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Lynn's Top Reads of 2020

1/3/2021

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2020 was hands down the craziest year ever but quarantine life gave me the opportunity to explore new things.  Turns out I'm crafty. I posted several DIY projects on my author page - Lynn Shaw Author. Oh, and I wrote a book with Melanie Gilbert! We hope to have it published in 2021. I read 97 books in 2020 - that's 15 more than 2019.  Apparently quarantine life agrees with me. So without further ado let's check out my Favorite Reads of 2020.
​

Favorite Series from a New to Me Author

First Blood Trilogy by Heather Karn 
Free in KU 
AMAZON
Devoured First Blood by Heather Karn in one night! The suspense rocketed me through the story and that shocker of an ending was more than I bargained for. Thank goodness the trilogy is complete and I can satiate my hunger!
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From Book 1:
​Like most other college students in the United States, Koda Niklane’s dream is to join the government’s most advanced military unit: the Elite. Since the President’s great reveal of supernaturals living amongst humans, every college student is required to Interview for the Elite. Being human and unable to fight are setbacks for Koda, but she soon learns she isn’t quite as human as she’d thought, or rather, she’s not human at all.


When a purple-eyed blood drinker named Raven Cartana, a Captain in the Elite, announces publicly that she’s one of his kind, Koda refuses to believe him. As her new Elite trainer, Raven’s job is to keep Koda alive and teach her the ropes. Teaching is the easy part as Raven, Koda, and their team work to keep the streets safe from Threats. It soon becomes apparent that keeping Koda alive will be much harder than Raven had anticipated as the attacks on her become more personal.

As Koda works with Raven and the Elite, she can’t help but wonder how much of herself will remain once her maturity has finished. Will she still be Koda, or will she be something different? And is that why someone has their sights set on her?

First Blood is a YA/NA crossover due to character age. There is no swearing or sexual content. Mild violence.

Recommended reading order for series:
First Blood
Second Lineage
Zero Tolerance
Third House

Favorite Serial 

Clearview Academy by Amy Richie 
​Free in KU 
AMAZON
I still need to read Book 7 - Death of a Vessel, but y'all this series had me hooked from book 1!  I literally hounded the author for each book to come out quicker. 
From Book 1:

​Avery Lewis is dead.


Avery is destined to be the queen of senior year at Clearview Academy... at least, until she's murdered over the summer.
When she wakes up behind a dumpster in an alley, she knows something is wrong. Things go from really bad to worse for Avery after she's visited by a Reaper and realizes that she's dead. Now she needs to find her vessel – a boy who shares her birthday, a boy she wouldn't be caught dead with.
Clark Daniels.
With Clark being the only one who can see her, Avery is quickly finding out that her picture perfect prom queen life might be as fake as the blonde in her hair. Whether it's being dead that's messing with her mind or it's from spending so much time with him – Avery is actually starting to like Clark. As if things weren't bad enough.
But there's no time for that; not with a Reaper breathing down her ghostly neck. She has to find her killer, and fast. Her time is running out.

Favorite Middle Grade

What Rachel Did by Kelly Martin 
​Wide Release 
BUY HERE
What Rachel Did is Amityville horror for 12-year-olds! This tween thriller left this adult reader feeling haunted and slack-jawed. A gruesome ghost story that is sure to become a horror classic.
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Ava Kirkland knows three things for certain: One, Bradley will always be her BFF. Two, science is the best subject ever. Three, ghosts don't exist. Two out of three ain't bad.

Twenty years ago, Mosley Manor was left abandoned. The haunted house of White's Chapel, Tennessee, has become the local dare—the place kids sneak to see if they are brave enough to go inside. Ava isn't scared of Mosley Manor in the slightest. She believes in facts.

According to her, anyone who is scared of Mosley Manor should be ashamed. Unless that person is her best friend, Bradley. He gets a free pass because he's, well, he's been terrified of the house as long as Ava has known him. In fact, he was originally the person who told her about the house and all the ghosts inside.

Unfortunately for Ava, her parents decide to buy their first house (YAY!), and it ends up being Mosley Manor (no...). Ava isn't afraid of the place, just not happy about leaving her old rental house next to her BFF. It's also not wonderful that it's the only thing anyone at school wants to talk about.

Ava's brother starts acting even weirder than normal, Mama and Daddy never used to fight like this, and by golly, those upstairs doors have minds of their own.

Ava may not believe in ghosts, but they certainly believe in her.

For fans of The Graveyard Book and Coraline by Neil Gaiman and The Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine.

