Showing posts with label new books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new books. Show all posts

Saturday, December 8, 2018

2nd Annual Reindeer Reads Giveaway Contest Underway at our new site.

enter the giveaway where 3 winners will get books by 7 authors. 14 books can be won and the contest is open internationally

Click on the banner above or here, to find the giveaway contest. 3 winners will get 13 e-books by 7 authors, with one winner receiving a signed paperback. The contest runs the entire month of December, 2018 and is open internationally.

Thursday, August 31, 2017

New Books of 2017 (Part 7)


New Books of 2017 (Part 7)
Check out these new books that have been released as of Jan. 2017.

Click on the book covers to find them on Amazon.




Supernatural Mystery:


(Murder by Design, book 1)
by Erin McCarthy

Bailey Burke has had a rough six months—it’s not easy thinking your romantic overtures toward your best friend caused him to kill himself. Except that’s exactly what happened. Ryan is very much dead, having shot himself with his own police-issued gun. Guilt and grief shouldn’t cause hallucinations though, but six months after Ryan went into the ground, Bailey is freaking out and swearing his ghost is standing in her kitchen. Which he is…

Ryan claims he didn’t commit suicide, but was murdered, and he needs Bailey to help him find his killer so he can earn his ticket out of purgatory. Ryan’s counting on a stairway to heaven, as opposed to wings, since that might be a little unmanly for a cop, even a dead one.

An expert in home design, with her own staging business, Bailey can tell you where to place a couch to improve flow and comfort, but solving a crime? Not her area of expertise. But with help from Ryan’s former partner, Marner, she is unraveling the mystery of what happened to Ryan that day… and unwittingly putting herself in grave danger.




Historical Fiction:



It is 1898. The countdown to Britain’s war in South Africa has started, driven by national and international pressures. Newspapers, politicians, the public are being primed to advance and support what will become a foretaste of the horrors of later wars. 


Two detectives are unintentionally drawn into the epicentre of a powerful conspiracy to shape the outcome of the coming conflict, producing personal pressures neither man could possibly imagine.

Based on actual events, the story takes the reader behind the scenes on both sides of the conflict in Britain and South Africa; into the streets and into the minds of the combatants; into the debates and arguments at the highest and lowest levels of society that echo down the years.


But the novel itself is the subject of investigation by intelligence agencies today. The story written alludes to some events and characters that should never have been publicised since the information is strictly confidential, protected by government policy. How has the author managed to access secret files to write her account of the war? How much further will she take the information she has.




Coming of Age Adventure:




The Dennis Bisskit Adventures by Stephen Ainley

THE HILARIOUS STORY OF A YOUNG BOY'S GROWING UP YEARS


Meet Dennis Bisskit, short; ginger-haired; kind-hearted; game for anything. Born in 1945 on the day the war ended; it should have been a good omen. Instead it's been one disaster after another. Luckily fate normally steps in to save the day.


Gasp at the great holiday camp knobbly-knees scandal of 1955!
Be amazed as Dennis attempts to win back the world mile record for queen and country!


Discover Fosdyke's department store and the all-powerful Mrs Ricketts!
Shed a tear as Dennis visits the battlefields of France with his granddad. And meet the memorable Colour Sergeant Plunkett who teaches Dennis everything he needs to know about the army and finally makes a young man of him.





Fantasy Epic:


Danais and Leo are both orphans searching for truth. What they find, however, is much more than they anticipated and the truth could lead to their demise.

Identity (Salinor the Beginnings Book 2) by Samuel Alexander

Sometimes to reach your destiny, you must change. Even if it means the death of a life you dreamed of.

Journey (Salinor the Beginnings Book 3) by Samuel Alexander

The road can make us, shake us, or break us, but without the journey, our destiny cannot be fulfilled.




Vampire Satire:



Drip: A Gothic Bromance by Andrew Montlack

"A hand wearing a fancy watch parted the office blinds, and J.D. felt nauseous with despair: suddenly he knew—even though he could not explain how—that all of his mojo had been permanently taken away."

