jbronderbookreviews

The Phoenix Cycle: The Best Shall Rise

Publication Date: June 23, 2017

Published By: The Department of Smoke

Genre: Dystopian/ YA/ Sci-Fi

New San Francisco is the last city standing on a world ravaged by storms of ash and debris. The city survived by putting the ideals of the American dream on steroids and inspiring its people to persevere, though they have become ruthless in the process. Its citizens are ruled by the General, who has made sure that his people understand that gentleness and pity have become weaknesses that nature no longer tolerates.

Now Steve and Leslie must choose whether they will apply for the General’s once in a lifetime opportunity to “Rise from the Ashes” and join the Inner Circle that rules the city. If they don’t, they will be damned to spend the rest of their lives in the ghettos of Edingburg, a place where virtual reality has become a government-subsidized addiction.

For Steve, the choice is easy. His loyalties lie with the IRA, a revolutionary army led by a voice only known as “Mom.” They are trying to overthrow the General and free the people of New San Francisco from the cruelties of the City Guard. Steve’s mission is to broadcast a recording of a speech that a famous philosopher died to tell. Many thousands have and will perish to get this message out, but is anyone willing to listen?

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Excerpt

Every wrist in the stadium beeped. Every boy and girl glanced down at the face of their watch. “00:10” then “:09” then “:08.” Everyone turned their heads to the west. There it was. Right on time, as always. The nightly storm. A wall of blackness had lurched up into the sky, swallowing the setting sun. The hairs on Steve’s neck stood up, urging him to get the hell out
of there.

Instead he grabbed Leslie’s hand, who sat quietly quivering next to him, instinctively pressing her bow into her head for comfort. Steve knew her shaking wasn’t coming from Line’s yelling, the storm, or even the tank pointing at them. Her quivers never came from the barrel of a gun, no, the ragging agony she held within her was the very same thing that pushed him back into the sheets when the sun finally rose—are we going to lose each other?

Leslie’s mind pushed the feeling away for at least another moment. “It’ll be all right,” she whispered. Her brown eyes guided him to the dozens of mortar tubes pointing upward and outward on the vibrant green field and then to the perfect line of churning ash that approached the stands.

“Unity can only be achieved and be maintained when it is the STRONG who come together and fly under one flag! We, like no other in the world, have created a unity that has never broken, has never FLINCHED! When the rest of the world saw THAT—” Line’s long arm pointed at the coming avalanche of black— “They all fell to pieces!”

The earth began to quake as the wall rose over them. Someone screamed. The mortars on the field fired as one at the roiling sky. The blackness spilled over the stadium, then slid over the perimeter of the frizzing wall of static that had encapsulated the field. No Phoenix Cycler had seen—only heard rumors from past Cycle Pref parties—this blackness that was sliding over and them whispering their deaths.

– The Phoenix Cycle: The Best Shall Rise

About the Author

Bob is pretty dope. Firstly, his name is Bob, so…yea. Second, have you seen him rock that suit while in a maximum security prison? Epic.

Yea. That’s Bob. No psychological scarring with that author. Nope. Totally fine.

Gosh he looks good in suits.

Hey Have you read The Phoenix Cycle? He wrote that.

One suggestion before you read it and become one of those fans that leaves him roses by his doormat. Read her slowly. This book is not Twilight. She’s deeper than that. Take your time with her. Show the book you care. Cradle it and make it feel loved. If you do, she’ll be good to you. Go too fast and you’ll have no idea why she’s acting so crazy.

Philosophies Dead | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Goodreads

My Review

4 stars

A meteor strike has caused a nuclear winter where ash constantly falls. The story takes place in New San Francisco. This world has been divided into two castes, the Inner Circle and the lower caste that lives in slum sections, the one we delve into is called Edingburg. The Phoenix Cycle is an opportunity for young men and women to try to raise their castes. The story follows Steve, a resistance member that is trying to get into the Inner Circle.

There is a lot of philosophy in this story and I will be the first one that admits that some went over my head. But it did make you think about the different events in this book. I liked how this book makes you stop and think about what is happening in it and what is going on around you in this world.

The Phoenix Cycle is a great story in a dystopian world with a good cast of characters. There is a Hunger Games feel with the trials to change Steve and Leslie’s castes and the IRA, opposition to the General and are trying to free the lower castes that are such in a virtual prison.

I liked this story but admit that I have had to think about the different things in it. I think I will be reading it a second time to try and process what I just read. I think this is a good read and one that you should check out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

Giveaway!!!

