Month: February 2022

3.75/5 Nowhere Man by David Gerrold

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Audiobooks, middle grade , , , ,
Pic from audible

Narrated by Daniel Penz

Performance 4 stars

Story high 2, low 3-ish

Summary:

A geeky genius and his older genius cousin invent a super suit to exact revenge on a middle school then freshman year bully.

Additional Comments:

  • The performance was good. The narrator put a lot of energy into the production.
  • Nickname Squish and its explanation are hilarious.
  • I’m really not sure who the target audience is. It’s billed as a YA, but the cover does NOT say that and 85% of the book is the technical how-to build the suit. It’s essentially a short story about getting back at a bully stretched way the heck around a tech manual and philosophical dissertation about theoretical physics.
  • I did find some of the deep discussions of troubleshooting the machine that made the super suit interesting, but I’m a chemistry teacher. I like science. And even I got very, very bored with the in-depth babbling. I honestly don’t see it being appealing to the target audience of teens, though I do have a friend (very much an adult with a doctorate who theorizes and does experiements) who might like it.
  • There are pacing problems too. For example, the section on the uses of a brick started as a conversation between the cousins and went on and on and on. He must have listed at least 25+ uses. To get the point, we needed maybe 5 and then skip ahead to the well I’m a genius so I thought of 300+ line. Done. The narrator did a credible job with that section, but it still managed to be interesting point to okay way, way overboard. Just because the first-person narrator is supposed to be socially awkward, does not mean that he needs to prove it in the private space of his own head.
  • The end was largely good but once again went way overboard in an attempt to prove the hero status of our MC.
  • Super nit-picky point. American middle and high schools typically go with marking periods, a genius should know that, yet at least twice, he referred to semesters. That’s a college thing. Maybe certain prep schools use semesters, but not your general run of the mill public school.

Conclusion:

Interesting read despite its story flaws.

Have You Tried Kindle Vella Yet?

Christmas Shorts – (Mystery, thriller, Christian, suspense; Ongoing; story 1 is complete) Only one story right now, but will be a collection of short stories with characters from across my series. Typically, FBI agents with personal drama. Might feature an abundance of cute puppies.

The Minder Project Season 1 – (scifi, genetic engineering, superpowers; shares characters with Dustin’s Decision, Updated Wednesdays) The government gave her genetic Gifts. Now, it wants what it paid for from the program.

5 Steps to Better Dialogue – (nonfiction, writing skills; Complete) I feel like nonfiction titles should come with spoiler tags. This is a book for writers seeking to learn more about the creation of realistic characters and dialogue.

Assassin School Season 1 – (thriller, YA; Complete) Teen spies try to survive the rigorous training and other drama as powerful people battle to control the Ghost children.

Dustin’s Decision Devya’s Children Book 5 – (YA scifi, shares characters with The Minder Project; Complete) Genetically altered teens struggle to navigate the murky world and control their Gifts.

3.75/5 Stars Suddenly Mrs. Darcy by Jenetta James

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, cozyish, historical , ,
Picture from Audible

Narrated by Lillian Rachel

Genre: (Culty knockoffs of Pride and Prejudice, I’m kidding, sorta); historical-ish

Run Time: 6 hrs and 41 Minutes

Summary:

It’s a re-writing of Pride and Prejudice with the same characters, like in a parallel universe or something. Same characters, same family dynamics, except first ball *BOOM* Mrs. Bennet arranges the coup of all societal coups and arranges for Lizzy and Darcy’s private conversation to be finagled into wedding bells.

