Review: Gone Country by Hunter Snow

 

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Description:

“Two worlds. One accidental hit song. The stage is set for the ultimate showdown.

Jamie Keaton is a rock star with a reputation as fiery as her songs. Clayton Langley is a country singer who epitomizes Southern charm.

Their paths were never supposed to cross—let alone collide—but when a chance encounter forces them to collaborate on a song, she’s suddenly thrust into his universe of cowboy boots and steel-string guitars.

As old resentments and undeniable chemistry simmer beneath the surface, Jamie must decide whether to embrace the unfamiliar world she’s been dragged into—or to stoke the fire of their rivalry and watch everything burn.”

Author:

“Hunter Snow survived (just barely) a wild ride through the music industry and now channels those experiences into writing rock and roll romances from her home in the Pacific Northwest.”

Appraisal:

While there are some serious things going on in this story including the romance, it is also funny in so many ways. For a fan of music (yes, even that twangy country stuff) as well being a person who likes to laugh and be a bit of a smart … well, you know … this book was one of the most fun and enjoyable reads I’ve devoured in a while. I’m glad I decided to give it a try.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adultish language and content.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 95-100,000 words

Review: The Lightning in the Collied Night by David Backman

 

Genre: Science Fiction

Description:

This novel is set mainly some 30 years into the future, moving further into the future towards the end. The nearness of the book’s future is germane. It enables the author to think critically about the state we’re in now, by extrapolating the state we will have got ourselves into in another 30 years. Said state is so dire that, when a possibility of taking a peek 100 years into the future presents itself, there are those who leap at the chance. That’s the first half of the book: hard SF.

The second half of the book takes a massive swerve from that path. Much of it is to do with a rather wonderful Hawai’ian philosophy: Ho o’ponopono, but there is more which I cannot talk about without dropping significant spoilers.

Author:

This is David Backman’s first novel, although he has hitherto written many fact-based publications. This shows in his confident prose. His first degree was in Mathematics and his career was in IT. When he retired he decided to turn his attention to this work, which had been nagging at his synapses for years. He has done much research to bring this book to publication, and it shows to good effect.

Appraisal:

The first half of this book is 5* quality. The hard SF is first class, the astrophysics plausible; the US politics which (of course) go hand in hand with top secret, high quality research such as is described, well explained; the state of the planet all-too plausible; the world very familiar to a present day readership. (Many of his sources are given at the end of the book: there are A Lot.) The story is fascinating, characterisation is good, plotting moves at a goodly clip.

Then the story takes, not one swerve, nor two, but three. The author describes these as ‘a couple of big twists’. This reviewer found it increasingly difficult to keep up with the twisters. Pace does not flag. It’s just that you may wonder, at times, if you’re still reading the same book.

I did get slightly frustrated by the author’s need to describe every character at first meeting, what they are wearing on that and all subsequent occasions, and what quotidian thing they may be doing while explaining how they’re going to save the world. The descriptions are pithy, but add them all up and it does become a bit ‘here we go again’. I know some readers like this kind of detail, and mundane action has its place, and once you’ve started you have to carry through.

I read and watch a lot of SF. And I didn’t find the timeline in this book (which is crucial) as easy to follow as I had expected. Signposts to when we currently are have to be sought (they are there, but using them gives rise to … you’ve guessed it … spoilers). I enjoyed the ‘Easter Eggs’ hidden (references to classic SF, written and filmic) in the book that I could ‘get’, but some of them remained opaque to me.

I picked this book for review from the title The Lightning in the Collied Night, which the author explains at the beginning is a quote from William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Collied? Not a word in everyday use. When I’d thought about it, I was sure it was basically the same word as colliery, and so it is. Although the dictionary defines it as ‘dirty’ rather than my own preference, which would be ‘black’. But I will put a small wager on you not coming across it again except in a coal-mining context ever again.

This novel is worth your time. It is a bit of a curate’s egg – but then, it is a first novel. It is certainly a 4* read overall. It is consistently interesting and its plot drives forward. It has much to say about the way we are, planetarily speaking, living waaay beyond our means. Because of those swerves I mention above, it doesn’t offer any solutions – but that would be a Big Ask which is still beyond our current governments and science communities. It does, however, offer Ho o’ponopono. And that’s just wonderful.

