Booker Box Set # 1 by John W. Mefford

I received a copy of this set for an honest review.

Booker is a character that is very determined to complete his mission. He has the heart of a warrior and the morals of an honest man. He refuses to not turn a blind eye when he sees his partner beating an innocent man. When Booker does  not lie for the officer, that is when his world turns upside down. Suddenly without warning a bombing occurs that leaves a school bus full of children dead. Why would someone target a school bus full of innocent children? Is there an underlying connection between Booker and his decision not to support a fellow officer ?

This is a fast action book with many twists and turns. Who can Booker trust as he decides to become a P I? I love the humor that was scattered throughout the book which gave a great combination of banter with other characters as well as let us see a little softer side to Booker. The author is dead on when it comes to keeping a story going with thrilling scenes and a mystery surrounding who the bomber is. Will Booker find who this diabolical killer is in time to prevent more bombings?

I found myself really liking the main character as he develops into a fierce warrior determined to stop at nothing to end the terror that has invaded him and those close to him. The author writes intense well defined scenes of good vs evil that keep you turning pages as fast as you can. I have found a new hero to follow and that person is Booker T Adams. He is bad to the bones when it comes to justice and he won't stop until the evil is driven away.

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THE PRISON TRILOGY

by Glen Aaron

  C vv.p

Summary of Book 1 of The Prison Trilogy -- Observer: The Ronnie Lee and Jackie Bancroft Spencer Morgan Story, a tale of people, greed, envy, manipulation... even crime!

When Jackie Bancroft's husband died in 1952, he left her an heiress to the income and value of The Wall Street Journal and one of the wealthier women in America. Almost 50 years later, Jackie would marry Ronnie Lee Morgan, a 50-year old gay interior decorator. Morgan was one of many clients in the active law practice of author Glen Aaron. This unusual marriage lasted until Jackie's mysterious death five years later. Throughout that period, Aaron became entwined in the personal lives and demands of the couple, along with handling many of their legal affairs. The huge money and property distributions made by Jackie to her husband, designed and handled by Aaron, resulted in a two-year federal prison sentence for Aaron. The first book in the trilogy is that story.

THE OTHER TWO BOOKS IN THE SERIES:

"Jackie had built an invisible shield. How she felt, who she was deep inside, was insulated by what might be called "Jackie logic." In a personal encounter, she could be brutally blunt by pointing out a physical imperfection or character defect of the person she was talking to. "You're too fat. You should do something about it." "You're not my friend. You just want my money." She used innumerable clichés and platitudes for defensive purposes, designed to throw the other person off their game. Over the years, her repertoire grew with use. That "devil take the hindmost" attitude she had had since childhood gave her the confidence to not care what people thought of her. It was they who were after her, not she who was after them. On occasion, she would joke with me that this aspect of her personality was because her parents were first cousins.

"Wealth, extreme wealth, attracts a type of court, as in the days of Louis XIV, that some of these people want to be a part of. It gives them meaning to be seen rubbing shoulders with others of the coterie. Even if the Queen, in this case, Jackie, is not present, there is a sense of acceptance when the court is in session, each person wondering about the others’ special relationship with Jackie. Is it more special, more personal than theirs? This is the social effect of it: The pushing and crowding for pecking-order position, to be that special one who knows the lady just a little better than the next, or to casually say, "When I was having dinner with Jackie the other night…," or to drop some other offhand remark indicating one's special privilege with Jackie. None of this is so much about money as it is about being accepted and part of an honored, moneyed circle. To the social elite, real or imagined, you are known by the clubs to which you belong and those with whom you associate. If you can claim a special or private relationship with a powerful, rich, or influential person, then you are one up on the rest of the group. You are who your friends are, whether they are really your friends or not."

Buy Links

Amazon Book 1 ** Amazon Book 2 ** Amazon Book 3

SMASHWORDS PROFILE

Author Social Media/Web Links

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    Author Glen Aaron

Glen writes both fiction and nonfiction from his forty-year career and experience as a trial lawyer and consultant in international business and banking.

His nonfiction work as the observer in The Prison Trilogy tells the tales, in chronological order, of how he came to be a lawyer for a Wall Street Journal heiress and her gay husband, and how that representation landed him in federal prison. That is the first in The Trilogy. The second book tells the story of his cellmate, Colonel George Trofimoff, serving life for spying for the KGB. The final book of The Trilogy describes the prisoners, Glen's experiences and takes a hard look at the American criminal justice system.

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I received a copy of this book for an honest review

The author has a law practice and at times runs into interesting clients. Such is the case in this book. Ron is a very unique fellow . He has been in many ventures that seem to go bankrupt or he parts ways with his partner in a most conspicuous way. He meets Mr. Aaron who becomes his lawyer. Soon the author will find that "envy and greed is where Ron lives." In the book the author says , "Greed hustles even the hustlers."