Favorite YA 

Filler Friend by Sara Jo Cluff
​Free in KU 
AMAZON
​This is the first book I have read by Sara Jo Cluff, but it certainly won't be the last. Filler Friend is a witty, heartwarming story about family, friends, and self discovery. Elinora is such a relatable character. At the turn of the first page I found myself back in high school feeling as awkward as ever. I loved seeing her grow as a person and in her relationships with her peers. I can't wait to check out more books from Sara!
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​Friendships aren't worth the drama.

After a catastrophic friendship, Elinora decides that having any relationship isn’t worth the heartbreak. Her parents still want her to socialize, so she starts her Filler Friend operation, unbeknownst to them. She’ll fill-in as a friend for anyone at school, whether it’s getting a gamer out of the house or being a plus one at their parent’s boring work party.

When a client becomes a regular, the lines of fiction and reality begin to blur, making Elinora unsure of what she really wants. Adding to the confusion, she’s slowly falling for the cute guy she met at the library. Before the operation blows up in her face, Elinora will have to decide if friendship and love are worth the risk, or if she’s better off shutting out the world forever.

A coming of age story about finding friendship, learning to love, and figuring what kind of person you want to be. Filled with humor, heartache, acceptance, and family values.

Favorite Audiobook

Of The Blood (Heir of Blood & Fire Bk1) by Cameo Ranae 
Produced by The Audio Flow  Narrated by Natalie Naudus 
Wide Release 
AMAZON
Holy smokes!!!! Cameo Renae has done it yet again! Her new series, Heir of Blood & Fire, is simply amazing. Leave it to Renae to take the vampire trope into a whole new world. I am in love with the characters. Calla is absolutely brilliant. She handles all the challenges (and there are a lot) with dignity and strength. Trystan is perfectly swoon worthy as her vampire prince.

The narrator slays this story. I found myself completely immersed as I devoured her every word. Cameo Renae has created a beautiful world I can't wait to escape to again.
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One malicious prince. Two rival kingdoms. And an innocent girl caught in the crossfire.

Raised in a war-ravaged continent, temptation comes to Calla Caldwell in the form of a charming and mysterious stranger. Giving in to his intimate seduction, her world is forever changed by a single bite.

Calla quickly learns the handsome stranger is vampire prince, Trystan Vladu. His bite was an attempt to claim and save her from a plot of vengeance generations in the making. However, the claws of that ancient vendetta are scraping ever closer.
Thrust into a new nightmare by the Prince of the corrupt kingdom of Morbeth, Calla is captured, tortured, and starved in the dank confines of his dungeon. While in captivity, she takes part in a séance with a witch of light where she contacts a departed relative—a Princess of Incendia—who bequeaths a gift to Calla that will tip the scales of good and evil . . . if she can learn to harness it.

With a dark tapestry of secrets, lies, and murder unraveling around her, Calla must learn to embrace the power roiling through her veins, or be snuffed out by the strangling fist of a malevolent darkness.

Favorite Book of 2020

The Girl at the Hanging Tree by Mary Gray
​Wide Release 
BUY HERE
I have been gushing about this book for 6 months. I read an ARC in August and was absolutely blown away. Gray takes on several hot button topics including mental illness and racism but handles them all in a dignified manor. This story is thought provoking. It left me in the throws of a serious book hangover. I love it so much I own 2 copies - paperback and hardcover! I am also gifting one papberback copy to a lucky fan on my YouTube Channel.  Watch my video for more info.  (YouTube Link - https://youtu.be/7zg2MssBOZ8) Winner to be announced 1/15/21 on FB and YouTube.
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Gemma Louise Coldiron has two personalities. One is herself—easygoing, curious, and travel-hungry. The other is a dictatorial other half named Tansy, who only lets Gemma come out of their Victorian mansion to do the shopping every two weeks.Gemma also has amnesia, and Tansy’s too busy painting macabre art to be forthcoming about their past. The town speaks to Gemma about a “Mr. Hardin,” and it doesn’t take her long to learn she was married to the oil tycoon before he mysteriously went missing.

While Gemma begs Tansy to tell her more about their life with the handsome stranger, Gemma soon learns that the town harbors a secret society. And Mr. Hardin? He was the leader.

If Gemma can’t figure out what happened while maintaining her volatile relationship with Tansy, the town will assume Gemma killed Mr. Hardin—and even more alters will take root in Gemma’s already crowded mind.
​
​An acutely observed modern-day psychological thriller that plunges into the daunting abyss of mental illness, community indoctrination, and cult group-mind.

