MAGICAL ELEMENTS OF THE PERIODIC TABLE

 

PRESENTED ALPHABETICALLY

 

BY THE ELEMENTAL DRAGONS

 

Magical Elements of the Periodic Table, Book 2

 

By Sybrina Durant

 

Children’s Picture Book / STEM / Chemistry

Publisher: Sybrina Publishing

Page Count: 44

Publication Date: March 9, 2024

 

 

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In this unique alphabet book, members of the Elemental Dragon Clan present 26 Magical Elements of the Periodic Table in alphabetical order. Each member of the clan has an element tipped tail. They also have magical powers based on the properties of their metals. There are no more perfect groups than unicorns and dragons to familiarize yourself with elements from the Periodic Table. Their theme is: “No Metal — No Magic. . .and No Technology.”

In this book, Antz starts out the book by introducing the very necessary metal, Antimony on his element page. Zora rounds out the alphabet by presenting scientific facts and other fun information about the metal, Zirconium, on her elemental page. In all, readers will get some great insight into the properties of 26 elements from the periodic table. Each page is full of amazing facts and tons of FUN. There’s a Magical Elemental themed periodic table, too!

This unique book will help tweens, teens and anyone else quickly absorb the elements of the Periodic Table.

REMEMBER. . .
No Metal,
No Magic…
And No Technology.
It’s Techno-Magical!

 

 

Paperback │ eBook │Hardcover

 

 

 

 

Much like the first book with the unicorns, this book is filled with facts relayed in a fun way and on a level that any younger child could understand. I loved learning all of these facts and could have used a book like this while taking chemistry. Ok, it might be geared toward younger children, but the facts, the atomic structure, and the uses are information that anyone could put to use.

Like the Unicorn Elemental book, I read through this book with my sister, the teacher. She had the same feelings as she did with the unicorn book, that it was well laid out, easy to read, and could be understood by younger children.

The book is colorful and filled with fun images to make learning about the elements fun. Here are some of my favorite facts about the different elements:

Europium is used in Euro banknotes to make them harder to fake.

Only 4 women have discovered elements on the periodic table. Francium is one of those elements.

Indium is included in a list made by the US Government of the 35 most important minerals.

 

I have a hard time choosing between the two books as to which might be my favorite. I really don’t think I can choose!

This book is one my great-nephew would love just for the dragons! Plus, he would learn a little bit about the elements, too. He may only be 5, but that is never too young to start learning!

We give this book 5 paws up and recommend it to any young budding scientist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sybrina Durant is a unicorn author and entrepreneur. In addition to books, she offers unicorn-themed activities, t-shirts, and more. Plus, she has pulled together a collection of nearly all the unicorn books available today from hundreds of authors. They are categorized on her website by Little Kid, Middle Kid, and Teen Unicorn Books.

 

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Signed paperback of Magical Elements of The Periodic Table, Book 2 and 24 x 36 poster of the Periodic Table

 

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Synopsis

 

Once a best-selling romance novelist, 55-year-old Fran Carter is now dealing with a slow but steady drop in book sales and a major case of writer’s block, complicated by the knowledge that her lover, a professional photographer, has been on the wrong side of the camera (so to speak) with his models. (So much for her author brand, built on the premise that women in their fifties and beyond can still find love and happiness.) Her solution is to spend a week in isolation at a northern California bed-and-breakfast. There she hopes to resolve her professional and personal conflicts, and ultimately create a new and better future for herself by writing a new “story” for the Fran she wants to be!

 

 

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Bookshop

 

 

Excerpt

 

“Ms. Carter, I started reading romance novels when I was in my teens,” the woman began. “I bought into the whole ‘a white knight will come and sweep you off your feet’ myth. That’s what I was waiting for, and that’s what I thought I married. And I kept reading the books and doing everything they said to keep the romance alive. I served romantic dinners by candlelight—after feeding the kids, of course. I made sure my hair was done and my makeup was perfect, even after spending the whole day cleaning the house or running to pediatrician appointments or school meetings. And I never, not once,” she emphasized, “said ‘no’ regardless of how I felt physically or emotionally. Nope, I was the perfect little wife that romance books said I had to be. I did it all, but it didn’t make a bit of difference. The kids grew up and left home, and pretty soon, he left, too.”

She raised her hand to forestall any sympathetic outpouring. “Hey, don’t feel sorry for me! That was the best thing that could have happened. I don’t regret having my children, but looking back, I realize our marriage never gave me what I wanted. I’d been so caught up in the fantasy that books like yours create that I never asked myself what kind of life I really wanted. So, I hung on a lot longer than I should have. My whole life was focused first on finding a man and then on keeping him. These days I’m concentrating on me—and I’m a damned sight happier than I’ve ever been! There are no ‘white knights,’ Ms. Carter. So why do you keep writing about them? Why don’t you write about real life?”

