WRITE FOR LIFE: Creative Tools for Every Writer (A 6-Week Artist’s Way Program) by Julia Cameron

Nonfiction, Craft, Writing, 258 pages

5***** 

Blurb: Julia Cameron has been teaching the world about creativity since her seminal book, The Artist’s Way, first broke open the conversation around art. Now, in Write for Life, she turns to one of the subjects closest to her heart: the art and practice of writing. Over the course of six weeks, Cameron carefully guides readers step by step through the creative process. This latest guide in the Artist’s Way Series: Introduces a new tool and expands on powerful tried and true methods. Gently guides readers through many common creative issues ― from procrastinating and getting started, to dealing with doubt, deadlines, and “crazymakers.”Will help you reach your goals, whether your project is a novel, poetry, screenplay, standup, or songwriting. With the learned experience of a lifetime of writing, Cameron gives readers practical tools to start, pursue, and finish their writing project. Write for Life is an essential read for writers who have completed The Artist’s Wayand are looking to continue their creative journey or new writers who are just putting pen to paper.

Thoughts: Years ago, I went through “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron and it help me me a lot. Then life interfered and I forgot about the lessons I learned. While I could go back to the beginning, I found this book more than enough to get me back into the practices she recommended, along with some new ideas. Plus, this book is not just for writers, but for creative person, whether it be art, music, or writing.

In this six-week program, Ms. Cameron encourages you to “prime the pump” by doing morning pages, taking a walk, setting goals, and taking artists dates. There’s a lot more here too, but these are her basics that she builds on. At the end of each chapter, she has a set of “check-ins” – did you do these things type of lists as well as recaps of what you should have done. 

Recommendation: Highest of recommendations. I’d have given her ten stars if I could. And this is definitely on my “to be purchased” list (though waiting until the end of next January will be a challenge). I guess I could always go back to the beginning while I wait. 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC in hopes of a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by anyone or anything. 

FATAL HUNT by Michelle Godard Richer 

Fiction, Thriller, 267 pages

5*****

Blurb: After being widowed and surviving the wrath of a serial killer, Jessica believes her misfortunes are over. She’s reunited with her first love, Jon, and together, with her son Bryce, and a baby on the way, they’re living their happily ever after on their ranch in Montana. That is until secrets, lies, and a formidable foe from Jon’s past emerge to shake the foundation of their relationship, forcing them to flee for their lives. A decade earlier, Jon worked undercover for the FBI. He infiltrated Hugh Jones’ Kansas City Mob, and almost destroyed his empire. Unaware of the breech in his own defenses, Hugh, obsessed with revenge, unleashes every weapon in his arsenal, targeting those Jon loves the most.

Thoughts: Jessica and Jon and their 8-year-old son Bryce are on the run for their lives. From their home to hotels to safe houses that aren’t safe, there are thugs and killers everywhere. And the only thing keeping them safe is the ghost of Jessica’s first husband, Adam with his timely alerts. 

The characters and situations are realistic – maybe a little too realistic for me at time – which means they are excellently written. And they are. The terror, the love, the anxiety… all the emotions are drawn out of the characters and come across perfectly.

One tiny nit—and it is tiny—is that there is a definite thread left dangling at the end so you know there is more to come for this family. This part of the story ends well, but their ordeal isn’t over yet.

Recommendation: If you like thrillers with a touch of romance, pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed. 

Disclaimer: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

ARRESTING BENJAMIN (Arresting Onyx #3) by Amber Daulton

Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Spicy Heat (level 5), ebook

October 11, 2022

4****

Blurb: A one-night stand, a surprise baby, and a mysterious stalker.
Mechanic Benjamin Starwell can’t stop thinking about Belle Hamlin, the ballsy musician he slept with and skipped out on months earlier. He never meant to get her pregnant, but he’ll do whatever it takes to win back her trust and be a part of his child’s life. His desire for Belle drives him to be a better man, but he’s worn thin with a garage to run and his estranged sister dumping her troubles on him. Belle’s juggling impending motherhood, her indie rock career, and a stalker who’s determined to see her fail. Even though she’s desperate to get her priorities straight, she pushes aside her past hurt and welcomes Benji back into her bed. She never expects him to slip into her heart. When the danger escalates, they face the greatest challenge of all—protecting their unborn child.

