“AVIA I: Thunderstorms & 45’s” is the debut novel for thriller author Stacey Carroll. “AVIA II: Bullets & Betrayal” is the follow-up. I decided to review both novels together since AVIA I leads directly into AVIA II, although AVIA II can be read as a stand-alone. Personally, I recommend reading AVIA I first, as it will make AVIA II more enjoyable as far as getting to know the main characters and understanding the “why” of events in the second book.

Thunderstorms & 45’s!

In “AVIA I: Thunderstorms & 45’s,” we meet the title character, Avia Conn. We learn pretty much right away that she has a chance to con a rich woman out of fifty million dollars before her vacation to Hawaii. She’s going to need help to do it, though. To do this, she calls in people she calls her “cousins.” Meanwhile, she is still dealing with serious heroin addiction and alcoholism that she’s been battling for many years. Can her protector and love of her life, Benton Docks, help Avia pull of this heist and get the hell out of town before it’s too late?

This heist thriller is a page-turner. It’s fast-paced with many twists and turns. As is the case with many best-laid plans, things don’t go according to plan. You really don’t know where the plot is going next. The unpredictability of AVIA I is a major part of this book’s appeal.

For me, the best part of this book is the two main characters, Avia Conn and Benton Docks. While they definitely have a steamy romance, it’s an extremely complex relationship. Benton has to put up with a lot of nonsense with Avia with alcohol and drug addictions, but he loves her as she is, which isn’t easy.

There’s a lot going on in AVIA I, but it’s deftly handled by the author. It isn’t what you might call a “high-octane” thriller, but it gets you hooked pretty much from the first page. Avia and Benton are very likeable characters, and while there are others, they are certainly the most likeable. This is good, because they are the main characters in AVIA II, as well.

Be forewarned that it does contain a fair amount of sex scenes, but all are important in the development of both the plot and characters. It’s not an erotic romance, but this book definitely has plenty of adult scenes. Then again, in Avia and Benton’s line of work, especially Benton’s as a con man, sex is often a major part of the job. Avia does her fair share of conning, too, of course.

All in all, AVIA I is a solid 4-star debut novel. It has realistic, likeable main characters and an unpredictable ending. All you need to know is that we will be seeing Avia, Benton, and many other of the characters in this book again in AVIA II. I highly recommend this book for anyone who’s tired of the formulaic heist thrillers and is looking for something more original to read.

Bullets & Betrayal!

In “AVIA II: Bullets & Betrayal,” we meet Avia and Benton soon after the events of AVIA I. But, this book is a lot more complex than the first AVIA novel. It involves three different plotlines and switches between being an organized crime family thriller, a more traditional thriller, and a police procedural. This book features not only Avia and Benton, but also a rival organized crime family in the Sanchez, and Detective Greg Locke.

Locke is on a mission to put away both Avia and Benton. After a heist gone bad, Avia and Benton have narrowly escaped jail time. But, they are very much stuck in their life of crime and don’t have any intention of getting out of it. So, will Avia and Benton make it to their Hawaii vacation, or will they end up in jail?

We also meet the leader and the pilot of the Sanchez organized crime family. The war is on between the Company that Avia and Benton belong to and the Sanchez. The Sanchez was introduced briefly in AVIA I, but now we learn the ins and outs in their rivalry with the Company.

Also, we learn more about the workings of the inner workings of the Company. Without giving too much away, it’s clear that both Locke and the Sanchez are working hard to take down the Company. They are clearly for different reasons, but they are both taking steps, some more extreme than others, to get the job done.

Even more action-packed than AVIA I with even more twists and turns than the first book in the series, “AVIA II: Bullets & Betrayal” is a long, much more involved book that develops both the main characters, Avia and Benton, and others that were only glanced over in AVIA I. Like AVIA I, this is not an erotic romance brand of thriller, but it does contain many sex scenes - all of which make sense in character development and moving the plot forward. Just be forewarned if you are sensitive to lots of adult content.

Also, I will warn you that AVIA II has a cliffhanger ending that will have you biting your nails to the nub in anticipation for AVIA III. This book really keeps you on the edge of your chair right up until the end and slams you with dire circumstances that won’t be resolved until the next book. “Bullets and Betrayal” is a 5-star thriller in the eyes of this reviewer.

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If either of these books sound like your speed, I invite you to check AVIA I and AVIA II out on Amazon! If you like them, please leave an honest review. The author greatly appreciates it!

** I received review copies of these ebooks in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

by Lyn Lomasi; Co-owner of Brand Shamans & Write W.A.V.E. Media

“Whence They Came: The Beginning” is a biblical historical fiction/horror novel written by Josephine Leonard. Be warned, though, that while this book is not erotica, there may be a bit more carnality (sex scenes) than you’re expecting from a book based on biblical events. But, the sex is -mostly - integral to the plot. So, what’s this book about?

What’s particularly fascinating about this book is that it follows two demons, Vetis and Asmodeus, as well as the wickedest woman on earth, Lilith. If you’re familiar with demonology, those names will sound familiar. Basically, when the world began, there were first demons. But as the world brightened, humans began to take over the earth, the demons had to go into hiding.

The first demon in the world, Vetis, wishes to possess a human body in order to be able to go out into the light. This is so he can spread darkness and evil into the world against the wishes of God. But to do this, he needs the help of another powerful demon by the name of Asmodeus and his human sorceress, Lilith. Because the demons can’t go out in the daytime, or be burned to ashes. So, Lilith has to be a big part of their plan.