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Audiobook Review ~ Lust by Daniele Lanzarotta

10/14/2020

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LustThe Sinners Series Book 2
by Daniele Lanzanrotta
Narrated by Jason Clark, Cindy Kay, Tim Paige
Length 4 hrs 19 min
Published by The Audio Flow
Released 8/24/20
After suffering a few life-altering losses, Caden Remington didn’t want to go through that pain ever again.  
Once he joined "them", his wish was granted - he would feel nothing but lust. From that moment, he buried his past and didn’t look back. It wasn’t until after he met Rebecca and began to have unexplainable feelings for her that he started to regret his choice. 
They may be falling for one another, but in a world where dark magic prevails, and wishes can be turned into nightmares, will their feelings be enough or will their choices continue to haunt them?
AUDIBLE
AMAZON

Review

​Audiobook Review
Story   5 Stars
Performance  5 Stars
Overall  5 Stars

As I sit down to type this review I filled with a wide range of emotions - hurt, love, anger; just to name a few. Rebecca and Caden's love story is fraught with obstacles and pain.  Their story took me on a roller coaster of emotions. Lust has twist I never saw coming! And that ending!

The narrators, Jason Clarke, Cindy Kay, and Tim Paige, do a superb job bringing the story and emotions to life. 

​~ Lynn

The Sinners Series 

Book 1...
Liam and his childhood best friend Rebecca were raised in a small town. Now living in the city, as roommates, they encounter more challenges than the average college student.

When faced with the reality of having to quit school and move back home, Liam and Rebecca get an odd invitation to move into a mansion with a group of extremely wealthy guys from the college. Liam knows it’s all too good to be true, but he gives into Rebecca’s pleas to take the offer until they get back on their feet.

Weeks turn into months, and as Liam discovers the truth of what happens within those walls and Rebecca finds herself in the middle of a dangerous game between lust and envy, their lives quickly spiral out of control.
AMAZON

Review 

​The Sinners was an interesting look at a secret society of dark magic. I found the premise to the story intriguing. And that shocking ending left me dying for more! Narrators Cindy Kay and Jason Clarke were excellent at bringing the story to life. The author Daniele Lanzarotta created a diverse and complicated cast of players. I have a love/hate relationship with them all. I didn't know what to expect going into the story but Lanzarotta definitely snagged herself a new fan!

Meet the Author 

Daniele Lanzarotta is the author of young adult and new adult paranormal/fantasy/contemporary novels, including the Imprinted Souls Series, Academy of the Fallen Series, Sudden Hope, and A Mermaid's Curse Trilogy.

Daniele is also a filmmaker. She has recently worked on Virginia based short films as the 2nd Assistant Director and Still Photographer. Daniele is currently working on the development stage for the adaptation of her novel, Sudden Hope, which she also plans to film in VA.

She enjoys watching hockey, playing Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and spending time with her husband, two daughters, and the family dog.

Check out more information about Daniele and her novels at:
http://www.danilanzarotta.com
http://facebook.com/danilanzarotta
Twitter @DaniLanzarotta
​Click The Audio Flow to check out other great audiobooks.
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Audiobook Review ~ Summoned by Mckayla Eaton

10/1/2020

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​Author: Mckayla Eaton
Narrator: Becci Martin
Length: 6 hours 17 minutes
Series: The Demon Summoner Trilogy, Book 1
Publisher: Mckayla Eaton
Released: Jun. 18, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
​On an empty baseball diamond in a quiet Toronto suburb, a demon has been summoned.

Seventeen-year-old Alton is miles away, just wishing he had a tutor he didn’t outsmart or outmatch. His prayers are answered when Professor Victor Orvius makes an unexpected visit, offering to teach Alton magic without the restrictions. The only condition is that he follow Orvius’ rules and not ask too many questions.
Alton soon discovers he’s not Orvius’ only student. Reagan is a competitive young witch with a bad attitude and talent for sarcasm. Their personalities clash, causing trouble for both on more than one occasion, until they realize a greater threat than being one-upped.

The demon threatens not only their chances at passing their magic finals—it threatens their lives. If Alton and Reagan can’t learn to get along, they could be facing their deaths…or an eternity together, trapped in another realm.
Audible

Lynn's Audiobook Review

​Audiobook Review 
Overall 4
Story  4
Performance 5

Let me begin by saying that I enjoyed this story. The only thing that bugged me is that the author makes it a point to tell the reader this is not a Harry Potter type magic stories and goes on to point out the differences. Did the story strike a HP cord with me? Yes, but only slightly. There are major differences. Was it necessary for the author to blatantly point out the differences? No, and yet she did. Moving on.

Summoned is a fast-paced YA book about teenage witches and warlocks who are tutored in groups of two in the craft. Reagan and Alton are brought together to be trained by Victor Orvius. But Orvius has some strange teaching methods and is harboring a dark secret as to why he brought Reagan and Alton together. But Reagan is perhaps concealing the biggest secret of all. 

Summoned has a unique story arc. The characters are well defined and intense. One of my favorite parts of the story is the goats on the roof. I will be checking out the next book in this series.

The narrator Becci Martin did a great job bringing this story to life. I especially enjoyed her portrayal of Reagen. 

