Book Title: Leningrad: The People’s War

Series: (Leningrad, Book 1)

Author: Rachel R. Heil

Publication Date: February 5, 2021

Publisher: Independently Published

Page Length: 326 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance

Twitter Handles: @HeilRachelR @maryanneyarde

Instagram Handles: @rachelrheil @coffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #WorldWarII #Leningrad #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2022/01/blog-tour-leningrad-peoples-war.html

Book Title and Author Name:

Leningrad: The People’s War

(Leningrad, Book 1)

By Rachel R. Heil

Blurb

Leningrad, 1941. As Europe crumbles under the German war machine, the people of the Soviet Union watch. There are whispers of war but not loud enough for the civilians of Leningrad to notice. Instead, they keep their heads down and try to avoid the ever-watching eyes of their own oppressive government.

University student Tatiana Ivankova tries to look ahead to the future after a family tragedy that characterizes life under the brutal regime. But, when the rumors that have been circulating the country become a terrifying reality, Tatiana realizes that the greatest fear may not be the enemy but what her fellow citizens are prepared to do to each other to survive.

As his men plow through the Russian countryside, Heinrich Nottebohm is told to follow orders and ask no questions, even if such commands go against his own principles. His superiors hold over him a past event that continues to destroy him with every day that passes. But, when given the opportunity to take an act of defiance, Heinrich will jump at the chance, ignoring what the end results could be.

Leningrad: The People’s War tells the harrowing beginning of a war that forever changed the landscape of a city, told through the eyes of both sides in a tale of courage, love, and sacrifice.

EXCERPT 2:

“What happened?” Tatiana asked nervously. “Was someone arrested?”

“No, no one was arrested,” Leonid quickly reassured her. Nothing scared the family more than the news that someone they knew had been taken into custody. Taking a breath, he elaborated, “I went out this morning to get a newspaper, but the police were telling everyone to go back home and stay there. Only government officials are allowed out.”

Tatiana was unmoved. For some reason, her father’s story didn’t scare her.

Alexandra poked his arm. “Tell her what else you saw.”

Leonid didn’t seem open to the idea but since Alexandra had mentioned it, he added, “On my way back I saw two army vehicles carrying various men in uniforms. Army uniforms.”

While it was not uncommon to see men in the Navy in Leningrad, spotting members of the army was unusual. What was that all about?

“Did you hear anything as to why they’re here?” Tatiana asked cautiously.

“No. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“It’s another purge.” Alexandra walked over to the window, one hand on her forehead and the other in a fist on her hip.

“There’s not going to be a purge,” Leonid said harshly.

Tatiana thought of how they could find out. “Has the radio said anything?”

“We could turn it on,” Leonid offered.

“What’s the point?” Alexandra bemoaned. “All it is…is propaganda!”

Ignoring his wife’s cries, Leonid went into their living room where their small, brown radio sat. He switched the dial on and fixed it to the main channel, which was playing the usual morning music. As Leonid went over to Alexandra and whispered quiet assurances, Tatiana returned upstairs to get dressed.

Her father’s story was strange. Why were the police stopping them from leaving their houses, and why were army officers in Leningrad? The more she thought about it, the more Tatiana began to fear what her mother suspected.

Stepping out of her bedroom and closing the door, she found Manya in the middle of the hall, clutching her doll with blond hair and a pink and white dress that Alexandra had sewn for her.

“What’s going on?” She squeaked.

“What do you mean?” Tatiana decided it was best to pretend like nothing was happening. Last thing the family needed was for Manya to be afraid.

“Mama and Papa have been talking all morning.” Manya’s grip on her doll grew tighter.

“Oh, Papa just saw some army people, that’s all,” she distorted the truth.

“Why is the army here?” Manya seemed more intrigued than scared.

“I don’t know.”

Desperate to get away from the questions, Tatiana went downstairs to make breakfast. As she finished, she looked at the clock in the kitchen. It was twenty minutes to noon.

While eating in silence in the dining room, Tatiana heard someone rumbling about upstairs. Five minutes later, Dmitri jogged down the stairs dressed, undoubtedly expecting to meet up with some friends at one of the cafes.