After damning the first humans created by God, Vetis finally finds the human body he wishes to inhabit. But first, he must be corrupted enough for Vetis to possess him. Asmodeus and Lilith need to help corrupt the target human by convincing him to lay with his sister and kill his brother. Only then will the man’s heart be “black” enough for Vetis to possess. Of course, things don’t go exactly according to plan.

Without giving too much away, if you know the story of Genesis chapters one through five, you may be able to guess at some major events in the storyline. Since this is meant to be a spoiler-free review, I’ll just go into some of the better points of this book.

Two of the characters in this book are actually quite likeable. Asmodeus and Lilith really are the “heroes” of this book. The relationship between the two is actually quite adorable. While there are plenty of impromptu sexual encounters that didn’t really further the plot, necessarily, it’s clear that there is far more to this relationship than just the sex.

Also, while Vetis may be considered the “villain,” it’s really not that black and white. In fact, in this book, God is essentially considered the bad guy. You don’t read many books like this, but the way that it’s done, who’s actually good and who’s actually evil is really up to interpretation. By following the characters who would traditionally be the “bad guys” is what makes this story such a page-turner.

Lastly, the world is very well laid out and follows the biblical stories quite well. But, the twists and turns in the plot and the interference of Vetis and Asmodeus makes for quite an entertaining read. But, be forewarned that this book is actually quite disturbing. It may even give you nightmares. But, sparing no details is one of this book’s best qualities.

As I’ve said already, there’s really nothing like this book out there. There isn’t really a proper genre to nail down what this book really fits into. That’s a plus for those that get into this sort of thing. One thing that would have been good to see were more direct confrontations between demons and angels, as well as more scenes with Lucifer himself and God himself. Since those were out of the scope of this particular plot, though, those could be featured in another story. As is, focusing on the main characters kept the pace of the book moving, so that was a fine decision on the part of the author.

As biblical retellings go, especially with a horror aspect told from the perspective of the demons and their wicked human, this is definitely a page-turner. It may not be your thing. But, if it sounds like it interests you just from the description alone,  then this book is worth a read for you. Just be sure that you’re OK with a lot of sex between a demon and a human, and you’ll probably enjoy “Whence They Came.”


You can buy “Whence They Came: the Beginning” on Amazon in Kindle or paperback format.

If you've ever searched for work from home jobs, you know how hard it is to find legitimate opportunities.

In her guide, "The One-and-Only Internet Money Making Guide!" Stephanie Nolan explains everything you need to know about searching for work you can do from home.

You may be wondering if it's even possible, with as many scams out there as there are. Is it really possible to make money at home with real, legitimate companies?

Yes it is very possible and Stephanie Nolan is very spot on in her internet money making guide! This info is legit! I'm a mom of six with a 7th on the way. My youngest was a preemie and we lived at the hospital NICU for a month with her and worked during - at the hospital! Our one year old (at the time) was at the hospital with us for that too and often some of the other kids were as well. Now this 7th pregnancy is very high risk and here I am STILL working at home and STILL making money. If you do the work, you will get paid.

Even though I run an entire network of websites, I love doing multiple things, rather than just one. I'm always trying new things - but I need them all to be at home. That's why I grabbed myself a copy of this great work from home guide.

Not only does she explain how to go about things step by step, using her personal experience. But she also reveals all of her work from home secrets and even includes over 400 companies with thousands of legitimate international opportunities to make it easy for you to get started today!

I've been working from home for years and I was still able to find some opportunities in Stephanie's book that I hadn't heard of or tried before.

My personal favorite part is that Stephanie also includes with her ebook  exclusive access to her work from home support group on Facebook, as well as her personal help. If you don't find a job after purchasing this work at home  guide, you didn't try at all.

If you need to find something legitimate that you can get started on right away, this ebook could be your solution. You never know what you might find to make money in your spare time or even full time.

No experience is required for any of the positions listed and there are all different types of opportunities, such as data entry, web writing, internet research, online tutoring, chat jobs, micro jobs, book reviewing, product reviewers, telephone jobs, smartphone only jobs, and so many more!

You can get started today by checking out  "The One-and-Only Internet Money Making Guide!" by Stephanie Nolan!

* I am an affiliate of this product. However, the content of this post is 100% honest based on experience and not influenced by the affiliation.
Last updated 4/30/2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 13, 2018 – Thriller author Stacey Carroll is releasing Thunderstoms and .45: Avia Version on Amazon Kindle and in print on March 20, 2018. Thunderstorms and .45s will be placed on Amazon under Books -> Mystery Thriller and Suspense -> Thriller and Suspense -> Crime -> Heist, for purchase in digital and print formats.

After gunning down a police officer in front of the Sarasota police station, Avia flees to Michigan where con artist Benton Docks and hitman Brian are scamming a rich socialite out of her money. Hoping to relax and integrate herself into the scam, she’s thrown into another disaster when one of her cohorts shoots the woman for threatening to expose them.

If you’re tired of thrillers that look like thinly disguised horror novels with more blood, guts and gore than you’ve seen on The Walking Dead, and suspense novels that forget critical character and relationship development, Avia is for you.