Meet Mckayla Eaton

​Mckayla Eaton is an author and book-lover living and writing in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She writes fantasy and science fiction and aims to build worlds that push the imagination of readers. She was raised on Indiana Jones and Fairy Tales and strongly believes every story ought to be an adventure story. She likes tragedies and happily-ever-afters and refuses to believe the two are mutually exclusive.

Meet Becci Martin

​Becci Martin has been voice acting professionally since the early twenty-teens, but she's been entertaining smaller audiences of family and friends with her spirited storytelling since she was a little kid.  Between projects you can find her traveling with her husband and adventure-loving dogs, boldly puzzling newspaper crosswords in pen, or playing bartender for establishment patrons and houseguests alike.  She currently calls Kansas City home.
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Audiobookborm Promotions ~ Summoned by McKayla Eaton

10/1/2020

0 Comments

 
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Author: McKayla Eaton
Narrator: Becci Martin
Length: 6 hours 17 minutes
Publisher: McKayla Eaton⎮2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
Series: The Demon Summoner Trilogy, Book 1
Release date: Jun. 18, 2020
 On an empty baseball diamond in a quiet Toronto suburb, a demon has been summoned. Seventeen-year-old Alton is miles away, just wishing he had a tutor he didn’t outsmart or outmatch. His prayers are answered when Professor Victor Orvius makes an unexpected visit, offering to teach Alton magic without the restrictions. 
The only condition is that he follow Orvius’s rules and not ask too many questions. Alton soon discovers he’s not Orvius’s only student. 
Reagan is a competitive young witch with a bad attitude and talent for sarcasm. Their personalities clash, causing trouble for both on more than one occasion, until they realize a greater threat than being one-upped. The demon threatens not only their chances at passing their magic finals — it threatens their lives. 
If Alton and Reagan can’t learn to get along, they could be facing their deaths…or an eternity together, trapped in another realm.
Buy Links
Buy on Amazon⎮Audible
Listen Here

Review 

Audiobook Review 
Overall 4
Story  4
Performance 5

Let me begin by saying that I enjoyed this story. The only thing that bugged me is that the author makes it a point to tell the reader this is not a Harry Potter type magic stories and goes on to point out the differences. Did the story strike a HP cord with me? Yes, but only slightly. There are major differences. Was it necessary for the author to blatantly point out the differences? No, and yet she did. Moving on.

Summoned is a fast-paced YA book about teenage witches and warlocks who are tutored in groups of two in the craft. Reagan and Alton are brought together to be trained by Victor Orvius. But Orvius has some strange teaching methods and is harboring a dark secret as to why he brought Reagan and Alton together. But Reagan is perhaps concealing the biggest secret of all. 

Summoned has a unique story arc. The characters are well defined and intense. One of my favorite parts of the story is the goats on the roof. I will be checking out the next book in this series.

The narrator Becci Martin did a great job bringing this story to life. I especially enjoyed her portrayal of Reagen. ​
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​About the Author: McKayla Eaton
Mckayla Eaton is an author and book-lover living and writing in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She writes fantasy and science fiction and aims to build worlds that push the imagination of readers. She was raised on Indiana Jones and Fairy Tales and strongly believes every story ought to be an adventure story. She likes tragedies and happily-ever-afters and refuses to believe the two are mutually exclusive.
Website⎮Twitter

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About the Narrator: Becci Martin
Becci Martin has been voice acting professionally since the early twenty-teens, but she's been entertaining smaller audiences of family and friends with her spirited storytelling since she was a little kid.  Between projects you can find her traveling with her husband and adventure-loving dogs, boldly puzzling newspaper crosswords in pen, or playing bartender for establishment patrons and houseguests alike.  She currently calls Kansas City home.
Website⎮Instagram
​

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September Wrap Up

9/24/2020

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Audiobook Reviews

The Girl in Cabin 13 by A.J. Rivers

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​Knock…Knock…
When Emma finds a dead body on her porch with her name written on the dead man's hand she uncovers a sinister clue to the mystery that has haunted her since childhood.


FBI agent Emma Griffin is sent undercover to the small sleepy town of Feathered Nest to uncover the truth behind the strings of disappearances that has left the town terrified.
To Emma there is nothing that can lay buried forever. Even though her own childhood has been plagued by deaths and disappearances.
Her mother’s death, her father’s disappearance, and her boyfriend’s disappearance. The only cases that she hasn’t solved.
Her obsession with finding out the truth behind her past was what led her to join the FBI.

Now, she must face what may be her biggest case. In Cabin 13 there lies an uneasy feeling. The feeling of her movements being watched.
When a knock on her door revealed a body on her porch and her name written on a piece of paper in the dead man’s hand. Suddenly her worlds collide.
With the past still haunting her, Emma must fight past her own demons to stop the body count from rising.
The woods have secrets. And this idyllic town has dark and murderous ones.
Either she reveals them or risk them claiming her too.