STOP PRESS: a second edition of this novel now supercedes this, first, edition.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

None in this ARC review copy

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: Judi Moore

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words

Review: Lula Mae by Charlene Raddon

 

Genre: Historical/Romance

Description:

“Lula May Rivers' mission to reach Cheyenne, Wyoming, and rescue her niece is derailed when she's left penniless after a brutal robbery. Desperate and determined, she disguises herself as a young boy named Lou and sneaks into the baggage car of a train bound for Cheyenne.

Fate takes a dramatic turn when U.S. Marshal Gannon Calloway discovers Lou. Anticipating another robbery, he offers her refuge aboard the train. Impressed by Lou's skill with a whip, Gannon enlists her help, unaware that she harbors dangerous secrets of her own. Their journey takes a perilous twist as a killer, whom Gannon once put behind bars, escapes and is on a relentless path to Cheyenne seeking vengeance against a female witness.

As tensions escalate, Gannon faces a stunning revelation: Lou is not a boy but a captivating woman, and the witness the convict seeks to eliminate is none other than her. Forced to work together, they must race against time to catch the vengeful convict. Along the way, an unexpected romance blossoms, revealing that sometimes, the heart has plans of its own.”

Author:

Charlene Raddon knew she wanted to be an author since elementary school and has a long career writing books with her first novel being published in 1990 with numerous others being published since.

Appraisal:

Wow. I’ve got to confess that while I’ve read quite a few books in the romance genre in my day and a least a few historical westerns, even some that combine both like this one, neither fits my preferred genres. Yet I’ve also come to realize that stretching my wings and reading books outside of my normal genres is a good idea so I gave this one a try. I’m glad I did. It took me to a different time and on a grand adventure with a couple of characters (take that any way you want and it will fit) with Lula Mae and Gannon. An extremely fun read.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 40-45,000 words

Reprise Review: The Redemption of Michael Hollister by Shawn Inmon

 

Genre: Time Travel

Description:

“All Michael Hollister wanted was death.

What he got, was time travel.

Convicted of murder, and with nothing left to live for, Michael commits suicide in his jail cell in 1977, then opens his eyes in 1966, in his eight-year-old body, all memories of his previous life intact.

His first thoughts are of the dark intentions of his father. When the man who raised him once again tries to do the unthinkable, Michael has a chance to right his childhood's greatest wrong. But, can he do that without becoming a killer all over again?”

Author:

“Have you ever noticed how almost every author on Amazon is both a ‘bestselling’ and ‘award winning’ author? Well, so is Shawn Inmon. He once dominated the Lithuanian Clog Dancing Romance category for two heady days back in 2013. He also was named third runner up in Mrs. Marsh's third grade spelling bee in 1968. Somewhere, he still has the certificate to prove it. Although he has never matched either of these two career highlights, he keeps plugging away.

Shawn hails from Mossyrock, Washington--the setting for his first two books, Feels Like the First Time, and Both Sides Now.

He is a full-time author who lives in picturesque Seaview, Washington on the Pacific Ocean.”??

Appraisal:

This book is being billed as the second in the “Middle Falls Time Travel series.” The first, The Unusual Second Life of Thomas Weaver, had as its protagonist a character who died and found himself in a new life, kind of. He’d wake up as the same person, taken back in time to when he was a kid, but with all the knowledge of what he’d done in his past life or lives. Maybe a better term would be a “do over.” In that book Thomas had a classmate, Michael Hollister. If you’ve read the book you’ll know Michael wasn’t a very nice person. In fact, he was Oregon’s most prolific serial killer.

With that introduction to Michael you might wonder how he could possibly redeem himself. But when Michael finds a way to “end it all” while in prison, then wakes up in his boyhood bed in his boyhood home he’s smart enough to recognize the chance he’s been given. That’s the easy part. The hard part is figuring out what to do differently this time around.