Thunderstorms & .45s Avia Version promises a thrilling ride and an introduction into the organized crime world of the Company. The kindle version will retail on Amazon for $4.99. The print version will retail for $8.99.

Love paranormal or fantasy fiction, or a little of both? Here are 6 paranormal & fantasy books that you can lose yourself in.

Are you into thrillers, action, and suspense novels? Here are 14 hand-picked novels we think may whet your action and suspense fiction appetite!

As the full might of the American intelligence community is mobilized to stop it, the CIA's new director must confront a web of threats both at home and abroad, from a resentful White House chieftain, to a cunning Israeli spymaster, and the fearsome commander of the Iranian Quds Force.

In Moscow--after an oil trader with ties to the Kremlin is found burned alive in his Geneva home--an aide to Russia's adored and despotic president is caught between opposing powers. At one side is an eccentric billionaire with lofty dreams of reorienting Russia toward the West, and at the other is the autocratic strongman whose ardent quest for resurgence has brought Russia into a risky, open confrontation with NATO.

In Lebanon, the Syrian civil war that raged for years across the border has reached its bloody climax. Yet in its wake, a new menace comes crawling from the shadows to feast on the remains. A brilliant CIA officer in Beirut, working desperately to penetrate an exhausted Hezbollah, is first to recognize the danger. As she begins calling on deaf ears, it is only a matter of time until the drums of war start beating again in the Middle East--and now with the greatest terrorist the world has ever known leading the charge.

Warping the line between illusion and reality, amid a labyrinth of characters, plots and counter-plots that span the globe--from the halls of the Kremlin and the suburbs of northern Virginia, to the slums of Beirut and the back alleys of Tehran--comes a story of intrigue and betrayal, life and death, setting a collision course toward a firestorm that will consume thousands and blind a superpower.

Then the Captain drops a new assignment on their desk: an affluent Bay Area lawyer is missing. The man’s wife stomps into their office screaming about a contract she found hidden in the backups of their home computer. A contract with a seven-figure payout, and an incriminating Exhibit A.

Following the trail of both the motorcycle rider and the lawyer with Kandy complaining, “We’re homicide detectives, there should be a body,” leads to a vintage motorcycle club called the Ton Up where lips are sealed, a yacht harbor on the coast where riddles run deep, and a midnight roadside confrontation that ends with a splash. As the trails twist they soon find that these people and places have one thing in common:

A violist named Mylin. Who plays in an all-female orchestra called The Girls of the Orient. And, unbeknownst to her, is the subject of a fine-art photographer’s latest collection.

From San Francisco to Mexico, the treacherous cliffs of the Pacific coast to the desolation of Nevada’s high desert, Tune Up moves like Kandy’s turbocharged Mini through a foggy landscape of false identities, fake romance, and frenzied chases, as Qigiq realizes one picture really can reveal more than 1,000 words.

As he covers an intense season of high school football, Jake is blown away by the passion everyone has for the sport. But as the new guy in an alien, insular town, he’s also running up against the old-boy network. That’s making it difficult for him to get answers about murky financial dealings and a dubious school redistricting decision that just so happens to have brought some of the best players in the state to perennial powerhouse Dolphin High, which had fallen from dominance.

Three Yards and a Plate of Mullet is a thoroughly entertaining flashback to 1980s Florida. Uniting the worlds of high-stakes high school football with newsroom drama and eccentric characters, it follows our intrepid young reporter as he works to make it in the business he loves while finding his way around a peculiar culture.

He holes up at The Watergate on a senator's dime and enlists a call girl as his unwitting ally. But with the media eating Trent alive, he doesn't have long before they catch him. From the tony clubs of Georgetown to murders on Capitol Hill, The Intern has all the twists and turns of a classic DC thriller, with an added comedic flair.

He immediately meets a damsel in hitchhiking distress who says her name is Mona. Her presence persuades him that the bright lights and dark clubs of Chicago might be his kind of town. So on a summer Saturday night they settle into a fancy hotel overlooking the beaches of Lake Michigan.

On Sunday...Mona disappears.

But she leaves behind more than a sweet memory that involves Tommy in a brand new cash flow problem he never imagined. While trying to sort out how to stay on the right side of the law and get back on the road, he meets a young criminologist who helps him, a DJ who doesn't, and a librarian who teaches him about the city, women, and the art of the makeover. After truth and lies are stirred like a blue martini, being assaulted by a pink monkey, and witnessing a drive-by shooting that drowns a Ferrari--Tommy is desperate to help Mona.

If he can find her.

As his investigation progresses, he unravels a plot that, if not stopped, will result in the untimely and murderous deaths of tens of millions of people. Bai Tide is Bai’s greatest challenge yet. A mission that will take him from the windswept beaches of San Diego to a whiteout blizzard in the foothills of Pyongyang, and make him question everything he thought he knew about working in the field…and about himself.

With a little dry humor and some heart-stopping tension, Michael Kravitz wades into the drama of a post-EMP attack. It is the story of Ben Randal, his family, his neighbors, and some quirky friends coming together with some old-fashioned values and hope as they struggled to survive in this sudden and unprecedented crisis as Boston Darkens.

Love autobiographies and memoirs? Looking for something new to read, or looking for a gift for a fellow book lover? Here are 7 memorable memoirs worth reading!

From the age of seven to seventeen, Michael, with his mother and sister, journeyed along his own underground railroad, desperately searching for a way to free his family from the sewers of society.