Additional Comments:

  • 4/5 stars Performance was fine. British accents are okay. Narrator’s voice is nice and fits Elizabeth well.
  • 3/5 stars Plot – Okay, this might be a flaw of me expecting more. It doesn’t seem like much is happening. Elizabeth gets married and then spends the other 5 and a half hours learning to navigate the ins and outs of being the good wife of a much larger estate than she grew up on.
  • Characters 3.5/5 stars – Everything else panned out much the same. Wickham’s still a charming jerk, Lydia’s still silly idiot, Jane’s still a saint, etc.
  • Content warning – It’s a period piece. Keep that in mind or you’ll be too weirded out by the statutory rape (Lydia is 15).
  • Random musing – I still don’t know how Pride and Prejudice (a decent story) managed to spawn so many re-writings. I still gravitate to the weird ones (zombies, dragons, etc), but there are ones set before, during, after, in the modern day. Maybe it’s just one of the few people know are in the public domain and therefore fair game for riffs? It’s essentially legal fanfiction.

Conclusion:

Clearly, there is a market for these kinds of books. This is a suitable representative of the subgenre of Pride and Prejudice re-writings.

Have You Tried Kindle Vella Yet?

Christmas Shorts – (Mystery, thriller, Christian, suspense; Ongoing; story 1 is complete) Only one story right now, but will be a collection of short stories with characters from across my series. Typically, FBI agents with personal drama. Might feature an abundance of cute puppies.

The Minder Project Season 1 – (scifi, genetic engineering, superpowers; shares characters with Dustin’s Decision, Updated Wednesdays) The government gave her genetic Gifts. Now, it wants what it paid for from the program.

5 Steps to Better Dialogue – (nonfiction, writing skills; Complete) I feel like nonfiction titles should come with spoiler tags. This is a book for writers seeking to learn more about the creation of realistic characters and dialogue.

Assassin School Season 1 – (thriller, YA; Complete) Teen spies try to survive the rigorous training and other drama as powerful people battle to control the Ghost children.

Dustin’s Decision Devya’s Children Book 5 – (YA scifi, shares characters with The Minder Project; Complete) Genetically altered teens struggle to navigate the murky world and control their Gifts.

3.5/5 Stars A Dog of Many Names by Douglas Green

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure , , ,
picture from audible

Narrated by Kelly McNair

Run Time: 4 hrs and 17 mins

Summary:

A fictional account of the fears developed by a female rescue German shepherd mix.

Additional Comments:

  • Narration is 4, story is 3.
  • Performance took a little getting used to because the narrator’s voice was a tad higher pitched than I find soothing and easy to listen to, but she did a nice job overall with the story she was given.
  • The perspective narration (story not performance) was inconsistent. For example, it would say something like “the poking place” and then two paragraphs later be like “the veterinarian.” Or like “the hairy-faced man” and “kitchen.” I get it, but the level of sophistication kept jumping around like one of those beans.
  • The story started out with the family, stayed with them for a while then switched over to the dog’s perspective and stayed there.
  • Content warning: It’s clean-ish, but there was at least one scene description of dogs doing it I definitely could have done without. Some violence. A few scattered curse words.
  • Overall equal parts charming and annoying.

Conclusion:

If you want to hear a rambling tale about a dog, go for it. It’s like the gritty opposite version of homeward bound. Or the dog version of the foster kid’s crappy life journey to the loving forever home.

Have You Tried Kindle Vella Yet?

Christmas Shorts – (Mystery, thriller, Christian, suspense; Ongoing; story 1 is complete) Only one story right now, but will be a collection of short stories with characters from across my series. Typically, FBI agents with personal drama. Might feature an abundance of cute puppies.

The Minder Project Season 1 – (scifi, genetic engineering, superpowers; shares characters with Dustin’s Decision, Updated Wednesdays) The government gave her genetic Gifts. Now, it wants what it paid for from the program.

5 Steps to Better Dialogue – (nonfiction, writing skills; Complete) I feel like nonfiction titles should come with spoiler tags. This is a book for writers seeking to learn more about the creation of realistic characters and dialogue.

Assassin School Season 1 – (thriller, YA; Complete) Teen spies try to survive the rigorous training and other drama as powerful people battle to control the Ghost children.

Dustin’s Decision Devya’s Children Book 5 – (YA scifi, shares characters with The Minder Project; Complete) Genetically altered teens struggle to navigate the murky world and control their Gifts.