In Feathered Nest, nothing is what it seems.
The Girl in Cabin 13 is about to find out that the dead may have secrets of their own.

Review 

​Audiobook Review 
Overall 5
Story  5
Performance 5
​

Wow. What a great beginning to the series. Emma Griffin's story has so many complex layers to it. The writing is fantastic. I was intrigued from page one till the end. Lots of twists to keep the reader guessing. And that ending!

​Claire Duncan was great as the narrator and I really enjoyed her take on the characters.

Summoned by Mckayla Eaton

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​On an empty baseball diamond in a quiet Toronto suburb, a demon has been summoned.

Seventeen-year-old Alton is miles away, just wishing he had a tutor he didn’t outsmart or outmatch. His prayers are answered when Professor Victor Orvius makes an unexpected visit, offering to teach Alton magic without the restrictions. The only condition is that he follow Orvius’ rules and not ask too many questions.
Alton soon discovers he’s not Orvius’ only student. Reagan is a competitive young witch with a bad attitude and talent for sarcasm. Their personalities clash, causing trouble for both on more than one occasion, until they realize a greater threat than being one-upped.

The demon threatens not only their chances at passing their magic finals—it threatens their lives. If Alton and Reagan can’t learn to get along, they could be facing their deaths…or an eternity together, trapped in another realm.

Review

​Audiobook Review 
Overall 4
Story  4
Performance 5

Let me begin by saying that I enjoyed this story. The only thing that bugged me is that the author makes it a point to tell the reader this is not a Harry Potter type magic stories and goes on to point out the differences. Did the story strike a HP cord with me? Yes, but only slightly. There are major differences. Was it necessary for the author to blatantly point out the differences? No, and yet she did. Moving on.

Summoned is a fast-paced YA book about teenage witches and warlocks who are tutored in groups of two in the craft. Reagan and Alton are brought together to be trained by Victor Orvius. But Orvius has some strange teaching methods and is harboring a dark secret as to why he brought Reagan and Alton together. But Reagan is perhaps concealing the biggest secret of all. 

Summoned has a unique story arc. The characters are well defined and intense. One of my favorite parts of the story is the goats on the roof. I will be checking out the next book in this series.

The narrator Becci Martin did a great job bringing this story to life. I especially enjoyed her portrayal of Reagen. 

New Releases & Reviews

Sisters of the Moon by Alexandrea Weis

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​A monstrous fate will turn a girl into a legend.

On an island in Lake Obersee, where The Sisters of St. Gertrude abide, a destitute Moor named Durra arrives. Sold for taxes, she and her two companions tend to the nuns and their collection of cats. At night, she combs the library for details on the order, the remote island, and the beasts howling outside her window.

But when a prank reveals the sisters’ gruesome secret, Durra is forced to accept a new fate. Bestowed an unearthly power, she must choose between life as a nun or living among the monsters beyond the convent walls.

Her path is about to change the tide in the ultimate war. The war between good and evil

Review 

​Alexandrea Weis weaves religion and myth into a brand new werewolf legend in Sisters of the Moon. From its mysterious dark and foreboding island, to a convent full of beautiful young nuns and clowder of cats roaming the halls, this story had me hooked from page one. SOTM is sure to become a horror classic.

Magic Conquered Bk 4 Rise of the Arcanist

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​Once they have you, you don’t come back…

They say it took one hundred magical beings to defeat the first Arcanist. Great care was taken to ensure the secret to his malevolent power died with him. Now the brutal reign of the Arcanist has become little more than a scary bedtime story. And yet, the descendants of his loyal followers are sworn to find a way to bestow his dark magic upon another. If they succeed, they’ll unleash a new terror upon an unsuspecting world.

Every six months a seemingly random group of magical beings go missing from the same location and are never seen again. If an investigation doesn’t begin now, it could be another six months before there is another chance. Consumed by the hunt for a cult of dark witches and their impossibly powerful leader, Jen and her friends are hesitant to take on yet another mystery, but if they don’t, who will?

Magic Conquered is Book Four in the Urban Fantasy series, Rise of the Arcanist, featuring vampires, elementals, witches, and more. It is a New Adult spin-off of USA Today Bestselling author Elizabeth Kirke’s award-winning More than Magic series. If you like your paranormal with a dash of mystery and suspense, make Magic Conquered yours today!

Rise of the Arcanist is a six-book serial, with each installment releasing a month apart. You do *not have to read the original More than Magic trilogy to enjoy it.*

Review

This installment of Rise of the Arcanist had me on edge from start to finish. I had hand cramps from the death grip I had on my kindle. The fight scenes in the arena are so intense. I swear the author gave me a few more gray hairs. There are only two more books left and honestly, I am a nervous wreck how it is going to end.

