jbronderbookreviews

Solo: A Down to Earth Guide for Travelling the World Alone by Aaron Hodges

Feeling alone? Trapped? Lost?

Time for an adventure!

The bad times won’t last forever, and for more than five years, Aaron Hodges has journeyed the globe alone, visiting everywhere from Istanbul to Argentina. Honest and insightful, SOLO is packed with his personal travel tips and humorous stories. Learn about the ups and downs, the triumphs and the pitfalls of venturing off the beaten path. Follow his guidelines for exploring the world alone and be inspired to take the trip you’ve always dreamed of.

Discover the world of solo travel.

Go Solo!

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Author Bio

Aaron Hodges was born in 1989 in the small town of Whakatane, New Zealand. He studied for five years at the University of Auckland, completing a Bachelors of Science in Biology and Geography, and a Masters of Environmental Engineering. After working as an environmental consultant for two years, he grew tired of office work and decided to quit his job in 2014 and see the world. One year later, he published his first novel – Stormwielder – while in Guatemala. Since then, he has honed his skills while travelling through parts of SE Asia, India, North and South America, Turkey and Europe, and now has over a dozen works to his name. Today, his adventures continue…

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My Review

4 Stars

I have to admit that I have never been one to want to travel. I love my home and staying away from people. I’m really leery about being on my own in a strange country. But I do enjoy watching travel shows on television and reading about them. So I figured that I would give Solo a try.

Aaron Hodges has traveled the world for the last five years and has written a guide for anyone who wants to travel but is by themselves. I enjoyed how he shared his different stories of his adventures. It was just like talking to a friend over a beer/glass of wine. But the thing I really liked was the tips he had for travelers. Where to eat and sleep, how to stay clean, and all of those little things we don’t always think about when we plan trips like this.

If you like travel, want to go on a world trip, or just like the idea of escape, I recommend checking out this book. Aaron is a delightful author and I would love to sit down with him and share more stories. I think I just may want to go for a trip sometime in the future.

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.

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Welcome to the final book tour for The Patience of a Deadman trilogy, by Michael Clark. Anger is Acid is the bone-chilling conclusion, and today I have an excerpt for you and a giveaway to enter!

Anger is Acid (The Patience of a Dead Man #3)

Publication Date: May 4, 2020

Genre: Horror/ Ghost Story

Mildred has control… Tim and Holly, realizing they are helpless, are grateful when a stranger knocks on their door – but can he help? Andrew Vaughn, a haunted man, is on-scene, hoping to lend a hand – against his will. Meanwhile, the “ghost story” is becoming national news and attracting attention that Tim can’t afford.

Holly can’t stay in the house any more and draws a line. Confidence is low, and pressure builds. Meanwhile, Mildred listens to almost everything they say. Is there any way around her anger? Or will they die in vain, as they desperately search for Tim’s daughters?

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Excerpt

With the doors locked, Tim and Holly exchanged concerns.

“Yes, I know it was her. I’m sure she has the girls too. You don’t have to tell me, Holly. I’m scared shitless. They could be…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.

“Well, we can’t think that way yet. She left Sheila’s body behind. She would have left theirs too. I think they’re alive.” Holly had other fears, but she didn’t finish her thoughts out loud.

“How the hell did she know where they live? Amesbury is seventy miles from here!” Holly felt a chill climb her back as he finished his sentence.

“She seems to come and go from this house as she pleases, Tim. She knows this place as well as if not better than we do. I’ve told you a hundred times–I hate staying here!Please, let’s go to my place. Even if she knows where I live, I’ll feel a little better. At least I don’t think she’s ever been there, but this place…she could be anywhere. I don’t even want to think about it.”

“I can’t leave, Holly. As backward as it may sound, I need to see her. I’m afraid I’ll never see her again! Imagine that? And don’t forget that Thomas Pike had no problem finding your place when he dropped off the Simmons scrapbook. Remember?” Holly nodded, unhappy that Tim had a point.

“Oh, you’ll see her again, Tim. You can bet on that. At least once anyway. It won’t be a sneak attack either. She wants you to know she’s coming and probably wants you to die long and slow. She wants revenge. That’s what revenants do, remember? We just never thought that she’d go for the girls. And that–changes everything.” Holly’s sigh was heavy with dread as she stared blankly at the wall, defeated. There was an unintentional moment of silence.

“How the hell does she get in here?” Tim finally wondered aloud, rousing them both from their separate thoughts. “Does she have a fucking key or something? Secret entrance? The roof?”

