The Sun Zebra By R. Garcia

My 5 Star Review

A delightful collection of short stories recounted by a father chronicling the explorations of his daughter Nell. Nell is a very thoughtful, contemplative and questioning little girl who sees things thru the eyes of childhood innocence. These stories will charm and mesmerize as you are engaged in each story from the Father's point of view as well as Nell's.

The Sun Zebra

Bob The Intrepid Insectnaut

Raven - Lenore

The Meaningless Christmas Tree

Birdman and The Fairy Tale

Each of these delightful tales manages to convey to a child the meaning of life, heartbreak, death, love and the true meaning of things we create and hold dear. I found myself laughing and feeling the frustration and satisfaction of a parent trying to explain life in a way that a child can understand.

You will be gratified by the special connection this father has with his daughter and the love they share. This is a book for adults and a book for parents to read to and with their children. This book is written with a tender humor and genuine compassion for the importance of the feelings and emotions of a child.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from Rolando Garcia (Phantomimic).

Stout Hearts & Whizzing Biscuits - Daniel McInerny

                                                         My 5 Star Review

Oliver Stoop is 11 years old and is living in a small mobile home on a piece of property that his Dad has bought to build his dream castle. His bedroom is a small tent assembled in the living room. Oliver his Mom and Dad and Aunt Hazel are all living together. The property they live on is extremely secluded with no neighbor’s in sight.

While Oliver is test driving and mowing with his dad’s new Lawn Beast X-Pro Groundskeeper 6000 mower he encounters a band of children warriors and their leader Princess Rose. They inform him that he is trespassing in the Cow Park of the Kingdom of Patria and must vacate the property. Oliver informs them that his dad bought the land and they won’t be leaving. Because Oliver’s dad is the president of the stapler company he works for they call it The Republic of Staples.

This encounter is the beginning of an adventure in which Oliver and his family and friends become entangled. The search begins to find the Treaty between the United States and the Kingdom of Patria to determine the rightful owner of the Cow Park.

This story is filled with unconventional characters and circumstances that reflect the imagination of the Author Daniel McInerny. The story is entertaining and mesmerizing as Oliver is introduced to the Kingdom of Patria and its citizens and tries to solve the mystery he is embroiled in.

This book is an enchanting read for middle grade children and for adults as well. The description of the Kingdom and all the characters will come alive as you go from page to page. The story will hook you immediately and take you on an amazing adventure. I recommend this book to all readers, young and old, who will let their imagination take over and enjoy the ride.

Long Live the Kingdom of Patria!

Zero Sum Kotov Syndrome Books 1-3 by Russell Blake

5 Star Review

Russell Blake's Zero Sum - Kotov Syndrome Trilogy is truly amazing. I initially read Book 1 quite honestly because it was free and before I was done I had purchased the Book 2 & 3 Bundle. This was my first time reading a book by Russell Blake and I felt privileged to have found a book written so intelligently with such a powerful impact.


Nicholas Griffen is a character that you will grow to despise. A Wall Street financier associated with organized crime and government agencies using the stock market to make enormous amounts of money to the determent of others. Sr. Steven Archer is determined to stop this activity by publishing a website to expose Griffen and his associates for what they really are. When he is discovered to be the owner of the website life is forever changed and he is now the target to be destroyed.


This trilogy will take you on a extremely fast paced and unexpected roller coaster ride of the fight between good and evil. Zero Sum is an addicting complex thriller that you will not be able to put down. I highly recommend this book, it is writing at it's best.


I look forward to reading more from Russell Blake.

Whispers In The Wind by C. E. Lemieux Jr.

                                                                My 5 Star Review

Abby Lynn McAllister is a tomboy and the preacher's daughter in the small town of Forgan Oklahoma. Abby fell in love with Henry Newburn in the 5th grade and her greatest ambition in life is to make him hers. Her best friend and confidant since the 5th grade is his brother J. B. Newburn. The brothers are very different and unique in their own way yet they are both intertwined into Abby's life in ways that will help her to realize her true destiny.


C.E. Lemieux Jr. paints a beautifully realistic picture of this Oklahoma town as the seasons change from Spring to Fall. The sheer beauty of the landscape is depicted in his words. His characters are brought to life by the challenges they encounter, their hopes and dreams and the decisions and consequences they face along the way.


Abby's story will take you on a journey filled with the challenges of growing up and dealing with the hurdles you encounter along the way. I absolutely recommend this book to all readers who enjoy a book that will pull at your heart strings but also teach you the real value of loving someone with dignity, unselfishness and respect. Her story is flawless in its delivery and will sweep you along on her emotional journey.

Carnival of Hope by George Hamilton

                                                        5 Star Review

 This remarkable story takes place in the slums of Northeast Brazil and centers around the main characters Tomas and Thereza. Teaching is banned in their town and Tomas teaches in secret hoping to bring knowledge to the people. Thereza hopes to discover a better life with Tomas in the South. The carnival is the only hope that the people of the slums believe they have in realizing a better future for themselves. This story gives you a heart wrenching view of how people are forced to live and the everyday tragedy's they are forced to endure.

                                                         

Thereza is determined to secretly enter the carnival dance competition to win her way out of the unbearable situation that is her life. Tomas believes that educating himself and others is really the only way to a respectable future. Unknown to the carnival entrants, Mayor Giovanni, with the help of his henchman Giomar controls the outcome of the carnival and also the mind-boggling future of the winners.

This story takes you into the world of Tomas and Tereza, their life in the slums and their individual journey from the slums to their unbelievably staggering realizations of the future. Their journey's collectively and individually will pull at you from all directions. The descriptive picture painted of these characters as well as the supporting characters in this book will place an unforgettable image in your mind.

The physical descriptions of their town and the elements surrounding them on their journey will provide you a tangible view of their circumstances. You will find yourself still contemplating Tomas ans Thereza even after the final page is read.

I found this book extremely compelling and intelligently written. I highly recommend this book to all readers who want to be immersed in a story that will take you on a journey that you would otherwise never have taken.

Covert Dreams by Michael Meyer

               5 Star Review


I was totally captivated reading this riveting international thriller. I was bounced back and forth from the beer gardens and streets of Munich to the deserts of Saudi Arabia. This story kept me totally involved from beginning to end and all points in between.


B. J. is a happily married man, a career in the advertising business and content with his life. He starts to have dreams about a woman named Dabbie who is a stranger to him and as the dreams progress and continue he discovers that he is the man in the dreams with her. When his dreams turn into nightmares they begin to threaten not only his marriage but his sanity and stability as well. Ultimately, as the dreams overpower him, he sets out for Munich to confront his demons head-on. What happens from that point on is and engagingly powerful set of circumstances that will keep you on the edge.


Stan has just arrives in Saudi Arabia to start a new job and to make a new start with his wife. When his wife does not arrive as planned and there is no sign of her very existence his life is turned upside down as he is thrown into and experiences a nightmare of his own.


The characters are extremely well developed and believable. Their frustrations, fears and panic as they set about on their separate journeys will grab you, fill you with compassion and haunt you as the story unfolds.


I highly recommend this book to all readers who like to be totally captivated and swept away.