I started to take another sip of water but saw the glass was empty. Unfortunately, so was my brain. I didn’t know how to answer or what to say. I was publicly forced to justify my books’ existence—my existence—at a time when I was wrestling with the very questions she had raised.

Surprisingly, another audience member came to my rescue. “Now, don’t be too hard on her,” she said. “I’m sure Ms. Carter knows that reading her books is our way of taking a break from our real lives, right?” looking up at me.

“Yes, of course,” I said, so grateful to have someone on my side that I didn’t stop to analyze my words. “I mean, these books,” waving at the shelves behind me stocked with novels featuring women with heaving bosoms and half-dressed muscular men on their covers, “they are fiction after all! No one really believes life is like that. It’s like in the movies when the lovers wake up in the morning and start kissing each other. Did the directors never hear of morning breath? It’s all make-believe, all of it! A fantasy! Escapist literature! And if you try to turn your life into a romance novel, you are bound to be disappointed.”

My words echoed in the sudden silence, and I realized too late what I had said. I had trashed not only my own books, but the entire genre. Worse, in so many words, I had told them that if they were looking for information on how to rejuvenate their lives, they were wasting their money buying my novels.

What had Vanessa said to me—that my readers wanted to believe that life and love hadn’t passed them by? And now I had told them that it was all a load of crap.

 

Reprinted with permission from Chapter 3 of Finding Fran

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Nancy Christie is the award-winning author of eight books—two novels: Reinventing Rita and Finding Fran; three short story collections: Mistletoe Magic and Other Holiday Tales, Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories and Peripheral Visions and Other Stories; two books for writers: Rut-Busting Book for Authors and Rut-Busting Book for Writers; and the inspirational book, The Gifts Of Change. Her short stories and essays have appeared in print and online publications, with several earning contest placement. The host of the Living the Writing Life podcast and the founder of the annual “Midlife Moxie” Day and “Celebrate Short Fiction” Day, Christie teaches writing workshops at conferences, libraries, and schools. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), the Florida Writers Association (FWA) and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA).

 

 

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A Lighthouse Snapshot: A Secret Identity, Opposites Attract Romance (The Turner Family of Bluestar Island)
Small Town Romance
4th in Series
Setting – Bluestar Island (a fictional island off the coast of Massachusetts)
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lazy Dazy Press (April 15, 2024)
Number of Pages – 269 pages

 

Synopsis

 

As tulips bloom and the sun warms the air, the Bluestar ferry delivers a special visitor to the island whose search for the past leads her directly in the path of her future.

With Spring Fling the next event on Bluestar’s busy calendar, the residents decide to use it to play another round of matchmaking. Travel blogger Elaine “Lainey” Devereaux is led to the island by a cryptic entry in her late mother’s journal. With the weight of grief driving Lainey onward, she searches for a long-buried secret but before she can uncover the truth there’s a tragic accident.

Graphic artist Jack Turner is on top of the world as he anticipates a big promotion and a move to the Big Apple. He’s minding his own business when the most beautiful woman rushes into the roadway, right in front of his cart. With no time to stop, the collision leaves both of them stunned. As circumstances conspire to draw them together, they soon find themselves helping each other to come to terms with the past while exploring an unexpected love.

Includes a recipe for Elegant Whoopie Pies!

Bluestar Island series:
Book 1 – Love Blooms (Hannah & Ethan)
Book 2 – Harvest Dance (Aster & Sam)
Book 3 – A Lighthouse Café Christmas (Darla & Will)
Book 4 – Rising Star (Emma & Noah)
Book 5 – Summer by the Beach (Summer & Greg)
Book 6 – Brass Anchor Inn (Josie & Lane)
Book 7 – Summer Refresh (Sara & Kent)
Book 8 – A Seaside Bookshop Christmas (Melinda & Liam)
Book 9 – A Lighthouse Snapshot (Lainey & Jack)
Book 10 – Inheriting Her Island House (Brianna & Grant)

 

 

 

Amazon * Books2Read

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

Lainey gazed up at the large blue Victorian looking building. The sign in the front yard said it was the Brass Anchor Inn. Charming was the first word that came to mind.

They stepped out of the cart and made their way up the sidewalk. While Jack rushed up the two steps and moved swiftly to the white French doors, she took her time. She took in the wide porch that was lined with white rocking chairs. There were small tables between them for drinks and a potted plant. Once again, the word charming came to mind.

“Hey.” Jack held the open door for her. “Are you coming?”

She hurried her steps. Once inside the spacious lobby, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust after being out in the bright sunshine. She took in the gray wood tile floors with a royal blue runner that led from the door to the check-in desk. Her gaze meandered around the room, admiring the new furnishing that portrayed a sense of coziness.