“Morning, dear sister,” Dmitri greeted with his signature smile.

“Morning,” Tatiana muttered.

“Why the long face?”

Dmitri went into the kitchen. “Something is going on.”

“Like what?” He returned to the dining room with a glass of water, which he downed in several gulps.

“Papa said the police are telling people to stay inside and he saw army officers entering the city.”

Dmitri twisted his mouth as he thought. “Well, the staying inside is strange, but I don’t see anything unusual with army officers. We do have some stationed here.”

“Papa made it sound like he’s never seen these officers before.”

Dmitri raised an eyebrow. “And Papa knows every officer in Leningrad?”

Tatiana didn’t feel like arguing. She just wanted someone to reassure her that everything was fine.

Alexandra hustled from the living room to the dining room. “Comrade Molotov is making a speech at noon.”

“Why is Molotov talking and not dear uncle Stalin?” Dmitri asked sarcastically.

“Who knows, my child.” Their mother looked white. “We’re going to listen. Come join us if you like.”

Tatiana finished her breakfast and took her dishes into the kitchen. As she headed for the living room, she stopped by the staircase and saw Dasha descending, rubbing her eyes.

“What is with all the noise down here?” She demanded. “It’s as if a herd of elephants came through.”

“Something is going on,” Tatiana explained. “Comrade Molotov is going to give a speech in a few minutes.”

“On what?” Dasha sounded exasperated.

“We don’t know.”

Leaving Dasha to stew, Tatiana sat down next to the radio while her parents sat on the small, off-white couch. Dmitri leaned against the doorframe while Dasha dragged her feet and sat in the matching chair. A minute before the speech commenced, Manya walked in and curled up next to Alexandra, who wrapped a comforting arm around her.

When the last song finished, there was silence with some static before Comrade Molotov’s flat, unemotional voice filled the house. “Men and women, citizens of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Government and Comrade Stalin have instructed me to make the following announcement.” He paused for a moment. “At four a.m., without declaration of war and without any claims being made on the Soviet Union, German troops attacked our country—attacked our frontier in many places—and bombed from the air Zhitomir, Kiev, Sevastopol, Kaunas, and other cities.”

Tatiana’s breath caught in her throat, followed by a sensation of not being able to find air. The world had seemingly stopped moving.

“Attacked?” Dasha whispered.

“By the Germans,” Dmitri grunted.

Alexandra looked at him. “Dmitri.”

“Quiet, all of you,” Leonid hushed.

“This attack,” Molotov continued, “has been made despite the fact that there was a nonaggression pact between the Soviet Union and Germany, the terms of which were scrupulously observed by the Soviet Union.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Dmitri muttered.

“Enough.” Alexandra wagged a finger at him.

“We have been attacked.” Molotov’s voice seemed to fail but quickly recovered. “During the period of the pact, the German Government had not made the slightest complaint about the U.S.S.R not carrying out its obligations.”

Manya looked up at her mother. “What pact?”

“Please be quiet, darling.”

Tatiana’s head felt heavy. All this information came faster than she could process. How could they have been attacked? Why hadn’t the army stopped them?

“The government,” Molotov gathered some strength, “calls upon you, men and women citizens of the Soviet Union, to rally even more closely around the glorious Bolshevik Party, around the Soviet Government, and our great leader, Comrade Stalin. Our cause is just. The enemy will be crushed. Victory will be ours.”

The radio went silent. No one said a word.

Tatiana could hear ringing in her ears as if an explosion had gone off nearby.

Only when the radio began to play a song about loyalty to the Soviet Union did Leonid speak. “Tatiana, turn that off please.”

The ringing ceased and with fumbling fingers, she switched it off.

“Attacked?” Dasha’s voice was shaky.

Dmitri shook his head. “I knew this would happen.”

“How did you know?” Dasha demanded.

“Why didn’t Comrade Stalin talk to us?” Manya looked to Alexandra for answers.

“It was inevitable, Dasha,” Dmitri answered. “Half of Europe is now under the Germans. Hitler hates Communism. And you know what? I welcome it.”

