From Amazon: The Soul of Purpose shares previously unrevealed secrets about the definitive connections between spirituality, purpose, and health that will inspire and empower readers to create an individualized wellness blueprint to facilitate a healthy, purpose-filled life. In The Soul of Purpose, author Jaya Jaya Myra shares powerful secrets revealing how and why purpose is foundational to both spirituality and health. The book outlines The WELL Method approach she created for changing mindset and daily habits—and teaches readers how to create a custom purpose and wellness blueprint based on each person’s unique talents and elemental composition. Myra includes her personal story of healing naturally from fibromyalgia, anxiety, and depression to show readers what a healing process really looks like in day-to-day life, and how it is connected to purpose. In a step-by-step guide, Jaya Jaya Myra shows readers how to implement each strategy effectively, overcome obstacles associated with real personal growth and self-healing, and how to build the necessary synergy and momentum to create a fulfilled, purpose-driven, healthy life.
My Review: I knew this book was going to be good, but I didn’t know how good. One’s mindset can change in a positive manner and the energy created/changed has impacts on the physical body. I love the way God is in this novel and the brilliant way the author has brought it all together. Highly recommend this five star book.
From Amazon: It’s easy to be overlooked in Gilded Age Manhattan, but the Ella Shane Opera Company’s latest premier manages to attract adoring crowds, rave reviews, and a killer who’s a real showstopper! New York City, Fall 1899. Ahead-of-her-time coloratura mezzo Ella Shane has always known opening night to be a mess of missed cues and jittery nerves, especially when unveiling a new opera. Her production of The Princes in the Tower, based on the mysterious disappearance of Edward IV’s two sons during the Wars of the Roses in England, concludes its first performance to thunderous applause. It’s not until players take their bows that the worst kind of disaster strikes . . . Flawless basso Albert Reuter is found lurched over a bloody body in his dressing room, seemingly taking inspiration from his role as the murderous Richard III. With a disturbing homicide case stealing the spotlight, Ella can’t be so certain Albert is the one who belongs behind bars . . . Now, Ella must think on her feet while sorting out a wild series of puzzling mishaps and interlocking mysteries. Yet even when sided with her aristocratic beau, does this scrappy diva have the chops to upstage the true criminal, or will this be the last time she headlines a Broadway marquee?
My Review: Kalb has written the perfect follow up book, the second, in her Ella Shane mysteries. Set at the turn of the century in New York City, the gilded age for operas and clothing, actors and artists of all kinds, and a continuing story of love leaves one wanting to live that life and time themselves. Until, murder, 14 whacks to the neck of one male opera singer on opening night. The novel is carefully woven and I do think that one could read this book as a standalone book as enough back story is included. Five shiny gold stars!
The Virgin of the Wind Rose: A Conspiracy Thriller
By Glen Craney
(Blurb)
A Templar cryptogram has confounded scholars for centuries.
Is it a ticking cipher bomb just hours away from detonating a global war?
Rookie State Department lawyer Jaqueline Quartermane was never much good at puzzles. But now, assigned to investigate a ritual murder of an American in Ethiopia, she and a shady stolen-art hunter must solve the world’s oldest palindrome—the infamous SATOR Square—to thwart a religious conspiracy that reaches back to the Age of Discovery and an arcane monastic order of Portuguese sea explorers.
Separated by half a millennium, two espionage plots dovetail in this breakneck thriller, driven by history’s most elusive mystery….
… the shocking secret that Christopher Columbus took to the grave.
Praise:
“If you love Steve Berry, Dan Brown or Umberto Eco, you may have a new author favorite in Glen Craney.” — BESTTHRILLERS.COM
“An exciting journey across time, with more twists and turns than a strawberry Twizzler.” — QUARTERDECK MAGAZINE
A graduate of Indiana University School of Law and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Glen Craney practiced trial law before joining the Washington, D.C. press corps to write about national politics and the Iran-contra trial for Congressional Quarterly magazine. In 1996, the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences awarded him the Nicholl Fellowship prize for best new screenwriting. His debut historical novel, The Fire and the Light, was named Best New Fiction by the National Indie Excellence Awards. He is a three-time Finalist/Honorable Mention winner of Foreword Magazine’s Book-of-the-Year, a Chaucer Award winner, and a Military Writers Society of America Gold Medalist. His books have taken readers to Occitania during the Albigensian Crusade, the Scotland of Robert Bruce, Portugal during the Age of Discovery, the trenches of France during World War I, the battlefields of the American Civil War, and the American Hoovervilles of the Great Depression. He has served as president of the Southern California Chapter of the Historical Novel Society.
