All Categories - GRANT LEISHMAN

never the twain by t.e. hodden

20/8/2019

As a regular reader of Tom Hodden's books over the years, if there was one word that best summed up Hodden's approach to writing, that word would be - quirky. Not for him, the straight-forward narrative adventure or romance, he always needs to "quirk" it up a bit and Never The Twain is no exception to that. It's one of the reasons I keep coming back to Hodden's literature because he challenges me, as a reader, to think outside the box, consider other possibilities, other perspectives and different paradigms.

Tanner is a typical, quiet, shy, non-achiever, happy in his life and his routine, especially "Friday Movie Night", as owner and executive chef of a small restaurant, whereas Adam, his rival for Callie's affections, is the polar opposite. Mega-wealthy, self-indulgent, self-assured and also deeply in love with Callie, Adam is everything Tanner is not. Tanner's world is ripped apart when Callie breaks off their burgeoning relationship to return to her first love, Adam - but there the fun begins.

In two slightly different multiverses, Callie and Tanner play out differing scenarios. In one Universe, Tanner is killed by a hit and run driver and in another, Callie dies by drowning. What really causes problems for the pair, though, is when Callie finds that by using a new drug, called Drift, she is able to actually merge between the two Universes. What will happen when Alpha Tanner and Beta Callie meet up again in one of the parallel universes? Certainly, sparks will fly!

I thoroughly enjoyed Hodden's take on a inter-multiverse relationship and although at times I struggled with who was actually who and in which Universe they currently existed, that is one of the joys of reading Hodden's work. He makes you think, he makes you concentrate and he tells a ripping, good yarn.

If you like quirky, if you like something a little different, then Tom Hodden is the author for you. He has a massive portfolio of essentially quirky and oddball stories. Why not try diving into one today - I did and I've never regretted it.

You can find Never The Twain, along with the rest of Tom Hodden's extensive portfolio, here on Amazon

cosmic swan by bill copeland

20/8/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

The world is in a state of panic. Massive earthquakes are wracking the planet and it seems to originate deep under the Himalayas, where the Pacific plate crashes up against the Asian plate. In Cosmic Swan by Bill Copeland, USGS (United States Geological Survey) geologist Mark is dispatched to Tibet to try and figure out just what is happening underneath the Himalayas. Once there, Mark discovers a strange, but beautiful woman, high up in a cave on Mt Kailas, Kusoom. Kusoom is the leader of a religious cult gathered on the mountain to protect and ensure the safe birth of an alien creature, the Cosmic Swan, whose egg was buried deep in earth’s magma, some billions of years ago. Initially dismissing Kusoom as just another religious fanatic, Mark soon comes to realise that there is indeed something growing deep within the bowels of the earth and it is close to breaking out. What Mark doesn’t understand is he is about to learn of a potential extinction threat for earth and he will embark on a journey across the galaxies searching for a way to save his beloved planet.

Author Bill Copeland has presented us with a fanciful scenario in Cosmic Swan that allows the reader to embark on an adventure across interstellar space with Mark and his compatriots. The premise was an unusual and original one and the reader is quickly caught up in the race to save the planet. The author’s writing style is clipped and simplistic, with short, pithy sentences which leads me to believe this story would lend itself more to the teenage Science Fiction market rather than the adult one. The end was too abrupt and unexpected for my liking which leads me to believe there is more planned in this series. I did enjoy the relationship that developed between Mark and Kusoom and kept wondering when it would transform into as full-blooded romantic relationship. This sense of heightened tension certainly added well to the narrative. If I had one complaint about the writing style it would be the author’s tendency to overuse the main character’s name, as opposed to a personal pronoun. I did become repetitive at times and showed characteristics of a high-school essay – “Mark did this, then Mark did that and then Mark did this, again.” That apart, it was a novel read and as I said perhaps one more aimed at high-school students rather than adults.

You can find Cosmic Swan, along with Bill Copeland's other books, here on his Amazon page:

soul scars (hidden hearts - protection unit #3) by mary crawford

17/8/2019

I often say that reading a Mary Crawford romance is like coming home. The characters are all familiar and although each story focuses on a different couple they are invariably surrounded by other characters who are familiar and comfortable with me, as a reader, from previous iterations of her series. The author has built a magnificent portfolio of interrelated and intertwined character who all have one thing in common - they are flawed (physically, emotionally, or mentally) but equally they are all seeking love and acceptance in a society they don't often feel a part of.

In the latest iteration of the Hidden Hearts - Protection Unit #3, SOUL SCARS, we meet Toby, a genius computer programmer who was kidnapped as a young boy and held hostage for five years by a manipulative and sexually exploitative woman, along with Detective Pauline Lawrence, a young woman born to be a policeman. Pauline's father was invalided out of the force when he was shot several years ago and it seems Pauline is determined to prove to her bosses and the world that she is not only a capable and efficient law-enforcement officer but that she is better than any man in the force. Her impetuosity and desire to prove herself have got her into trouble in the past and this episode will be no exception.

When Toby and Pauline meet, both realise there is something special between them but for differing reasons they both are unsure if they can cope with a full-time relationship and more importantly whether they are ready to commit their entire beings and trust to another person. Will their work, together, on child kidnapping, trafficking and child-sex rings bring them closer together or ultimately will their fears and past scars re-emerge in this white-hot environment and drive them apart?

I make no bones of the fact I love Crawford's work. Her simple, easy-to-read stories of love between individuals who have difficulties, mirrors real life for many of us and more than once, I've recognised myself in some of her characters. This is what makes her stories so compelling - they hit home hard, close to where we live.