“You welcome the Germans?” Dasha’s voice was nearly a shriek.

“How could you not?” Dmitri leaned towards her. “Do you remember what they did—”

“That’s enough, Dmitri,” Leonid jumped in.

“We can’t go to war.” Alexandra’s eyes were filled with tears. “What will become of us?”

“Why did the army not defend us?” Tatiana added her voice.

“It sounds like it was a surprise attack,” Leonid commented.

“Surprise?” Dmitri’s eyes widened. “Please. Stalin probably let them in.”

“Dmitri,” Dasha said, “why in God’s name—”

“Don’t use God’s name.” Their mother scolded.

“Sorry, Mama,” Dasha hastily added. “Why on earth would Stalin let the Germans invade? It makes no sense.”

“Probably so Stalin could reduce the population a bit more.” Dmitri shoved his hands in his pockets. “Saves him the trouble of coming up with an excuse as to why there are so many dead bodies.”

Manya began to sob. “Mama, I don’t want to die!”

“Both of you stop it.” Leonid stood up and looked directly at his two oldest children. “You’re scaring your sister.”

“We should all be scared!” Dmitri proclaimed.

“Are you finished?” Leonid snarled.

Dmitri pursued his lips but was quiet.

As Manya’s cries died away, Alexandra stood up with her. “I’m putting Manya in her room to calm down and then I’m going to the grocery store.”

“Why?” Tatiana blurted.

Her mother gazed into her eyes. “We’re at war, Tatiana. We need to get food while we still can.”

Buy Links:

This novel is available on #KindleUnlimited.

Universal Link: mybook.to/LeningradWar

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08PMM3NX6

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PMM3NX6

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08PMM3NX6

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08PMM3NX6

Author Bio:

Rachel R. Heil

Rachel R. Heil is a historical fiction writer who always dreamed of being an author. After years of dreaming, she finally decided to turn this dream into a reality with her first novel, and series, Behind the Darkened Glass. Rachel is an avid history fan, primarily focused on twentieth century history and particularly World War Two-era events. In addition to her love for history, Rachel loves following the British Royal Family and traveling the world, which only opens the door to learning more about a country’s history. Rachel resides in Wisconsin.

Social Media Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeilRachelR

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RachelRHeil

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-heil-90bbb6119/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelrheil/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/rachel-r-heil

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Rachel-R-Heil/e/B07MY8DZT8Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18802162.Rachel_R_Heil

Please welcome Stephen Geez to my blog. Hello, Stephen, nice to have you here this morning. Shall we have a chat? Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.

I’m Stephen Geez, author of novels in various genres, the GeezWriter How-to series for authors, oodles of scripts for television and other media, a collection of 54 mini-memoir essays, and the book I’m touting today, Comes This Time to Float: 19 Short Stories by Stephen Geez. I’m also the founder and publisher at Fresh Ink Group where I do cover design; editing; web development; trailer and video production; audiobook production; and international publishing of hard, soft, and eBooks.

Has writing always been part of your life and when did you “know” that it was time to start writing your first book?

During grad school I started establishing non-profits and setting up multi-million-dollar outreach programs for at-risk populations. I excelled at this for seven years but got too creatively itchy, so I transitioned into being a TV producer and eventually executive producer while also composing and producing music for television as a keyboard player. On the side, I wrote a short story (now lost), then wrote my first novel, Dance of the Lights. I set up Fresh Ink (not yet Group, LLC) to manage my literary contracts. Frustrated with traditional publishing’s lack of say-so and low payouts, I transitioned to Fresh Ink Group as a full publisher and media-production company. By then I had three novels already published, so when I got the rights back, I took them to FIG, which encouraged me to write more. Writing for print was always a side thing for me. It seems to have become that again, as I spend my non-FIG time composing music, intending to record an album of my own. A car wreck in November fractured both hands in twelve places, and both hands now have permanent damage, but I’m learning to play again with a thumb that won’t bend and a little finger that won’t fit next to the other fingers. I’m making it work. Watch for that album next year!

How difficult was it writing your first book?