The author is giving away 10 print copies (That’s right 10) and 5 Digital copies of his book so make sure you enter as the odds are definitely in your favor! (Runs from May 21st to May 30th)

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Blog Tour Schedule

May 21^st

Reads & Reels (Kick-Off Promo)

Just for My Books (Excerpt)

The Lit Cottage (Review)

Adventures Thu Wonderland (Review)

The Midwest Ladies Who Lit (Excerpt)

May 22^nd

IAMAGEEKINGGINGER (Review)

Tranquil Dreams (Review)

On the Shelf Reviews (Excerpt)

May 23^rd

Didi Oviatt (Excerpt)

The Genre Minx (Excerpt)

The Cozy Pages (Excerpt)

Valerie’s Musings (Excerpt)

The YA Book Divas (Interview)

May 24^th

J Bronder Reviews (Review)

Banshee Irish Horror Blog (Interview)

Bri’s Book Nook (Review)

The Cozy Pages (Excerpt)

Wicked Good Reads (Review)

May 25^th

Afire Pages (Excerpt)

Port Jerricho (Excerpt)

Touch My Spine Book Reviews (Review)

Life at 17 (Review)

Blog Tour Organized By:

I would like to thank R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and share this book.

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Her Name Is Mercie by Chris Roy

Mercie Hillbrook lives a simple, quiet life working as a gas station attendant. Then her parents are killed. Her home is taken. The people responsible are excused for just doing their job. When an attempt to get justice her way lands her in trouble with the law, Mercie realizes she still has something to lose: her own life.

Then she finds reason to believe her parents were murdered… and she doesn’t care anymore.

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Praise for Her Name is Mercie

“Roy delivers on the edge of your seat storytelling with rough edges, crooked cops and a tiny light at the end of the tunnel that is never quite extinguished.”

– Tom Vater, journalist, co-founder of Crime Wave Press

Her Name Is Mercie is a fast furious ride into an inferno of the highest tension you are likely to encounter this year. Where noir meets thriller, toss a coin. Dive in. And unplug your phones, pcs tablets and keep reading deeper and deeper, until the final pages.
— Richard Godwin, author of Apostle Rising.

Author Bio

Chris Roy was raised in South Mississippi, in the midst of ugly Gulf Coast beaches and spectacular muddy bayous.

Chris lived comfortably with the criminal ventures of his youth until a fistfight in 1999 ended tragically. Since January, 2000, he’s been serving a life sentence in the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

Nowadays he lives his life crime vicariously, through the edgy, fast-paced stories he pens, hoping to entertain readers. When he isn’t writing, he’s reading, drawing or looking for prospects to train in boxing.

Books:

Shocking Circumstances

Book I: Last Shine

Shocking Circumstances

Book 2: Resurrection

Sharp as a Razor

Book I: A Dying Wish

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My Review

4 stars

Her Name is Mercie is actually the main story in a collection of five. In Her Name is Mercie, Mercie is a college grad that works at a convenience story. She gets the call that her parents were shot at a traffic stop then learns the officer just gets a slap on the wrist. She also learns that their house has gone into foreclosure and she has essential lost everything. But her path of destruction for revenge goes wrong and she finds herself in jail. There she learns that her parents were the victims of organized crime.

The other four stories are quick reads Re-Pete is about a young boy that lost his father and has an embarrassing tick. His mother’s new boyfriend isn’t helping matters either. Hunger is about a girl that lost her father and goes for a boat ride with her dog. What could possibly go wrong? Libby’s Hands as a Halloween tales with a grandmother promise. And Marsh Madness has a boy and his dog playing with an alligator as a man watches.

This book has a little bit of everything and was a good read. Although Her Name is Mercie was a main story I have to say that I like my horror and found Re-Pete more to my speed. It’s a good read and I think readers should check it out. Now I’m curious about Chris Roy’s other books.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and share this book.

Giveaway

Win an ebook of Her Name is Mercie

10 winners

(Open Internationally)

 *Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Tug Wyler Series by Andy Siegel

The Tug Wyler series is based off of the real life experience of Andy Siegel. I will admit that I work for an attorney and I tend to stay away from legal stories. But there was something about the descriptions compelled me to give them a try. I am so glad that I did.

Nelly’s Case (Book 3)

Nelly Rivera, when Tug first sees her, lies helpless in a hospital bed. Once sassy, active and ambitious, she’s now a young woman with an uncertain future and a present seemingly tied to dependency. Discovering exactly what happened to her in a dental office while under anesthesia and who was responsible, however, is just one of Tug’s goals. For he soon enough learns Nelly has recently inherited a hefty sum from her late father’s life insurance. Which definitely complicates matters. The closer Tug, committed as always to gaining justice, gets to the truth, the more elusive it becomes.