Ron , who is gay will become involved with a woman named Jackie Bancroft Spencer. She is a "Wall Street Journal Heiress " that is one of the richest women in America. When these two meet and start to become a couple , the story takes us through twists and turns as Ron seems to be always scheming to take advantage of Jackie . What will his ultimate goal be?

The book is filled with a very detailed history of the Bancroft's as the author discovers how they became wealthy . Jackie , who was tall in stature, was a fierce competitor and spoke her mind freely with no worries about whom she would hurt with her piercing words . Would her personality collide with Ron's? 

After Ron and Jackie marry, it seems that Ron's many money problems were disappearing. Jackie had a firm grip on the finances and Ron was soon to learn that he was being controlled by Jackie and her vast wealth . Jackie had little to no relationship with her children and often had fights with them over money. 

Why would a 50 year old gay man marry a 74 year old woman? That question would bother the author as time went on. He became almost like a "yes" man when doing financial dealings for them. His ties to them were beginning to border on unlawful dealings that could cost him his freedom one day. What happened on that fateful day that would turn his life upside down and question the loyalty and devotion that Ron had for his wife? The author does an incredible job of laying a foundation that gives us a glimpse into a marriage that seemed more like a business deal than a marriage of love.

This is a story that shows how wealth , deceit, bad business decisions and an ill fated relationship can destroy several lives. The author is drawn into a web of lies, and underhanded dealings. It has all the elements of a page turner and leaves you wanting more from the author. It is a fascinating, downward spiral of the life of not only Jackie , but Ron and Mr. Aaron as well. Along the journey you will find who Ron really is and watch as he takes the author into a dangerous game of trying to stay one step ahead of losing vast amounts of money and trying to stay out of jail . This book starts from the beginning with a powerful cast of people who find themselves intertwined in each other's lives as their destruction will have you on the edge of your seat. I enjoyed the book so much I found myself not wanting the story to end. I would recommend this book to everyone who has a thirst for intrigue, mystery, power and destruction that leaves you wanting more. 

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PRETTY ENOUGH FOR YOU

by Cliff Hudder

Ne’er-do-well immigration attorney Harrison Bent can’t imagine why the wealthy and mysterious Maggie Leudecke wants him to solve her eminent domain problem.  If he didn’t have an angry wife to placate, an inscrutable stalker to identify, an obsessed girlfriend to escape, and a murder to solve, a successful outcome to the Leudecke case might revive his career, pay for his autistic son’s special school, and—most important of all—help convince his young paralegal, Chloe, that the afternoon she spent with him in a cheap motel wasn’t an error in judgment, but the beginning of something profound.

If only he had some clue as to what he was doing ...  

Praise for PRETTY ENOUGH FOR YOU

"I can think of no one writing today who has so beautifully put into vital relationship officious history and literary fiction with such provocative and thoroughly entertaining results. This is a stunning debut by a master storyteller."  — Wendell Mayo, author of Centaur of the North, In Lithuanian Wood, and B Horror and Other Stories

"I don't recall many historical novellas or novels abounding in comedy. Another distinctive technique is the pseudo-footnotes. They remind me of Nabokov's footnotes in Pale Fire." — Robert Phillips, author of Spinach Days, News About People You Know.

From the book: I know myself. That’s the good news. That’s also the bad news. For example, I knew I was not equipped to deal with the Leudecke case. I also knew I wouldn’t turn it down or hand it off to somebody better suited. But, seriously, what background did I have in eminent domain?  Or with Mexican drug dealers?  Or dead Mexican drug dealers?  None. And I knew it.

CLIFF HUDDER earned an MFA in Fiction Writing from the University of Houston. His work has received the Barthelme and Michener Awards, the Peden Prize, and the Short Story Award from the Texas Institute of Letters.  His novella, Splinterville, won the 2007 Texas Review Fiction Award.  He teaches English at Lone Star College-Montgomery and lives in Conroe, Texas.

Buy Links: 
Amazon
Texas A&M Press
B&N
Texas Review Press Catalog

Author Website: www.cliffhudder.com

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You Can Write 50,000 Words in Thirty Days by D.J. Mynatt

Deana Dick's review 

Jul 28, 15  ·  edit

5 of 5 stars

bookshelves: to-read

Read from July 05 to 06, 2015

I was given a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.

As I began the book, I realized I knew nothing about what is involved in writing a book to get published. I learned what NANOWRIMO was and became very intrigued . National Novel Writing Month happens each November where people sign up to take the challenge of writing 50,000 words in thirty days. Sounds easy , doesn't it? Maybe for some it is, but for others it is a challenge to begin your first thought onto paper.

The author takes us on her own journey during that month and shares with us the frustration and extreme pressure of trying to write a very specific word count. It does sound intimidating , but with the tools the author gives you in her book, you can achieve that goal.

