tale from Kelly, titled Vicars and Tarts. 

A good, satisfying and slightly heated Sunday afternoon read. If you like a bit of slap and tickle, a bit of a quirky little story, then Water into Whine is a definite yes, but only if you are broad-minded. I give this effort fro, Michael H Kelly a very solid four-star rating. Thanks for the fun read.

You can check put more of Michael H Kelly's work here: http://amzn.to/24tVoSV