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My Review

5 stars

Nelly Rivera has a fear of the dentist and an allergic reaction to nitrous oxide. So she and her sister Jessie go to a Painless Dental doctor for treatment. The doctor sets everything up then leaves the room. Suddenly Nelly has a sever reaction and ends up in a coma at the emergency room. As Tug is reading the medical report from the doctor it looks like this is an allergic reaction to the anesthesia. But there is something more happening here. Why did the doctor leave the room after starting the anesthesia?

We first meet Tug as he is getting ready to go into a hearing with a judge and defense counsel that has it out for him. Tug’s business partner, Henry Benson shows up and tries to get Tug to leave right away for a new client. What ensues is contempt of court and Tug spending six hours in jail. But his case was settled by Henry and he is now clear for Nelly Rivera’s case.

I love Tug’s wit and sarcasm, he comes across as someone that really cares for the clients and a willingness to stand up for them. His knowledge of law and medical procedures give the story that taste of realism that makes you realize someone has actually gone through this even in some way. And let’s not forget the main thing about any story, nothing is what it seems.

This is a great story that is the third book in the series yet could easily be read as a standalone. I will admit that I started skimming this book to see what it was all about and I found myself reading the whole book.

Tug Wyler is one of my new favorite characters. I can’t wait to see what he, or Henry, gets into next.

Elton’s Case (Book 4)

Wrongfully locked up for a crime he didn’t commit, the wheelchair-bound Elton Cribbs’s immediate situation soon goes from bad to tragic. Could it have happened that, while in custody and being transported with less than suitable care in a police van, he suffered the injuries which rendered him a paraplegic? Certainly, ever since then—for the past decade—he’s led the life of an aggrieved victim, seeking justice while rejecting pity. Retained now to litigate Elton’s case even as the clock’s ticking, Tug finds himself caught in the unlikeliest of conflicts. After all, what’s he supposed to think when the defendant, otherwise known as the City of New York, begins offering him millions to settle while at the same time maintaining its allegation that Elton’s case is a phony one?

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My Review

5 stars

Elton Cribbs was incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit. While being transported, he is improperly secured in the van and with a little help from a cold guard finds himself a paraplegic. Elton does fight the conviction and is freed of prison but his life has been changed. He starts a case against the City of New York for his current paraplegic condition. Enter Tug Wyler.

Tug is curious about this case. Elton is a veteran and has done a lot of good in the prison system. Elton is to the point and seems to have a plan laid out in his mind for what is going to happen. Then the defense counsel talks with Tug and warns him off this case. The City of New York is calling Elton a fraud. But if Elton is a fraud, why is the City of New York offering millions to settle?

I loved watching as Tug wins the case at the opening of the book. Watching in get the doctor to admit that he was wrong with his diagnosis was fascinating. It shows that Tug has a clear understanding of how the body works and is willing to call an expert on his biased testimony. Of course my curiosity was peaked when Tug was warned off the case before it was even given to him. Clearly there is something going on.

This is a great story that will quickly draw you in and leave you up late trying to figure out what is really going on. I loved the realistic legal procedure and the vast medical knowledge. Tug is a great lawyer that really cares for his clients and wants to get them justice.

This is a great series and one of the few legal stories that I keep. You really need to check this one out.

Jenna’s Case (Book 5)

A teen-aged girl can be among the most vulnerable of human beings. And the preyed-upon young woman at the dark center of Jenna’s Case is certain to win the heart of readers. Believing Jenna Radcliff to be the victim of a Brooklyn doctor willing to put greed above his oath to do no harm, Tug takes on her case with deeply felt zeal. Yet what he quickly comes to understand is that his new client—once an obviously bright, outgoing girl (and ace neighborhood jump-roper)—is now a nearly mute shadow of her former self. As he proceeds to amass evidence against the conscienceless and defiant surgeon who’d willfully mutilated Jenna, Tug unfortunately soon discovers that the forces set against him are not only more numerous than he’d imagined but also more deadly.

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Author’s Bio

So how did the colorful, cocky and self-deprecating Tug Wyler come into being? He was hanging around, shadowing my daily life for a long time; I just didn’t know it. But here’s the short version: I shared a trial story with a mom at my kids baseball game who said I should write a book and the idea of him just appeared in my head.

