Blog Archives
We’re Not Heroes
We’re Not Heroes, by Helen Daniels, is the story of a group of friends that are stuck at a farmhouse after what they originally thought was an earthquake hits Australia. They have suspicions on what actually has happened after their electricity goes out, cars stop working, and the mountains are on fire. Maree and her husband Jon are worried for their children so they set off on a journey to find them.
The author, Helen Daniels, transports readers to the Great Southern region of Western Australia. The level of detail describing the scenery and people in her story transports the readers right into the action. Following along side Jon and Maree as they are fighting for survival will have readers turning pages quickly to see if they can make it to their children and survive this changing world’s destruction.
The characters are well developed and relatable. Readers will want to keep reading because they get invested in the personal emotions and stories of the characters. You begin to understand why certain characters in the story make the choices that they do in a time of crisis. The story builds slow before catapulting into the action. With a strong balance of narrative and action readers will feel like they are part of the story, racing to find their loved ones.
We’re Not Heroes by Helen Daniels is a riveting, captivating and suspenseful post-apocalyptic novel that will have you hooked to the very last page. Readers of action, adventure, suspense and post-apocalyptic science fiction will enjoy this relentlessly entertaining survival story.
Pages: 330 | ASIN : B09K4V6FH8
Becoming Truitt Skye
Truvie Tucker, a 17-year-old Milwaukee girl who loves physics and quantum theory, spends her days with her dad doing physics experiments in his shed. One day Truvie suffers from a devastating head injury, for which she’ll need surgery. When she goes under the anesthesia, she travels to another realm… The City of the Sea, and discovers that she’s actually Truitt Skye, a powerful soul who left the City 17 years ago to save humanity from being destroyed. “How could this be?” She wondered. Truvie has no memory of this prior life at all. Now it’s up to Truvie to remember who she is and save the world.
When it comes to Becoming Truitt Skye, author Adrea L. Peters writes this piece masterfully. Using powerful language from page one, she truly captures your imagination while she guides you through her book with simple and easy-to-understand dialogue. Teaching readers about love, family, science, spirituality, and so much more along the way. Peters has a talent for crafting memorable characters that will make you fall in love with them. Readers will be filled with nostalgia of their own childhood as they follow Truvie’s riveting story.
Becoming Truitt Skye, by Adrea L. Peters will make readers believe in magic and science, fill them with excitement and frustration, and take them on a captivating journey. From page one readers will be drawn into this enchanting novel, the writing style is in-depth and allows readers to fully immerse themselves in the world created by Adrea L Peters. Fans of teen fiction and young adult readers will enjoy this magical escape.
Pages: 299 | ASIN: B089727PGY
The Sound of Wings
Three women from different social backgrounds, united by their shared interest in the creative arts, have their fates collide at an auction. Bound by their insecurities, their encounter reveals the dark secret they have buried inside themselves. The secrets slowly come to light as their friendship solidifies. However, it is not only the bond they share that proves therapeutic to those women, but also that flutter of wings, signaling the everlasting presence of the vital forces in their lives.
The author of the book, Suzanne Simonetti, expertly depicts the anxieties and uncertainties of the human mind through the voices of women of various ages, experiences, and circumstances. From the struggling writer who fears losing his son’s legal custody to the ‘real-life Cinderella’ of Cape May Krystal Axelrod. Each character in this women fiction novel is on the hunt for their individuality. The motherly affection contributes an important part in the story, cropping up through Jocelyn, Goldie, and Pearl, the housekeeper.
In addition to focusing on its human characters, this psychological thriller also explores and depicts animal faculties. The statement “Her babies always knew where to find the love and could easily decipher whether they were in companies of allies and foes” provides the reader with an interesting glimpse into animal nature observed by the author. In titling The Sound of Wings, which begins and ends with the arrival of monarch butterflies, the author does an excellent job of conveying the sentiment behind the work’s subject matter. The concept Suzanne Simonetti has associated with butterflies and their arrival will fascinate readers.
The Sound of Wings, by Suzanne Simonetti, enumerates the practicalities of life with its mystical elements. The theme of self-belief, or lack thereof, runs throughout the book and the characters. Characters displayed courage and determination through their interactions with each other. The pace of the narrative will appeal to people who enjoy slow-paced novels that spend time really developing their characters and telling their stories. This women’s fiction novel will prove to be a page-turner if you enjoy mystery fiction, with plenty of drama and a drizzle of occult and spiritualism.