To anyone procrastinating on whether to read Crawford or not, I would say she is so much more than a typical romance writer. Her stories are about life, life's complications, life's choices and battles but ultimately about the ability of love to lead to our salvation, from ourselves. Give it a chance and read one of her books even if you don't think they are your thing. I'm sure you will be genuinely surprised by how invested you become in her work. I know I have become on of her biggest fans.

You can find Soul Scars (Hidden Heartgs - Protection Unit #3) along with Mary Crawford's immense portfolio, here on her Amazon page:

the ransom (Nicole graves mystery #4) by nancy boyarsky

17/8/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

The Ransom: A Nicole Graves Mystery (Nicole Graves Mysteries Book 4) by Nancy Boyarsky takes us inside the world of private detective, Nicole Graves. Nicole’s boss gives her the task of researching the past of a kidnap victim, for one of the Agency’s more wealthy and important clients, the father-in-law of the victim, whose son was accidentally killed during the botched snatch. This is not the sort of work Nicole prefers; she would rather leave this sort of thing up to the police but the reality is when a major client asks for your help, the Agency needs to give it. Nicole, the surprised recipient of a two-million plus, unwanted and unexpected inheritance doesn’t realise that she is now in the direct cross-hairs of the kidnappers. It all becomes very personal, for Nicole, when her beloved younger sister Stephanie is kidnapped and her sister’s fiancée David badly injured, in order to seek a ransom payout from Nicole. She is torn between allowing the police to do their job, in the form of the rather dishy detective Arnault, or trying to negotiate the ransom payment and her sister’s safe release, direct with the kidnappers, especially when she realizes all the kidnappings may be linked and she may have a handle on the perpetrators.

Author Nancy Boyarsky has given us the fourth iteration of her Nicole Graves Mysteries series, with The Ransom: A Nicole Graves Mystery. It is not important to have read any of the previous books to enjoy this story (I haven’t). It stands alone as a case on its own, as I presume they all do. What the author has given us is nothing, new, startling, revelatory or indeed great literary prose – it is what it is; a straightforward crime mystery story but it is definitely one of the better offerings, of the ilk, that I have read. I always love a strong female lead, especially one who is performing in an area usually reserved for the macho male character. Nicole is a strong, independent woman who has carved out a successful career for herself in the rough and tumble world of the private dick. What I love, though, is that despite the pain and ugliness she must encounter regularly, she maintains her empathy, her humanity, and her ability to emote. She’s not afraid to allow her emotions to show and that gives her, as a character, a real balance. As a single woman, there is always the opportunity for romance and I was pleased the author left that opportunity open for Nicole, in the future. The plot and development of this book was clearly well thought out and took the reader on a number of twists and turns that placed various of the main characters in serious danger at times, which allowed the reader to root for the characters. I also liked the unusual background for Detective Arnault, for a police officer, which gave him much more colour, interest, and potential for future adventures. I can see a really close working (and personal) relationship developing between these two in the future. If crime mystery is your thing, this is one series you want to get your hands on and if it’s not your thing, well, you’ll love the read anyway. It’s well written and edited and I highly recommend it.

You can find The Ransom along with the rest of the Nicole Graves' Mysteries, here on Nancy Boyarski's Amazon page:

el coronel: book two of the medium series by jerry gundersheimer

14/8/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

El Coronel: Book Two of the Medium Series takes us inside the old conspiracy theory that perhaps the Third Reich isn’t truly over and somewhere in South America lurks the beginnings of a new atrocity ready to be foisted upon the world in the form of the Fourth Reich. Author Jerry Gundersheimer continues the story of medium Brody Whittaker and his lovely daughter Abby. Abby has been kidnapped by a ruthless child-trafficking ring spearheaded by one of Dr Mengele’s closest allies and partners from the horrific experiences that were the death camp of Auschwitz. Nonagenarian, Irving Crossman knows all about Auschwitz – he lived it and he was one of the few survivors, along with his recently departed wife, Marie. Whether motivated by survivor guilt or not, Irv had spent his life tracking down and capturing Nazi war criminals. When it becomes apparent that it is probably the evil, Ernst Claussen (El Coronel) who has kidnapped his darling Abby, Brody and Irv’s grandson Aaron, an Israeli special forces commando set out to recover Abby, capture Claussen and destroy the burgeoning Fourth Reich but they will face strong opposition and some very unexpected assistance along the way.

El Coronel: Book Two of the Medium Series is very much like a rampaging, “boy’s own” spy novel. Author Jerry Gundersheimer takes the reader on a non-stop adventure ride that is packed with thrills and spills. At times, the narrative reads like a James Bond movie and some of the “stunts” perhaps stretch the bounds of probability but, as a satisfying adventure read, this story cannot be faulted. The two main characters, Brody and Abby are both delightfully drawn and I was especially pleased that Brody, despite the obvious advantages his “gift” of seeing spirits and communicating with them, gives him, is still a humble man, fraught with his own weaknesses and failures. I particularly enjoyed the childish naivete of the Abby character as she began to come to terms with the realization that she had inherited her father’s abilities and perhaps even more than him. Clearly this is a long-term series built around these characters and this is book number two in the series. I haven’t read book one and it is in no way necessary to do so before reading this – it stands alone as its own stunning adventure story. The greatest compliment I, as a reviewer, can pay to an author is to say that reading his work has inspired me to read the first book in the series and to look forward to the next adventure of these characters. I can highly recommend this read, especially for all the action junkies out there – this story has action, in spade.

You can find El Coronel: Book Two of the Medium Series, by Jerry Gundersheimer, here on Amazon.