Thoughts: This is a spicy hot story full of action, romance, and more. Benjamin Starwell had a one-night stand with Belle Hamlin. He ran away because his feelings for her scared him. He doesn’t do commitment. That is, not until he finds out she’s pregnant with his baby. Suddenly, he’s the one who has to prove to her that he’s all in and wants to be part of his child’s life. But they both have Issues—and not just with each other.

Belle not only has to cope with her pregnancy, but with a deranged stalker who wants her to quit her music career. After her apartment is trashed, Ben finally gets her to agree to move in with him. But all is not smooth. Ben’s sister, Meghan, Is a drug addict who comes to Ben for help, but her pusher boyfriend has other plans for them.

Between the stalker and the pusher, Ben and Belle have plenty of problems. Plus the two have issues. One thing they don’t have a problem with is sex. There’s a lot going on here. The only problem I had with the story—and it’s a small one—was that I didn’t understand a lot of the character relationships, mostly becausee I haven’t read the first two books in the series. And there were a few threads left dangling that lets me know there are going to be more.

Recommendation: If you’re looking for a good story with lots of conflict, heat, and a HEA ending that satisfies, this one has it all. I do suggest that you read the first two in the series, though, as it will help you understand the character dynamics much better.

Disclaimer: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Amazon

NETGALLEY’S BOOK ADVOCATE TOOLBOX

Nonfiction, How-to, Reference

5*****

Blurb: Are you ready to start your journey with NetGalley? Or maybe you’re a long-time member looking to take your book advocacy up a notch? No matter where your starting point is, this toolkit is designed to have everything you need to succeed. From guidelines for creating your member Profile to tips for maintaining a strong Feedback Ratio, these pages are packed with advice for utilizing NetGalley to your advantage. Once you have a few books on your Shelf, pop over to this toolkit’s review section to brush up on tips for crafting book reviews—even those tricky critical ones! When you’re ready to share those reviews, this toolkit can help jumpstart your bookish social media platforms and offer suggestions for reviewing and creating content on social. So what are you waiting for? Download the kit and get started.

If you’re on Netgalley, or thinking about it, this is the first book you should download and read. There are guidelines on types of members, how to take your reviews to the next level, FAQs on who approves you as a reader/reviewer, and more. There is also information on the difference between “Read Now” books and the other ones where you have to ask for approval. Keeping your Feedback Ration at 80% and above is crucial to getting approvals. 

You’ll also learn how to give a review that actually works, how to tag publishers, how to use social media outlets, videos, blogs, and Goodreads. No, you don’t have to use all this, but there are guidelines for the things you do use. 

Recommendation: Do yourself and the publishers a favor and read over these guidelines. I’ve been on Netgalley almost since the beginning and I learned some things I never knew. Definitely recommended.

October 8

Birthdays: John Cowper Powys (1872), Walter Lord (1917), Frank Herbert (1920), Faith Ringgold (1930), Michael Korda (1933), William Corlett (1938), Harvey Pekar (1939), R.L. Stine (1943), Benjamin Cheever (1948), Steve Coll (1958), Bret Lott (1958), Claire Messud (1966), Jaclyn Moriarty (1968), Lincoln Michel (1982),

Walter Lord is best known for his account of the Titanic’s sinking “A Night to Remember”

Frank Herbert’s “Dune” series is a science fiction classic

R.L. Stine is an author of children’s horror stories like “Goosebumps”

Steven Coll won two Pulitzer Prizes. One of them for the 2004 book “Ghost Wars”

Quote: “Many adults feel that every children’s book has to teach them something…. My theory is a children’s book… can be just for fun.” ― R.L. Stine

 “Everything I write is different, so I can’t really generalise about where I begin. But character is very important to me – it’s why I write, I think; that and language. And if you really know a character, then you figure out how they would behave in a given situation. And the plot comes out of that, really.” – Claire Messud

Tip: There are lots of reasons to quit writing. Come up with reasons to keep going.

Jumpstart: Finish this: The day I disappeared… (using: cemetery, weed, greenhouse)

******************

October 9

Birthdays: Mihaljo Pupin (1858), Edward Bok (1863), Ivo Andric (1892), Bruce Catton (1899), Belva Plain (1915), Jill Ker Conway (1934), Johana Hurwitz (1937), John Sutherland (1938), Jean-Jacques Schuhl (1941), Michael Palmer (1942), K.A. Applegate (1956), Guillermo del Toro (1964), Jacqueline Carey (1964), William Alexander (1976), Sophie van Llewyn

Mihaljo Pupin won the 1924 Pulitzer Prize for his autobiography “Immigrant to Inventor”