Available Now 

I've been dying to read the final book in the Vesik Series by Eric Asher but now that it is here I cannot bring myself to crack it open. Part of me wants to skip to the ending so I can just get it over with. The other part wants the satisfaction of completing this 19 book journey. The chicken in me in currently winning and thus the book remains closed. 
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An ancient tetradrachm. The power of a Titan. To all things an end…
With the transfer of the Devil's Knot, it falls to Ashley to awaken the Titan known as Gaia. If any among them are to survive the ritual, painstaking preparations must be made ... including care for Damian’s monstrous form.

Terrence and Vicky race to the Abyss for one mad gambit to save Damian, only to realize there is far more to Gaia than any of them could have imagined. Reeling from the revelation, the team scrambles to recover with time running out. Unrelenting, the Eldritch close in on Rivercene as the extent of Nudd’s twisted madness is exposed. When the battle fades, nothing in their world will ever be the same...

BUY HERE

Coming Soon...

This IS my top read for 2020!
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​Gemma Louise Coldiron has two personalities. One is herself—easygoing, curious, and travel-hungry. The other is a dictatorial other half named Tansy, who only lets Gemma come out of their Victorian mansion to do the shopping every two weeks.

Gemma also has amnesia, and Tansy’s too busy painting macabre art to be forthcoming about their past. The town speaks to Gemma about a “Mr. Hardin,” and it doesn’t take her long to learn she was married to the oil tycoon before he mysteriously went missing.

While Gemma begs Tansy to tell her more about their life with the handsome stranger, Gemma soon learns that the town harbors a secret society. And Mr. Hardin? He was the leader.

If Gemma can’t figure out what happened while maintaining her volatile relationship with Tansy, the town will assume Gemma killed Mr. Hardin—and even more alters will take root in Gemma’s already crowded mind.

An acutely observed modern-day psychological thriller that plunges into the daunting abyss of mental illness, community indoctrination, and cult group-mind.

BUY HERE

​Elizabeth Kirke
hasn't officially revealed the cover or blurb for the next Rise of the Arcanist book but if you hope over to Amazon you can preorder it.
PREORDER

Still to Come...

Be on the look out next week for info from Stacey Rourke about Book 3 in her Fear The Reaper series.
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Audiobookworm promotion ~ Wrong Side of the Storm by Bryna Butler

8/29/2020

1 Comment

 
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Author: Bryna Butler
Narrator: Michael Mola
Length: 3 hours 2 minutes
Publisher: Swancrest Publishing⎮2019
Genre: Paranormal Mystery; YA
Series: Mothman Mysteries, Book 2
Release date: Jul. 23, 2019
Where will you be when all hail breaks loose?

When a mysterious new player wields a deadly storm to force the men in black into lockdown, teens Eric and Bridget are suddenly separated. With Bridget on the inside and Eric on the outside, the two race to beat the clock and open the doors before the suits make the ultimate sacrifice to prevent the base from falling into the wrong hands. 
​
Get ready for a quirky thrill ride full of spunky book blogger rants, sneaky twists, liberally-used nicknames, smoldering smirks from Mothman, and even a hippy vampire. Hold on kiddos, it's Mothman verses the Weather Machine! 

​Buy on Audible
​



​Review

I enjoyed this installment in the Mothman Mysteries a lot better than book 1. Why? Two words - nonstop action! This one was a nail biter.

Michael Nola was great as the narrator. The urgency of the story really came across in his narration. 
About the Author: Bryna Butler

Bryna Butler is a journalism-trained writer having authored hundreds of articles and financial publications before taking the leap into fiction in 2011. Her first book, Of Sun & Moon, skyrocketed to number one on Kindle top free charts in multiple categories in the U.S. and U.K. when the title went to free status in 2014 and again held #1 Teen Romantic Mystery on the Kindle Free charts in the U.S. in February 2020. The book was also featured in The Morganville Vampires web series. Butler’s work is free of profanity and mature content making them safe reads for pre-teen as well as teen readers. In her latest series, the Mothman Mysteries, she creates an unexpected and delightful twist on the urban legend from her youth, the winged Mothman of Point Pleasant, West Virginia.
Butler’s love of storytelling leads her heart to many fandoms. You will often find her online gushing about the latest movie/TV show/book or fondly reminiscing about the time she met Charlaine Harris and didn’t faint.
​

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮YouTube⎮Instagram
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Audiobookworm Promotions - Camp Lenape by Timothy R. Baldwin