Three sisters: a tale of survival (three sisters trilogy #1) by Nikki Lewen

12/8/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Three Sisters: A Tale of Survival (Three Sisters Trilogy Book 1) is a deep dive into a dystopian world that may not be too far away. Author Nikki Lewen imagines an earth that has been struck by three tragedies, two natural and one very much of man’s own doing. When the world is hit by three almost simultaneous giant tsunamis (the tri-nami), billions of people and massive land areas are submerged underwater. What follows, as the survivors attempt to rally, is an enormous earthquake along the San Andreas fault line that changes the land that is left, dramatically. Of greatest concern to the survivors, though, is the marauding presence of an ex-military group called the “Splitters” who have split from and effectively taken over control of what was left of the military and the country. They survive by reverting to the old Viking methods of “raping and pillaging”. No pocket of survivors is safe from these vile, despicable, ex-soldiers. Sadie Larkin headed home to her parent’s mountain retreat before disaster struck but soon found herself left alone, as first her father and then her husband was taken from her. Resourceful and the daughter of a survivalist who had planned for such an eventuality, Sadie had lived alone, with no contact with anyone for over a decade when she discovers her old boyfriend, from college, almost dead at the hands of the Splitters, during one of her daily checks of her property. For the first time in many years, Sadie has to think of someone else’s welfare other than her own and so begins the adventures on this remote, (now an island) section of what was once Northern California.

I am a fan of dystopian fiction and author Nikki Lewen has written a realistic and believable tale in The Sisters: A Tale of Survival (Three Sisters Trilogy Book 1). I was initially intrigued by the premise but Lewen’s writing style quickly dragged me into the story and kept me bouncing along with her plot, the new revelations, and the new characters. Sadie was a perfect character for the role – strong, independent and resourceful (a female McGyver, if you like) but she also was softened by a tender side that had not seen much light over the previous decade spent alone. The scenarios painted in the novel were totally believable and, of course, as with most dystopian novels it was fascinating to watch how quickly the thin veneer of civilization fell away to be replaced by man’s basest instincts. There were still humans who cherished their humanity, though and this certainly helped to soften the violence and casual disregard for human life portrayed by the Splitters. I particularly enjoyed the way the author handled the rekindled relationship between Sadie and Caleb. It would have been so easy for her to fall into the cliched and expected with this but I felt she handled it beautifully. As this is the first in a trilogy, the author has definitely succeeded in investing her readers in the characters. I really care about what happens to these five main characters now and although I’m not a great fan of cliffhanger endings, it does make it almost certain I’ll be reading book two just to find out what happens next. A thoroughly readable and exciting novel that I can highly recommend.

You can find Three Sisters plus the second book in this trilogy on Nikki Lewen's Amazon page:

in the company of strangers by awais khan

12/8/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

In the Company of Strangers is the debut novel from Awais Khan. It takes us inside the elite classes of Pakistani society and exposes the hypocrisy and double-standards of Pakistani life, especially from the perspective of the women of that country. Mona, a forty-one-year-old Socialite in Lahore has been married to construction magnate, Bilal for over twenty years, who although he loves her dearly is a typically conservative, male Muslim Pakistani who firmly believes a woman’s place is in the home, demure, quiet and always ready to service her man whenever he requires it. If necessary, Bilal will reinforce his dominance with physical violence, although, of course there is no problem with Bilal having a string of girlfriends and affairs. Mona has everything materially she could ever wish for but she lacks the one thing she needs more than anything - love. With her children grown and studying in Canada, Mona struggles with the meaningless circuit of gossiping, backstabbing, society women. When she meets Ali, an aspiring young, male model, whose desire to help his mother and especially his brother, who lost his leg in a terrorist bombing now has him floating on the edges of the terrorist’s threat, their mutual attraction is undeniable. When her best friend during her student days, Meera, the successful owner of a modeling agency, returns to town, Mona finally feels emboldened to try to break free from her gilded prison.

In the Company of Strangers is an incredibly powerful story of love and loss in a country trying to come to terms with the juxtaposition of twenty-first century morality and conservative Muslim lore and law. Mona, as a character, was a bold effort, especially on debut, from author Awais Khan. He manages to successfully capture the many sides of this complicated character and the difficult, near impossible position she finds herself in. The author’s ability to capture the raw emotion of the characters and the horror of the terrorist’s actions is admirable and a credit to his writing abilities. For those of us who live outside of Pakistan he was able to provide a clear insight into the workings of a predominantly Muslim country and their social contracts, such as marriage. As I social commentary on modern-day Pakistan I was enthralled and as a story of love, loss and hope, I was captivated. Khan clearly has real ability and by concentrating for his debut novel on something he clearly knew, understood and had probably lived he was able to bring real urgency and believability to his work. Full of emotion and action, this is a thoroughly readable story that I can highly recommend. I look forward to more work from this clearly highly talented author.

You can find, In the Company of Strangers, here on Awais Khan's Amazon page:

demons at war: urban fantasy by p. a. minyard

8/8/2019

Reviewed for Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Demons at War: Urban Fantasy by P.A. Minyard brings us a demon fantasy adventure with a twist. Set during the American Civil War, Daniel Parker is a Union Major, intimately involved in many of the battles taking place that defined that war. When Daniel comes face to face with a real, live, demon and is murdered at the battle of Antietam, by the demon, he finds himself in a unique situation. Rather than crossing over to the afterlife, Daniel is met by a guardian Angel, Bernard, who offers him an opportunity to return to normal life on Earth, as a member of the “Beloved” brotherhood and to do good for the Father by finding and eliminating demons on earth, who are way more prevalent than most of us would believe. Back home, Daniel’s parents, brother Jonathan and sister Beth, patiently await their dear Daniel’s return, always hoping he will survive this horrible conflict. So begins a journey that will take the two brothers through the hell of fighting demons, including the most powerful of them all, an evil, sadistic demon by the name of Benedict.