Edward Bok won the 1920 Pulitzer for his autobiography “The Americanization of Edward Bok”

Ivo Andric won the 1961 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Bruce Catton won the 1954 Pulitzer for “A Stillness at Appomattox”

William Alexander won the 1912 Nat’l Book Award for Young People’s Literature for “Goblin Secrets”

Quote: “t’s hard to give advice on writing, because the best way to learn is through doing. No two writers work the same way, and everyone has to find their own path. So… write. Write a lot. Build a world and explore it. Create characters and break their hearts.” Jacqueline Carey

“If you get bored with nothing to do, you are not a writer… We are in the business of reproducing reality from nothing. We are the biggest liars in the world, seeking truth.” – Guillermo del Toro

“The point of being over 40 is to fulfil the desires you’ve been harbouring since you were 7.” – Guillermo del Toro

Tip: You’re never too old to write (or too young). This is not like athletics. You can write for as long as you want. For as long as you can. Do not let age hold you back.

Jumpstart: You’ve been infected with a truth virus. It causes you to tell the absolute truth. What do you do until you can find a cure?

**************

October 10

Birthdays: R.K. Narayan (1906), Claude Simon (1913), James Clavell (1924), Sheila Walsh (1928), Harold Pinter (1930), Lily Tuck (1938), James Marshall (1942), Frederick Barthelme (1943), Robert D San Souci (1946), Daniel San Souci (1948), Nora Roberts (1950), Rumiko Takahashi (1957), Jonathan Littel (1967)

Claude Simon received the 1985 Nobel Prize in Literature

Harold Pinter won the 2005 Nobel Prize in Literature

Lily Tuck won the 2004 Nat’l Book Award for Fiction for “The News from Paraguay”

Quote: “All stories have a beginning, a middle, and an ending, and if they’re any good, the ending is a beginning.” – James Clavell

“Life is not only full of sound and fury. It also has butterflies, flowers, art.” – Claude Simon

Tip: Be sure you keep good financial records for the IRS. Yes, you will have to pay taxes on your royalties. But they can be offset by your expenses (sorry, but coffee at Starbucks doesn’t count).

Jumpstart: Pick ten random words from the dictionary (close your eyes, fan the pages, and point – that’s one word). Use these in a scene.

***********

October 11

Birthdays: Francois Mauriac (1885), G.C. Edmondson (1922), Elmore Leonard (1925), Russell Freedman (1929), Saul Friedlander (1932), Daniel Quinn (1935), James M. McPherson (1936), David McFadden (1940), Anne Enright (1962), Richard Paul Evans (1962)

Francois Mauriac won the 1952 Nobel Prize for Literature

Russell Freedman won the 1988 Newbery Medal for “Lincoln: A Photobiography”

Saul Friedlander won the 2008 Pulitzer for Nonfiction for “The Years of Extermination”

James McPherson won the 1989 Pulitzer for Nonfiction for “Battle Cry of Freedom”

Anne Enright won the 2007 Man Book Prize for “The Gathering”

Quote: “The writer has to have patience, the perseverance to just sit there alone and grind It out. And if it’s not worth doing that, then he doesn’t want to write.” – Elmore Leonard

 “It’s the idea that people living close to nature tend to be noble. It’s seeing all those sunsets that does it. You can’t watch a sunset and then go off and set fire to your neighbor’s tepee. Living close to nature is wonderful for your mental health.” ― Daniel Quinn, Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit

Tip: Get a good headshot taken for your author picture. Note: most photographers copyright their work so be sure you can use it for promotional purposes.

Jumpstart: This is the story my father told me. When he did, my mother…

**********************

October 12

Birthdays: Aleister Crowley (1875), Eugenio Montale (1896), Lester Dent (1904), Paul Engle (1908), Anne Petry (1908), Robert Fitzgerald (1910), Alice Childress (1912), Logie Bruce Lockhart (1921), Robert Coles (1929), Marina Lewycka (1946), NoViolet Bulawayo (1981), Julie Kagawa (1982),

Eugenio Montale won the 1975 Nobel Prize in Literature

Quote: “First line, or as near thereto as possible, introduce the hero and swat him with a fistful of trouble. Hint at a mystery, a menace or a problem to be solved–something the hero has to cope with.” – Lester Dent

“Life is just a short walk from the cradle to the grave, and it sure behooves us to be kind to one another along the way.” ― Alice Childress

Tip: There is no perfect time to write. There is only now. So get writing. Even if it’s only a page. A paragraph. A sentence. Just start. No ideas? Start with one of the jumpstarts on these pages. There’s a new one every day.