She paused and glanced off to the side, taking in the display cases with lots of seafaring memorabilia. On the walls was a collection of framed photographs. She wanted to meander over to check it all out but Jack was already at the check-in desk waiting for her.

She moved to his side. There was no one working the desk. Noticing a brass Victorian style bell. She tapped her fingers on it. Ding.

“Coming,” a male voice called out from the office behind the desk. A moment later, an older man stepped out of the office. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Welcome to the Brass Anchor Inn. How may I help you?”

The man wore a dark blue polo shirt with the inn’s logo embroidered with white thread and a gold pin with the name Harvey Coleman. His snow-white hair was kept short. He had a close-trimmed mustache and beard. Immediately the thought of Santa Claus came to mind.

“We need a room,” Jack said.

Lainey couldn’t believe he’d just said that. She lightly elbowed him aside. “What he meant to say is I need a room.”

Jack frowned at her but remained quiet.

Harvey’s gaze moved between the two of them. A smile played at the corners of his mouth. “It doesn’t matter which of you needs the room. We don’t have any available.”

“What?” Jack’s dark brows drew together. “Are you sure?”

“I’m absolutely positive.” Harvey’s tone was firm.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Award-winning author, Jennifer Faye pens fun, heartwarming contemporary romances. With more than a million books sold, she is internationally published with books translated into more than a dozen languages and her work has been optioned for film. She is a two-time winner of the RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award, the CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, named a TOP PICK author, and been nominated for numerous other awards.

Now living her dream, she resides with her very patient husband and two spoiled cats. When she’s not plotting out her next romance, you can find her curled up with a mug of tea and a book.

 

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Giveaway

 

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Graven Images: A Rock Creek Village Cozy Mystery (Callie Cassidy Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
6th in the Series
Setting – Colorado
Number of Pages: 280

 

Synopsis

 

A photo assignment at the cemetery leads Callie Cassidy to a corpse—this one above ground. Now, her search for the killer unearths some long-buried secrets…

Callie’s mother Maggie, a notorious hobby jumper, has embarked on a new pursuit—grave rubbing. When she recruits her daughter to photograph her first endeavor at the local cemetery, Callie brings golden retriever Woody and tabby cat Carl along for the outing. It’s a breathtaking autumn morning in Rock Creek Village, Colorado. Golden aspen leaves rustle in the cool breeze, and the air is filled with the scent of pine. What could go wrong on a day like this?

Then, a ghostly woman emerges from the trees, bleeding from a head wound and claiming to have no memory of how she arrived, or even who she is. Maggie quickly identifies her as a woman who disappeared from the village forty years ago—without a trace.

If that’s not enough intrigue, Woody disobeys her and sprints deeper into the cemetery. When Callie catches up to him, he is sitting sentinel at the tombstone of a recently deceased villager. And behind the stone, a man lies on the ground—with a pickaxe jutting from his neck.

Callie recognizes him as the low-level mobster who has been dating her best friend Tonya’s mother—and they’d been having problems. Did Tonya’s mother kill the man? Could it have been the mysterious woman? Or maybe someone with ties to his crime family?

Callie can’t resist investigating—and this time, Detective Raul Sanchez welcomes her assistance. Because if they can’t solve the crime soon, the town may be facing grave consequences…

 

 

 

Amazon

 

 

Guest Post

 

Let’s start with this — I love books. As a reader, I enjoy books in most genres (though I admit to being embarrassed by steamy romance). I like nail-biting thrillers, gut-wrenching horror stories, tear-jerking women’s lit, transportive sci-fi, and the entire spectrum of mysteries.

Since becoming an author, I’ve spent some time analyzing what it takes for a book to rise to a spot on my list of favorites. For me, it often boils down to characters. I’m drawn to flawed but likable protagonists who are constantly trying to be better human beings. They value self-growth, loyalty, and respect. Forgiveness is often one of their qualities, but they are also driven by a profound sense of justice.

Characters who stick in my memory possess a deep sense of humanity, as well as connectedness to other individuals and responsibility to them. Still, they often experience a feeling of separation and “otherness.” (Kinsey Millhone in Sue Grafton’s Alphabet series comes to mind.)

Humor is another big component. The main characters in books I love are often quite funny. In my favorite books, protagonists engage in clever banter with their friends. They can be sarcastic, but not in a hurtful way. The ability to be slightly self-deprecating increases their likability—they don’t take themselves too seriously.

Some of the best books employ an ensemble cast. There might be one person readers identify as the “main” character, but others take on major roles as well. (I’m thinking of The Thursday Murder Club books here.)