“The turret. It’s got to be the turret.” Holly suddenly seemed extra awake and even afraid. She subconsciously looked up at the ceiling where the turret would be. The stairway to it was only two rooms away. They both rose to investigate, flicking the dining room light on along the way. Tim listened outside the door for a moment, then fetched his baseball bat from the kitchen before opening it.

They climbed the stairs slowly. Holly was relieved to find the turret was empty, but it left Tim with a lack of answers and a growing level of frustration. Mildred had decided to let them worry and wonder about the girls for at least an evening–the very first evening of their captivity. Was it by design, meant to heighten the anguish? Or was she busy looking for a place to hole them up?

The girls were trapped with the dead woman and most likely terrified. Tim wished he could trade places with them–they were too young for such terror. Tim rested the bat against the wall and tried the windows. There were eight of them ringing the octagonal room, and much to Tim’s surprise, one of them was unlocked.

“What the hell! I locked these– I’m sure I locked them.”

“Yes, but you don’t check them every night, Tim. All she had to do is get in here once during the day to get up here and unlock it. And look, your papers are all sitting right there.” Holly motioned to Tim’s box in the corner. “That’s how she knew where Sheila lived. Now we know–and it creeps me out—I can’t tell you how much.” Tim saw where the conversation was headed and changed the subject.

“I need to boobytrap this place. Get her right here in this room, and then set a trap, like a bear trap or…”

“You don’t think she’ll see a bear trap in the middle of the floor? That’s just going to piss her off, Tim. And you’re liable to hurt yourself with the damn thing. Same with knives or fire or whatever else you’re thinking.” Holly’s stress did all the talking.

“I wasn’t thinking about knives or fire, come on, give me a little bit of credit.” Tim lied about the knives. “I was thinking something along the lines of a warning system. Something to make her fall down the stairs. A bag of marbles—I don’t fucking know…” Holly giggled, then the giggle turned into laughter. Tim saw that she genuinely thought it was funny and was not making fun of him, so he joined in for a moment–yet the gravity of their problem hung in the room like a cloud of poison dust.

“How about a simple tripwire with a little bell on it?” Holly offered. “One at the bottom of the turret stairs, one in front of the sliding glass door in the breakfast area and one at the bottom of the bedroom stairs? We set it up every night. In the morning, unhook it, so we’re not tripping over it ourselves.” Tim looked up at her.

“That’s an idea. Better than we have now. And like you said—‘we’re gonna see her again.’ We have to. Oh God, I hope and pray she’s greedy and wants to see me again. But–” Tim got quiet and put his balled fist under his nose. Holly saw he was getting emotional.

“Honey, we’re doing all we can, let’s just–”

“But if she’s already done—if this is her revenge—and she’s never coming back, then she’s really good at it.” Tim’s last three words were nearly inaudible as he choked up, worried sick about his daughters. Holly hugged him, trying to hold back tears of her own.

Available on Amazon!

The Patience of a Dead Man

He just spent everything on a house in disrepair, but he didn’t know someone was waiting inside.

Tim Russell just put his last dollar on a handyman’s dream; a quaint but dilapidated farmhouse in New Hampshire. Newly single after a messy divorce, his plan is to live in the house as he restores it for resale. To his horror, as soon as the papers are signed and his work starts, ghosts begin to appear. A bone-white little boy. A woman covered in flies. Tim can’t afford to leave and lose it all, so he turns to his real estate agent Holly Burns to help him decide whether he has any shot at solving his haunted problem. Can they solve the mystery before he loses his investment…or maybe his life?

Dead Woman Scorned (The Patience of a Dead Man #2)

She’s back, and they’ll regret what they’ve done.

Mildred Wells had a miserable life that carried over to a lonesome death. In the end, they betrayed her – played her the fool. She was the last to know, but there’s still time to catch up. She’ll formulate her painful plan as they live their lives in blissful ignorance.

With no more family, only vengeance drives her; in fact, it’s all she has. She would have rather rested in peace, but for Mildred, dying isn’t so easy.

About the Author

Michael Clark was raised in New Hampshire and lived in the house The Patience of a Dead Man is based. The bats really circled the rafters of the barn all day long, and there really was a grove hidden in the forest. He now lives in Massachusetts with his wife Josi and his dog Bubba.

The Patience of a Dead Man, Dead Woman Scorned & Anger is an Acid are his first three novels.

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My Review

5 Stars

We jump right in where we left off in Dead Woman Scorned. Mildred Wells has decided to murder Tim’s ex-wife and kidnap his daughters. She has always wanted a daughter and is trying to make them hers.

Tim and Holly have help from Andrew Vaughn, a young man haunted by Thomas Pike. But no matter what they try to do to stop Mildred, she is always one step ahead of them. She is very powerful and filled with anger and she intent on tormenting Tim and Holley before she finishes them off.