Unable to shake the spell he cast, I began to write, each morning when I got on Metro North, what became my debut novel, Suzy’s Case. But I was doing it only to amuse myself. I didn’t read courtroom mysteries or legal thrillers; as far as I was concerned, I was living them. The rush to cover up genuine wrongs of the sort that lie at the heart of the Tug Wyler Mysteries happens continually out there in the real world. Believe me, fiction doesn’t know the half of it.

Scribner, a Division of Simon & Schuster published Suzy’s Case. My book agent Sterling Lord then penned a deal with Open Road Media and Mysteriouspress.com to publish Cookie’s Case. After requesting and receiving the reversion of my rights on these novels, and after my option with CBS Television to create a one-hour procedural TV show based on the Tug Wyler character expired, I formed Rockwell Press.

For Tug Wyler readers, I promise a mix of rule-bending high-tension conflict during the course of which you’ll laugh in spite of yourself . . . while never knowing what’s going to happen next. Like me, Tug’s the kind of street-smart push-it-to-the-limit lawyer you’d want on your side when the worst has happened.

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This is a great series and I will definitely be getting Cookie’s Case and Suzy’s Case to see what I have missing.

I received a complimentary copy of all three books. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank FSB Associates for the opportunity to read and share these books.

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Life in a Box by Einat Lifshitz Shem-Tov

What if you found out your entire life was a lie?One dark and rainy night, Eva, a young girl, receives the traumatic message that both her parents have died in a car crash. With no relatives, Eva is compelled to learn how to live on her own. But in the days that follow the accident, strange incidents begin to occur: she receives an odd phone call, a mysterious document is found in the pantry and a check is delivered by mail addressed to a person she does not know.

The two men in Eva’s life guide her along a mysterious path of discovery With the help of her high school friend, Roy, she opens the sealed boxes of her life and embarks on a fascinating journey. She meets another young man who holds a secret that will influence her forever. He falls in love with her and leads her into a world she could not have known to exist.

But at what price the pursuit of truth? From a quiet and insecure girl, Eva becomes an independent, confident, and assertive woman. Along with the two men in her life, she uncovers the most hidden and unimaginable secrets about her family and herself. But is she willing to pay any price to pursue the truth?

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Author’s Bio

Einat Lifshitz Shem Tov has been a guidance counselor and family therapist for more than twenty years. During that time she met with people who opened their hearts to her and heard stories that made her squirm. Sometimes it was very hard to listen, but when she succeeded in helping people to make even a small change, it was worth it. Many of those stories were about complicated relationships, and some provided inspiration for her books. The characters she creates are confronted with difficult dilemmas, secrets, intricate romances, and unresolved pasts. The Interesting thing is that even though she creates the problems that appear in her stories, she is always curious to know how they will be solved. Being yourself and not letting others control you or make choices for you is a life motto for her. Einat gives lectures about fulfillment, pursuing one’s dreams, and the ability to choose. This is her first published book; the second one is now undergoing the editing process.
Einat loves to travel, especially to the East. She has been in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and more. Sometimes she forgets that she is not in her teens anymore. She has trekked in the Himalayas and slept in hostels with no hot water or electricity, but she enjoyed every minute of it. She also enjoys folk dancing and loves dogs. Einat lives in a lovely village in Israel with her husband, two daughters, and Breezer, her dog.

My Review

4 stars

Twenty year old Eva has just lost her parents to a car accident. She is lost and adrift in their house. As she goes from one place to another, she has memories of how hard her father was as she remembers how he told her she can’t rely on others she only has herself. Her mother wasn’t any better being as weak as she was and floating around in her kitchen doing everything she was told.

But as Eva start going through the house, she is discovering strange things. First a mysterious birth certificate in the pantry and then a refund check for a strange woman. She is curious about who this woman is and starts looking into her. But she also discovers boxes of stuff from her life in the basement and starts going through them. These things bring back memories of Eva’s life and many things that she has forgotten.

Eva is shaken by the loss of her parents but curious about this mystery woman that she has never heard about. She decides to start tracking her down with the help of her childhood friend Roy, her co-worker, and another man she meets. They have their work cut out for them since every clue they have seems to lead to a dead end.

Then you have Eva’s life. She didn’t come from the most loving family and had her own issues. But as she goes through the boxes and remembers different parts of her life you get a bigger picture of what was going on. Her mother was not as weak as she though. And there was so much more to her father.