Michael learned death was a big part of youth homelessness. Education was not. To survive, he had to become something more. Caught in between two worlds- his dreams vs. his reality- violence, gangsters, hunger, poverty, and sorrow marked his daily life.

Michael vowed to change his fate through getting his high school diploma. He never hoped to dream that not only would he graduate from high school but also from a prestigious California university. This is the true story of a homeless boy, marked for prison or worse, who fought against tremendous odds and persevered to achieve academic and professional success.

Throughout childhood, Anlor struggled to hold her world together and in many ways succeeded: she became an accomplished young tennis player, competing even at the level of the French Open. However, in addition to her autism a dark history hung over her family—a history that she did not fully understand for years to come. Without yet having a name for her world-shattering condition, Anlor headed to a new life in America. But she now had to contend with the raw basics of survival in a new culture, speaking a new language, and without support from her family.

Through incredible effort, Anlor was able to parlay her knowledge of the French language into a job teaching in the notorious South Side neighborhood of Chicago, one of America's most violent. Anlor married, had a child, and even dreamed that she might be able to pass as a neurotypical person. The grim toll of daily compensating for her autism and “pretending to be normal” proved too great a challenge and Anlor’s life imploded. She spiraled downward into a kind of hell, losing her marriage and her beloved son.

Desperate, Anlor moved west to California, where she found a mysterious and ancient tradition of spiritual practice from the Far East—zen. Through this profound meditation and community she was able to slowly rebuild her life, this time with honest acceptance of the challenge she faced. The path took her through extreme emotional and physical duress but—at last—led to proper medical diagnosis and treatment of her autism. Today, Anlor works to help people understand her way of being, and the value of basic meditative practice in living and thriving with autism.

Surviving Mental Illness helps break through the fear and stigma of mental illness and focuses on how to find health and happiness. The author shares her personal journey: the heartbreak and challenges of bipolar disorder, and the joy of making her way back to mental health. Through her own story, she shows that help is out there, and with a little faith, recovery is possible. My faith in G-d has led me to recover in ways you cannot imagine. Life is having faith to overcome any obstacles, and that is what my recovery from mental illness is all about.

In the novel One Groovy Summer you will experience plenty of comedy, romance, adventure, and nostalgia. This was a time of great change. There was the Sexual Revolution, the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, and Hippies everywhere. It was a truly memorable trip. So come along for the ride. It's going to be One Groovy Summer!

The characters include the seventeen year old son of a Boer president; a young shipbuilding dock worker and his military nurse girlfriend from the industrial north-east of England, and a young Canadian soldier who volunteered for Canada’s first campaign outside its borders. Involved too are such illustrious British participants as Winston Churchill, Field marshal Frederick Roberts and Generals Kitchener, Ian Hamilton and Robert Baden-Powell among others. Boer leaders involved include Generals Christiaan de Wet, Louis Botha, Koos de la Rey and Jan Smuts. 

The reader is guided through the various twists and turns of the first major British conflict of the 20th century from its beginning through to its end. The naivety and excitement of combatants in the lead up to and beginning of the Second Anglo-Boer War was contagious. It pulled many naïve young men into the maelstrom of combat. The failures, frustrations, disappointments, disillusionments and sufferings soon emerge. It is a tale of imperial arrogance and determination, of stubbornness, innocence, love and loss experienced in a rugged and alluring land far from the heart of the British Empire.

Whether it's for a birthday, Christmas, or any other special occasion, historical fiction and nonfiction lovers always enjoy the gift of a good read! Here are some historical fiction novels and nonfiction books worth checking out and giving as gifts!

Facing the horrors of slavery, she triumphs by gaining freedom papers for her maid Emma's enslaved husband and son. Brianna and Edward escape with them to San Francisco. There she becomes one of the most sought after madams in the gold rush parlor house trade. But will her fame and pluck be enough to save Edward from the Vigilante noose? This is the first book in the American Madams series.

His boring and uninteresting life is transported into a magical life of excitement and adventure through explorations of rural ranch life, fishing in remote lakes, and the Gulf of Mexico. A Scout Master provides the opportunity of a life time for these wonderful new experiences, but is there too big of a price to pay? Only the boy can answer this question as he seeks the truth.

What is lost when identity is concealed? What price is paid? Tom’s emotional story unfolds against the backdrop of the Cincinnati race riots of 1836 and 1841 and the oncoming Civil War. In a place and time beset with racism, hate, jealousy and violence, the novel’s characters forge deep evolving loves, friendships, and loyalties as they move towards freedom, their ultimate goal.

This is the author’s imagined story of her own maternal ancestry.

Centuries before Iniki struck, the land belonged to Kauai's royal family. The lush coconut grove along the Wailua River was home to Queen Deborah, the last reigning monarch, whose remains have never been found. Rumor has it that she walks the halls of the resort.

After more than two decades, corporate New York lawyer, Abby Parker has been hired to acquire the property for a wealthy land developer. Abby soon discovers that the Heritage and Cultural Association is not the biggest obstacle to stand in her way. Within hours of arriving on the island, Abby finds herself on a gurney, in the back of an ambulance. Abby may have bitten off more than she can chew.

The Cold War is raging. Mendel falls for Sara Cavanaugh, the engineer responsible for a controversial tower under construction on a sacred site. If completed, the tower will communicate globally with the American nuclear submarine fleet. The Binyan patriarch and his brilliant son are in a generational conflict over the tower and the son’s future.