We have come to the end of the Patience of a Dead Man series and I admit that I was reluctant to read it because I almost didn’t want it to end. I have to say that Mildred’s journey has been interesting. I went from being scared of her to sympathizing with her. I felt for him in this book but at the same time know that she is rabid and needs to be put down.

But then again Tim, Holly, and Andrew are great characters and I wanted them to save the girls, especially when you learn what Mildred is planning on doing to them. What a horrible position to be in, dancing on the blade of a knife of trying to get the girls while wanting to kill Mildred once and for all.

This is a captivating series and one that I recommend reading. It was slow to start but once it gets going you don’t want to put the books down until you are done. It is also available on Audible. I strongly recommend check out those books too. Mark Harrietha does a fantastic job drawing you in and breathing life into these characters and the story.

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

Enter for Your Chance to Win The Patience of a Dead Man Trilogy (Print) US only or a print copy of book #1, Patience of a Dead Man for International entries.

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Book Tour Schedule

November 30^th

Reads & Reels (Spotlight)

Cats Luv Coffee (Review)

Loopy Lou Laura (Review)

Purple Shelf Club (Review)

@TheCrookedHouse (Review)

December 1^st

Breakeven Books (Spotlight)

Jessica Belmont (Review)

@_MyBookCorner (Review)

Sophril Reads (Review)

December 2^nd

J Bronder Book Reviews (Review)

@The.B00kReader (Review)

Stine Writing (Review)

December 3^rd

Ally’s Reading Corner (Review)

@BearPigLovesBooks (Review)

@DreaminginPages (Review)

December 4^th

@Better_Off_Read (Review)

@jypsylynn (Review)

The Faerie Review (Review)

Book Tour Organized By:

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

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I am so excited to share this book with you all today! Birth of the Fae: Locked Out of Heaven by Danielle M. Orsino is now available in paperback! Check out this gorgeous book and make sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win some amazing prizes!

The Birth of the Fae: Locked Out of Heaven (Vol. 1)

Publication Date: June 19th 2020

Genre: Epic Fantasy/ Adventure

Ride on the backs of fire breathing dragons with the Dark Fae and watch the Light Fae play in the shadows of primitive humanity as they build their magical world. Abandoned by their creator, two factions of powerful angels remain on earth after the Great War with Lucifer. They struggle to comprehend their Creator’s plan while their angel wings, a symbol of their angelic lineage, slowly and painfully decay. With no hope of returning to the Shining Kingdom, two groups of angels denounce their angelic lineage and develop into separate factions – the Court of Light, led by Queen Aurora, a former Virtue Angel, and the Court of Dark, ruled by King Jarvok, a former Power Brigade Angel. The two monarchs have opposing views on how to govern their kin, but the one belief they agree on is that human worship equals power.

Birth of the Fae: Locked Out of Heaven is an epic fantasy adventure of heartbreak, rebirth, and hope that examines the bonds of family, friendship, and love. It is a fantastic tale of good vs evil in a beautiful world, where the Light Fae and their potent elemental magick are tested by the raw power of the dragon riding Dark Fae warriors.

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Excerpt

Chapter Twenty-Six: “Worship Equals Power”

“To be a creature of chaos is to be used by the energy of disorder, to be a tool of it. You are allowing confusion to lead you. I want more for us. We will take control of the pandemonium. Those who control chaos control their destiny. Do not let it lead you like a pet on a leash.”

King Jarvok turned and walked to the window, hands behind his back. “Now go, and Chaos be with you, Zion.” Zion smirked. His blue eyes glowed with comprehension as his shoulders pulled back. “No, my liege. Chaos be with us.” He turned and ran with a renewed vigor for his mission.

Jarvok curled his lip for a moment as he gazed out the window at Zion’s enthusiasm, but his stoic expression returned. He waited for the bang of the heavy doors to exhale. His shoulders slumped as the weight of his rule took him under. He leaned his hands on the window, the magma crumbling and sliding from his palms as the pressure caused small fissures to appear in the sill. His head hung low, his hair falling to his face as he raised his honey eyes looking out over the training yard. They would need to train every day and even do night formations. No rest.

The scent of cedar and sage wafted up from the bonfires below. He knew his plan to attack was sound but his timeline was of concern. If Aurora continued to gather and unify her human worshippers, she could have the magick to overtake his kin and force them into serving the Virtues as their army. The thought of his kin living a life of servitude caused Jarvok to force the acid back down his throat. No, he would not risk anyone gaining the upper hand over him. He had hidden his kin in his Veil, established them as gods to the humans, and formed an alliance with the Draconians. He would not force the Draconians to fight alongside him against Aurora but if they chose to stand with him he would accept their help.