I really enjoyed this book. I easily got caught in it and was very curious at who this mystery woman was. It was a great journey watching Eva go from this shy and closed off person to the strong woman she becomes. This is a good story and one that I think people will enjoy reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank Ari at Candid Book Reviews for the opportunity to read and share this book.

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Game Players by Anita Waller

When a gang of six children playing in their den in the woods spot a man burying drugs nearby, it marks the beginning of the end of their childhoods.

Unsure what to do, the children dig up the drugs and take them away. But when the dealer, who they watched bury the stash, shows up dead, the youngsters are thrown into turmoil.

Scared of what might happen, the children tell the police about the body they have discovered.

Meanwhile, a group of gangsters start searching for their missing drugs.

Soon the children and their families become the target of the vicious criminals who will stop at nothing to retrieve their narcotics…

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Author’s Bio

I was born in Sheffield, UK, on 5 January 1946, and it cost Mum and Dad £1.11.6d to have me! No NHS in those days…
I have always written and can viv

idly remember writing compositions at school that branched out into mini novels with chapters. By my mid thirties I was tackling romance and have five or six novels that I wrote on an Amstrad 8256 sitting on my shelf. One day I will type them into Word just to say I have. However, it was only when I tried to introduce a touch of murder into the romance that I realised romance wasn’t my ‘thing’, and in 1995 I wrote Beautiful.

It was accepted for publication but the publishers went into liquidation before the contract was signed, and so I consigned it in disgust to the attic, where it lay for almost twenty years until I decided to retype it. It took me a long and painful eighteen months.

I sent it to Bloodhound Books, had a contract within four days and I was up and running.

I have an amazing family who fully support my new career at the age of seventy; Dave is my husband of fifty years, Matt, our son born in 1973 and now living in Kirkheaton with his wife Richelle and daughters Katie and Melissa, Siân who was born in 1981 and lives around ten seconds away with Anthony, her fiance, and her children, Dom and Cerys, and Kirsty, our youngest daughter born in 1987 and living in Sheffield with fiance Nicky, and their children Lyra and Isaac. Matt has a grown up son, Brad who shares his life with Adassa, and our beautiful granddaughter Katie is pregnant with our first great-grandchild, a little girl due on our golden wedding anniversary, 7 January 2017. Life is good.

I now have three books in publication, and as of today(13 October 2016) all three of the books are in Amazons top 100 in psychological thrillers. 34 Days, the new one, is in their top 100 paid (overall) at no 70.

My books are Beautiful, published 31 August 2015, Angel (sequel to Beautiful), published 7 May 2016, and 34 Days, published 3 October 2016. I am currently working on Essence of Lavender, – a change of genre for this one book, to supernatural.

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My Review

4 stars

Six children are playing in the woods when they see the local drug dealer Vinnie Walmsley burying a package. They dig up the package and discover it is drugs and hide it somewhere else. When he is later found dead the kids go to the police about his death. But there are other players that are looking for the drugs and they know the kids found them. They start going after the kids and their families to get the drug back.

This was a great thriller. I was on the edge of my seat hoping the kids and their families made it out of the fight over the drugs. You can’t help but get invested in the kids and their families. They are a great set of friends and they are just trying to do the right thing. Of course when dealing with drug dealers and missing product you just know that things are going to go wrong, in the worst way possible, and all you can do is pray to make it through.

This is my first book from Anita Waller but it will NOT be my last. It was so easy to care about these well written characters, especially when it is kids. Of course there are some brutal scenes but they are well written. This is a great thriller and one that I think people will really enjoy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to read and share this book.

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One Pedal at a Time: A Novice Caregiver and Her Cyclist Husband Face Their New Normal with Courage, Tenacity and Abundant Love by CJ Golden

Watching her husband, Joe, regress from crossing the country on a bike to cheering him on as he navigated his wheelchair around the kitchen, CJ Golden had much to learn about caregiving. And she did – through her characteristic determination, quest for knowledge, boundless love and relentless optimism. Within these pages the reader finds a balanced mix of somber reflections and light moments that highlight a very real passage in the lives of a husband and wife who love each other unequivocally. Golden shares the lessons she learned, the emotional and physical strain upon her heavily burdened shoulders, and the realization that, through it all, their connection and love have grown stronger. Joe’s motto for getting through life’s most trying times has always been, “one pedal at a time” – referring to his days traversing the country, for months at a time on the two wheels of his road bike. Thus, the title of this book and, hopefully, a philosophy that will help carry others through their own caregiving struggles. One Pedal at a Time speaks to caregivers who need a place to turn to for information, inspiration, and hope, and who enjoy a good love story.