Pages: 297 | ASIN : B08F2BJP1N
In Search of a Happy Ending
![In Search of a Happy Ending by [Rosa Jordan]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/519YxIQmVWL.jpg)
A terminal illness comes as a surprise to Eve Austin. The indignation that has swept Eve, a newly divorced woman in her mid-30s, over her disbelief about her imminent fate has been overwhelming. After joining a writing group where members alike cloak their private lives and disguise realities, Eve finds that her search for a happy ending is replaced with something more meaningful. During the bi-monthly meeting of a seven-member group, Eve, a recluse awaiting her fate, changes abruptly into a woman who learns that not every story has to have a happy ending and that what matters most is what lies in the middle chapters of life.
The plot of this sentimental novel, the second by author Rosa Jordan, features diverse characters, from an eighty-two-year-old blunt Hector to a 21-year-old self-contained foster girl named Raynee. It is Eve who helps the reader understand not only her own mental frame but that of the other characters as well. It’s not just the character’s psychological development that the reader gets to see, but their somewhat tumultuous personal lives as well. It presents Hector and Golda as orthodox married couples, with Golda always willing to submit to Hector’s domineering nature. However, the eccentric affection between them is a very touching element of the novel.
Despite presenting the most vulnerable phases of someone’s life in a novel, the author brings in humorous elements as well. I appreciate the author’s ability to help the reader notice even the smallest change in emotions and thoughts within the characters. The novel shines due to its subtle observations, typically seen through the viewpoint of Eve. I believe there is no such thing as a favorite character in the novel because all of them have characteristics I could admire and dislike at the same time.
The writing group stories play a key part in the development of the characters. There are a variety of different stories told by the characters so readers of all interests will be able to find one that appeals to them especially those who enjoy the subtleties of human emotions.
In Search of a Happy Ending by Rosa Jordan captivates readers with dynamic characters that learn and grow from one another. Each chapter of the novel creates a strong surge of emotions in the reader. This is a story about people with dual lives and demeanors and a generous heart. By walking their paths, they learn and teach what it means to live for themselves and others.
Pages: 335 | ASIN: B09KDDQDJR
Shared Sorrows
Shared Sorrows by Vincent Panettiere is an intriguing murder mystery that follows Frank DioGuardia. On the surface Frank has everything going for him. He may not be at the top of his field but as a college professor one could say he is doing well for himself. Back home he has three loving children and a wife of thirty years. Yet Frank is not a happy man. He is haunted by the loss of his father, a seemingly average Joe who passed away at the age of 61. Ever since his father’s passing Frank has had one goal in life, to outlive his father. We find him as this grim milestone rapidly approaches. Frank has become increasingly bored of his same old daily routine as his fixation with outliving his father has grown. Everything escalates at the annual Columbus parade. Frank finally snaps and gets himself involved in a scuffle. At his age this earns him a one-way ticket to the hospital. From here his life is changed forever. Frank meets Laurie, a doctor with an equally dark past. She also lost her father at an early age. We follow him as he deals with the aftermath of his actions and is dragged into the public eye by the ever-present media machine and as he uncovers scandals and corruption.
Author Vincent Panettiere’s character creation is a breath of fresh air, especially with the creation of Frank’s character. Frank can be a little curmudgeonly and blunt. He thinks nothing of telling reporters what he really thinks of them. Yet Frank also has a dry, wry wit that often put a smile on my face. He is also a loyal, loving father who always follows his own moral compass, an easy man to root for. If anything, Frank is almost a little too relatable. Anyone who has ever felt stuck in a rut is likely to empathize with him. Likewise, anyone who has been unlucky enough to lose a loved one at a tender age is also likely to recognize some of Frank’s survivors’ guilt in themselves. The fledgling partnership between Frank and Laurie stops the book from becoming too heavy. You will be rooting for them all the way as they take their combined pain and use it to take down corruption.
Shared Sorrows by Vincent Panettiere is gripping and unforgettable. The character of Frank is emotionally charged and drives the plot forward. Readers will find the character studies of Frank and Laurie thought-provoking. Following Frank as he is forced to adapt to scenarios increasingly out of his comfort zone is thrilling and inspired. Readers who enjoy suspenseful drama will not want to put this book down.
Pages: 200 | ASIN : B09JPGW5G1
Journey of 200
Journey of 200 by Wilbur is a story told from the point of view of Guillaume, a boy with autism. With his two sisters, Catherine and Madeline, Guillaume wins a robot-building competition. The prize is an all-expenses-paid trip to India, and they somehow manage to set off on their trip with no parents involved. While in India they hear about a trek in China that will grant them life to the age of 200 if they survive the journey, so they set off for China to make the perilous attempt to reach the top of the mountain.