He had been strategic in observing her, watching and waiting. She was a naive, idealistic, egotistical ruler with no battle experience. An almost certain victory. By making an example out of Aded, the humans would fear his kin and as Jarvok had learned, it was better to be feared than loved. One just needed to ask his Creator.

Available at Barnes & Noble & on Amazon!

About the Author

Danielle M Orsino, destined to be a writer from a young age, was working as a nurse and treating a patient who needed some distractions during long I.V. Treatment sessions. So, Orsino reached back to a forgotten skill, A childhood dream. Danielle had wanted to be a writer and so she decided to tell a story. Little did she know the seed would grow into a fantastically epic adventure of heartbreak, hope and rebirth — Birth of Fae: Locked Out of Heaven. Drawing from her passion for comic books, Cosplay and fantasy along with her expert martial arts expertise, Orsino brings forth an electric and hopeful debut.

Danielle is taking on her biggest challenge to date: taking the story born from the long treatment sessions with a patient into a fantasy book series-Birth of the Fae: Locked out of Heaven. Expanding her love of writing, comics and exploring the world of fantasy novels, she delves into the realm of fairies and retells their origins from a completely new perspective. Orsino has a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Exercise science and is an LPN with a special interest in Lyme disease research. Orsino has been widely recognized from her influence and experience in martial arts realm, training for over 20 years and with over 500 tournament wins, and accumulating national and world titles. She has performed for former President of the United States Bill Clinton and has been featured on “Soap Talk, Fox Five news CBS, TLC and E! With this experience, she worked as a Fight Choreographer on ”Wonder Woman: Balance of Power” and has worked with the likes of martial arts legend Vincent Lyn and WWE marvel and action star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Nothing Danielle ever does is simple, look at what NY times Bestselling author Clete Barrett Smith has to say about her debut endeavor: “After summoning this world into existence through an imaginative force of will, Danielle has scoured every inch of the landscape several times over. Critics often praise a story’s world building by saying that it feels “lived in.” Well, the world of the Fae certainly seems like that because Danielle herself has happily lived there for years as she worked to put all of this together…My favorite part of this story is that it is gloriously depicted in vibrant images.

The Birth of the Fae | Instagram | Spotify Playlist

My Review

4 Stars

When Lucifer was cast out of heaven, several other angels were locked out too. They may have fought in the war or were simply doing what they were created for but they find themselves locked out all the same. They try to get an answer from God but he refuses to reply.

Hurt and betrayed about all they can do is to continue on. Some follow Queen Aurora, a former Virtue Angel, who creates the Court of the Light Fae. King Jarvok, a former Power Brigade Angel has other ideas on how to run the Court of the Dark Fae. They may run their courts differently but both have decided worship from the humans is the ultimate goal.

I really enjoyed this story. This is a powerful world and I couldn’t help but feel bad for the angels. I be locked out of the only home you know and be ignored by the one being that created you, gave you a purpose, and won’t even explain why is just heartbreaking. I really understood the motivation for both angels.

The thing I loved the most was the different creatures from mythology that we find in this world. From mermaids to pixies to dragons, do I have to say more? I also like how we have stories in the bible mixed into the book also.

This is a wonderful start to a series. There are a lot of characters and development in this short story. I admit that I took a little to get into the story but once I did it took off. I am really excited to see where this is going to go in the next book, especially with how it ended.

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

Enter for Your Chance to Win:

1st place: 1 book (autographed) 1 map of the veil, $10 Amazon gift card and one birth of the Fae candle

2nd place: 1 autographed book and candle

3rd place 1 autographed book

Please click the link below to enter! Giveaway will be running from now until December and is open to everyone!

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Book Tour Schedule

November 30^th

Reads & Reels (Excerpt)

I Love Books & Stuff (Excerpt)

Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks (Review)

@Better_Off_Read (Review)

@bookmarkedwithchris (Review)

Josh Whitworth (Review)

December 1^st

Breakeven Books (Excerpt)

@a.p.reading (Review)

@love2dazzle (Review)

Rambling Mads (Review)

Sophril Reads (Review)

December 2^nd

@pillowreader (Review)

Ity Reads Books (Review)

@my_fantasy_bookshelf (Review)

@DreaminginPages (Review)

@myyorkshirelitmosphere (Review)

Ma Book Yard (Review)

December 3^rd

Dark Whimsical Art (Excerpt)

MyBookishLifeTime (Review)

J Bronder Book Reviews (Review)

Jessica Belmont (Review)

@thecrookedhouse (Review)

Book 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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