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The Legend of Ava

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From Amazon:

Ava watched the hysterical girl dart in and out of the gloomy shadows cast by the dense trees that loomed in her path. As a sorceress belonging to the Heichi clan, Ava’s blessing or curse, depending on how you looked at it, was her ability to move through time. It was never self-initiated, though. She was often affected by visions of the future and then drawn to them, literally pulled from the past and taken to that moment; it could be a few years, decades or even centuries. When, why, or how? She had never been able to answer that question.

My Review:

I’ve read other books in this series and I found it nice that Logan wrote a prequel. Ava was strong and full of heart. How humans, supernaturals, and fantasies blend together in creating a well. oiled prequel in 45 pages is astounding. For those who love reading supernatural novels, this book starts you on an adventure that goes on a long way.

Out of the Shadows: A Mafia Christian Romance

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From Amazon:

Liliana Carter has been unknowingly living a lie for most of her young life. Unaware of her true identity, she has unwittingly become the mark of a lethal mob enforcer. Kristian Sokolov is Chicago’s Russian Bratva underboss and hitman. Upon following through with orders to target the innocent and unwitting Liliana, Kristian finds himself infatuated with everything he’s learned about this enigmatic young woman. As Kristian wars with himself about the feelings he is developing for his virtuous objective, a forbidden romance starts to spawn between the adept assassin and his target. Will he be able to fulfill his duty as the Bratva’s lethal enforcer or go against everything he’s been taught, to rescue this guiltless and perplexing young woman with whom he has become completely enamored?

My Review:

This novel has a fresh approach and spin on traditional Italian versus Russian mob families and members. Mob members do have a crude manner of speech, and those swear words are sprinkled liberally, although they do have asterisks in the words to help the story be less crude. The romance between one person from each side is solid. The story is solid. The best part was Lily remaining true to her faith, and Kristian went back to the faith, and Jesus, as his mother had taught him before she passed away.

Goldenheart II

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From Amazon:

Dear Reader, GoldenHeart II: We Are Your Family will love you forever. This love manual is the follow-up to GoldenHeart: How to Love Humanity, by Christina Goebel, M.A.

Written for orphans, foster children, foundlings, or lonely or discouraged people of any age, GoldenHeart II: We Are Your Family discusses topics that families share over their lifetimes with one another to learn, grow, and belong.

Unlike many books, We Are Your Family’s thirty-six international authors share their hearts so that you can revisit them any time you need acceptance, strength, encouragement, and love. This forever companion’s pages offer compassion, kindness, inspiration, motivation, and wisdom from people of a variety of ages and backgrounds about challenges you may face — which you will never again confront alone.

Though you may have lost family members and friends, or you may have never felt that you belonged to a loving family that accepted your gifts and abilities, we offer ourselves to fill your heart as lifelong companions.

My Review:

Mary Schmidt5.0 out of 5 stars 

Mary Schmidt

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2024

What an inspiring book! I loved this! Written for those kids who don’t have parents, those who suffered great loss, those with any disability, and actually everyone on Earth will benefit from this book. The book will help those with lonely hearts. Children are a big deal to me. Orphans need even more love and light. This compilation shares the human factor without hiding one single thing. By doing so, it spills forth compassion and love to all. This is a book to keep and read whenever you are feeling down.

Global Book Awards!

Hello Mary,

Congratulations on your book Her Alibi achieving BRONZE in the Global Book Awards, in the category Biographical Memoir. In the coming days, we’ll send you details of how to get hold of your digital medal and certificate, but for now, we just wanted to pass on the good news.

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From Amazon:

Visions of her Cherokeegrandmother, Cordie, flashed through Mary’s mind as her mother, Marguerite, informed her that her stepfathershot himself and was in the hospital. Oh no!

No! This can’t be! Not after the joking around at my home last night. NO!!!!Did she use me last night? She’d never use her scapegoat child. No, she couldn’t! Even Marguerite wouldn’t sink that low! Or would she? Marguerite had always been abusive and vile to most people,and especially to her children and husbands, but would she shoot Harold? 

Yet, here I was, and I had to tell the police that, yes, my mother was at my home all evening and into the night. How despicable that my mother connived her way into using me as her alibi.

This book is a true memoir drawing upon the locals and inspiration of the areas in which the author lives and works. Names of towns, places, facilities, and people are real except for three men. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is not coincidental in nature and places where events take place are from her life growing up.

Moonrise to Moonset

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From Amazon:

Beautiful photography featuring the moon, accompanied by love poetry by award-winning poets and authors Derek R. King and Julie L. Kusma.

Each piece professes love and moves the reader on a magical journey of what-ifs and eternal bliss. And, as the dedication states, “Let’s sleep through the day and rise at night. Let’s dance together in the beautiful moonlight. Let’s spend each evening under the stars and ever be in each other’s arms.”

A collection to be shared with the one you love.

My Review:

Love. The definition of love is written within these pages. The poetic form is tranquil yet mesmerizing. The words are sublime with true richness of a deep love for one another in a raw and open yet secretive verse that speaks to the mind, body, and soul. The poetry within is written in a clean manner, yet as you read, the words make sweet love. Truly, this is so.

This entry was posted on December 26, 2024. 4 Comments

Mr. Darcy’s Complex Courtship

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From Amazon:

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy’s marriage proposal comes as a shock to Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Despite the temptation to rail at him for his past injustices, she restrains herself and declines his offer with civility.

Following a heartfelt and enlightening discussion with the perplexing gentleman, Elizabeth is persuaded to judge him anew and allows him to call upon her in London. As her understanding of Darcy’s nature improves, so does her regard for him.