Equally important to me is a good antagonist—the villain, the bad guy or gal. However you label them, I want them to be three-dimensional. As MLK Jr. said, “There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us.” That’s what I want to see in antagonists. They perpetrate evil acts, but do they carry any redeeming qualities? Do they love their mothers—or their dogs? Do they do the wrong thing for the right reasons? (Think Thanos of Avenger movie fame, as well as Killmonger from Black Panther.) Are the villains tortured by guilt, remorse, or grief? When I read a book with a cardboard villain, it rarely leaves an impact on me. I want real human beings, people who have reasons for their acts, defective as those reasons may be.

As a writer of cozy mysteries, I try to focus on creating characters with depth. Callie Cassidy isn’t perfect—how boring would that be? But she strives to be a good person. She searches for insight into her thoughts and behaviors and sets goals for herself as a friend, daughter, and girlfriend. Sometimes she falls short, but she doesn’t stop trying.

Occasionally, the antagonists in my books are just plain yucky people, but more often, the yucky people end up as the victims. The killers, on the other hand, usually have vivid and psychologically understandable motivations for their bad acts. That doesn’t excuse what they’ve done, of course, and justice must always be procured. But I hope my readers will grasp the antagonists’ motives and sometimes even perhaps experience a smidgen of empathy for them—along with a bit of self-reflection and discomfort. In similar circumstances, could I succumb to those baser instincts?

These are the kinds of characters who touch my emotional core. What about you? What characters have captured your interest and imagination? Leave your responses in the comments.

 

 

About the Author

 

Silver Falchion and CIBA Murder & Mayhem award-winning author Lori Roberts Herbst writes the Callie Cassidy Mystery series. A former journalism teacher and counselor, Lori serves as Board Secretary for Sisters in Crime. She is a member of the SinC Colorado chapter, the SinC North Dallas chapter, and the Guppy chapter, where she moderates the Cozy Gup group. Lori spent most of her life in Dallas, TX, and now lives in Colorado Springs.

 

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Synopsis

 

Dying has its perks…mostly. Bullied teen, Ember O’Neill goes from the weird girl to the tyrant of her school when she is resurrected from a deadly prank. Now secretly supernatural, she dethrones the school drama queen and snags the hot new guy, but her reign is at risk when the Order, a heretical sect, sends an assassin to eliminate her. Ember must expose her powers, potentially losing all she has gained, in order to save herself and her friends as her killer closes in.

 

 

Barnes & Noble * Amazon

 

 

Review

 

This YA fantasy brings together the angst of teens with the possibility of angels and demons fighting a battle to save this world.

Ember is an outcast for many reasons, mainly because teenagers can be mean. But she has a plan for her sophomore year, which includes a female best friend, a boyfriend, and being popular. It can be a daunting task, considering how her freshman year turned out, but she isn’t going to let it stop her.  Luckily, she has one good friend, Erick, and the addition of Hallee. This trio of friends can take on the world or at least try.

Ember is a relatable character. She might resonate with anyone who felt like an outcast in school. But as time goes on, she grows and becomes more confident in herself. It was really cool watching her become someone who could be looked up to or admired by other classmates.

As the story progresses, we learn more about a few secret societies and their desire to take out those they consider unworthy. It is hard to know who is working on what side, and I had my suspicions, but I wasn’t right on everything.

I enjoyed this story and had a hard time putting it down. I tried to work out the motives of the different characters but didn’t quite get them right. Or at least not all of them. I found myself rooting for some characters and wishing others would turn their attitude around.

The book did end too soon for me, and while there are some tragic moments in the final buildup of this book, there are still so many unanswered questions. I believe there will be a sequel to this book, and I hope so. I want to discover what Ember is up to and how the battle progresses.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Kerrie Faye is a Gen X wife and mom who found her passion to write later in life. A graduate of Murray State University, she has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. Raised in Western Kentucky, where her debut novel, DEAD GIRL, takes place, the author currently resides near the Rocky Mountain Flatirons in Colorado, where there is far less humidity but not nearly enough BBQ. Her debut novel, DEAD GIRL, will be published on February 26, 2024, by The Wild Rose Press.

 

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Synopsis

 

A devastating diagnosis. A family with a broken past. Embark on an uplifting journey of love, hope, and the ultimate second chance.

 

When health-conscious Sarah gets diagnosed with breast cancer, her world spins out of control. She’s supposed to grow old with her husband and see her daughter graduate college. Her future is all planned out. Getting sick wasn’t part of her plan.

Friends and family rally around Sarah as she battles the disease. Her best friend offers inspirational advice while her mother takes her to treatment, her daughter makes green juice, and her older brother provides emotional support and makes her laugh with his ever-present potty mouth.

Then Sarah’s estranged father returns. She gave up on him long ago and doesn’t want to reconnect, but he won’t go away, so she’s stuck dealing with him at the worst possible time. His presence forces her to face a past she’d rather forget as she uses all her strength to fight for her life.