She gives us a daily glimpse into her day as she tries to reach her daily goals. For some this could be a real challenge if you are juggling a full time job and have other comittments . For those who are thinking of doing this challenge, I encourage you to have the authors book as your go to reference material. In the book is valuable resources,along with her personal journey and encouraging scriptures to help motivate and empower you. This is a must read for all new authors who need inspiration and encouragement to pursue their dream of writing their first novel.

2015 Christy Award Winner

THE STORY KEEPER
by 
Lisa Wingate

Successful New York editor, Jen Gibbs, is at the top of her game with her new position at Vida House Publishing -- until a mysterious manuscript from an old slush pile appears on her desk. Turning the pages, Jen finds herself drawn into the life of Sarra, a mixed-race Melungeon girl trapped by dangerous men in the turn of the century Appalachia. A risky hunch may lead to The Story Keeper's hidden origins and its unknown author, but when the trail turns toward the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a place Jen thought she'd left behind forever, the price of a blockbuster next book deal may be higher than she's willing to pay.

Amazon Buy Link for THE STORY KEEPER

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Praise for Lisa Wingate

The Sea Keeper’s Daughters

“Readers will delight in this compelling saga that sweeps from past to present, coastline to mountains. Compassion and forgiveness pave the road to redemption in this gem of a book.  The Sea Keeper's Daughter is a keeper!”

Mary Alice Monroe, NY Times bestselling author of The Summer's End.   

The Story Keeper

“Wingate is, quite simply, a master storyteller. Her story-within-a-story, penned with a fine, expressive style, will captivate writers and non-writers alike.”

Booklist 

 “Fans of contemporary and historical romance, women's fiction and
light literary romance will find plenty with which to fall in love in 
The Story Keeper.”
USA Today, Happily Ever After blog

“Wingate’s latest tale is beautifully crafted and has so many
layers to appeal to readers – history, a contemporary love story,
a bit of mystery and details about the book publishing industry.”

Romantic Times

“Fans of both historical and contemporary fiction will delight in Lisa Wingate’s latest tale.
The Story Keeper is a modern-day quest that beckons readers into the Appalachian lore of
yesteryear. Simply put, The Story Keeper is enchanting, inspiring, and beautifully told.”

Denise Hunter, bestselling author of Dancing with Fireflies

“Not since To Kill a Mockingbird has a story impacted me like this.” 

Colleen Coble, USA Today bestselling author of Seagrass Pier

“For anyone who enjoys master storytellers such as Adriana Trigiani and Karen White. The Story Keeper . . . transports readers across time.”

Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Into the Free

“The Story Keeper has to be the best book I've read in two years. It's heartwarming, a story within a story, love that blooms from within and without. A definite keeper and reread.”

Fresh Fiction

The Prayer Box

“With a careful eye to detail and a beautiful, lyrical style
reminiscent of those of Mary Alice Monroe and
Patti Callahan Henry.”
Starred Booklist

“Journeys begin with one single step . . .  in Wingate's masterful exploration of the road to redemption. Relatable characters and vivid portrayals of events both current and historical create an enchanting, memorable pilgrimage into the fullness of faith and love.”
Publishers Weekly

“With a gift for crafting a story that digs into how a person's
past can shape their view of themselves and of hope itself,
Lisa Wingate never disappoints to deliver a first-class novel.”
USA Today

“Readers will delight in this gorgeously written, true gem of a
novel. . . . a saga of life, love and
rebuilding make for a treat.”
Romantic Times, top pick

“I am in awe of Lisa Wingate’s talent. She strikes the heart and
turns my gaze toward heaven’s door.
The Prayer Box is a masterpiece of story and skill.”
Debbie Macomber, New York Times bestselling author

“The Prayer Box is Lisa Wingate’s best work so far! Tandi’s story is an enchanting take on
family ties, redemption, and allowing oneself to
be swept up into a river of grace regardless of one’s past.”

Karen White, New York Times bestselling author of The Time In Between

“The Prayer Box is a beautiful, lyrical story of two women looking for peace, wholeness, and purpose. Wingate weaves hope and truth amid their brokenness and pain.”

Rachel Hauck, author of Once Upon and Prince and The Wedding Dress

“Tenderly woven. Skillfully threaded. A grab-your-heart story about faith, the healing power of love, and how both are often found in unlikely places.”

Charles Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Unwritten

“Lisa Wingate is a remarkably gifted storyteller. Her novels both captivate and cradle you, and The Prayer Box is Lisa at her finest. Tandi’s extraordinary journey of healing and hope on Hatteras Island is a mesmerizing thrill and a joy you’ll want to savor. However, beware—you will not be able to put this story down!”