Demons at War: Urban Fantasy was something a little different, for me, from the usual demon fodder. By relocating the story back during the American Civil War, author P.A. Minyard gave the story some point of difference. I particularly enjoyed the interaction between the characters, especially Beth and her parents as they tried to come to terms, as so many families had to at that time, with the prospect of losing their son to this horrific war and eventually the possibility that they could lose both their sons. The relationships between Duffy and Beth, as well as that between Jonathan and Mattie rang true to the period and the culture of manners that existed in the 1860’s between the sexes. I also particularly enjoyed the emotions and pain felt by the Angel, Bernard over the grief he was causing to his charges and their family. That certainly softened the violent fight scenes with demons, which gave the story some real balance. One thing that I struggled with was the lack of indication when the POV (Point of View) and scene changed from one character to another. These sudden scene changes would often leave me temporarily confused. All in all, though, this is a very readable, demon fantasy story and with a few minor tweaks could be even better. I did enjoy the read and am tempted to read more in this series.

Demons at War by P.A. Minyard is not available yet on Amazon, as I write this but you can check out the rest of the author's portfolio on P A. Minyard's author page:

bertha: shine like the dawn by lisa M. hutchison

6/8/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Bertha: Shine Like The Dawn by Lisa M. Hutchison is a dive into the Germany of the mid 1800’s through to the mid 1900’s. Bertha, the title character was a real person; the great-great-grandmother of the author and was a woman who struggled through and dealt with the immense social changes that characterized Germany, Europe and the world, during that period. Raped by her own Uncle at seventeen, Bertha found herself pregnant and alone. The only solution, from her family’s perspective was to find someone prepared to marry the young woman and claim the child as his own. With no choice, Bertha marries a man she hardly even knows and begins a reign of terror by an abusive and drunken husband. When she finally finds the courage to leave him (an incredibly difficult thing to do in the 1800’s) she runs to her beloved Oma (Grandmother) in Berlin and tries valiantly to raise her children in a loving and caring environment, faced with the never-ending changes to the social fabric of Germany, at the time.
I do love a good historical novel and Bertha: Shine Like The Dawn is absolutely that. Author Lisa M. Hutchison clearly has a lot of personal emotion poured into this story given her familial relationship to the principal character. This passion shows in a story that depicts a woman ahead of her time, in the Germany of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Her compassion is deep, her understanding and patience, in the face of trials and tribulations that would defy others, is incredible. As a character, Bertha was an immensely appealing person. I particularly loved the way that no matter how hard things seemed, what travails she faced, she still maintained a positive, “must do” – “no choice” attitude to life. The story absolutely flows beautifully and is very easy to read, definitely a tribute to the author’s writing talents. Bertha lived through some of the most turbulent and tumultuous times in history; two world wars, the great depression, Germany’s hyperinflation and yet through it all she was indomitable, with the love of her life, Leopold, beside her for a large part of it. That the narrative successfully transported the reader back to those tough, yet simpler times and made us feel like part of this family almost, is perhaps the greatest tribute I can pay Hutchison, as an author. A truly readable and worthwhile story that I can highly recommend.

You can find Bertha: Shine Like The Dawn, here on Lisa M. Hutchison's Amazon page:

fat boy by joseph cobb

5/8/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Somewhere out in the rural hinterland of England a tragi-comedy farce in three parts is playing out. Fat Boy by Joseph Cobb brings a seemingly disparate group of life’s more unsavoury characters together in a romp through the criminal underworld. Stranger McKrayne, it seems was a rare commodity – an honest copper. Deserted by his wife when their little girl, Evangeline, was just a baby, Stranger has had to try to raise his daughter as best he could whilst daily dealing with the evil criminals that make up the city’s underworld and staying straight in a world where it seemed every other cop was bent. Janet Cartwright, a movie producer whose latest blockbuster had not only been a flop but an absolute travesty was desperate to make her next movie. With the establishment funders not willing to touch her with a bargepole, Janet has sought out funding from the “Mr Big” of the criminal underworld, a man known as “The Captain”. The Captain has retired from the daily grind of big city crime, leaving that up to his boys to deal with. These days he lives in splendid gentrification on an estate in the country where he and his former prostitute wife love to play Lord and Lady of the Manor. All these characters and a whole pile more will find they are all intricately and unknowingly linked to each other and have an elegant date with destiny.

Fat Boy really was something else; refreshing, different and quintessentially British, with a cast of characters that were anything but quintessentially British. The motley, ensemble crew that author Joseph Cobb put together for this tale were a fascinating bunch of characters. As with any comedic farce it was necessary to draw these characters to their personality extremes and Cobb did an excellent job of doing that. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between the Captain and his wife – two characters who came from very much the wrong side of the tracks but who now projected the ultimate in respectability and were desperate to keep their criminal empire and their new found propriety apart. Given the size of the ensemble cast there were times, when I, as a reader, was asking myself how they all fitted together and what was the point of a particular scene or a character? What I admired most about the author’s work was how he was able to tie everything up into a neat little package, with a bow, at the end that perfectly explained everyone’s relationship within the narrative. The little kicker at the end was also very much appreciated. This was a refreshing read and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I will certainly be following this author with some interest in future.