Spiced with magical realism and mysticism, The Seed Apple (a follow up to Greene’s Lost and Found) is a mysterious, funny, moving novel by a critically acclaimed author.

The grieving, confused son can no longer keep this apparition from his wife and kids—and opens the door. The Marine finally declares why he is there: to straighten out his stray son—and bum a ride to see his dying mother in a 1942 Sioux City, Iowa hospital. The son needs to take his family to Sioux City in the year 2000 to attend his father’s funeral. So the young father and the old son take their battles back to World War II on a trip across a wartime America towards death and an elusive reconciliation.

An emotional journey through paranormal realms, Expect Deception is a fast-paced, suspenseful tale of what happens when US Navy psychics pit themselves against their Nazi counterparts.

byLyn Lomasi,Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Christmas is the season for giving. Make your gifts count this year by touching hearts with these world-changing true stories. These  will inspire, help people relate to one another, and perhaps even help some change the world themselves.

Michael learned death was a big part of youth homelessness. Education was not. To survive, he had to become something more. Caught in between two worlds- his dreams vs. his reality- violence, gangsters, hunger, poverty, and sorrow marked his daily life.

Michael vowed to change his fate through getting his high school diploma. He never hoped to dream that not only would he graduate from high school but also from a prestigious California university. This is the true story of a homeless boy, marked for prison or worse, who fought against tremendous odds and persevered to achieve academic and professional success."

The famous revolutionary thinker, inventor and futurist known to all as Bucky twice sweeps the author off her feet: First as a young girl visiting Fuller's 1969 World Game in Carbondale, Illinois and then again as a fledgling journalist in 1982 Chicago. High atop Michigan Avenue Bucky takes her cosmic surfing in an animated lecture about the remarkable possibilities for humanity to succeed beyond our wildest dreams. She promises to share his ideas with the world, which is the passionate obsession in an inspiring coming of age journey.

Readers get a charming introduction to an important historical figure as well as some uncommon sense prescriptions for humanity's success. 

This book gets readers out of their comfort zones to find their own voices to speak truth to power. Discovering Bucky's ideas is like finding a new engine under the hood of your car.  "

of being the next kidnapping victim degrades how many Nigerians live their lives.

Captive Market takes the view that if we understand the way kidnappers think about kidnapping it might be easier to get people out of kidnapping situations. It uses first person kidnapping stories and interviews with hostage negotiators and peeks into the twisted and bizarre world of kidnapping insurance."

I have recently finished reading part one of the Matt Fulton trilogy “Active Measures”. While I will not go into much detail on the plot or characters, I want to try to describe what the experience was like reading the novel. I also want to examine what kind of audience would enjoy this novel and possibly who might not, and also what you might like or dislike about reading it.

Part one of what will eventually become a trilogy under the title “Active Measures” is a fairly large novel of over 600 pages. The content and subject matter is dense and very detailed, intricate and developed. It is a global geopolitical thriller that spans all over the world with many characters. There are many threads of plot that are developed and begin to intersect each other by the time part one of the novel ends.

When you read this novel, be prepared to be transported from one part of the planet to another, whether it be the United States in a meeting between the President, his advisors and intelligence agencies, Russia, the Middle East, or elsewhere. There are many characters, and reading the book requires a lot of concentration and some interest in geopolitics. I personally am not very well educated on the subject matter, so the reading of this novel was somewhat difficult for me. Sometimes I had a hard time remembering who was who amongst the characters, and how they were related to each other and what significance they had to the plot.

There are some interesting dialogues, and the level of dialogue is philosophical as some scenes depict the motivations and ways of thinking of various characters, whether they be intelligence officers in the CIA, members of the Russian government, United States special forces personnel, undercover spies, and even terrorists plotting an attack. Even though some characters were very similar and I wasn't sure who was who, I could in general get the sense of what role or part each played in the story. There is no one single protagonist hero, but a handful of characters whose actions will eventually intertwine, and will most likely intersect more concretely in the second and third installments of the eventual trilogy, which are yet to be published. The novel is very detailed and I would say very well written.

The main question I would like to put forth is what audience of reader would be interested in and enjoy this novel. The author in his acknowledgments cites authors like Tom Clancy and John le Carre as an influence and inspiration to his writing. I personally have only read 2 of Clancy's novels (“Hunt for Red October” and “Rainbow Six”) and am familiar with his other novels and some of le Carre's work, although I have not read any of the latter's novels. So if you like Clancy and le Carre, or other spy or geopolitical novels, you might like this. I personally struggled to get through this novel, with the density of the plot and the plethora of different characters and their yet to be interconnected paths in the story. But by the end I was grateful to have pushed through it, and was surprised to find myself interested in reading the second and third installments whenever they will be finished and actually published. The author has a website, where you can contact him and find info about his writing. If you get to reading this book, visit his site and send him a message letting him know what you think.

I hope this review, although scant in detail, gives you an idea of whether this might be something you would want to give a chance and acquire a copy to read. The author does not dumb down or water down the material and it requires some dedication and concentration to get through and mentally keep track of who is who and what is going on, but if you like these kind of stories, you might enjoy this.