Madam Cruller’s Couch and Other Dark and Bizarre Tales by Elizabeth Massie

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Horror ,
pic from audible

Narrated by Cathi Colas

Stories average 2.47/5

Performance 4/5 stars

*Will attempt to keep this spoiler free, but some discussion is going to preclude that.

Summary:

A collection of well-written, well-performed, sometimes great, sometimes highly annoying “short” stories.

Additional Comments:

  • Some stories are indeed short, but others, like the last one dragged on forever (2+ hours in audio)
  • Any short story collection is going to have some clunkers and some charmers. This had more clunkers to me, but that’s completely subjective and could be skewed by the last one.
  • 4/5 Performance of actual stories was very strong. Spewed those curses with conviction. Had a few fantastic voices for side characters, like the Evil House.
  • Audio complaint: It was very difficult to tell the transitions to some of the stories. They weren’t numbered and the end one rambled on and on forever, including a LOT of  made up articles that had titles. I thought this was like 19 stories until I looked it up and realized that the end one took up almost a fifth of the audio time.
  • Content warning: Pervasive strong language. Some crude content. Some disturbing content. A lot of morally questionable content.
  • Story 1 4/5 “Madame Cruller’s Couch” – Predictable. Interesting concept. Fun. Odd. Quirky.
  • Story 2 3/5 “Squatters” – disturbing, gross, oddly satisfying but forgettable. It’s only been a few days and I have no idea what happened in that story. I had to look up the titles.
  • Story 3 5/5 “Fly Away Home” – Probably my favorite of the mix. Imaginary friend. Classic horror. Fantastic ending.
  • Story 4 4/5 “Lucky and Poop Tail” Cows’ pov. Lucky. Poop Tail. Actually a happy story.
  • Story 5 2/5 “Dee in the Dark” – Paula and her baby. Certifiably bad mother. Time skips. D and boy. Child possession. Interesting. Disturbing.
  • Story 6 3/5 “Down and Out on Poplar Street” – Donna the hoarder. Has a dog. Weird but ok. Lots of cursing. A little sad.
  • Story 7 2.5/5 “Fixtures of Matchstick Men and Joo” – Murder never so satisfying. Long. Rambling.
  • Story 8 3/5 “Not-so-Fun House” – Jordan (he) and sister Jamie. Creepy house might be my favorite voice of the book. Short and sweet. I’m glad this one was short because too much of that would have flipped to annoying.
  • Story 9 3.5/5 “Christmas at the Pattersons” – Creepy lady with a Christmas obsession. Small, creepy town.
  • Story 10 2.5/5 “Willy Wonka and the L. Walker BioFair” – Science experiments. Highly disturbing. Still intriguing.
  • Story 12 1/5 “Smiles” – Smiles. Poem. I have no idea what happened.
  • Story 13 1/5 “Just Two Good Old Boys” – don’t remember what happened.
  • 3/5 No idea on number because somehow I forgot it or mixed them up. They weren’t numbered. “Scarves” – scarf maker. Definitely dystopian. Super interesting until end. Then just lame. Would have been my favorite if the ending wasn’t a complete copout.
  • 2/5 Story 14 “The Quarrel” It was ok. I think it featured talking old meat.
  • There was a random one about a dog freezing to death or something. That was sad.
  • 0/5 Story 15 Eating cancer. Depressing. Random weird articles. pandemic. Main character were Harbor, Leo, Douglas Dill. Reporter. Leo. Pandemic. Leo’s narration style is annoying. The writing not the reading. Drags on and on. Got slightly better when it turned into a zombie prequel. Worldview is always a thing, and satire writing relies on extremes, but I find this last one both heavy-handed and annoying.

Conclusion:

If you’re into disturbing stories, there are some good ones in the mix.

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Have You Tried Kindle Vella Yet?

Christmas Shorts – (Mystery, thriller, Christian, suspense; Ongoing; story 1 is complete) Only one story right now, but will be a collection of short stories with characters from across my series. Typically, FBI agents with personal drama. Might feature an abundance of cute puppies.