You can find Fat Boy, here on Joseph Cobb's Amazon page:

ode to poet by annika andersson

5/8/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Ode to Poet by Annika Andersson is a small collection of some eighteen poems that explores, among other things, the differing styles of poetry through history. From the Romantic Era (Late 18th-Mid 19th Century) she brings us “Springtime”, through Imagism of the 1920’s, with Brownies, Objectivists of the 1930’s with “Tuesday Morning” all the way through to the Language poets of the sixties and seventies, with “Lying” and finally New Formalism of the eighties and nineties with State of the Union. She also covers a number of other topics in her remaining ten poems, such as; “Breakfast, Thursday, Communication and Old Friends.”

The style of poet Annika Andersson in Ode to Poet is as varied as the words she places together. I found the contrasts between the differing periods of poetic history interesting, especially as a non-poet. I also enjoyed some of the prose-like poetry of some of the early works, such as; Breakfast, Thursday and Savannah. As with any compilation of work there are some that caught my eye and my heart more than others. Two poems, in particular really resonated with me; The first of these was “Old Friends” a tribute to Rudyard Kipling and Walt Whitman. The second poem that spoke to me was; “To The Daughters” which was presented in the style of the nineteen forties and fifties beat poetry, which explored the awakening of a woman’s style and conformity to fashion trends. I enjoyed this little book very much and wanted to read more of this poet – sadly, for me, this offering was way, way short of a full collection and left me feeling like I’d just settled into the rhythm and cadence of the lines when… suddenly it was all over. A little disappointing from that perspective and I would hope to read more in any future offerings from this talented poet.

You can find Ode to Poet by Annika Andersson, here on Amazon:

mcdowell by william h coles

2/8/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

McDowell by William H Coles brings us the tale of a man who, having reached the top of his profession, self-destructs and loses it all, then attempts to rebuild his life from scratch. McDowell is a world-renowned surgeon, lauded by all as one of the best in the business and he knows it. This overachiever climbs mountains in his spare time and has summitted Everest along with most of the highest peaks in Nepal. He is known by all as cold, ruthless and someone who will do anything to anyone to get what he wants and to get his own way. His children, from several marriages, are estranged in many ways but he still has taken responsibility for their wellbeing and their financial security despite not quite being able to confess and show his true feelings to them. When McDowell’s lying and cheating comes back to haunt him, first in small ways but eventually in a way that will destroy his carefully choreographed career and life, McDowell suddenly finds himself all alone and a hunted man. How will this humbling experience affect this man who has always been in control and had his finger on the pulse?

I found McDowell an interesting character and one that evoked strong emotions in the reader. Kudos to author William H Coles, who was able to extract the gamut of emotional responses from the reader. Initially, we feel nothing but scorn and disbelief at the coldness and callousness of the character but as time goes on the empathy and even sympathy for his predicament, despite it being of his own making, begins to take control. McDowell, when faced with total loss and devastation must look inside for the answers and the author takes him on not just a physical journey but a spiritual one also. I won’t spoil the plot by revealing the major ethical dilemma McDowell was involved in but it ran as a common thread through much of the narrative and required the reader to make his or her own personal decision about the morality or otherwise of the act. Although I did feel at times the narrative meandered a little and the constant flip-flopping of points of view was wearying sometimes, this is a very straightforward, readable story with a strong message and an unexpected ending. I can definitely recommend this read.

You can find McDowell, along with the rest of William H Cole's portfolio, here on his Amazon page:

a man called smith by tanya e. williams

30/7/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

A Man Called Smith by Tanya E Williams takes us inside a dysfunctional, blended family in the nineteen fifties and sixties. John Smith was just a newlywed when he volunteered for service during the Second World War. Seeing action on the beaches on Normandy and beyond, John survives but is plagued with nightmares and survivor guilt when he returns home to his bride and daughter, in Cedar Springs, South Dakota. Despite John’s trauma, the future looks bright for these childhood sweethearts as they await the birth of their second child. When John’s wife, Violet dies in childbirth his whole world crumbles around him. Alone and bereft of the love of his life, John sends the children to live on the farm, with his parents while he tries to drag himself through his insufferable grief. When John meets Bernice, it seems like all his problems can be solved. She’s not Violet (but then nobody ever could be!) but she could be the wife and mother he and his children desperately need. What neither he nor his children realise is that Bernice’s first, second, and third priority will always be, Bernice. So begins a downward spiral that will see all the participants sucked into this dysfunctional family and trying desperately to survive the angst and abuse that come their way.

Author Tanya E Williams tells the story of A Man Called Smith, through the eyes of two protagonists and through two time periods. John and his daughter Calla recount what it was like to, first lose their wife and mother and then how John’s marriage to Bernice drove a wedge between Calla, her brother Jarred and their father. The three boys born to the second union would fare marginally better at Bernice’s wicked tongue and hands than would Calla and Jarred but nonetheless they would also struggle with their mother’s vicious temper, belittling, and sarcasm. The character of John was an enigma in many ways. He was a strong, resolute and proud man but the war had instilled in him a belief that fighting achieved nothing, so he was always slow to rock the boat, to stand up for his children against “mother”. As a reader one wanted to seriously kick the man’s butt and tell him to stand up to the vicious, old slag. I’m sure that’s the reaction the author was looking for, so kudos to her for that. The style is simple, readable and somewhat relatable, although John antipathy to arguing seemed to stretch the bounds of probability at times. I found the story was fairly predictable at times and seemed a little formulaic for my liking. That being said, there is much to be had from the messages imparted by the characters, especially about the nature of war, the complicity of silence and the sheer lengths people will sometimes go to, to achieve peace – whatever the unseen costs of those accommodations might be. I understand this is the third in a series of stories around these characters so it may be that a reading of all three stories would open up the characters more and allow the reader to fully grasp the dynamics of this strained family relationship.