 

 

Amazon

 

Read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Review

 

This novel about Sarah’s journey through breast cancer treatment might have hit fairly close to home. While it has been 20 years since I went through my diagnosis, most of what Sarah was thinking and feeling was close to my experience. It made me a little uncomfortable, but I think that was because it was like reliving that year of my life. I even had the same triple-negative cancer diagnosis. Some of my treatment varied, but that isn’t surprising since this character had a few other things on top of what I had.

Despite that feeling, this book was fraught with emotion. Sarah was definitely on a rollercoaster with how she felt during her treatments, her interactions with her family, her new friend Nancy, a fellow cancer fighter, and her wayward father reappearing in her life, wanting to be a part of it all. There are times when Sarah is hard on herself. Cancer doesn’t care that you have done your best to lead a healthy life; it just pops up out of the blue, and there is nothing you could have done to stop it from appearing. That is probably the hardest battle Sarah has to fight: blame. There is no one to blame for this situation, especially not herself.

I was glad to see that Sarah had a great support system from her husband, daughter, mom, and brother. Her father made an appearance after decades of little contact and not the best childhood for Sarah or her brother. There is some great advice given by Nancy later in the book: to accept him for what he can give if he is going to be a part of her life. Sarah knows what he didn’t do for her growing up, and she can’t really expect him to change. I think this is sage advice for most people.

This book addresses the reality of cancer treatments. While situations will vary, the treatments and emotions are real. I remember how I felt when I started losing my hair. It was hard to cut it off, so it didn’t come off in clumps in the shower or wherever. It isn’t all about vanity. Sure, part of it is feeling like a part of you is missing, but it is about announcing to the world that something is wrong. I will confirm that “chemo brain” is real. Trying to remember everything, the right word, or processes can be daunting.

While fictional, it is based on the author’s own fight with cancer, and any person who has fought cancer will be able to relate to this book.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Kim Cano is the author of six women’s fiction novels: A Widow Redefined, On the Inside, Eighty and Out, His Secret Life, When the Time Is Right, and The Healing Train. Readers say her books are about strong women who struggle but survive, hard-won second chances, family life, and friendship.

Kim lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and cat.

 

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THIS FAMILIAR HEART:

 

AN IMPROBABLE LOVE STORY

 

by

 

Babette Fraser Hale

 

Memoir / Relationships / Aging / Grief

Publisher: Winedale Publishing

Date of Publication: April 2, 2024

Number of Pages: 312 pages

 

 

 

 

In this intimate rendering of a relationship, we learn how deceptive surface impressions can be.

Leon Hale, author of Bonney’s Place, was sixty years old, a “country boy” who wrote about rural Texans with humor and sensitivity in his popular column for The Houston Post and, later the Houston Chronicle. Babette Fraser at thirty-six was a child of privilege, a city girl educated abroad, struggling in her career while raising a young son. No one thought it could work.

Even Hale himself held serious doubts. But it did endure. The interior congruencies they discovered through a long and turbulent courtship knit them tightly together for the rest of his life.

And when he died during the Pandemic isolation period, searing levels of grief and doubt threatened Babette’s understanding of the partnership and marriage that had sustained her for forty years. Had he really been the person she thought he was? Had he kept secrets that would forever change her view of him?

In candid, evocative prose, she explores the distorted perceptions that often follow the death of a cherished spouse, and the loving resolution that allows life to go on.

 

 

 

TAMU Press  *  Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpt from

 

This Familiar Heart: An Improbable Love Story

 

by Babette Fraser Hale

 

 

Babette is only about two minutes late getting to Harrigan’s. She’s not sure what to expect. Will she know the man when she sees him?

The foyer is gloomy after the bright sunlight of the parking lot, but she isn’t standing there long, blinking, when a tall figure in a faded blue jean jacket appears in the doorway to the even darker interior.

He is taller than she expected, and there is something about his face that doesn’t come into focus. He is speaking to her, though, so it must be him, but he seems to be looking around her at the same time.

They sit in a booth and order beer. Only one other table has occupants.

She initiates her rehearsed explanation, slipping her shyness into an envelope of words. A quick summary of her writing project, her work for magazines, her hope for fiction. How she has recently applied to the graduate creative writing program at UH.

The manager brings them their drinks.

Hale asks where she grew up. “Actually, the other end of the street I live on now,” she replies, smiling at the peculiarity. “The name changes, though.” She’s doing the usual dance around the fact of River Oaks. The affluence of the neighborhood carries implications of privilege that embarrass her.

He looks quizzical.

“It changes at Kirby Drive,” she adds. “Not too far from here.”

He doesn’t press for more.

She can see Hale’s mood is divided, half at ease, half edgy—and all the while glancing at her, the lightest brushing glance from pale blue eyes, sliding past. Kind eyes, she thinks. Maybe. She wishes they’d hold hers longer, although even the graze gives her a jolt.