*I received a free review copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. This review is in no way influenced by any outside sources. No other compensation was received for this review.

by John Grgurich

When I first heard about Lucasfilm moving over to Disney, I couldn’t help but have mixed feelings. I thought it would be a good business move for the man who created it. But as a fan, I thought it would the end of an era – that the Star Wars I had grown to love would be gone forever. So, when I first heard they were making a new film, I was far from excited. And I was so focused on pursuing other interests that I didn’t even bat an eye.

That was until I saw the trailer for The Force Awakens – a movie I vowed I would never see. I was beginning to think that it might be worth watching, and I was surprised to find out that it was. It rekindled my love for a story that had influenced much of my childhood, and it was a passion that stuck with me as an adult. So, I decided to read the new books, and Dark Disciple was the first one.
It took me by surprise in the same way as Episode VII.

I read some of the books from the Expanded Universe (which are no longer part of the official Star Wars storyline), and some of them were pretty good. Of course, there were others that were mediocre at best. Then again, that’s the way it is with any literature related to some part of Pop Culture. With that being said, Dark Disciple is one of the best Star Wars books I’ve ever read. And I don’t say that lightly.

The book features some of the more popular characters from the Clone Wars series, including Quinlan Vos and Asajj Ventress. And the relationship between these two characters is something you would not expect. They join forces in a plot to kill Count Dooku, and it’s completely sanctioned by the Jedi Council. In fact, Obi-Wan shows up on a periodic basis to meet with Vos, who has to keep his identity as a Jedi a secret. But his subterfuge ends in failure, because Ventress is able to figure it out. She discovers the real reason for their partnership, and she knows that Quinlan won’t succeed unless he flirts with the Dark Side. However, the temptation of crossing over is too much to bear.

Dark Disciple is full of plot twists that leave you in doubt until the very end, and you wonder if Quinlan has really turned to the Dark Side. Believe it or not, Asajj Ventress plays a major role in his redemption. And conversely, it was Asajj’s love for Quinlan that plays a role in hers. That’s what made this book so exciting. You see a gradual change in a character who is supposed to be the hero of the story, which is why you’re left with such doubt.

One interesting fact is that Quinlan Vos has the gift of psychometry, which gives him the ability to see images of the past by making contact with an object that’s related to a specific event. And he discovers a terrible secret that pushes him over the edge. When the Jedi finally rescue him from Count Dooku, there is a question of whether he has really fallen to the Dark Side. And they suspect that he may be trying to sabotage their effort to kill him. This is what makes the story so riveting. It leaves you wondering who Quinlan is really working for.

Dark Disciple is one of the best Star Wars books I’ve read in a long time, and it was hard for me to put it down. Every part of the plot left me wanting to find out more, so I was able to savor every part of the experience. Was Quinlan Vos a double agent, or was he just faking it to get close to Count Dooku? Read the book if you want to find out!

Barrett & Ivan: Something About Him by A.D. Ellis

Despite the curve balls thrown at him throughout his childhood, Barrett Kenner is now a successful musician. The only thing missing is romance.

Ivan Romanov killed a man to save his sister’s life. Although he has served his time, Ivan’s past left him with baggage far heavier than the meager belongings he carries out of prison.

Barrett clings to the memory of a fervent kiss, a kiss that Ivan tries to pretend meant nothing. When the two men finally accept their feelings for each other, life should be smooth sailing, but the past still lurks in the shadows.

Can Barrett and Ivan protect their love and their lives, or will dangers from long ago be more than they can withstand?

**This is a male/male romance meant for ages 18+ due to adult language and adult situations.**

Read the teasers below:

About the Author

A.D. Ellis spends the majority of her days loving and wrangling two school-aged children and a husband before heading to the inner city of Indiana to teach a challenging group of alternative education students in grades third through sixth. Most days she hits the gym after school in hopes of running and lifting away the stress and headaches of the day before picking up her children and squeezing a whole day’s worth of loving and living into the too-short hours before bed. It’s no wonder Ms. Ellis lives for the slower, easier days she gets to enjoy on breaks from school.

Growing up in a small farming town in southern Indiana, A.D. is grateful to her mother for passing along the love of reading. With her nose constantly stuck in a book, Ms. Ellis became accustomed to friends and acquaintances snickering and shaking their heads at her love of reading.

A.D. never dreamed of being anything but a teacher, although there are certain times of the year when she laments her career choice. Ms. Ellis had a story idea floating in her head for about a year. After persistent prodding from a friend, A.D. put pen to paper and began writing her first story in October 2013. From that moment on, she was hooked. Taking the people and stories from her head and sharing them with readers is a scary, exhausting, rewarding, and fulfilling experience which A.D. plans to continue until there are no more stories banging around in her mind.

A.D. Ellis’ work can be found on both iBooks and Amazon. Please contact her on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

iBooks bit.ly/ADEllisiBooks
Amazon author.to/ADEllisAmazon
Facebook www.facebook.com/adellisauthor
Twitter www.twitter.com/ADEllisAuthor
Website http://www.adellisauthor.com

Brody & Nick: Something About Him by A.D. Ellis

Army specialist Brody King is a successful and respected soldier. With only a year left in his commitment, he devises a plan to help him save money—a plan that requires him to marry.

Nick Ferguson is working toward college graduation and his community services management career. With his lease about to expire, he’s more than willing to take Brody up on his crazy marriage scheme.

A solution that seems quick and easy turns into more than either of them ever anticipated. When Brody’s fears and insecurities surface, he makes a decision that may push Nick away forever.