You can find A Man Called Smith, plus the rest of Tanya E. Williams' work, here on Amazon:

how god answered us all: spiritual, paranormal, the unknown by ruth walker

27/7/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Author Ruth Walker brings us a fascinating insight into the seen and the unseen, the temporal and the spiritual in her autobiographical account of the supernatural in her own life, with How God Answered Us All: Spiritual, Paranormal and the Unknown. Now on the cusp of turning 60, Ruth takes the opportunity to look back and document the many strange, inexplicable and deeply spiritual things that occurred over the course of her life. Many of these occurrences are odd, strange, and some might even say unbelievable with many of them relayed through the eyes of a young child from a vantage point far removed from the events. The author also takes the opportunity to impart pearls of philosophical wisdom about life, death, the unknown and her own deep faith in an entity that is not that as espoused by the churches of the world, which are seen in her eyes as a construct of man, not spirit. What Walker attempts most of all to do, I believe, is to open up our thought processes, to make us look around and realise that what we see, touch and feel may in fact be just an infinitesimal glimpse at what the Universe contains.

One of the things that struck me the most about Ruth Walker’s work, How God Answered Us All: Spiritual, Paranormal and the Unknown was that she approached the task of detailing her experiences, many of which as lot of people will scoff at as being hallucination or a young child’s overactive imagination, from a very logical, clinical, and detached perspective. This leant so much more weight to her narrative than might otherwise have been achieved. She never once seemed intensely proud or arrogant over her “gifts” but rather matter of fact and intent on understanding. If there was one phrase that kept recurring in my mind as I read this book it was this: “We know what we know and we even know some of what we don’t know but how much more is there that we don’t even know we don’t know?” To me, this was the essence of the book – to make the reader question everything we think we know about the Universe and life. She asks us to look at humanity and its understanding of its place in the Universe as a continuum along which we have travelled very little thus far and still have a long, long way to go. I loved her explanation as to why “only the good die young” – they have already done what they were sent here to do (what a cool thought). I can highly recommend this book to anyone with an enquiring and open mind. There is so much solid meat to get one’s teeth into that a short review like this cannot do the book justice – read it and find out.

You can find How God Answered Us All: Spiritual, Paranormal, the Unknown, by Ruth Walker, here on Amazon:

dart by dale renton

22/7/2019

Reviewed For Readers Favorite by Grant Leishman

New Hope, was in many ways, an anachronism. The settlers of New Hope had left Earth centuries earlier yet as soon as they landed, a schism appeared between the two groups of settlers. In DART by Dale Renton we meet Darthanil Black, a Former and previously First Blade to the ruler of New Hope, Analine Wills. Now, framed for a murder he didn’t commit, Dart is on the run and that running takes him straight into the arms of the second group of settlers, those known as the Sylth. The Sylth have rejected the Former’s embrace of Artificial Intelligence and have instead made their lives as an integral and symbiotic part of the plant and animal life of the planet. Living close to the core of an active volcano, they are protected from attack by the Former’s. When Dart’s life is saved, sort of, by the beautiful and enticing, Sylth maiden, Amarth, Dart knows he is entering a battle for control of their planet. Everything lies in finding the two keys that will give ultimate power to the possessor.

I do like a good science fiction story with a moral message and DART by Dale Renton, is exactly that – a good science fiction tale that embodies a strong moral message for us. I liked the idea that even leaving Earth and settling on a new planet didn’t change the basic philosophical split between the two groups of settlers – one group wanting to use the Artificial Intelligence to terraform their new planet into a carbon copy of the world they’d left behind, with the other group, innately suspicious of AI and wanting to adapt to the environment of the planet they’d arrived on. The slide back into “middle ages” technology because of the separation of the two keys was what made the story even more interesting. I loved the relaxed, easy style of the writing of the author, plus the constant conflict and struggle between those that want to preserve and those that want to mould their new world with technology. The concept of AI and the potential it has to go “rogue” is something we are at the point of addressing currently and that’s one of the reasons I found this such an enjoyable read. The hatred between the two groups on Sylas was palpable and it wasn’t hard to draw some corollaries with happenings today. The scintillating wit of Dart was definitely a highlight of the read and I commend the author for his clever use of sarcasm and scorn to get his point across. I thoroughly enjoyed this witty, clever, and action-packed science fiction romance and can highly recommend it.

You can find DART, here, on Dale Renton's Amazon page:

blood of mystics (age of mystics trilogy book #3) by chris walters

22/7/2019

Blood of Mystics by Chris Walters is the third and final book in the trilogy of the Saga of Mystics series. Although I’d read the previous two books, that was some time ago and initially it was a case of settling in and reacquainting myself with the characters that I had come to love and enjoy in the first two stories. Author, Chris Walters has done his readers a favour by including a list of all the characters from the three books, at the end of each book and if you happen to read any of the books standalone (which you can do very easily), I would recommend you read the character list first to gain an insight into the people that make up this dystopian journey.

Blood of Mystics is set some three to four years after “the event” that changed the world forever. When all technology failed on Earth due to some sort of EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse), humanity was thrown into chaos and the thin veneer of civilization quickly cracked and splintered. Small groups, determined to carry on and survive began to form but at the same time, extreme groups of would-be rulers and dictators also sought to gain power and dominion. Throw in a fanatical group of religious zealots claiming “the event” was punishment from God and you have all the makings of an excellent dystopian story.