Well, not at all. One of my B.A.s is English Language & Literature (Michigan), so I’ve long studied the art. I did make some mistakes with POV in my first few books, but my new agent explained some things I was missing, and I went on to study POV quite a bit (and wrote a how-to on it!), so I’m feeling good about my skills there now. “First book” sort of assumes the first of many similar, but in my case every new book project (except a series) is intentionally written in a very different style than I’ve used before. That’s the fun for me, developing a new voice and new methods. That means some have been more difficult than others, depending on what I was stretching into.

Have you ever wanted to give up and what stopped you?

Not give up, no. I’m tenacious and would rather find five readers who get what I’m saying than a thousand who really don’t. With me it’s more of interests shifting. The only writing I’m doing right now is scripts, blurbs, etc. for FIG-author projects, focusing mostly on composing music. However, I have an out-of-print series that I’m editing and updating, so I’m still working on my own novels. I’m really thinking about ramping up FIG’s video production (had a meeting about equipment today) and maybe exploring short-fiction videos for YouTube and other outlets. I would script those myself or work on scripts with Beem Weeks, FIG’s chief video producer.

Who is the most supportive of you and your dream to be a writer?

For “supportive,” there are many, but I’ll narrow it to Beem here at FIG. He’s the only one I trust to run my stories by. If the word is “encouraging,” I’d say the occasional fan note or posted review where the reader really got what I was doing and appreciated it. I’ve never had a bad review. I could cite a bunch of examples but check out Peacekeeper’s review of my Papala Skies. How could a review like that NOT encourage an author?

Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

My biggest guiding principle has been using stories or essays to “say something.” There’s nothing wrong with a rip-roarer about catching the bad guy or exacting revenge or escaping the beast, but my stories all try to say something I consider important about human nature, life, values, relationships, and more. Of course, that means it’s mostly what I prefer to read—any genre but make a point with nuance and style.

What is the best advice given to you (book or otherwise), and by whom?

I’ve thought about this my whole life, and I’ve collected (but really need to write down) a couple of dozen examples of life-altering advice for which I will always be grateful. Most relevant to being an author: I was at Michigan doing a B.A. in psych but also taking extra lit classes because I was there were world-class experts were at my disposal. The head of the English Department approached me and said he normally doesn’t sponsor students unless someone really impresses him, and would I like him to be my sponsor—the staffer in charge of guiding my academic path. I thanked him but said I’m not planning an English concentration. Disappointed, he urged me to do both. Well, that’s 154 credits in eight semesters instead of 132, a buttload of work. His advice: “It’s worth the extra work because there is nothing, no career, no path you follow that will not be more successful if you are also an excellent communicator.” I did the double B.A. and an M.A. Everything I’ve done, even the public-service years, were aided by my writing and communication skills. The biggest irony? I retired from agency TV production and wound up running a publishing company where I also write books. Go figure.

What is your target audience and what aspect of your writing do you feel targets that audience?

Perceptive, literary readers. Being able to discern that the entire tale is allegory, recognizing the metaphors, appreciating the cool finesse in my POV techniques—these are my people. I can spot them in their reviews. They get it. If slasher-stalking-teens stories are your thing, I’m happy you read and enjoy and find what you like, but you’re not likely drawn to my writing. If I wrote a slasher-teens story, I’d wind up making it literary and bury all kinds of meaning in there.

Did the cover evolve the same way, or did you work with someone to make it come together for you?

At FIG we work with freelancers and stock imagery for covers, but our staff digital artist, Anik, always impresses me with his work, so I kept it in-house, him on art, me on titles and layout. The concept is based on the eponymous short story in the collection. A depressed old woman returns to the scene of her childhood happiness to commit suicide. The boy she liked back then had taught her that when you’re trying to cross the stream (or wade upstream—a metaphor), sometimes you’re going to lose your footing. You either panic and flail and drown, or you accept that it’s time to float and learn to make floating work for you. I’ve had to choose “float” many times in my life, as have all of you. So, I asked Anik to paint ME (name is on my shirt in case you’re not clear who that is) floating in an electric stream (not too literal) flowing into the distance. Anik painted the covers for your blogger’s When Angels Fly and Sammy: Hero at Age Five. With a resource like that and my own design abilities, why go anywhere else

What are you working on now? Can we get a peek, an excerpt?