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Author’s Bio

Author and inspirational speaker, CJ Golden, has a passion for helping others find joy in their life journeys. Her first book, Tao of the Defiant Woman, was born out of a personal need to find her own inner strength. She then brought her Tao and defiant attitude to teen and pre-teen girls through Tao-Girls Rule! Recently she became caregiver to her husband, Joe, after he suffered cancer-related strokes. Blogging about that, the greatest challenge of her life, she turned her work into her newest book: One Pedal at a Time.

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My Review

5 stars

CJ and Joe Golden are the world’s sweetest couple that truly loves each other. Joe was a cross country cyclist until a diagnosis with a rare form of leukemia and had a couple strokes. CJ was thrust into the role of caregiver. CJ has some hard lessons to learn on how to be a caregiver, namely that you have to take time for yourself too.

This is a beautiful story of two people that love each other deeply and how CJ learned to care for both Joe and herself. It’s inspirational and a great story for those that find themselves in the same position. Intermixed in the story is also emails CJ wrote that brings it home how hard caring for another person, especially someone so close to you, can be.

I loved this story. It is beautiful and very inspirational. I love how the story is written like she is talking to a friend. If you are looking for information or just a wonderful story, this is a great book and one to check out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank PR by the Book for the opportunity to read and share this book.

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Murder Gone Missing (Corrie Locke – 2) by Lida Sideris

Newly minted lawyer Corrie Locke has taken a vow of abstinence. From PI work, that is. Until her best friend Michael finds his bully of a boss stabbed in the back after confronting him earlier that day. Michael panics, accidentally tampering with the crime scene…which could lead the cops to Michael instead of the real culprit. He turns to Corrie to track down the killer. She doesn’t need much coaxing. Her late great PI dad taught her the ropes…and left her his cache of illegal weaponry.

They return to the scene of the crime, but the body’s gone missing. Racing against time, Corrie dredges a prestigious Los Angeles college in pursuit of clues. All she finds are false leads. Armed with attitude and romantic feelings toward Michael, Corrie dives into a school of suspects to find the slippery fugitive. Will she clear Michael’s name before he’s arrested for murder?

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Author’s Bio

For decades, Lida believed her birthplace to be North Hollywood, California. She liked that. She really did. North Hollywood hinted of bridled glamour and cocktail dresses without the need for the cocktail; it was a town that rubbed shoulders with Hollywood without being kinky or unrestrained. Then one day, she unexpectedly came across a copy of her birth certificate. She cooed over the tiny footprints that were once her own, until her gaze dropped on the words, “North Glendale Hospital.” Three questions popped into her mind:

• Was Glendale large enough to be subdivided?
• Wasn’t the north end called Burbank?
• What happened to North Hollywood and the cocktail dresses?

Lida called her mother.

“Where was I born again?” she asked.

“A highly recommended, private birthing center – North Hollywood Hospital. Remember?”

She informed her mother that she was misinformed.

“Are you sure? Must have been the meds.”

Ever since that pivotal moment, Lida has been struggling to get in touch with her inner feelings. The sudden shift in birth locale made her question whether she was still the same person.  Who was she really?

Not willing to fork over the dough to see a therapist, Lida took up writing. She wrote about her animals and people, the city she lived in, and various escapades involving the animals, people and city. Then she wrote a few chapters of a historical novel, which won her a scholarship to attend the San Francisco Writers’ Conference. Which led her to harbor the faint, flickering hope that she could complete a mystery novel that could possibly entertain and engage a handful of readers. And she did. She really did. Who knew therapy could be such a blast?

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My Review

4 stars

Corrie Locke has sworn off mysteries and plans to focus on being a lawyer. But when her friends Michael calls her in a panic she can’t help but say yes to his request for help. Michael just learned that he was demoted. He writes a resignation letter and plans on giving it to his boss when he finds his boss stabbed in the back. Michael leaves his note and runs but figures that note will make him look like the killer. He returns with Corrie to find the note and body are gone.

Corrie can’t say no to Michael when he asks her help finding his dead boss’ body and proving that he was not the killer. What ensues is false leads, missing animals, a lot of places to hide a body in a campus, and sarcasm that will keep you entertained.

This was a good mystery and had some romance in it too. Even though it was the second book of the series I had no problem following along without reading the first book. I think this is a good mystery and I would be delighted to see what happened in Murder and Other Unnatural Disasters and the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank the author for the opportunity to read and share this book.

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