The group of survivors led by Kyle Ward and centred on a fortress known as The Bluffs are going to have to deal with a renegade of their number, Jack, who has managed to perfect the art of reanimating dead corpses and using them as soldiers and as his intelligence eyes and ears. Allied with “the event” was the rise in mystical powers such as healing, controlling light, controlling the weather, fire, and other abilities. These people, now referred to as mystics, will have a major impact on the upcoming battles and quest for survival as humanity tries to return to normal and create a civil society again.

Walters has a style that is readable, relateable and almost conversational. Despite the fantasy elements of the story, perhaps best exemplified by the dragon and the new group, the Angels, known as the A-Team, readers never feel they are past the bounds of believability and, for me, this is the hallmark of an excellent fantasy author. Walters also uses this story to highlight and celebrate the differences in us that make us human, as a counterpoint to those that would demonise these differences. It doesn’t matter whether the characters are gay, totally different in appearance (i.e. Cliff Ko as the demi-human dragon), or incredibly powerful and scary, the author manages to infuse them with qualities that allow us, as readers, to love them and empathise with them. I have followed the development of both the author and the recurring characters throughout this trilogy and must comment on the growth of the writer as the series developed. One thing that did stand out to me was the idea that nobody is irredeemable as we saw through the development and rehabilitation of previously evil characters.

This was and is an outstanding dystopian tale with an overlay of fantasy. In my opinion this is an exceptional read and one I’m sure all lovers of good writing will enjoy. I think the whole series has been a triumph and I look for much for from this talented author in the future.

You can find Blood of Mystics, along with all of Chris Walters' exceptional works, here on Amazon:

star child awakening (the zenkoti fables #1) by petra landon

22/7/2019

I’ve long been a big fan of both Petra Landon’s science fiction and fantasy novels, so when I became aware that Landon had started a new science fiction series, I was excited and first in line to receive a copy and read it. I wasn’t disappointed; Star Child Awakening (The Zenkoti Fables #1) was everything I had become used to in Landon’s writings – fast, exciting, full of mystery and intrigue, with a very human element thrown into the mix to soften the, often, weird characters. It, like so much of her work, is a real triumph.
When Novi, a young woman living on a remote mining outpost planet, sneaks aboard a docked star ship she is thrust into a world that she had longed dreamed of. Despite her modest upbringing, Novi has always been a dreamer and her dream was to travel the heavens. When she realizes she is now a stowaway on Ilar’s Justice, under the command of the greatest renegade and freedom fighter of all time, Ryfkin Soren, she understands her life is about to change forever. Ryfkin Soren and his band of freedom fighters are notorious throughout the galaxies as the only people to take on and defeat the mightiest and ruthless army in the Universe – that of the Guild Coalition.
When Novi is discovered aboard Ilar’s Justice she quickly realizes that the crew of renegades are not necessarily as scary as she had expected and indeed are tempered with compassion, friendliness, fun, and a heart for justice. She quickly finds herself drawn to the entire crew and determines to find a way to join them and be a part of their quest. Novi will discover, on their voyages, that she is much more than she initially believed herself to be. She will begin to understand that she has a part to play in this battle for justice and defeating the coalition. She is on a true voyage of discovery as she attempts to find out who she really is, where she really came from and what her future role is to be.
One thing I’ve always enjoyed about Landon’s stories is that no matter how weird or outlandish the characters may be, she always manages to infuse them with a sufficient amount of humanity and emotions for us readers to identify and empathise with them. As a character, Novi is the perfect blend of wide-eyed young girl and excited young woman embarking on a mission to discover herself. I really loved the youthful enthusiasm the author managed to inject into her character. The other principal characters in the story, especially Ryfkin Soren, all had endearing features about them that made their crew into one of the most feared and legendary groups in all of interplanetary space. I’ve always loved the simple, readable style Landon brings to her books and this one is no different. It reads like a “boy’s own” adventure story from my childhood but with many powerful, female lead characters that reassert the belief that women heroes are every bit as powerful and relateable as their male counterparts. Although not specifically broached in this, Book 1, I can see some amazing opportunities in the future stories for Landon to weave some romance, in the inimitable way she does, into the next adventures.
As a book clearly designed to set up the future Zenkoti Fables franchise, Star Child Awakening definitely hits all the right spots. We know Novi is on the cusp of discovering something vitally important to her future but also to the future of her new comrades and the inter-galactic community as a whole. I, for one, am extremely excited to see where this story goes next. Not usually a big fan of cliffhangers, I do love those that Landon leaves us with because I always know the next iteration of the story will be coming soon and it invariably will improve and expand on the current tale.
If Science fiction is your thing, or more importantly, if well-written, clever social commentary, delivered as part of an overall plot, and fast-paced, exciting action is your thing then you won’t want to miss Star Child Awakening (The Zenkoti Fables #1) by Petra Landon. I highly recommend it – roll on book two of this series.

You can find Star Child Awakening, plus all of Petra Landon's fantastic collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy, here on her Amazon page:

American Past Time by len joy

22/7/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

American Past Time by Len Joy is a delve into the world of family and family dynamics across several crucial decades in America’s growth as a world power and the incredible social change that was being felt across the country during that period. The author tells his story through the eyes of Dancer Stonemason, a semi-professional ball player who is just a few days from his potential major league call-up. It is September 1953 and playing in what could be the last game for his team, Dancer finds himself on the cusp of pitching a “perfect” game. The dilemma for Dancer is does he pursue the perfect game and risk his upcoming major league debut or does he put his future and his family’s future first and foremost. From the dizzying heights of adulation and fame, as a small-town hero, Dancer’s life and that of his family take a downward spiral. We follow them through the “bucolic” fifties, as life seemed to improve for all Americans, through the social change of the sixties and into the seventies, with the backdrop of that war that polarized Americans, the Vietnam War. Through all of this turmoil, Dancer seeks to find the path that will give him the life he so clearly wants.