Decades ago, I published the first two books in my The Fixer series, but my contract got sold to a different publisher before I finished the third book. Since then, that name has been co-opted by other books and a movie, so I’m updating them as Rich Mr. Fixx, shooting for year’s end on both releases. Fixx is Sean, a young filthy-rich socially awkward guy who lost his family and was raised by his late father’s Jamaican biz partner. Friend Foster runs their biz empires where Sean is so low-key nobody realizes the kind of money he has. Friend Marcie travels around with him checking on ways he has invested in helping people, while looking for more opportunities to make wrongs right. Thing is, the mystery of his family is related to a history of latent mystical powers that he can’t control, which leads to some very cool situations. I’m not ready to excerpt the new versions, but I’ll reveal first time ever (gasp!) the covers, which were painted by Anik and titled by me. Subscribe to our newsletter on the home page of FreshInkGroup.com for updates on their release, and to see the eventual trailers and other media associated with this project.

Any last words before we wrap things up?

I really appreciate Mary allowing me to spend this time with you. Support those indie authors you enjoy, and always leave reviews and spread the word. We could all use a little encouragement. Also, when the challenges are too deep, the current too strong, don’t be afraid to let go and float.

Book Blurb

Prepare to think as you explore these wildly disparate literary short stories by author, composer, and producer Stephen Geez. Avoiding any single genre, this collection showcases Geez’s storytelling from southern gothic to contemporary drama to coming-of-age, humor, sci-fi, and fantasy—all finessed to say something about who we are and what we seek. Some of these have been passed around enough to need a shot of penicillin, others so virgin they have never known the seductive gaze of a reader’s eyes. So when life’s currents get to pulling too hard, don’t fight it, just open the book and discover nineteen new ways of going with the flow, because NOW more than ever Comes this Time to Float.

Book Trailer

Author Blurb

Stephen Geez grew up in the Detroit suburbs during the American-auto domination. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees at the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor. He retired from scripting/producing television and composing/producing television music, then expanded his small literary management firm into indie-publisher and multi-media company Fresh Ink Group. Now he works from a deck overlooking the lake in north Alabama, helping other writers share their compelling narratives with the world.

Contact Stephn Geez: https://freshinkgroup.com/contact-fig/

Website with Embedded WordPress Blog: https://stephengeez.com/

Fresh Ink Group Pages: https://freshinkgroup.com/author/stephengeez/

Geez’s Writers Website: https://geezwriter.com/

Author Services Website: https://GeezandWeeks.com/

Twitter: @StephenGeez

Instagram: StephenGeezWriter

Facebook: Gary Stephen Geez

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=stephen+geez&qid=Qcrc5mdNBr

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Geez/e/B004SC5NNU?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1656884649&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Stephen%20Geez%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall

From Amazon: During the first winter of the twentieth century, Gilded Age trouser diva Ella Shane refuses to dim the lights on her dazzling show business career for marriage—even to a dashing British duke. But the versatile mezzo-soprano may have to put it all on the line once murder takes centerstage.
New York City, 1900. Renowned opera singer and theatre company owner Ella may have both much to gain and much to lose by getting engaged to her courtly long-distance love, Gil Saint Auburn. But there’s little time for romance or resolutions with Gil’s aristocratic mother and aunts visiting Greenwich Village—especially when the ladies discover a dead man in the bathtub of their hotel suite. The victim’s disturbing background and subsequent demise at the elegant Waverly Place Hotel leave the group puzzled beyond the obvious certainty of an unnatural death. Adding to the confusion and mounting fear, danger explodes through Ella’s close-knit circle after a friend makes a stunning confession and Gil becomes a fresh target for violence. Now, with a London tour run fast approaching, prenuptial worries weighing heavily on her heart, and an intricate Joan of Arc aria to rehearse, can Ella decide what she’s willing to sacrifice before confronting a relentless criminal bent on watching her entire life go up in smoke?