The author does a masterful job of taking a character that was irredeemable to those who read the prior book and somehow redeeming him. Not excusing him for the crimes he committed in his past life, but helping us to understand how he got to that point and drawing us into the story so that we were pulling for Michael to find a different path for his life the next time around. The premise of the books in this series of being given another chance is an interesting mind exercise that makes for entertaining books. Well done, Mr. Inmon.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words

Review: Bite Sized Fiction by Robbie Sheerin

 

Genre: Short Story Collection

Description:

“This collection features five sci-fi stories, from cops hunting humanoid robots in Blade Runners 2039, to the shocking truth behind the Titanic in Ships Colliding in the Night. In Defrosting H.G. Wells, the legendary author is thrust 200 years into the future, awakening on a human-colonized planet—and questioning what became of Earth and its inhabitants.

The other five tales explore the intricacies of the human mind and heart: aging parents, childhood trauma, and mental health. A daughter is haunted by her controlling mother in Just Ignore Me. In The Incredible Broken Mind, a retired naval officer recalls the Black Plague with incredible detail, but not everything is what it appears. Concerns and Sandcastles captures a child's quiet worry about his parents’ love, while What Dangers Lay Beyond That Barrier of Mahogany Wood delves into the isolated world of a man battling agoraphobia. Award-winning writer Robbie Sheerin weaves humor, pathos, and surprise into every story—each one a twist-filled journey through imagination and emotion.”

Author:

“Robbie Sheerin is an award-winning Scottish author who lives in the USA. He has been published in various journals and online platforms. He is a quality manager and lives with his wife and crazy dog in the Boston area. He has one daughter. He can be found on his website Robbiesheerinwriter.”

Appraisal:

This small collection of short stories was a fun read. The mix of sci-fi and more general fiction was a nice mix. But what really stood out for me was how the author found a way to end many of the stories in a way that surprised me, yet felt like the correct ending, even if I didn’t see it coming. The “bite sized” stories are a nice change of pace to read in between a couple long novels that are my normal reading diet.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

A few more proofing misses than I’d like to see in a book this size, but not quite enough to impact my overall rating.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 14-15,000 words

Review: Target Pool by S. A. Black

 

Genre: Technothriller

Description:

“When ad exec Diana Lane scores a hot new sales lead, it seems like her string of bad luck has come to an end. But the new ad campaign exhibits odd behavior, prompting Lane to suspect it's linked to a recent assassination attempt by political extremists. As she investigates whether the client's ads are being used to distribute surveillance software, Diana is torn between looking the other way for an easy payout and risking her own life by trying to uncover the truth.

In this debut novel by a real advertising technology exec, the mechanics of the surveillance economy are laid bare. Inspired in part by real life events and actual technology vulnerabilities, Target Pool examines how advertising exists in a grey area between necessary — and necessary evil.”

Author:

“S. A. Black is a veteran leader in the advertising industry. Target Pool is their first novel.”

Appraisal:

This book gets you thinking in lots of ways, from advertising in general and how it works, to how it feels like we’re being targeted for ads on social media (okay, are being, it isn’t just a feeling). Then we throw in the current thing that is giving people concerns, for good reason, artificial intelligence and how that might figure into this. The result is something that should get you thinking, put you on guard, and just might make you feel a little bit paranoid, but justifiably so.

But woven in with this scary stuff is a lot of fun stuff. I’ve never been surfing nor will I ever be doing that, but the protagonist is an avid surfer and you’ll feel like you’re on the waves with her at times which is quite an adventure. If you love the city of San Francisco and surrounding area as much as I do then the descriptions of it as the protagonist enjoys her city and describes different parts of it will pull you in. If you aren’t already a SF lover, this might help you realize that you’ve been missing out and want to visit someday. This all helped offset as well as contrast with the more intense parts of the book and helped make the story even better.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of proofreading misses.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 50-55,000 words

Review: Menagerie in the Dark: Stories by Chris Kauzlarich

 

Genre: Short Story Collection/Speculative Fiction

Description:

“In Menagerie in the Dark, Chris Kauzlarich immerses us in a speculative journey that explores the darker aspects of the human condition before bringing us back to the surface with the light of a new day. Through fourteen stories, this menagerie of characters faces trials of sorrow, death, loneliness, regret, deception, murder, delight, wonderment, and bliss, revealing what will either strengthen them enough to survive or plunge them to their demise. A boy’s home burns down, forcing him to confront a terrifying new world. A man enters a door where he witnesses his wife’s death, leaving him devastated; yet, he cannot stop returning to the scene, convinced he can save her. A nurse’s patients continue to perish under her care, but she harbors a dark secret—an administered cocktail for nefarious purposes.