Author Len Joy has given us a simple story, with a powerful message. In American Past Time, using the game of baseball as a metaphor for life, he portrays the rise and fall of a simple, working-man in rural America. What I particularly liked about this story was the corollaries that can been drawn between today’s rhetoric and that time in American, seen by many as the “golden age”. It’s well worth noting from this narrative that despite the “rose-tinted” glasses there was much that was not great about the America of the fifties, sixties, and seventies, particularly for groups of marginalized Americans, especially people of colour and those who did not conform to the strict societal and evangelical rules of the time, such as the LGBTQ community. I think the author did an excellent job at highlighting the immense social injustices of the wealth equality gap and the race gap, particularly as it applied to southern, rural, America of the time. Dancer, as a character was exceptionally well drawn, with recognisable flaws but with a heart for his family and his beloved game. The read is easy, the language simple and the story compelling. For me, I just wish, given the span of the time-frame, that the story had been longer. The time jumps were a little too large for my liking and more in-depth development of, say, Dancer’s son’s growing up and other interesting characters, would have been nice. That aside, this is an excellent read on the social, economic and familial dynamic of a period of American history often hailed as “the good old days”. For many, they weren’t.

You can find American Past Time, here on Len Joy's Amazon page:

unmarked by kate hansen

14/7/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Elisha Dullard is just a typical twenty-something young woman wrapped up in her own world of singleness, friends and shopping, in the very close future. In Unmarked, Kate Hansen brings us a simple, uncomplicated and frightening view of what that dystopian future could look like. Elisha loves the freedom and lack of worries her single life brings her but at the edge of her consciousness she feels the world changing around her. Her best friend Emily keeps trying to warn her that things are changing; the banks and the big corporations are consolidating their power and that very soon they will have no choice but to do things their way – online. Cash is disappearing fast from the economy and before long everything will be conducted online. But, for Elisha, the epiphany occurs when Emily relates a tale from the long, forgotten and mostly ignored Bible, from the Book of Revelations. When Elisha sees the prediction in the Book of Revelations coming true, she realizes humanity is in for a desperate struggle for survival and she will be caught up in it. With Emily brutally murdered by an ex-boyfriend, Elisha must face the coming trials alone, that is, until she meets the perfect man, in Michael.

Unmarked is a frighteningly, realistic take on where the world appears to be headed. Author Kate Hansen, brings us an unvarnished, largely unemotional, tale that is starker because of the way she relates it. I particularly appreciated the fact that Hansen resisted the temptation to take the fanatical, moral or religious high-ground in this piece. By making her hero a down-to-earth, somewhat scatterbrained and essentially “normal” young adult she told the story through eyes that any reader could identify with. I particularly like the allusions she made comparing what was happening now with similar instances in humanity’s history. The old, chilling, saying; “the veneer of civilization is dangerously thin,” kept coming to mind as I read these pages. Perhaps the most chilling aspect of the story was the ability to see the direct parallels to the dystopian world the author created, happening right now, here, today. That was frightening, in its own right. This is a fantastic, very simple, story of what can happen when good people do nothing and extremely well told by author Hansen. I can highly recommend this read to all, not just dystopian fans.

You can find Unmarked, here on Kate Hansen's Amazon page:

saying thanks and beyond: is saying thank you enough? by ralph mosgrove

14/7/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Saying Thanks and Beyond: Is Saying Thank You Enough? by Ralph Mosgrove is a timely little reminder that what we do and say can have influence far beyond ourselves. As the author compares small, random acts of kindness to the ripples of a pond, he reminds us that our actions do have consequences that ripple out across the Universe. In today’s hectic, me-centred world, it is sometimes easy to forget even the common courtesies that we were taught as children… the pleases and the thank you’s. But even more than that, it is the little things we do that can make an enormous difference, over time. The smile at a stranger, holding a door open for a person with a disability or with arms full of packages, the allowing someone in a hurry to push in front of us, without getting annoyed; all of these minor acts accumulate and are placed in the bank of “paying it forward”, if you like.
Author Ralph Mosgrove, in Saying Thanks and Beyond: Is Saying Thank You Enough? touches a slightly raw nerve in most readers, I am sure, as it asks them to look inward at themselves and perhaps ask the question; what am I doing to help my fellow man/woman? It doesn’t take much and for me, that was the success of this book. The author wasn’t asking us to make massive changes in the way we deal with and interact with others. The suggestions he makes are simple and easily put in place. What is self-evident but often overlooked is the benefit, to the giver, of these little, random, acts of kindness. As well as making us feel better about ourselves for doing something nice, the flow-on effect is what really matters. As each person is made to feel better, they also pass on that good feeling and your act of kindness is multiplied. It’s well worth reminding ourselves that this ripple effect works equally as effectively when we pass on negative, grumpy, or even angry feelings toward others. As a reminder of the importance of pleasantness and civility in our currently fractured environment, this book is a tiny, little gem – one to be passed on from one to another.

You can find Ralph Mosgrove's little book of joy, Saying Thanks and Beyond: Is Saying Thank You Enough? here on Amazon

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