J.D. and George: thick as thieves since the fourth grade. J.D., the troublemaker, the stud: the alpha. George, the sidekick, the misfit: the loser. Upon graduating college, J.D. has convinced the only job creator in rusty Middlestop to hire them. BrewCorp, the hot new coffee and retail chain, is offering a vice presidency to the employee with the boldest plan for growth, and J.D. is determined to be the guy. When not sleeping with co-workers, he hatches his pitch for a one-of-a kind data pipeline. He is unbeatable--until George grabs the promotion. Now J.D. wants answers. His quest to find them—and to deal with the monstrous truth—is the subject of indie filmmaker Andrew Montlack's wry debut novel, which features the same biting satire that made his mockumentary, The Devil's Filmmaker, a cult classic.





Romantic Comedy:



Gretchen Johnson gives a sensitive and humorous account of dating in Southeast Texas. Paige, the heroine of the novel, is a young, recently divorced transplant from Minnesota and a professor of English Literature at Lamar University. She's fascinated by the culture(s) of her adopted state and trying to find a suitable mate. Her "take" on singleness and the dating scene in Beaumont is alternately witty, hopeful, resigned, and philosophical. The dozen men Paige dates are as real as any of J.D. Vance's hillbillies and as individualized as the folks old Studs Terkel used to interview. Her attitude toward Texas is overall optimistic, though she's aware of the racism, sexism, and classism which her students, her would-be lovers, and at times she herself see as simply natural. Johnson has a poet's keen eye and ear, and something of Sarah Silverman's sense of humor.



Short Stories:




200 Very Short Stories by Helen Keeling-Marston

Two Hundred Very Short Stories is a collection of stories each so short that the reader can start … and finish … a whole one in one night – some even in a minute! Recognising that many people don’t have enough time for regular reading – and thus can easily lose the thread of a novel – Helen Keeling-Marston set about writing a collection of short stories. Two Hundred Very Short Stories – Helen’s first book – features an eclectic mix of short stories and flash fiction: flash fiction being works of extreme brevity. Similar to a musical mix tape, the collection of stories aims to elicit a range of different emotions from the reader: joy, sadness, amusement, befuddlement, intrigue and fear. Be warned, however, that you’ll need to have your wits about you when reading this book, as Two Hundred Very Short Stories isn’t always a passive experience!






Thread and Other Stories by Eric Halpenny

Thread and Other Stories is a multi-genre collection of short stories (single author) that includes science fiction, fantasy, urban fiction, literary fiction, historical fiction, and espionage. There are seven stories in the collection.

Prudence and her older brother Yannick face extreme poverty and hardship in Thread. They live day to day on the wages they earn at low paying, difficult jobs. They face hardships that seem insurmountable for two young children. Isidore, an impoverished boy trying to survive on his own, enters their lives with even greater needs than Prudence and Yannick. They integrate him into their family life even as their world begins to crumble around them. But, there is an ominous backdrop to these events as strange entities take a keen interest in the lives of the three children.

A military psychologist evaluates a Vietnam war veteran who has experienced psychological damage in Shrink. The veteran’s fellow soldiers and friends must support him as the psychologist attempts to uncover the reasons behind his trauma.

Emil, Annie, and their three children—Zona, Owen, and Abner—struggle to stay safe in a steampunk-inspired fantasy world in Chance. Abner finds himself in trouble as a powerful magical being terrorizes the family farm. Only Zona’s quick thinking along with her parents’ knowledge of magic will give them a chance against the dark sorcery of the enemy.

John and Greg, bound by friendship, embark on a journey of trial and tragedy in Conflict, a 20th Century historical fiction. They must deal with death, loss, and grief as compatriots fall in battle during this poignant snapshot of the Canadian military in World War I. John and Greg show a contrast in the ways that these soldiers adapted to the psychological effects of war.

Veera, an astrophysicist, begins to experience recurring déjà vu, the source of which she cannot determine in Oversight, a science fiction adventure. She is unknowingly set on a collision course with Misha, who challenges Veera’s perception of the world as she struggles to determine what is real and what isn’t. Misha must deal with his own psychological demons as he tries to salvage a failing mission that will either end in glory or in his own death.

Dmitry is a hardened spy in the Cold War who has no mercy for his adversary Olyesa in the espionage thriller Deception. Olyesa and Dmitry navigate their way through the murky waters of agents and double agents while simultaneously struggling against each other for survival. When their divergent plans collide, it threatens to destroy them both.