These and other stories will stretch the limits of your emotions, from heartbreak to horror, leaving you yearning for more.”

Author:

Chris Kauzlarich lives with his husband and daughter, splitting their time between Chicago and Naples, Florida or traveling in their RV. He’s also written a horror novel called Lazarus.

Appraisal:

These were stories that were entertaining, thought provoking. While the characters often go through difficult things I still found myself amused and laughing at some of the stories, at least when they resolved in an unexpected and good way.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some mildly adult-ish content.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on an advance copy, so I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Review: The Regression Strain by Kevin Hwang

 Genre: Thriller.

Description:

“Dr. Peter Palma joins the medical team of the Paradise to treat passengers for minor ailments as the cruise ship sails across the Atlantic. But something foul is festering under the veneer of leisure. The brig fills with felons, the morgue with bodies, and the vacation becomes a nightmare.

Peter and his staff face a vile affliction that pits loved ones against each other and shatters the bonds of civil society.

With the ship hurtling towards an unprepared New York, only Peter can neutralize the threat, but he’s hallucinating and delirious.

And sometimes primal urges are impossible to resist.

The Regression Strain is a fast-paced, cerebral medical thriller that'll grab you from the first to the last page.”

Author:

“Kevin O. Hwang, MD, is a professor of internal medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston where he sees patients and teaches residents. His academic work has appeared in leading medical journals.”

Appraisal:

This was a fun read. Dr Palma, the doctor who is the protagonist of this story, thought being the doctor on a cruise ship would be much less stressful than his last job. It was a great theory, but turns out to be far from the reality of what he experiences in this little adventure he finds himself in. What was going to happen next and how it was going to work out in the end kept me engaged and guessing the whole way. A fun read.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 65-90,000 words

Reprise Review: Shadowed Places by Smoky Zeidel

 Genre: Short Story Collection

Description:

A collection of 4 short stories.

Author:

“Smoky Zeidel is a novelist and poet, whose love of the natural world is thematic in all she writes. She taught writing and creativity workshops for many years at venues throughout the Midwest before--in lieu of having a midlife crisis when she turned 50--she succumbed to her bohemian urges and moved to Southern California. Her work has earned her five nominations for the prestigious Pushcart Prize.

Smoky lives in the Coachella Valley, which is part of the vast Colorado Desert in Southern California, with her husband Scott, two cats, and a Chihuahua named Tufa (who considers herself the Boss of Everything). She is an avid desert gardener, an orchid grower, and monarch caterpillar rancher. When she isn't writing, she spends her time hiking in the mountains and deserts with Scott, creating funky yard art, and resisting the urge to speak in haiku.”

Appraisal:

Four short stories with four very different protagonists. But each is going through something difficult and is doing what they deem as best for them. That and a dark edge are two things these stories have in common. Being entertaining, thought-provoking, and well written are three more commonalities. If you’re a fan of the short story form and looking for a few good ones, this collection would be a good choice.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 9-10,000 words

Review: Dark Presence by John Turiano

 

Genre: Thriller/Paranormal

Description:

“It was never an easy life, but when Kimbra's best friend is killed it takes a bizarre turn for the worst. An old boyfriend is a suspect in the murder, but when she seeks the help of a psychic, another person winds up dead.

As Kimbra digs deeper, she suspects a connection with her job researching paranormal phenomena. An experimental drug giving people paranormal powers is being tested and it soon leads to terrifying consequences. Test subjects are sending signals telepathically, controlling their victims thoughts. The drug is causing people to change.

Someone is stalking Kimbra and killing the people around her. But who, and why? There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no one to trust. Dark Presence is one thriller you won't want to miss!”

Author:

The author of a few speculative fiction novels as well as a non-fiction camping guide, John Turiano lives in western New York with his wife.

Appraisal:

This story not only kept me on edge, but guessing where things were headed. What was going on and who or what was responsible would seem so obvious, and then something would change, I would realize my guess was wrong, and the answer would be a mystery again. The only thing that remained the same throughout was I was pulling for Kimbra to make it through this challenging time. All in all, a good read.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A small amount of adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

Not quite enough proofing issues to impact my rating, but right on the edge of doing so.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 90-95,000 words