From Amazon: GoldenHeart How to Love Humanity is an inspiration manual for how people love. This self-help book provides strategies for you to love yourself, others, and the world. You will explore the reasons for beliefs that foster self-hatred, discouragement, and deserted dreams. Through fun self-quizzes and activities, you will assess your strengths and develop a plan for who you want to be. Ample examples of kindness show you how to give and receive love in amazing ways. By developing an understanding of self-love and caring for others, you will gain a mindfulness that will guide you to your GoldenHeart so you can fulfill your loving purpose. Earn membership in the Fellowship of the GoldenHeart—which will challenge you to own your fabulous destiny. Every chapter of GoldenHeart How to Love Humanity has an optional, interdenominational companion Bible study that examines the same themes from a spiritual standpoint to help you expand love exponentially.
My Review: Wonderful book. This novel is inspiring, to say the least. Wonderful quotes, written with the love and compassion of Jesus. Read this book for greater understanding and empathy. Then follow that with 100 acts of kindness and change the lives of two people for the better. I am on that path now. Five golden heart stars.
From Amazon: Many years have passed since their fiery high school romance… which didn’t end well for either of them. But when Jennifer McBride unintentionally reappears in Stephen Calderone’s life, it only takes a moment for him to admit he’s never gotten over her – the one true love of his life. Jen locked away her feelings for Stephen when Fate sent her down a heart-wrenching path. Now her miserable, muddled mess of a life solely consists of raising her toddler, custody battles with her obnoxious ex, and managing her stressful job. Stephen is determined to give their romance another chance, but the last thing Jen wants is to reopen old wounds. Will painful memories of their breakup continue to haunt them? Or can they finally put their past behind them and recapture their long-lost love? Long-Lost Love, Book Four in the Calderone Family Romance Series, is a story of betrayal, regret, and the emotional journey to rediscover true love.
My Review: This is the third book in this series that I’ve read. Please note: I read them out of order but each one is fine as a standalone read. This story has a bit more angst but then two people have troubles with high school events coming to the forefront with many regrets. For that reason, older teenagers are certainly an appropriate fit for this book – age 16 and up, the story might help some teens navigate high school. Plenty of laughs abound and more than one love story to be sure are entwined throughout. If you don’t know what true love is, read this book! Five shiny stars!
From Amazon: After the Fall, all is left is blood and revenge. The destruction of the perimeter, and the vanishing of Titan and Prometheus has left the Realm open to invaders. With a skeleton fleet guarding the outer rims of the solar system, all hopes of defeating the Orias queen have diminished. Now it’s about survival. But in a corner of cold dark space, hope lingers. Emmeline Augury was born to break the rules, and now a fugitive who has nothing to lose and driven by revenge, she conquers all odds and locates the second piece of the mythical device. The game is on. The pawns are set. As the power of the mythical device unravels itself, who will win? A young girl with her heart set on destroying a being as powerful as the gods themselves? Or the queen who was born to rule the seven realms? The answers lie in the wake of the Poseidon.
My Review: Right out of Gene Roddenberry’s mind! I found this book to be full of sci-fi for sure. No disappointment in that regard. Actually, this book goes beyond the imagination of Roddenberry. If you like sci-fi in space, read this novel.
on Writing Forward: Believe it or not, the words further and farther have different meanings, although people tend to use them interchangeably. And it’s no surprise, because these two words look and sound similar, and the difference in meaning is subtle. Plus there are a few circumstances when they are legitimately interchangeable. Let’s solve the […]
They sent three hundred warriors to kill one man. It wasn’t enough.
Mercia lies broken but not beaten, her alliance with Wessex in tatters.