Explore a metaphysical debate in the literary short story Conversation, which is woven between each of the short stories in this collection. An unnamed protagonist and an unidentified and secretive entity discuss the metaphysical and spiritual meaning behind science and what it means to gain knowledge.







Shattered Time Anthology by various authors.



Illustrated Children's Book:



Dan is a young inventor in love. He ventures into a forest looking for a rose but instead finds the mysterious Grumpface who threatens to hold him captive unless he passes some difficult challenges. What follows is a humorous adventure that neither Dan nor the Grumpface could have anticipated.

The Grumpface is a tale in the spirit of any grand adventure. It is about a clumsy young inventor’s quest for love, and the challenges he must face to find it. But it is also a tale of bravery, absurdity and happiness, and the power of these qualities over negativity and sheer grumpiness.

Every parent will be acquainted with their own little ‘grumpface’ now and then. This story stands as a small piece of hope – that no matter how ingrained the grump, there will always remain in every one of us a smile or a laugh just waiting to come out.



Please join me on the new blog: https://odbookreviews.wordpress.com/
and let me know what you are reading!


Friday, August 18, 2017

*Cover Reveal* Journey from Skioria by Kandi J Wyatt

Sorry I'm a day late, here is the cover reveal for Journey from Skioria by Kandi J Wyatt. This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The cover is designed by Yosbe Design and Leo Illustrations.

Journey from SkioriaJourney from Skioria
By Kandi J Wyatt
Genre: Fantasy
Age category: Middle Grade
Release Date: 5 September 2017

Blurb: Tania is lost, shipwrecked on an unfamiliar shore. With no friends or family, the nine-year-old girl must make her way through the realm of the woodland people to a town she's never heard of. With unexpected allies from the forest, Tania departs on a wild adventure where storms rage and the forces of nature do their very best to end her journey before it has truly begun.

In a land full of magic and evil forces, can one young girl make it home alive?

Lord of the Rings meets Narnia in this standalone middle grade fantasy by author Kandi J Wyatt.


You can find Journey from Skioria on Goodreads

You can pre-order Journey From Skioria here:
- Amazon
- B&N
- iTunes

Check out these teaser images:
Teaser-Adventure-Skioria


Teaser-Moon-Skioria


Teaser-Song-Skioria


Kandi J WyattAbout the Author:
Kandi J Wyatt is a wife, mother of five, teacher, artist, and author. In her free time, she enjoys writing fantasy stories and Christmas programs, and drawing with graphite and colored pencils. Portraits are her specialty. Kandi also enjoys photography, thanks to her photographer husband who has let her join his journey as both his model and apprentice, and she occasionally serves as his assistant when he needs a “light stand with feet.”

You can find and contact Kandi J Wyatt here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Pinterest
- Instagram
- Google+
- Amazon
- Goodreads

Giveaway
There is a cover reveal wide giveaway for the cover reveal of Journey from Skioria. One winner will win an e-Arc of Journey from Skioria.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, July 30, 2017

New Books of 2017 (Part 6)






New Books of 2017 (Part 6)



Check out these new books that have been released as of Jan. 2017.



Click on the book covers to find them on Amazon. #Ad




Paranormal, Fantasy, Historical Fiction: 





In turn-of-the-century England, sixteen year-old Christine Daniel learns her life-threatening illness stems from her paranormal visions. During the London Season, Allie, her beloved sister and the family heir, seeks a noble match while she searches the occult underground for answers. But the only witch who can help will not do so unless Allie marries her beau, an impoverished aristocrat, so that the illicit pair can share Allie's wealth.



Historical Fiction:



DARE TO DREAM IN THE MIDST OF WAR. 

1945. Rice fields seem endless in a quaint farming village of South Korea, yet Iseul and the villagers have been on the verge of starvation for as long as they can remember; the last of their Japanese colonizers have taken every last grain with them. In the newly independent Korea, Iseul dreams of what her future might bring. Yet, war is on the horizon, and the boy she has fallen for is an alleged North Korean communist spy.