Jumpstart: Grams told me “sweet dreams”, but I knew that would never happen…

************

October 13

Birthdays: Mary Kingsley (1862), Conrad Richter (1890), Arna Bontemps (1902), Richard Howard (1929), Dalene Matthee (1938), Mollie Katzen (1950), Colin Channer (1963), Emily Gould (1981)

Conrad Richter won the 1952 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for “The Town”

Richard Howard won the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for “Untitled Subjects”

Quote: “To some extent the shorter the writing assignment is, the harder it is to accomplish, and a blurb is 200 words max.” – Emily Gould

“Give your teachers the respect they deserve, because they are the ones who can help you get where you need to go.” – Richard Howard

Tip: If an agent or publisher is charging you to print your book—run in the other direction. You should not have to pay, unless you’re getting the printing done by yourself.

Jumpstart: One Saturday in the fall, it finally happened… (use: peppermint, library, clock)

***********

October 14

Birthdays: e.e. cummings (1894), Katherine Mansfield (1888), Lois Lenski (1893), Hannah Arendt (1906), Rick Boyer (1943), Katha Pollitt (1949), Kate Grenville (1950)

Quote: “Two pieces of advice: One, write out of an urge to write, not a desire to be ‘a writer’. That is, write about things that are important to you rather than things you think will ‘find a market’. Two, find some kind of paid work that will free you from the need to make a living from your writing, while giving you some time to write.” – Kate Grenville

“We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” – e.e. cummings

Tip: If an agent you’ve never heard of comes to you out of the blue and asks for your stuff, be wary. Check them out carefully. Agents get enough requests that they don’t have to come looking. The same goes for book reviewers.  

Jumpstart: Today is National Dessert Day. What kind of dessert would your character eat when alone? On a date? Why?

DIVINE VINTAGE by Sandra L. Young

Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Historical/Contemporary

4+ Sparklers, 292 pages

Blurb: Tess Burton is always up for a vintage adventure, and she’s risked her inheritance to open Divine Vintage clothing boutique. While modeling an elegant Edwardian trousseau gown, her mind is opened to a century-old crime of passion. Visions—seen through the eyes of the murdered bride—dispute local lore that claims the bridegroom committed the crime. Trey Dunmore doesn’t share her enthusiasm for mind-blowing visions, yet the appeal to clear his family’s tainted legacy compels him to join her in exploring the past. Aided by the dead woman’s clothing and diary, Tess and Trey discover that pursuing love in 1913 was just as thorny as modern day. As the list of murder suspects grows, the couple fears past emotions are influencing, and may ultimately derail, their own blossoming intimacy.

Thoughts: This was a sweet romance mystery with dual timelines – today and 100 years in the past. The “today” story is told through the eyes of Trey and Tess. The “past” one, through Phoebe and Steven.

Tess has always had an affinity for the past and psychic visions that seem to attach themselves to vintage clothing or objects, but when she tries on Phoebe’s gown, she doesn’t expect what happens—a vision that takes her into Phoebe’s world. Convincing stubborn Trey of what is happening is even harder, but with his grandmother’s help, she does and they embark on a road to discovery—to solve a 100 year-old murder.

While the descriptions and world building were done very well, I would have liked to have seen a little more about the characters of Tess and Trey. Not a lot, but more would have been nice. But that being said, the story itself is wonderfully done. Both timelines flowed together nicely without abrupt changeovers. And the elements of romance, mystery, paranormal, family issues, and more, were all woven together perfectly.

Recommendation: Definitely recommended. This book hits all the spots for mystery, romance, a bit of ghostliness, even PTSD challenges. For a little bit of everything with a satisfying ending, this one is a keeper.