Can a fake marriage built upon friendship withstand the obstacles of an uncertain future?

**This is a male/male romance for ages 18+ due to adult language and themes.**

Read the teasers below:

About the Author

A.D. Ellis spends the majority of her days loving and wrangling two school-aged children and a husband before heading to the inner city of Indiana to teach a challenging group of alternative education students in grades third through sixth. Most days she hits the gym after school in hopes of running and lifting away the stress and headaches of the day before picking up her children and squeezing a whole day’s worth of loving and living into the too-short hours before bed. It’s no wonder Ms. Ellis lives for the slower, easier days she gets to enjoy on breaks from school.

Growing up in a small farming town in southern Indiana, A.D. is grateful to her mother for passing along the love of reading. With her nose constantly stuck in a book, Ms. Ellis became accustomed to friends and acquaintances snickering and shaking their heads at her love of reading.

A.D. never dreamed of being anything but a teacher, although there are certain times of the year when she laments her career choice. Ms. Ellis had a story idea floating in her head for about a year. After persistent prodding from a friend, A.D. put pen to paper and began writing her first story in October 2013. From that moment on, she was hooked. Taking the people and stories from her head and sharing them with readers is a scary, exhausting, rewarding, and fulfilling experience which A.D. plans to continue until there are no more stories banging around in her mind.

A.D. Ellis’ work can be found on both iBooks and Amazon. Please contact her on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

iBooks bit.ly/ADEllisiBooks
Amazon author.to/ADEllisAmazon
Facebook www.facebook.com/adellisauthor
Twitter www.twitter.com/ADEllisAuthor
Website http://www.adellisauthor.com

Brian & Jase: Something About Him by A.D. Ellis

Jase Rafferty grew up hiding his sexual curiosities—until he meets Bryan Keating. Bryan’s sexuality is no secret, and being deployed overseas together allows the two men to forge a solid friendship. The sexual attraction is undeniable, but after one lust-filled week, they must go their separate ways.

A year later, a chance meeting gives them one more weekend together, even though they know Jase can’t risk his military career or his family obligations to be with Bryan.

Several years pass before Jase finally accepts the desperate longing in his heart and body. But when fear and hatred threaten to tear them apart, Jase must make a tough decision, one that he isn’t sure he and Bryan can overcome. Together, they must choose to weather the storm or say goodbye forever.

**This is a male/male romance meant for ages 18+ due to adult language and adult situations.**

Read the teasers below.

About the Author

A.D. Ellis spends the majority of her days loving and wrangling two school-aged children and a husband before heading to the inner city of Indiana to teach a challenging group of alternative education students in grades third through sixth. Most days she hits the gym after school in hopes of running and lifting away the stress and headaches of the day before picking up her children and squeezing a whole day’s worth of loving and living into the too-short hours before bed. It’s no wonder Ms. Ellis lives for the slower, easier days she gets to enjoy on breaks from school.

Growing up in a small farming town in southern Indiana, A.D. is grateful to her mother for passing along the love of reading. With her nose constantly stuck in a book, Ms. Ellis became accustomed to friends and acquaintances snickering and shaking their heads at her love of reading.

A.D. never dreamed of being anything but a teacher, although there are certain times of the year when she laments her career choice. Ms. Ellis had a story idea floating in her head for about a year. After persistent prodding from a friend, A.D. put pen to paper and began writing her first story in October 2013. From that moment on, she was hooked. Taking the people and stories from her head and sharing them with readers is a scary, exhausting, rewarding, and fulfilling experience which A.D. plans to continue until there are no more stories banging around in her mind.

A.D. Ellis’ work can be found on both iBooks and Amazon. Please contact her on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

iBooks bit.ly/ADEllisiBooks
Amazon author.to/ADEllisAmazon
Facebook www.facebook.com/adellisauthor
Twitter www.twitter.com/ADEllisAuthor
Website http://www.adellisauthor.com

The author Sojourner McConnell wrote a fantastic story about a girl named Melonie Easton. Throughout the story the author gives you a deeper glimpse into the child’s life. The child was a lonely child, who felt unloved and unwanted. As Melonie got older she began drowning herself into learning new things at school and through reading. As she becomes a teen, her life begins to change in many different ways. She makes a friend and they become close, during a period of new beginnings and tragic loss.

This story is well written and provokes deep emotions that allow you to connect with each of the characters in the story. This author has brought the story and its characters to life in this book. Ms. McConnell has done a fantastic job in making her characters memorable. I actually look forward to reading more books that are written by this author.  

Take a moment to read this book yourself, because you won't be disappointed!

Fantastic book.
 
 

by Alicia Bodine, Contributing Writer

I clicked over to see who this Regie Hamm was. Turns out I had already sent him a friend request that he accepted without even knowing who he was (although I knew he was the parent of an Angel). I read that he had just released a book called "Angels and Idols." I was immediately curious and ordered the book over at Amazon.com.

Singer, songwriter, producer, and author Regie Hamm has a unique story that he shares in his book. Regie experienced a great deal of success rather early in his life with too many number one hits to count, several songwriter of the year awards, and even multiple Grammy and Dove Award nominations. Appearances would make it seemed like there wasn't anything Regie couldn't touch that didn't turn to gold. Unfortunately, things were about to take a turn for the worse.