Amidst war, Jung-Soo and Iseul embark on a comic journey of self-discovery across the mountainous peninsula, where they are aided by the occasional legendary ghost and animals. Music helps them pass the time, as does the radio and the crafty carpentry skills of Iseul who would eventually make history with her handcrafted hanji paper. Unexpected friendships are forged, love burgeons and betrayal taints their elusive dreams.

In the current international climate where North Korea takes center stage, “Forgotten Reflections” ponders on what the Korean War means to South Korea, spanning three generations as the nation rises from the ashes. 



Supernatural, Mystery:



"Witch, witch, you make me itch. I'd like to beat you with a switch."



Baylee Scott has the gift of touch. Except it’s not a gift. Seeing other people's memories doesn't make her very popular in Reed Hollow. It was one of the reasons she left the small town as soon as she was able. 



But after losing her ghost-hunting husband, Baylee returns home to help her brother run the family business: a defunct antique shop and tea house. It’s a dull existence that leaves her dreaming of adventures elsewhere.



Then, a mysterious jewelry case appears in her office, followed by a note detailing a connection between strange lights appearing in the sky and the disappearance of local women. Suddenly, Baylee’s life becomes more exciting.



Aided by her animal-loving brother, her tarot-card reading cousin, and the ghost of her dead mother, Baylee must unravel the clues to stop the strange lights from taking yet another victim.


LGBT, Coming of Age, Fantasy:


There are three kinds of magic in the world, and Corentine has the wrong one.

Long ago, the Restless King forced Corentine’s people into hiding as he scoured their blood for the SoulShifter. When Corentine learns she possesses some of the forbidden Shifter magic, she must hide her power or risk the same death her twin suffered.

Raised to trust no one, she rejects the General’s son Sy, until she realizes his family secrets might be the key to unlocking hers. When his brother turns against them, they are forced to fight family to save what’s left of their home, or accept banishment to find a new future.

If Coren and Sy can’t convince their people to accept the light of Shifter magic, the growing Shadow will ruin everyone’s chance of freedom.



Mystery, Fantasy:



Sam Watkins, an orphaned young teenager, possesses the ability to read the minds of almost everyone he meets.

Howard Lyons, the owner of the orphanage where Sam has lived since he was a baby, has been reluctant to let Sam leave the orphanage.

Unable to read the mind of Mr Lyons, he takes it upon himself to investigate the reasons behind the owner’s decisions and learn more about the origin of his ability, his parents and the potential of his power.

However, Sam’s investigation and mind-reading abilities reveal a power struggle at the top of a faltering orphanage between Mr. Lyons and his assistant Natalie.

Sam’s involvement in this conflict leads him to look for ways to save the orphanage and uncover the true motivations of both the owner and his assistant while trying to learn about his past.



Science Fiction, Fantasy:







Fifteen-year-old Josh Driscol lives in The Station, a city constructed one kilometer beneath the surface of a frozen, lifeless earth, its origins lost in the mists of time.

Josh comes to believe that the Black Heart, an ancient computer complex of unknown purpose buried in a sector critically damaged centuries ago, holds the key to the city's future survival. When the governing Council, of which his own father is a member, announce plans to demolish the Black Heart, Josh leads a desperate battle to stop the demolition.



Memoir with stunning photos:



A life spanning close to 100 years is noteworthy, if only because of its longevity. The rich life of a woman committed to a professional vision ahead of its time, filled with glamour, excitement and adventure, is truly remarkable. Narrated in her own words, this is the story of such a woman, Eva Maze, who, from the time she left Romania as a teenager in 1939, dreamed of being a ballet dancer, and through a series a circumstances, became instead one of the most successful theatrical impresarios in Europe – with a career spanning more than 40 years.


Now in her nineties, Maze looks back at the path and passion that led her from Bucharest to the United States as an immigrant, and then, as a married woman, back again to Europe and Asia, where she found her professional calling.


Set against key historical events of the 20th century, including the building of the Berlin Wall, the massacre at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, as well as the rise and fall of Pan American Airlines, Maze’s fascinating past is brought to life through a combination of serious commentary and amusing anecdotes about the risks and rewards of the business side of theater and dance, some of the personalities who were part of those worlds from the 1940s to the 1990s, her own motivation for being an impresario, and her personal life. Her narration is supported by more than 250 captivating historical and modern images going back to her birth in 1922.