My Review: Third time is the charm, although with this novel, books one and two were also charms themselves. The villain was carefully woven in such a way that I simply didn’t consider him the villain until down to the final fourth of this novel. Enough on that, though. If you like romance, stage productions, humor, swashbuckling divas, a handsome duke, and devine teas and meals, as well as murder from the beginning, this five star book is for you.

Book Title: Clement: The Templar’s Treasure

Series: Clement (Book 3)

Author: Craig R. Hipkins

Publication Date: 4th May 2022

Publisher: Hipkins Twins

Page Length: 233 Pages

Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction

Twitter Handle: @CraigHipkins @maryanneyarde

Instagram Handles: @craighipkins3 @coffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #YoungAdult #YAfantasy #Medieval #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2022/05/blog-tour-clement-templars-treasure.html

Interview

First, thank you for having me as a guest on your blog. My name is Craig Hipkins. I am originally from Hubbardston Massachusetts, but I currently reside with my teenage son in North Carolina. My latest novel is Clement: The Templar’s Treasure which is the 3^rd book in the Clement series. It can be read as a stand-alone novel, but to get a better perspective of the characters it would be advisable to start with the previous two books.

Writing has always been a big part of my life. My twin brother Jay (who died in 2018) and I created our own imaginary fantasy world when we were young. Neither one of us became serious about publishing anything until about a decade ago.

I found it not at all difficult to write my first book. It was a history book on meteors. The hardest part was the research. Some of the source material was hard to come by and I had to borrow a lot of books through interlibrary loans and from universities who were generous enough to lend me the material for my project. I found the experience rewarding and decided I would write fiction after this. I thoroughly enjoy the writing my novels. I feel as if I am living the experience with the characters as the words roll off of my brain onto the keyboard of my laptop.

I have never wanted to give up writing. I imagine I will continue to write until I am no longer able to do so.

My son Robbie has been a big supporter of my writing. Also, my mother and my brother’s widow, Tina and her sister Tracy have also been an enormous help. They encourage me to write and always proof-read my work and make corrections as needed.

I would like to tell my readers that I thank them so much for reading and supporting my writing.

Probably the best advice was given to me by my twin brother shortly before he passed away. He told me to keep writing and to never give up. I started writing my first novel, Adalbert, the day that he died. It is a sequel to his novel, Astrolabe. I came up with the idea in the hours after his death. In a way, it has helped me cope with his passing. Sometimes I feel that Jay is feeding me ideas and that when I am writing, it is actually him using me as a receptacle to his thoughts.

My target audience is YA but I hope that all adults at any age will enjoy my books. One of the strong themes of the Clement series is friendship. Also, loyalty and perseverance when confronted with hardship. Clement is strong willed and completely loyal to his friends who in turn give him the same respect.

I worked with an artist to create the covers for my books. I usually have a good idea of what I am looking for, but the artist can bring it to life.

I am currently working on another YA novel called Bandy. It takes place in the months preceding the US Civil War and the attack on Fort Sumter. It is about a lonely young boy named Isaac Barker whose only friend is a passenger pigeon named Bandy. He is orphaned after his family dies in a tragic house fire and he goes to live with his elderly uncle in Boston. His uncle is an ardent abolitionist. He sends young Isaac to Virginia to bring back a young slave girl named Joy, who is dying of a brain tumor. However, when he arrives in Virginia, Isaac realizes that his uncle has been duped. Isaac and Joy escape from the plantation and the rest of the novel is filled with excitement and adventure as the two unlikely friends attempt to avoid their evil pursuers. I am currently attempting to find an agent and publisher for this book.

I hope that my readers enjoy my latest book Clement: The Templar’s Treasure.

Clement: The Templar’s Treasure

(Clement, Book 3)

By Craig R. Hipkins

Blurb

Clement & Dagena return for another action packed adventure. From the cold and dreary shores of Greenland to the fabled land of Vinland. The legendary treasure of the Knights Templar awaits.