Disclaimer: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

THE LIVER CURE: Natural Solutions for Liver Health to Target Symptoms of Fatty Liver Disease, Autoimmune Diseases, Diabetes, Inflammation, Stress & Fatigue, Skin Conditions, and Many More by Russell Blaylock

Nonfiction, Selfhelp, Health, 368 pages

3***

Blurb: Protect your mighty liver! How it keeps you healthy – how to keep it healthy – why you need to act now! The liver is the most overlooked and misunderstood of all our body’s organs. Because of the sudden, potentially fatal consequences of heart attack and stroke, everyone’s attention is always focused on the heart or the brain, but without a healthy liver, you ultimately cannot survive; of all your organs, none does more for you than the liver. Still, until something goes wrong with the liver, it’s usually completely overlooked. Until now…The Liver Cure: Natural Solutions for Liver Health to Target Symptoms of Fatty Liver Disease, Autoimmune Diseases, Diabetes, Inflammation, Stress & Fatigue, Skin Conditions, and Many More explains the major reasons why you need to take action NOW to protect your liver, because it is assaulted everyday by factors in our modern-day life. The liver is the site for the body’s most powerful detoxification, but over the years an unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle choices, and environmental toxics can take its toll on liver health.World renowned physician and author Dr. Russell Blaylock provides a comprehensive overview of the liver, and outlines the latest health information on the many dangers to your liver-health and what you can do to protect it, including:

• Why the Liver is Your Body’s Most Important Organ
• Your Liver’s Role in Disease
• The Dangers of Cancer, Cirrhosis, Hepatitis & Fatty Liver Disease
• Medication & Environmental Hazards
• Poor Lifestyle Choices that Will Hurt Your Liver
• The Best Exercise for Liver Health
• How to Follow a Pro-Liver Diet
• Transplant Options & Cautions

The Liver Cure offers natural remedies, lifestyle strategies and dietary solutions that can take your liver off overload to resolve a wide range of symptoms and conditions, along with the latest treatment solutions from conventional and alternative therapies to new scientific discoveries and interventions.

Thoughts: Read the title and the blurb. They pretty much tell you everything that’s in the book. What it doesn’t tell you is that the author gives you this information multiple times in multiple places in the book until it becomes rather repetitive. What I find interesting is that the author is a neurosurgeon and not a liver specialist. I’ve also seen a lot of reviews that say the book and subject matter are written so as to be easy to understand. Um, not exactly. He still uses a lot of terminology that is not easy to follow.

He explains exactly what the liver is and how it works. Then he goes into problems with the liver and what cause these problems. He is definitely against people using Tylenol and not so much in favor of things like statin drugs. He also talks about our western diet (which I agree with) being too high in sugar and saturated fats. Throughout the book, he promotes various nutritional supplements all of which he points toward a specific website for you to get them. It makes me wonder how much of a vested interest he has in this company. I’m not saying his suggestions are wrong, but I am curious.

The author gives you detailed information on various liver problems, their symptoms, things in our lives that cause some of these problems, and much more. There is a lot of information here—very well detailed and with suggestions on how to fix the problem. There are also suggestions on nutrition from food and he is in favor of diets like the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet.

Recommendation: If you have liver disease in your family or any one of another liver-related issues, I do suggest you pick this book up. There is a lot of good information here. But caveat emptor. There’s also a lot of repetition and pushing you toward a specific site and supplements. But I will say, there is an extensive listing in the back of the book on health sites where you can find information on various conditions.

Disclaimer: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

WHAT EVERY WOMAN NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT HER GUT by Barbara Ryan, Elaine McGowan

Nonfiction, Self-help, Health, Diet

3***

Blurb: Digestive problems
* Bloating
* Diarrhea
* Constipation
* Pain
Do you identify with these symptoms? Does your digestive system feel like your enemy? Is your unpredictable gut a source of embarrassment, shame or fear? If you’re a woman who’s answered ‘yes‘ to any of the above, you’re not alone. Two-thirds of people with gut issues, including IBS, are female. And your needs are very specific.

YOU NEED: Clear, accessible information about and insight into what female hormones can do to gut health
YOU NEED:Expert guidance from a consultant gastroenterologist and a dietician and clinical nutritionist
YOU NEED: Stepped, manageable strategies to take control of your troublesome gut
YOU NEED: A diet plan that focuses on your specific requirements, which is flexible, achievableand sustainable
YOU NEED: Easy-to-follow recipes that are gut-friendly, delicious and restore your digestive health

Thoughts: As someone who has struggled with digestive issues all my life, I found this book interesting and informative—sometimes a little too informative. There is a lot of information here, some of it really technical and with anatomical pictures. It’s also a British book so Americans may have trouble deciphering spelling, definitions, and measurements. For instance what the heck is an aubergine? (It’s an eggplant) But, if there’s something you want to know about gut health, this is the place to look. They discuss IBS, Celiac, FODMAP, intolerances, allergies, and more. And the problems many have are not “all in your head” as we are so often told.