As they talk, she discovers he comes from the part of West Texas where her father was born. Maybe that’s why the rhythm of his speech feels familiar. His accent is stronger, though.

She asks a few questions. Or, more accurately, she makes statements phrased as questions in the attempt to locate commonalities of outlook. This habit is so intrinsic to her, she hardly knows it’s happening. When he becomes a little prickly, she’s so surprised she moves quickly to something else. Afterward, she will retain the impression of his response, but not the offending subject.

He asks about her novel and she tells him as much as she can.

“Whose work do you like to read?” he asks.

“Walker Percy, at the moment. Have you read him?”

He has not. “Should I?”

“He’s a wonderful writer,” she says. “Sometimes his writing makes me anxious. Once in a while. Not his newest, The Second Coming. I really loved that.”

Hale is listening. The sliding gaze—on her, then away.

She decides it’s shyness that keeps him from meeting her eyes for long. But around him the air seems to glitter. There is something delicate but important about his attention. She keeps wanting to hold her breath, the way you do when an exceptional bird lights near you. Or a wild animal that would never cause you harm. She wills herself to relax onto her chair. It doesn’t quite work.

 

 

 

 

Babette Fraser Hale is the author of A Wall of Bright Dead Feathers, 2022 winner of the debut fiction award from the Texas Institute of Letters. Her stories have received notice from Best American Short Stories, 2015 and the Meyerson Award from Southwest Review. In addition to writing fiction, Babette has been a magazine feature writer, columnist, contributing editor, book editor, and publisher. She lives in Texas.

 

 

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or visit the blogs directly:

 

 

04/16/24	Jennie Reads	Review
04/16/24	Hall Ways Blog	BONUS Stop
04/17/24	Chapter Break Book Blog	Book Trailer
04/17/24	LSBBT Blog	BONUS Stop
04/18/24	The Real World According to Sam	Review
04/19/24	Book Fidelity	Review
04/20/24	It’s Not All Gravy	Review
04/21/24	StoreyBook Reviews	Excerpt
04/22/24	Bibliotica	Review
04/23/24	Boys’ Mom Reads	Review
04/24/24	Carpe Diem Chronicles	Review
04/25/24	The Plain-Spoken Pen	Review

 

 

 

 

 

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Synopsis

 

During a passionate romance with Garrick Cripps, Suzanne Dreyfus wrote The Liberation Manifesto, a wicked satire of right-wing libertarian philosophy. However, Garrick took Suzanne’s parody seriously and now, many years later, uses it as a blueprint for how to overthrow American democracy in favor of the 1%. But for the revolution to begin, an inciting event, like a Stateside terrorist attack, is needed to convince the public that drastic change in leadership is necessary.

Suzanne, along with Carson McCready, a former Navy SEAL, and Laura Cavendish, a cyber weapons expert, are all that stand between Cripps and leadership of the country. Culminating in a violent denouement, Libertyland shows what could happen if the ideas of a madman go unchecked.

 

 

 

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Praise

 

“Libertyland is a masterfully crafted political thriller, an intense book that is a joy to read.” – International Review of Books

“A riveting story that takes a deep dive into the dangers of too much greed and not enough accountability in our institutions.” – Charles Ray, author

“An electrifying and delightful experience for readers.” – Mihir Shah, The US Review of Books

“An amazing read that is thoroughly engaging and entertaining.” – Michaela Gordoni, Pacific Book Reviews

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

After retiring from the Navy three years ago, he had tried to keep his goals reasonable. Settling down, enjoying some solitude, taking the longboard to Tourmaline Beach—like the old days. Just stopping. Doing crossword puzzles over morning coffee. Taking Diego to the beach. Playing golf at Torrey Pines. Finding a simple job to make ends meet. Giving in to a sense of lightness and freedom. Like his days as a kid by the ocean, when he could breathe and splash as loud as he wanted. Not feeling the constant danger of his own breath, when merely breathing too loudly could get you killed.

He’d been out of work since mustering out, not counting

his brief stint as a security consultant. For Carson that had been a transition gig to ease himself back into civilian life, as his commanding officer had advised him. Finding a normal life now seemed like a joke. The past was in the past, but Carson’s past was an ornery bastard for whom lightness and freedom were apparently verboten.

He fixed a quick meal of beans, cheese, and a tortilla, washing it down with a cold beer. He flipped on the TV. He was just settling in when his phone lit up with a local number.

“McCready here.” “Carson?” “Speaking.”

“Johnny Petit. Catch you at a bad time?”

“I’m enjoying a cold beer and some Aztec basketball.

What’s up, Johnny?”

“Carson, just wanted to say I liked what I saw today. I’m hoping you’ll stick with us. The suits really need this telemarketing deal to work.”

Carson let a moment pass.