8/25/2020

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Author: Timothy R. Baldwin
Narrators: Brittany Goodwin, James David West
Length: 3 hours 3 minutes
Publisher: United Publishing House, LLC⎮2020
Genre: Mystery; YA
Series: A Kahale and Claude Mystery Series, Book 1
Release date: May 28, 2020
 It’s supposed to be a fun summer…then a girl goes missing.
When a girl goes missing, and none of the adults can give a straight answer, a childhood game suddenly turns into a real, secret mission. 
Phone lines are down. Strange men roam the campgrounds. Financial documents indicate something’s amiss. And hidden security cameras point to a mysterious cottage in the woods. 
With heightened suspicions, junior camp counselors Marcus and Alissa recruit their friends to help find the missing girl. In their search, the teens will learn to rely on each other, especially when they encounter a terrible and dangerous secret.
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Review 

​There is a lot going down at Camp Lenape.

Even though this is only a MG/YA book, I felt it needed more depth & character definition. But it still wasn’t a bad story, and it did keep my interest.

Part mystery, part fun, tiny part romance. Camp Lenape is told from two POVs, Marcus & Alissa. That coupled with the dual narrators really added to the story.

When Marcus’ sister goes missing, he and Alissa stumble on a few deadly secrets at the camp. It’s not just another day camp in Camp Lenape.

The narration is also done with two narrators, Brittany Goodwin and James David West. Both did a great job bringing the story to life. 
​About the Author: Timothy R. Baldwin
Tim grew up in Syracuse, New York. He currently resides in Maryland where he teaches English, Creative Writing, Film, and Theatre on the middle school level. At the insistence of his own students, he began writing seriously in 2014. He credits his love for story to his mother, who spent countless hours reading to him and his siblings when they were growing up. Growing up, he devoured the literary works of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Piers Anthony, and many others. Mysteries, thrillers, and fantasies are among the genres he most frequently reads. When he's not writing, he's reading, teaching, camping, or at a live music concert.
Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram

About the Narrator: Brittany Goodwin
Brittany Goodwin is a Nashville-based director, screenwriter and actor know for her faith-based films "Secrets in the Snow", "Secrets in the Fall", "Be Still & Know" and "If You're Gone", a feature film based on Goodwin's best-selling novel of the same name. Acting credits include the 2019 theatrical release "The Perfect Race", as well as her ongoing work as a motion capture actor for Epic Games, and dozens of voiceover and narration credits.
Website

About the Narrator: James David West
James David West is an actor and producer, known for Teraphobia (2020), The Reflections Project: Subsequent Rumination (2018) and God Country.
Website
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Audiobookworm Promotions ~ Wrong Side of the Grave by Byrna Butler

8/22/2020

1 Comment

 
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Author: Bryna Butler
Narrator: James Fouhey
Length: 4 hours 40 minutes
Publisher: Swancrest Publishing⎮2015
Genre: Paranormal Mystery; YA
Series: Mothman Mysteries, Book 1
Release date: Sep. 22, 2015
When Eric Jansen takes a seat behind his drums, every girl in the place takes notice - not that he's surprised. He's had decades to practice. Still, there's that other thing....
He's an alien. Offworlder. Take me to your leader, fall from the sky, space-invading, phoning home, UFO jockey. A swipe of the tattoo on his arm will reveal his true form, which locals call Mothman, a winged creature formed of ashen gray skin and glowing red eyes. Eric is one of the last of his dwindling, offworld species.
So when the recently deceased of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, start walking and talking, the Men in Black mark Eric as suspect number one. It'll be up to Eric and his inner circle to solve the mystery before the black suits lock him up and throw away the key.
A fun listen, Wrong Side of the Grave is a fast-action teen sci-fi mystery with a paranormal twist.
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About the Author: Bryna Butler
Bryna Butler is a journalism-trained writer having authored hundreds of articles and financial publications before taking the leap into fiction in 2011. Her first book, Of Sun & Moon, skyrocketed to number one on Kindle top free charts in multiple categories in the U.S. and U.K. when the title went to free status in 2014 and again held #1 Teen Romantic Mystery on the Kindle Free charts in the U.S. in February 2020. The book was also featured in The Morganville Vampires web series. Butler’s work is free of profanity and mature content making them safe reads for pre-teen as well as teen readers. In her latest series, the Mothman Mysteries, she creates an unexpected and delightful twist on the urban legend from her youth, the winged Mothman of Point Pleasant, West Virginia.
Butler’s love of storytelling leads her heart to many fandoms. You will often find her online gushing about the latest movie/TV show/book or fondly reminiscing about the time she met Charlaine Harris and didn’t faint.
Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮YouTube⎮Instagram

About the Narrator: James Fouhey
Michael Mola is a writer, editor, producer, director, voice over artist, and narrator with over 50 titles to his credit. Michael voiced Wrong Side of the Storm, the latest installment in the Mothman Mysteries series.
LinkedIn

Review

​Butler weaves multiple genres together seamlessly in her Mothman Mysteries series. The fast-paced YA story twists supernatural beings with sci-fi technology and a dash of romance. Wrong Side of the Grave is a great start to the series. 