Regie and his wife Yolanda got a call that a little 8 month old girl in China needed a home. They named this little girl Isabella "Bella." Bella was clearly sick from the moment the Hamm's brought her home from China. She had trouble with feeding, a severe sleep disorder, and was missing all of her milestones. Eventually she began to have severe seizures. I identified with this part of the book the most because my daughter had all of the same issues. I kept thinking in my head, "Hey, they are talking about my Noel!"

Bella required constant full-time care and supervision which meant the Hamms were living on little to no sleep. Regie's CD American Dreams was dropped, and the health insurance company refused to cover Bella because of a pre-existing condition that the insurance company wouldn't disclose. Bella wasn't officially diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome until 2007.

Regie's journey begins to take a turn for the better when his wife Yolanda encourages him to enter the 2008 American Idol Songwriter contest. Regie won, and at the end of the season millions of people could hear David Cook singing Regie's song "Time of My Life."
​
I was captivated by this book from the very first page. Regie recounts the story of how his grandfather switched foxholes with a fellow soldier at Iwo Jima. Seconds later the soldier was killed in that very spot. If Regie's grandfather had been in that hole, Regie never would have been born.

Regie's book takes you full circle as Regie begins to live the words to the song "I Surrender All" that he co-penned with David Moffitt. This song was sung beautifully by Clay Crosse. The book also goes along with Regie Hamm's CD "Set it on Fire."

I highly recommend this book as I could not put it down. Not only will you go through the ups and downs with Regie and his family, but you will come out with a better understanding of Angelman Syndrome and all that parents of special needs children go through.

I previously published this article on the Yahoo Contributor Network. My daughter, Noel, is now 14 years old. There is a lot of working being done to fund a cure for Angelman Syndrome, which will happen during our lifetime. To learn more about the current research, or to donate for a cure visit Cureangelman.net. 

Regie also has a new project on Kickstarter that you really should check out. On an Island by Regie Hamm
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Dan Brown's very controversial mystery thriller novel "The Da Vinci Code" is one which at points in my life I refused to read.  Having watched the movie version, I had a general idea of what it was about. So I felt no need to read the book itself to decide whether it had any merit or not.  

Essentially, the story follows the actions of protagonist Robert Langdon, a symbologist who studies religious symbols and their meanings. He is framed for the murder of the curator at the Louvre museum in France. This is where many famous works of art, including the "Mona Lise" of Leonardo da Vinci, are on display.  The murdered man leaves clues as to who the murderer is. His granddaughter, a very intelligent cryptographer and code breaker, is brought in to assist in solving the mystery.

The story turns into a search for the missing Holy Grail. Supposedly, it has been kept hidden by the Catholic Church, for fear it would overturn all that the Church teaches as true.  The secret is supposed to be that instead of having been crucified a bachelor, Jesus Christ had actually married Mary Magdalene. It's also said that he had children, leaving a bloodline that lives on to this day.  

It is claimed that the Church has slandered Magdalene as a prostitute, doing everything it can to hide this secret that she was really the wife of Jesus and mother to His children.  There is a lot of dialogue regarding this. Also, there is talk of the Gnostic gospels and other literature proposed for the Bible, but rejected by the Church as having been inauthentic. Essentially, it was not written by the authors they are claimed to be written by.  

There is also the claim that it wasn't until the 4th century that Jesus was only believed to be divine. This was many centuries after His death, around the time of the rule of Constantine and the Nicene Council. Before then, all His followers believed He was merely a mortal man, and not an immortal incarnation of God.  There are also claims by the characters that the Bible had been altered, mistranslated, and ultimately tampered. Over time, this was done to obscure and falsify the "truth" about Jesus, especially about His relationship to Mary Magdalene.

While these ideas are interesting and make for an intriguing story, I find them unconvincing. Having studied the Bible and Church teaching, I can assert that the author has not really studied Catholic theology very much.  He is trying to promote an idea of "the sacred feminine" and claims the Church regards females and sexuality as dirty and inferior.  He tries to turn Jesus into a mere mortal man, and Mary Magdalene into a divine God.  He does not pay attention to the reverence given to women by the uplifting of Mary as Mother of God.  The book talks about Eve bringing humanity into its downfall. But it says nothing of the ascension brought to humanity through the Blessed Virgin Mary and her cooperation with the salvific plan of God.

Having studied a lot of the issues that are touched on in "The Da Vinci Code," the alternate theory of Jesus and His supposed descendants, the novel did nothing to alter my beliefs in the orthodox teachings of Christianity.  The release of this book spurned a huge reaction from Christians of all denominations. This lead to all kind of books debunking the claims made in Brown's novel, such as "The Da Vinci Hoax", "Debunking the Da Vinci Code", "The Da Vinci Fraud", etc.  I think the dialogue is a good one, and I will suggest that you do take the time to read Dan Brown's novel. You also should look into some of the opposing claims made in books that criticize and argue against the main premise of the Code.

At the very least, reading books like this can demonstrate how wild alternate versions of history can be concocted and developed. There are stories that can convince lots of people of something that just isn't true or never happened.  Brown says Jesus was married to Magdalene and had children. I say someone made it up.  Even in the study of history, it is important to know that lies or fabrications can be made up. These lies can be meant either to tear down ideas one does not like, or to promote and build up ideas that one wants to become fact.

You can purchase "The Da Vinci Code" on Amazon here.