Coelwulf, a fierce and bloody warrior, hears whispers that Mercia has been betrayed from his home in the west. He fears no man, especially not the Vikings sent to hunt him down.
To discover the truth of the rumours he hears, Coelwulf must travel to the heart of Mercia, and what he finds there will determine the fate of Mercia, as well as his own.
Trigger Warnings:
Excessive foul language, gruesome injury and battle detail
MJ Porter is the author of many historical novels set predominantly in Seventh to Eleventh-Century England, and in Viking Age Denmark. Raised in the shadow of a building that was believed to house the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia, meant that the author’s writing destiny was set. MJ Porter has also written two twentieth-century mysteries.
From Amazon: Oh, Son, I can feel your heartbeat when I’m lying in my bed, too many memories going around in my head. I can see you in my dreams, holding me, protecting me. You would text me every day, “I love you, Momma, it’s going to be alright.” MY BELOVED SON WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GO? MY PRECIOUS SON WHY DID YOU HAVE TO LEAVE ME ALL ALONE? When you think life is calm, a storm comes to wipe away your hopes and dreams. My son, Rudy Andalon passed away on March 14, 2017. He was the love of my life; I carried for 9 months–280 days, 40 weeks, and raised him to be an amazing young man. There is no love greater than the love a mother has for her child. As I write this, tears roll down my cheek, tears of joy and sorrow. I miss him so much. I’ve written this book to help me and others who lost a child get through the aching pain burning inside, and to let you know you are not alone. This book is a memoir, inspirational, and a self-help guide. I’ve searched for answers to why God took my son, and there were none to be found; why good people die young, and the mean ones live on. All I know is Rudy’s in a place where there’s no pain, just happiness–an angel up in Heaven. He leaves behind a mother, father, sister, and two nieces. I will always be brokenhearted, and will always love and adore my son. God bless him.
My Review: Heart-rending. I knew what I was getting into before I read this story, yet I did not. Having lost to children of my own, I knew I would be reading about another mother who lost her child. That said, each child loss is different. Perez takes you on an honest journey of bits and pieces of her life, and her children and husband. I related with the alcoholic spouse. I related with wanting baby to love and give hugs to, who did the same back to me. I related to having been brought up in a dysfunctional family. I related to child loss and the feelings that come forth from that. My oldest strangled on his umbilical cord in utero. I was induced knowing my baby boy was already gone. My youngest had a horrid and painful cancer battle age five and that almost finished me. Perez lost her son abruptly and unexpected. It matters not the age of a child when they die. My boys never knew going to school, a first kiss, falling in love, learning to drive, graduation, marriage, children of their own, the list is endless. Perez son was age 37. One can take the slimmest comfort in having their child do all of those “firsts” that many children do not, and having their child for 37 years. This does not diminish or undercut the loss of her son. The pain doesn’t go away. We learn to go one minute, one hour at a time. I’m grateful to have got to know her son through this book. Five stars.
From Amazon: Can a blunt pragmatist and a hopeful romantic design a perfect relationship? Caroline Winters’ architectural career is her top priority. Her Number One rule has always been ‘No Relationships’. But when she’s selected as the lead designer of the Calderone Industries office complex, that rule is put to the test when she must work with the owner’s son. He is artistic and gorgeous but why won’t he let her do the job she’s qualified to do? Charles Calderone is a connoisseur of all fine things and knows there’s more to life than just a job. His VP position in the family business has always had its challenges, but this architect is driving him to distraction. She is talented and beautiful but has the infuriating habit of confronting him on every design decision! Tempers flare and sparks fly as their professional and personal lives collide. Can they find a way to navigate through their endless power struggles to complete this project successfully? Or will both their careers end up in ruins? Designing Love, Book Three in the Calderone Family Romance series, is a smart and sassy stand-alone romcom.
My Review: This is the third book in this series I’ve read by this author. To make it clear, I’m not reading them in order and they can be read as standalone books. The romance and side romances are stunning, the settings are perfect, and I love the sheer laugh out loud moments of hilarity. A little bit feisty, okay, a bit more than a little bit, makes the perfect counterpart for the hot kissing and such. Five stars.
When Angels Fly 