Narrator James Fouhey does a nice job of bringing Eric Jansen and the other characters to life. 
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Audiobook Review - Turn to Dust by Rachel Amphlett

7/25/2020

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Author: Rachel Amphlett
Narrator: Alison Campbell
Length: 7 hours 56 minutes
Publisher: Saxon Publishing⎮2020
Genre: Mystery, Police Procedural
Series: Detective Kay Hunter, Book 9
Release date: July 13, 2020

When the body of a naked man is found in the middle of a barren field, a rural community is left in shock - and fear.
Discovering that someone is offering money in return for information about the dead man and anyone connected to him, Detective Kay Hunter realises there is a dark side to the victim’s past.
When a key witness disappears and a web of deceit and lies threatens to derail the investigation, she fears the worst.
Can Kay and her team of detectives find out who is behind the man’s murder before another victim is targeted?
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Review

​Audiobook Review
Overall  5 Stars
Story  5 Stars
Performance  5 Stars

The Detective Kay Hunter Series is hands down one of my absolute favorites.  I have completed the entire series via audiobooks. The narrator Alison Campbell is brilliant. She has brought to life each of these stories for me. She lends a unique voice to each character and the portrayal is congruent in every book.

Author Rachel Amphlett touches on a few dark issues with the story but she handled it very well. I devoured Turn to Dust just as I have all the previous books. Detective Hunter is a strong female lead character who is tenacious, strong, and supportive. I love her interactions with her husband. A highlight in each book is to see what animal he will be treating at home.
​About the Author: Rachel Amphlett
Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.

Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Robert Crais, Stuart MacBride, and many more.

She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore's TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads⎮Instagram


About the Narrator: Allison Campbell
Alison Campbell is an actress based in Bristol, U.K. She has lent her voice to 50+ audiobooks, cartoons, documentaries and dramas. She can be found treading the boards across the country, in everything from Shakespeare to hip hop kids adventures. On screen she has appeared in dramas and science documentaries, her most recent co star was a CGI elephant. She can also be found performing the Natural Theatre Company's award-winning surreal brand of interactive comedy around the globe.
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Lynn's Review ~ The Book of the Rune by Eric Asher

6/4/2020

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​
  • The Book of the Rune
  • Vesik, Book 13
  • By: Eric Asher
  • Narrated by: Erin Moon
  • Series: Vesik, Book 13
  • Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Release date: 04-21-20

A haunted mage. A weapon lost. Sometimes, the dead return...
To save a life, Zola must find an anchor to transfer a blood knot of untold power, and she knows exactly who to turn to. An old ally, Ward, is gifted in the ancient arts and may hold the key to Vesik’s salvation.
With his team by his side, Ward embarks on a quest through the outskirts of The Golden City, which is rife with Unseelie Fae and Irontouched alike. Their only hope is a dangerous meeting with a highly trained cadre - who balance their loyalties on a knife’s edge.
As they embark on their path of knowledge and terror, tables take a jarring turn when a long lost apprentice, believed to be claimed by the darkness, makes a ghoulish return. The time for peace is near the end, and Ward must trust in those who rarely trust themselves in order to fulfill his mission.
BUY HERE
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​I love that this series literally picks on the next page from the previous one. The war rages on while Zola and crew try to find another piece of the puzzle to create a new anchor for Sam and Vicki. In this installment, we focus on Ward and met his long lost apprentice, Heather. 

The world building and layers make this an epic series. While I love delving deeper into the many characters, the suspense of Damien's predicament is killing me!

Eric Moon is a fantastic narrator for this series. It amazes me who she can keep all the individual accents and nuances for each voice she lends to the story. 

Read the entire series for free on KU!

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A crashed wedding. A scorned vampire. A necromancer's last hope...Damian Vesik is no hero. At least, not according to the magical community that turns a blind eye to his battles against evil. So he chalks it up as one more thankless mission when he’s forced to stop his vampire sister from murdering her ex’s entire bridal party…

Infiltrating the ceremony to protect the innocent, Damian uncovers something more sinister than a massacre. With the help of his berserker fairy friend, he'll need to prevent an unholy union between ancient demons and the walking dead.

Damian has one chance to stop his sister and ruin the wedding before one hell of an afterparty dooms the world.

Days Gone Bad is the first book in the savagely funny Vesik urban fantasy series. If you like gritty action, undead enemies, and plenty of snark, then you’ll love Eric R. Asher’s heart-stopping tale.

DIVE INTO THE DARKNESS HERE
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