Representing artists and companies abroad from a vast array of talent in the performing arts of the time – including The Alvin Ailey Dance Company, The Living Theatre, and The Swingle Singers – this unique woman became a prolific producer of close to 100 different types of theatrical programs from the world of dance, music, mime, cabaret, and drama.



Chick-lit, Romantic Comedy:



Jane's life on the face of it isn't really too bad...she has great friends like party girl Natasha who's always up for a laugh and her close pal Polly, always there for her and of course her loving parents, but things could still be better...

Most people she knows are either married or have kids and she has been single a while now and wonders if a good man is ever to be encountered again. The single life is far from a quiet one for Jane however, as she is constantly getting dragged to night clubs and bars by Natasha and the crew as well as enduring a particularly boozy weekend away at the seaside!

Jane loves a lot about her life, disregarding rude plumbers in her flat and dealing with annoying superiors and a smug sister, but as a certain someone takes her eye, is everything about to change and get a whole lot more serious or is the single life determined to keep her captive a while longer yet...



Suspense, Thriller:




It’s the bitter winter of 1948. The young driver for a Chicago gangster flees his boss’s retribution carrying a valise full of stolen mob money. Suffering from an infected bullet wound received during his escape, he leaves his California-bound train and takes refuge in a dying Nebraska railroad town where he encounters a corrupt sheriff and a crippled war veteran who has been traumatized both by his combat experience and a tragic event back home that took place while he was fighting in Europe.


This is a novel imagined as a sequel to Stephen Crane’s 1899 short story called “The Blue Hotel”

Friday, June 30, 2017

New Books of 2017 (Part 5)


New Books of 2017 (Part 5)
Check out these new books that have been released as of Jan. 2017.

Click on the book covers to find them on Amazon.



Steampunk Epic:


Two knights track down a dangerous monster lurking beneath Pnarakon, the City of Masks.
As they prepare themselves to spring their ambush on the beast, little they know that they are about to be dragged in the middle of an insidious conspiracy which threatens to shake the entirety of the Structure.
In a claustrophobic world where food and space are precious commodities and sunlight is only a distant memory, a Warrior, a Scion, and a Scholar will struggle through the echoes of fear and desperation resonating in the rusted-out corridors of an endless labyrinth.
Pulled into a vortex of political machinations, war, and madness, these lost souls will attempt to find a way out of the dreaded maze of steel and paranoid delusions upon which the Structure is built, as their sanity is constantly tested by vile betrayals, twisted sorcery, and eldritch horrors of forgotten times...



Short Story Anthology:


Half a Reason to Die is a collection of eight original short stories based on real life events in the author’s life as a writer and documentary filmmaker. The stories span the globe, from a military doctor in Afghanistan to a homeless Vietnam vet. First person narratives supplied by storytellers with journalistic backgrounds provide a unifying thread that runs throughout the collection.

Chip Duncan is a writer and documentary filmmaker with a penchant for overseas assignments. His professional journeys have taken him to many extraordinary places including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Myanmar. His previous work includes Enough to Go Around: Searching for Hope in Afghanistan, Pakistan, & Darfur and The Magic Never Ends: The Life and Work of C. S. Lewis, as well as numerous films broadcast worldwide.



Sci-Fi Space Opera:


In a world where women are born to rule, love is the ultimate crime. 

Empress Nadira’s planet is governed by one unbreakable rule: women hold the reins of power and men exist to serve them. But Nadira is in love with her servant, Kiln, and it’s a secret that could tear her family apart.

After she’s accepted onto the High Council, the most powerful institution on Venus, her conformity to the way her world operates becomes more important than ever. When Nadira’s affair with Kiln is revealed, her love for him will have disastrous consequences, and she will have to choose between protecting her family or following her heart and saving Kiln.

Saving Kiln is a Clean Interracial Science Fiction Romance with a touch of fantasy. Fans of Octavia E. Butler and Orson Scott Card will enjoy this book. Fans of The Fifth Element, The Matrix, and Jupiter Rising will also enjoy this book.



New Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy:


Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be plunged into a dangerous fantasy world?