But Darcy’s aunt Lady Catherine confronts Elizabeth with a startling declaration: her ladyship maintains she has the means to take Pemberley away from Darcy. Could this outrageous assertion be true?

In this Regency variation of Pride & Prejudice, shocking developments and unforeseen obstacles combine to drive Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy apart. Will they manage to overcome these impediments and find their happily ever after?

My Review:

Excellent! This is my most favorite Pride and Prejudice variation that Miller has written, and I’ve read them all! I loved Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s characters, and the nice twist of Elizabeth writing books in that time period was excellent in how such matters were pre-concieved by some of the ton.

Heart of Evergreen! New Release!!!

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Heart of Evergreen
NEW! Released on Christmas Day!
https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Evergreen-L-Schmidt-ebook/dp/B0DR69LRC2/
Dmitry wasn’t sure what to do…his handler stateside was dead…no intel…even worse was the fact that the Russian agent who’d infiltrated Scotland Yard had news…Olga Pasternak had been caught placing a chipped frame onto a painting in London at the art gallery…that intel was unsettling to put it mildly…he needed that chip! He needed Olga Pasternak doing her part…now he was fully alone…Olga Pasternack was kept locked up somewhere…and she could break…the complications maddened him…he must stay calm…be the Russian you were born to be…the one heavily trained in special tactics and more…the expert…keep that persona inside and remain the nice, rich, oligarch from Russia…that he could do with aplomb…until the oligarch above him stopped funding him…and that would mean only one thing…he would then be on that Russians’ hit list…best not think about that overly much… his own oligarch money sat nicely in a Swiss bank account under a holding company that was untouchable. Russia could do absolutely nothing about his Swiss bank account. Yet he WAS touchable!!! It was the last Thursday in May, a lovely day in the mountains, and he wondered if he would ever see the mountains again…or daylight, for that matter…or Susan Davis…he’d come to love her…at age 30, his budding romance with Suz, a gorgeous 25-year-old, green-eyed redhead who was a perfect angel…his angel…she painted like an angel…in watercolor…he would never see her again…he’d come to love her…love…True Love…now that part of his life was over…again…he wouldn’t see any of the people he’d come to know and truly cared about during his time spent in Evergreen…so many regrets…he’d come to care deeply for the children as well…he was racked with grief for what was not to be…and for his numerous regrets… New Release!

“Just when the action slows down, boom, the world of espionage takes a different twist and turn throughout the Denver Federal Center, NORAD, and the Denver International Airport!”
~ Excerpt Editorial Review #NewRelease #BooksWorthReading

This entry was posted on December 23, 2024. 2 Comments

Our Dinosaurs

Book Link:

From Amazon:

From towering predators to armored behemoths, explore the remarkable diversity of dinosaurs and their unique adaptations…

Dive into the prehistoric world of “Our Dinosaurs: Discoveries, Distinctions, & More” and embark on an extraordinary journey through time. From the dawn of Earth’s formation to the twilight of the Mesozoic Era, this captivating book offers a panoramic view of the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods, where giants once roamed and ruled.

Uncover the mysteries of Paleontology as you explore the fascinating realms of Saurischian and Ornithischian Dinosaurs. From the fearsome predators of the Theropoda and the colossal herbivores of the Sauropodomorpha to the majestic Ceratopsia, formidable Ankylosauria, and graceful Ornithopoda, witness the incredible diversity and distinctiveness of these ancient creatures.

Discover where dinosaurs are now and unravel the tales of the pioneering dinosaur hunters who traversed uncharted lands in the 1800s and 1900s, laying the groundwor
k for modern paleontological discoveries. Meet the trailblazers of today who continue to unearth new fossils and push the boundaries of our understanding of the prehistoric past.

Packed with mesmerizing artist representations, engaging activities, and some coloring pages, “Our Dinosaurs” offers an immersive experience for dinosaur enthusiasts of all ages. This book is sure to spark your imagination and ignite your passion for these ancient marvels.

My Review:

Dinosaurs! This book is all about everything to do with dinosaurs! What a wonderful book for kids and adults! With dinosaurs come different periods of time, huge amounts of time, shown on graphics, and the names of each dinosaur, which mom and dad can help pronounce. Learning about each dinosaur and the time frames they lived in, and perfect for the entire family!

And Then You Were Gone

Book Link

From Amazon:

And Then You Were Gone

Nina, a popular fantasy author, maintains a reclusive existence. Aside from Nina’s work, her primary focus is her daughter, Sophie.

Incessant bullying at school and a public, mortifying falling out with another girl sparks a downward spiral in Sophie’s emotional state.

Nina watches helplessly as her daughter appears to be unable to move past this unfortunate event. Nina grows so consumed with Sophie’s suffering that she loses her desire to write. How does one help a teenage daughter in torment?

But then Nina has an idea—an unorthodox method to help her daughter. She is going to write a story—bringing in a special character into Sophie’s life. As the author, Nina can control the outcome of the story. Or can she?

As fiction and reality blur, Nina realizes that things have gotten out of hand. Is her story the blessing she hoped for or a curse she never expected?

Read this riveting and hauntingly poignant tale to find out more.

My Review:

Life… This was an insightful read into the complex lives of a mother, a daughter, friends, and a bully. Adolescence can be a tough time for many, and with that comes differences between a mother and her daughter. No child should be bullied. Many bullied kids don’t tell anyone about being bullied, and some kids take their own lives as they are desperate in how they feel. The bullied teen in this story did not take her own life. This story has all the feels, both good and bad. Coping mechanisms such as forgetting what one did happened. The story is short and read easily.