“What do you say, cowboy? Did I hire the right man?” Carson hesitated, then remembered the bills piling up. “I’m your cowboy, Johnny. I told you. I need the job.” “Glad to hear you say that. I’m happy as a pig in a tar pit.” Carson hung up.

On reflection the whole deal was weird. The beach. The dogs. The bullshit. Always the bullshit. But Jane, the headhunter, was helpful, and had brightened what had otherwise been a bad day at the beach.

At the job interview, Petit had peppered him with questions. Jane had told him about the fight.

“Why didn’t you hit back? The guy kicked you in the nuts, for Christ’s sake,” Petit had said.

“I don’t mess with civilians. That’s why.” “Hell’s that mean?”

“Always leads to law enforcement.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, plenty of law enforcement around here, McCready.”

He told Petit most of the truth about himself. Forty- seven years old. Retired Navy. Taught basic training. Grew up by the ocean. He didn’t tell Petit that he trained tadpoles, newbies in basic underwater demolition for the SEALs. Nor that he had reached the rank of master chief petty officer of a sixteen-member SEAL platoon and led off-book kill missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Northern Africa.

He told few people those facts.

After three years Carson still wasn’t ready to talk openly about his time as a SEAL. Endless war. Comrades dead, or alive but in pieces. Too much damned trouble. Too many SEAL headlines and tell-all books. Some guys might enjoy embellishing war stories to new bosses. To Carson that was like sticking your head up from the water’s surface to get your mouth shot off. Big mouths always led to big trouble.

 

 

About the Author

 

As a journalist and author, Peter Sacks has been nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize, including once for his book, Tearing Down the Gates (University of California Press), an examination of the role that social class plays in American education and society. Gates also won Book of the Year from the Association of American Colleges and Universities. Sacks worked as a newspaper journalist on both coasts, as an economist, and as a college instructor in English and Journalism. His work has appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Nation. He is also the author of Generation X Goes to College and Standardized Minds.

 

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Synopsis

 

 

“I’ll find you again.”

That was my husband Jesse’s dying promise, a vow I’m certain he’ll keep. This wasn’t the first lifetime Jesse and I shared, and since love never dies, we knew, someday, we would be reunited.
After he passed away, I thought I’d never experience a love like that again—not in this lifetime anyway—and I accepted that.

But fate had other plans for me…

I met Dev Abramson when his white German shepherd plowed into me in Central Park, knocking me flat on my back, then slathering my face with her effervescent kisses. I was instantly drawn to Dev’s calm, centered presence and to his dog, Sheba, who welcomed me like a long-lost friend.

Dev gave me his card, but I failed to follow up, something I deeply regretted. So, when our paths crossed a second time, I wasn’t about to let him slip away again. I needed to know more about
the handsome jazz pianist.

I never expected to fall in love with Dev, but now that I have—I’m afraid if I tell him that I was married to Jesse, one of the most famous rock stars in the world, and that we have shared previous lifetimes—I’ll lose him.

But my connection with Dev was instantaneous and so deep—as if I’d known him forever.
And I can’t help but wonder, maybe I have…

 

THIS BOOK IS THE SEQUEL TO LOVE ON THE EDGE OF TIME WHICH MUST BE READ FIRST.
THIS BOOK IS NOT A STANDALONE, IT IS A SEQUEL.

 

 

 

 

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Excerpt

 

We are both in deep. So deep that the capacity to maim one another is real and I don’t think either one of us ever expected to be this emotionally vulnerable. Losing him over this would devastate me, and what I’m seeing in him is the exact same fear. Dev is truly afraid of losing me over this. Not because he’s not been part of my soul journey, but that there is the possibility of my crossing paths, just like I did with him, with another person who has been, and if that time comes, he fears I will be powerless in fighting my fate, destiny trouncing free will.

This is f*ed up.

I know I need to cut him a break and realize that this is not a thing couples have to deal with—usually, ever—and he’s being tasked with dealing with it. I have always seen him as so centered and secure, that I expected he would. Flawlessly. But he’s just a man. A mortal man. And he’s right, I did set him up with my expectations. I need to take responsibility in this situation, too.

As we stand a mere three feet apart, I fear the chasm between us will continue to expand not only in distance, but also in depth. Like tectonic plates shifting, there’s no going back once a quake has occurred.

I can’t let it get there.

Not over this.

“Dev…” My heart hurts and I can feel my mouth going dry. “I apologize for being so insensitive and for getting angry. I’m expecting you to just deal with something that 99.9999% of people will never be asked to deal with. And for it to be like no big deal. Even though it’s a very big deal in my life.” God, I feel like shit. “But baby, it’s not a dealbreaker. Not for me. I’m not looking for anyone else. I don’t want to find someone else.” Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. “I just want you. I just want you.” The words catch in my throat.

“I just want to know, Kylie. I don’t want it always hanging there, lingering, ready to pounce and blow our world apart when we least expect it. When I least expect it.”