Buy Links:

This novel is available on #KindleUnlimited

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/mKd7qd

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Clement-Templars-Treasure-Craig-Hipkins-ebook/dp/B09ZNHQG3L/

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Clement-Templars-Treasure-Craig-Hipkins-ebook/dp/B09ZNHQG3L/

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Clement-Templars-Treasure-Craig-Hipkins-ebook/dp/B09ZNHQG3L/

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Clement-Templars-Treasure-Craig-Hipkins-ebook/dp/B09ZNHQG3L/

Author Bio

Craig R. Hipkins grew up in Hubbardston Massachusetts. He is the author of medieval and gothic fiction. His novel, Adalbert is the sequel to Astrolabe written by his late twin brother Jay S. Hipkins (1968-2018) He is an avid long-distance runner and enjoys astronomy in his spare time.

Social Media Links:

Website: www.hipkinstwins.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CraigHipkins

Facebook: www.facebook.com/craig.hipkins.9

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-hipkins-7a042357

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craighipkins3/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/craighipkins/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Craig-R.-Hipkins/e/B004RDJMNC

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19975162.Craig_R_Hipkins

From Amazon: Brain trauma has rendered 21-year-old Emily colorblind. But the ability to see far more colors than the average person is hard-wired in her brain. As a test subject, Emily believes she can help CuraeCare Pharmaceuticals detect disease, save lives, and maybe even restore her color vision. While CuraeCare aims to take advantage of Emily’s latent gift, beings from another dimension want to see the world with fresh eyes, Emily’s eyes. Meanwhile, Emily is being hunted by another CuraeCare pawn, fledgling serial killer, Laverne Eddy. While Laverne closes in on Emily, a demonically possessed CuraeCare executive penetrates her mind. As Emily will shields her from the finishing blow, her best friend Holton and a heroic indigenous shaman put up the fight of their lives to save her.

My Review: Where to start? The begining, I guess. I’ve never read any book with anything similar to this novel. We start off with a woman, Emily, who was able to see as a true Tetrachromac person with four cone types in her retina, rather than the standard three that most people have, and a brain injury that robbed her of her sight, rendering her color blind. There is so much going on in this novel, and one could reasonably wonder if anyone would survive. But I digress. Combine vision issues with technology, and you get a “anything is possible” scenario. And it was! The author touches on chimera – not in true chimera – such as one born with both male and female DNA and internal and external reproductive organs intact. But I digress. The author brings into the story chimera as a part human and part non human self mixed, then ending up as different entities all together. Add in just a touch of serial killings, evil personas, who to trust issues, and some ethnicity understandings, and you get one explosive book.

From Amazon: The darkest hour is just before dawn. But with bloodthirsty Beasts cutting brief lives shorter, can one man beat the ticking clock? Rezin Hamel will protect his people until his dying breath. Resolving to carry on past every dearly departed loved one, the forty-four-year-old General has no idea how he’s lived over a decade beyond the average life expectancy. But when he’s shamed and cast out for an out-of-character act, he sets out to end the constant attacks from creatures staining the walls with death. Searching for answers in society’s seedy underbelly, Hamel is shocked by the conditions ravaging the lower rungs of the city. But the strategic genius’s quest takes a staggering turn when he’s blindsided by a secret that could tear his tight-knit community to shreds. Can Hamel restore his honor and stop the carnage before he’s the next one taken by the Dusk? Ridge: Day One is the action-packed first book in the Ridge dystopian thriller series. If you like fantastic worlds, heart-trembling suspense, and twisted surprises, then you’ll love Shawn P. B. Robinson’s peek behind the Ridge veil. Buy Ridge: Day One to mark the calendar of doom today!

My Review: Two nations, one of honor and the other not as much, trials and tribulations hit. Disgraced general, Hamel, decides to infiltrate the other nation and find out what he could in regards to his nations death rate. His daughter is the nations matir and together the plan is hatched to get down to the bottom of what is going on. There are battles and blood, one nation honor and duty, the other no honor and malice all around, and they keep certain people as slaves. Will Hamel find the answers? Will he survive? How will events unfold? The reader will discover more than originally thought, and the ending will leave you questioning how this tragic story continues in book two.

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