They include what they call a “FLAT Diet” with sample meal plans, shopping lists, etc. that you follow in order to help alleviate symptoms. But they stress, not everything works for everyone. The FLAT diet follows a point system making it adjustable to your circumstances and the authors stress multiple times that getting better has to be unique to each individual.

Recommendation: If you have been struggling with digestive issues, I suggest you pick this up as a place to start and discuss it with your GI. Maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones who finds relief.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in hopes of receiving a review. All opinions are my own and not solicited by anyone.

10/4/22

DASHING THROUGH THE SNOWBIRDS by Donna Andrews

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, 304 pages

4****

Blurb: Dashing Through the Snowbirds is the next merry installment of Donna Andrews’s New York Times bestselling Meg Langslow mystery series. Christmas in Caerphilly is wonderful! Unless you’re a Canadian whose inconsiderate boss is forcing you to spend the holiday there, far from family and friends, with only a slim chance of a white Christmas. Meg already has her hands full, trying to make the season festive for the dozen programmers who are staying with her and Michael while working on a rush project with her brother’s software company. At least it’s an interesting project, since the Canadian company is doing forensic genealogy and DNA analysis. When the inconsiderate boss is found murdered, there are too many suspects. Even before their Christmas in exile, his own employees had plenty of motives, and the growing number of people suing the company for faulty DNA analysis and invasion of their genetic privacy include at least one notorious murderer. Can Meg crack the case in time to keep the Yuletide bright?

Thoughts: It’s Christmas time in Caerphilly, VA. Meg’s mother has décorated the house to the rafters and her father has a super surprise for them all out in the back field that Meg has been keeping secret. But the biggest surprise was the crowd of Canadians who descended on her home. They were there to work on a major programming project with Meg’s brother and arrived with no notice – and all the hotels and B&Bs in town filled. Their boss is an overbearing, nasty person who expects everything handed to him on a silver platter and doesn’t care who he puts out as long as he gets his way.

So yeah, he’s the victim. But who is the murderer? That’s a question Meg helps solve. I have to say, I was pretty sure I knew who it was from the beginning so no surprise to me when I was right. Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the story. I really did.

I’m coming into this story not having read any of the previous ones in the series. That might be a bit of a problem, but the author had a deft hand at letting you in on the background of the characters. I do know, though, that having read this one, I’m going to pick more up to pick up on some of the stuff I’m missing with the characters (and exactly how big is the house where Meg lives?). Yes, it was mildly confusing at times as to the setting and relationships of some of the people, but overall a very good story.

Recommendation: A definite cozy mystery purchase. The story was entertaining with a satisfying ending.

Disclaimer: Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this ARC. I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

WITCH’S GAMBLE by Mark Rosendorf

Fiction, YA, Urban Fantasy

4****

Blurb: It’s been nearly two hundred years since Isis, Zack, and The Witches of Vegas saved New Salem from the Wiccan vampire, Valeria. Now, Isis is a vampire and the most powerful witch in the world. Zack is also a vampire, and the president of New Salem. They thought the threat was long behind them. But Valeria escaped into the past where she set history on a horrific path. Now, everything has changed around Isis. New Salem is destroyed, Valeria is queen of Earth, and no one has heard of Zack. To save reality, Isis must travel through time, reliving events from a history she barely recognizes, and find a way to set reality back on course. Not that she has any idea how to do that, or how to avoid the all-powerful Valeria in the process. Isis will face challenges she can’t possibly overcome, yet she must, or every single life from the past, present, and future is doomed.

Thoughts: I loved this book – maybe not quite as much as the second one, but still, it was really good. The characters are great, as is the world building. One thing you should definitely do before reading this book is read the first two books. Otherwise, you will be lost. I did read the other two first and I still got confused at times. But, that often happens with time-travel books. There are so many paradoxes in here… but this is a fantasy, not science fiction, so we’ll skip them.

This book takes place 200 years after the end of “Journey to New Salem”. Zack and Isis are still taking care of New Salem. A lot has changed in the world (nuclear war) but the people of New Salem are more-or-less safe. At least, that is until the specter of Valeria raises her evil head again. Only, this time, in order for Isis to fight her, she must figure out a way to go back in time.

I won’t give away any details, but there is a lot that happens in this story. A lot. Some of it made me cock my head and say “huh?” But the writing is well-done and pulls you along with Isis as she battles for the future of the world.

Recommendation: Yes, pick this book up! BUT… pick up the first two books in the series along with it, otherwise you won’t get the full effect of what is going on.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Netgalley and the author, I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”