Beth Webb Hart, Bestselling author of Moon Over Edisto

“A lively and inviting small-town atmosphere . . .  [The Prayer Box] captures the insecurities and inner fears we all struggle to keep hidden.”
CBA Retailer + Resources

Other novels by Lisa Wingate

“A rising star in the world of women's fiction.”
Romantic Times

“Lisa Wingate is a Glorious Storyteller!”
Adriana Trigiana, New York Times bestselling author

“Gripping… compassionate and lyrical… reminds us that it is love that changes our world.”
Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author

Q&A with Lisa Wingate

Your stories so often involve fascinating bits of history. Can you tell us about the inspiration for The Sea Keeper’s Daughters?

I never know where my stories will come from. While working on my first Carolina book, set on the Outer Banks, I became fascinated with the mystery of the Lost Colonists of Roanoke Island. You can’t spend time on the Carolina Coast without realizing that theories abound as to the fate of the 117 people who vanished from Sir Walter Raleigh’s ill-­fated colony over thirty years before the Pilgrims would land on Plymouth Rock. While writing my second Carolina book, The Story Keeper, I delved into the mystery of what early explorers deemed to be “blue-eyed Indians,” who were found to have been living in the Appalachian mountains decades before other Europeans pressed in. I knew that the third Carolina book would somehow bring these two fascinating bits of history together. An interesting thing happened when The Story Keeper hit the bookstores. Because the novel is about the discovery of an untold story, readers began sharing their own family stories with me. One reader mentioned that she’d traveled through the mountains many times as a child and one day had noticed that there were doors in the mountainside. When she asked about the doors, her father told her that during the Depression, families who lost their farms or had no place to live would often move into a nearby cave. Many salvaged doors, windows, and furniture from their repossessed homes before leaving and used those to outfit their new cave houses. I couldn’t resist researching that tale, but I found very little about Americans living in caves during the Depression.  What I did come across were life history interviews written by participants in a little-known WPA program called the Federal Writers’ Project. The Project hired impoverished writers, academics, housewives, and reporters, then turned them into Field Interviewers whose jobs were to travel the hidden corners of America and record the stories of the common man. The adventures of these Federal Writers were equally as fascinating as the narratives and stories they discovered during their travels.

Selected among Booklist’s Top 10 for two consecutive years, Lisa Wingate skillfully weaves lyrical writing and unforgettable settings with elements of traditional Southern storytelling, history, and mystery to create novels that Publisher's Weekly calls "Masterful" and Library Journal refers to as "A good option for fans of Nicholas Sparks and Mary Alice Monroe." 

Lisa is a journalist, an inspirational speaker, and the author of twenty-five novels. She is a seven-time ACFW Carol Award nominee, a multiple Christy Award nominee, a twotime Carol Award winner, and a 2015 RT Booklovers Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Award Winner for mystery/suspense. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life. Booklist summed up her work by saying, “Lisa Wingate is, quite simply, a master storyteller.” More information about her novels can be found at www.lisawingate.com.

More about Lisa can be found on her 

Facebook page or at www.LisaWingate.com

She can also be found online at:

www.southernbelleviewdaily.com 

http://www.pinterest.com/lisawingatebook/

https://twitter.com/lisawingate https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/178832.Lisa_Wingate

Blog tour services provided by Lone Star Literary Life.

 

I received a copy of this book for an honest review

Jen is excited about her new job at Vida House Publishing. She is looking to make an impression and thinks she has found the next best seller. There is a room they call "Slush Mountain that has old seemingly unwanted manuscripts . She has been told never to go to that room. Surprisingly one day laying on the edge of her desk, is a story in an envelope which just appeared out of thin air. As Jen beings to read the story, she is mesmerized by the writing. It does have an eerie likeness to the place she left a long time ago. How did this story from "Slush Mountain" get on her desk? What mysteries will it reveal ?

Jen knows in her hands is a story that must be published. She has convinced the publishing company that she needs to find the author who wrote this amazing story and get his permission to publish it. She finds herself thinking back to when she lived not far from where the story takes place. Jen never thought she would ever return to Blue Ridge Mountain, but she must travel there to find the elusive author of this story that has captured her heart . The story that has intrigued Jen is about a young girl named Sarah. It shows the struggles in the 1800s and how people had to deal with hunger and poverty. She gives us a strong character in Sarah that is determined to overcome her circumstances. Jen is a determined woman who must face her past as she sees similarities in the story she wants to publish and her own life. What will happen to Sarah? Can Jen embrace her past? Who is the author behind this story?

The book is well written and filled with a great background of the Appalachian people. I loved how the author draws her readers in with an uncanny realism of the characters. It is a story that takes you on a journey of survival and dealing with past memories. The writing is a treasure similar to a present that is unwrapped slowly to reveal a breathtaking gift. Lisa has given readers a book that will be hard to forget.