“I’m in too deep for that to happen. Don’t you know that? Please tell me you know that?” How can he not? How could he ever doubt what we have? “And by the way, you are my White Knight, whether you want to be or not. I owe my heart coming back to life to you. Please tell me you know that.” I’m not doing a good job of keeping the pain and fear out of my voice.

Please don’t take your love away from me.

“I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Shaking my head vigorously, I try to reassure him. “They’ve both dropped. There are no more shoes.” I smile, trying to insert a millimeter of slack into the tension. “Except for in my closet, and as you already know, there’s an insane amount of them in there.”

That elicits a smile and a head shake.

“Okay, so if you don’t want to be my White Knight, then I’m just going to think of you as my Ten of Cups.” Jesse was my King of Hearts. Dev my Ten of Cups.

Apropos.

“I don’t even know what that means.”

“Google it. It’s a compliment. I think you’ll like what you learn.”

 

EXCERPT FROM LOVE ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER © 2024 Julie A. Richman

 

 

About the Author

 

USA TODAY Bestselling author Julie A. Richman is a native New Yorker living deep in the heart of Texas. With an insatiable wanderlust and love of nature, Julie can often be found behind the lens of a camera in between writing books.

 

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Synopsis

 

He doesn’t want to be her enemy. She doesn’t want to be his friend. But when their paths keep crossing, can a change of heart lead to a chance at love?

In the Kingdom of Kalopsia, Dahlia has grown tired of the cloying perfumes and swirling silks of ballrooms. Her reality is to do the bidding of her social-climbing father, biting her tongue and being a perfect lady of society. But in her heart, she dreams of change—to escape to the beautiful land of Orphia. A land where she’d find freedom, and perhaps find herself as well.

For Xanth, the fisherman’s son, his dream is much more literal. Ever since a chance encounter at a ball, he hasn’t been able to stop thinking of the nameless beauty most nights. But with his father wanting him to take on more of the family business, he has no time to waste on the mystery lady. Equipped with a jest and a smile, he hides his insecurity at the prospect pretty well. But considering most of his endeavors end in disaster, he’s convinced he’ll just disappoint everyone he loves.

When their worlds collide, the line between dream and nightmare is blurred. Dahlia is a welcome distraction, but Xanth can’t understand why she warmly welcomes the friendship of others but spurns him at every opportunity. To Dahlia, Xanth’s carefree attitude seems like every other egotistical man that hurt her. But as they’re continually thrown into one another’s company, their perception of the other begins to change. When the unexpected upends their lives, Dahlia and Xanth must confront the most astonishing, terrifying change of all—that of falling in love.

Return to Orphia in this third, stand-alone installment of the “Fallen Stars” series. Blending historical fiction with a fantasy land absent of magic, this clean and wholesome story of natural beauty, found family, humorous mishaps, and enemies-turned-friends romance is sure to delight the hearts of readers young and old.

 

 

 

 

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Review

 

I did not realize that this was the third book in the series. I read the first book but not the second. However, it is not necessary to read these books in order, you just might miss out on some of the minor character’s relationship and how they came to be in this installment.

That aside, this was a fun read. It is a clean fairytale romance set in a kingdom similar to one you would see in England or another European country. Dahlia is being forced to marry someone she doesn’t love. She is gun-shy already, but her father is forcing this marriage. So she does what any wise woman would do: run away! It is in the town of Orphia that she finds herself and love. While Dahlia may be 19, she is still young and immature. Being on her own, forced to make a living, she discovers more about herself and what she can do. I enjoyed watching her character mature and become a more confident woman.

Xanth is a young man without a path. He has done what he thinks his family expects, even at a cost to him. He reminds me of many young people who are floundering, trying to determine their future. There are some great conversations with him regarding this situation. I don’t want to spoil anything but know that all of the characters in this book care about one another and each person’s happiness. I like that he is awkward, especially around Dahlia. I think this helps to ease possible tensions, even when situations are misunderstood.

There are some interesting twists near the end of the book regarding Dahlia and her brother, Daniel.

I enjoyed most of the minor characters. Some are from previous books, and others are new. Xanth’s siblings are precious!

There is one analogy that I really liked. Dahlia asks Xanth how he can forgive so easily. He likens it to holding a handful of glass shards. He can hold onto the resentment and hurt himself, or release the anger and forgive the person and lift the weight off of his shoulders and the glass from his hands. It really makes you think about how you handle forgiveness.

We give this book 5 paws up!

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Madison grew up in a small town in Florida, surrounded by her loving family. She has always enjoyed getting lost in the fictional worlds of movies, literature, and her own imagination. Her favorite stories are clean and sweet with happily ever afters. She enjoys traveling, drawing, going to the beach, spending time with her friends and family, and playing with her dog, Sprinkles.

 

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