The Blackwood brothers from New Orleans are about to find out. Youngest brother Will dreams of escaping his mundane life as an apprentice contractor. Caleb is a bartender whose charm and good looks see him through life. Val, the eldest, is a high-powered attorney who hides the fact that he can perform parlor tricks with his mind.

The brothers’ lives are changed forever when they receive a belated inheritance from their father: a staff with a mysterious stone on top, a pair of rogue’s bracers, and a sword that Will can barely lift. Searching for an explanation, it is not until a strange key whisks the brothers across time and space, into a terrifying version of New Orleans ruled by wizards, that the brothers accept the truth and undergo a perilous journey home. With the help of an alluring but deadly adventuress, they must break into the keep of a sorcerer known for his love of diabolical games, find a trio of enchanted talismans, and somehow defeat an evil wizard who can raise legions of the undead to do his bidding.

It seems the brothers have found their adventure. But will they live to tell the tale?



Collection of Essays:


Follow one man as he chronicles his trials with life and love, work and women, luck and loss through this collection of stories and prose.

Composed of a collection of essays, A Boy from the Chesapeake delivers a raw and honest insight into the working of one man’s mind as he navigates his way through life, self discovery, and an all-encompassing instinct to love. As a boy on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, readers are given first hand accounts of the narrator’s awakening to the existence of love and lust. As he continues to grow and mature, men and women alike will relate to his desire for acceptance and companionship. Each account of his various relationships, with women, friends, family, and coworkers, give further insights into who this man is and just what it is that makes him tick. After reading these stories, perhaps women will know a little more about men - and men will know a little more about themselves.



Sci-Fi Thriller:


What if, as a child, you could move the world with your mind? Think of the possibilities. But what if you couldn’t control it, and buildings toppled in your sleep? Think of the consequences.

Ethan and Tilly Wolfe are special. It’s a cruel, devastating kind of special that causes death and destruction in equal measure. Nobody is safe. Not even those who love them.

Ethan is the older sibling, his telekinetic gift powerful but controllable. But Tilly is young, emotionally fragile and unable to stop the physical and mental damage she unleashes on other people with barely a thought.

And all it takes is a thought.

Pursued by the military, shunned by the authorities and running for their lives, this is the story of a medical experiment gone hideously wrong, and the lives of the two children trying to put it right.



Horror:


Alfred, a washed-up author plagued by failures can’t believe his luck when his father in-law Frank provides him with a chance that he direly craved for:

Seven days alone in an isolated Motel with the task of finishing his upcoming book!

But little does he know about the Motel’s unsavory history. Hidden in the corpse of trees and about 400 miles away from his home, it is a two-storey facade located in the dark forest of Skiddaw.With no WI-FI, poor signals and weird set of rules, the dark atmosphere soon turns his seemingly idyllic trip to a living nightmare. Apart from the usual creaks, groans and moans of the motel, he soon finds himself face to face with an entity. An urban legend that is lurking in the woods long before the motel found its existing foundations.

The Motel’s dark and haunting history quickly becomes tangled with Alfred’s life as he frantically searches for answers. Barry, the caretaker is hiding something. But what is it? Is there someone else living in the motel besides him? Or is caretaker not what he seemingly appears?

Alfred quickly begins to lose his tenuous grip on reality as he sinks further and further into an intricately designed game of deceit and lies that might put his life in danger! Or is he a threat to himself and everybody around him?

A gripping- intense psychological horror with a twist ending!



Paranormal Mystery:


In an attempt to find her missing brother, 22-year-old Lily goes undercover to a criminals’ lair. Every federal agent who went undercover to bring down Pharaoh – the criminal boss – has gone missing, and Lily’s big brother is one of them. The Director of the FBI knows possible reasons for that – Pharaoh and his closest friends have supernatural powers. He knows only their nicknames and a list of their abilities: telepathy, supermemory, healing, clairvoyance, etc. To be able to save her brother, Lily has to match extra-abilities with Pharaoh’s henchman, drag out their real names and, what’s harder, find out who Pharaoh is and what superpowers he has. The rumor is that he can kill with a simple glance, so if he learns who Lily is, a quick death would be the best option she would have…