Journey of 200 is the first novel by new author Wilbur. The dialogue reflects the characters autism, it doesn’t always flow very well but that is part of the character development of Guillaume. The overall writing is well-structured and clear. The author has created a detailed world, giving readers a sense of his vision of India and China through the eyes of Guillaume.
Journey of 200 is a colorful adventure story, and it does give a fascinating glimpse into a mind influenced by autism. I think this novel is for mature readers as it contains casual violence throughout, from the punching and kicking, children’s acquisition and use of guns, common brutality and horrific death. There is racism laced throughout the story, and savage misogyny, as when Guillaume impassively witnesses his sister being beaten and is unmoved. Wilber is able to use these themes to build on the suspense and action of characters.
Journey of 200 by Wilbur is shocking and provocative while maintaining a clear story line. While this book is not for everyone, those that enjoy seeing the darker side of society with a thrilling adventure and quest mixed in will enjoy this novel.
Pages: 121 | ASIN : B08ZXQ3NN8
The Agape Journey
The Agape Journey by Eleanor Tremayne is one finely researched and executed work that can be read as a postmodern female bildungsroman. The narration by protagonist Imani creates a gripping story from the very beginning which remains till the last words.
From the very beginning readers are made aware that this is not a simple story of an American girl, rather this is going to be a roller coaster ride with a redheaded American journalist with an Arabic name. The amalgamation of Imani’s personal quest for identity along with the central mystery of the Agape carpet provides multiple layers to this engrossing and emotional historical fiction novel. This riveting thriller maintains an excellent balance between authentic representations and well-round characters with intriguing backstories.
The detailed description of places, from New York or Cairo, and the chronology with which the readers get to know about Imani’s past and introduction of every character is done with a finesse that ensures readers are invested in the character’s while taking them along on an exotic, beautiful and spiritual journey that is sprinkled with magical realism.
Each chapter begins with a beautiful quote whose significance can be traced in the chapters. Readers will root for Imani, and their heart will go out to all the brilliantly written characters in this suspenseful story, like her mother Sarah.
The Agape Journey by Eleanor Tremayne is an educational and thought-provoking experience. Tremayne seamlessly blends fact with the fiction in this spellbinding historical thriller. Readers who have never had an opportunity to visit South Africa will get to experience the rich culture through Tremayne’s extraordinary storytelling style. This book takes readers on an enthralling adventure to the brilliant wonders of the world, through thrilling mysteries, and on a spiritual journey that will have them thinking of this novel long after they have read the last page.
Pages: 371 | ASIN : B09KNRK94X
Heirs of Deceits
Heirs of Deceits by Elizabeth Reinach is a historical fiction story set in Victorian England. Sir Gilbert Stanley is a wealthy landowner and member of parliament who has left behind a string of abandoned women and illegitimate children. When the mothers died, the children were sent to live at a workhouse or fostered out to another family. Years later, Sir Gilbert does not acknowledge them as his children but takes them in to his household to work as servants at his country estate, Stanley Court. When his illegitimate son, Henry is murdered, will Sir Gilbert be able to discover who killed him? And what will become of his other children when the scandal of their illegitimacy is revealed?
This story had a unique structure that spanned a number of years, following several children from early childhood in to young adulthood. I liked how the author showed insight into the various trials faced by the characters. It was an interesting contrast to see the difference between the hardships in the lives of Sir Gilbert’s illegitimate children living in a workhouse compared to Lady Anne, who was raised in an aristocratic household. I enjoyed the elements of mystery in this story, reading all the different clues during the murder investigation and trying to put the pieces together to figure out the identity of the killer. I liked that the author included an epilogue showing how the lives of the characters turned out.
The story was divided into several parts and in the first part, where each chapter was focused on a different child’s early life experiences. In Part Two the story lines of the different children start to merge together. When the same events were told from more than one character’s perspective, the facts were not always consistent as is often the case when multiple people are retelling a story, everyone remembers things a little different. This adds a layer of realism to the story with the retelling from multiple perspectives.
Heirs of Deceits by Elizabeth Reinach is a wonderful period piece that highlights a common issue of the time when men often had illegitimate children but no one ever wanted to speak of them. While a work of fiction this book give a voice to those deemed illegitimate. With scandal and a riveting murder mystery this novel will entertain a diverse set of readers.
Pages: 244 | ASIN: B07T239B3B
LITERARY TITAN 