The Minder Project Season 1 – (scifi, genetic engineering, superpowers; shares characters with Dustin’s Decision, Updated Wednesdays) The government gave her genetic Gifts. Now, it wants what it paid for from the program.

5 Steps to Better Dialogue – (nonfiction, writing skills; Complete) I feel like nonfiction titles should come with spoiler tags. This is a book for writers seeking to learn more about the creation of realistic characters and dialogue.

Assassin School Season 1 – (thriller, YA; Complete) Teen spies try to survive the rigorous training and other drama as powerful people battle to control the Ghost children.

Dustin’s Decision Devya’s Children Book 5 – (YA scifi, shares characters with The Minder Project; Complete) Genetically altered teens struggle to navigate the murky world and control their Gifts.

4/5 Stars Patchwork of Death by Gin Jones and Elizabeth Ashby

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, cozyish, mystery , ,
picture from audible

A Danger Cove Mystery Book 4-ish

Narrated by Theresa Bakken

Run Time: 7 hrs and 53 mins

Summary:

Keely Fairchild’s new career as a quilt appraiser is just getting started. Then, somebody up and gets themselves murdered and skyrockets the stress surrounding the main character.

Additional Comments:

  • It’s normal for a cozy mystery, though a tad on the slow-moving side. There’s no action until the last half hour of the audiobook.
  • It would have been better with a cat. Hear me out. Cozies thrive on quirky characters and pets or cookie recipes or witches. Okay, so the last is paranormal cozies. A pet would have provided enough antics to break up the frequent mentions of Keely passing out, almost passing out, or feeling her stress levels spike. (And cats are somewhat lower maintenance than dogs.)
  • The main character’s syncopy makes her relatively unique among characters. That said, it did not have to be mentioned every 4th page. I heard the audiobook, but I’m pretty sure if one searched the manuscript, they’d find the times it’s mentioned tops dozens. Basically, she passes out if under stress. It’s an interesting concept and a lot revolved around it, but it also got old quick.
  • Performance was good. The narrator successfully brough Keely and company to life.
  • The murder victim wasn’t very likable. I get that people who get murdered often aren’t everybody’s best friend. There’s a disconnect between him being portrayed as a savvy businessman will a killer strong contacts list and the few minutes we experience of him, which present us with a highly unpleasant guy. This disconnect made it hard to feel any sympathy for him when he’s offed.
  • Bad guy was 100% predictable, but it’s still a satisfying conclusion.
  • Matt seemed to be there as the potential love interest. This is my first experience with the series, so I don’t know if he returns in a future book. If yes, okay. If no, there are some random loose ends surrounding his character.
  • Fred the cupcake-scarfing cop was a darling. (Somebody you could genuinely feel sorry for.)
  • Wolfe was needlessly annoying. I guess that makes him realistic, but his devotion to doing his job poorly seemed over-the-top.
  • Gil was interesting, especially the singing part. I find it interesting that Keely would recognize every song Gil sings part of.
  • The solution to Lindsey’s work troubles didn’t strike me as particularly believable. I can’t say more without spoilers, but the problem itself would tend to make people more careful not less.
  • The thread with the lighthouse keeper’s descendant sort of fizzled.
  • The biggest mystery was why the series has a fictious author. I guess it’s so the publisher can then tie them together with multiple authors as the “co-author.” Still, it’s just odd, unless it was them angling to have an A last name to get the books filed first on shelves.
  • What the series has going for it is a heroine you can like and a charming small town. The quilting aspect was new to me and handled well.

Conclusion:

If you adore cozies, this tends to hit most of the genre expectations.

If you want to get 5 clean audio promos a month. Sign up here.

Have You Tried Kindle Vella Yet?

Christmas Shorts – (Mystery, thriller, Christian, suspense; Ongoing; story 1 is complete) Only one story right now, but will be a collection of short stories with characters from across my series. Typically, FBI agents with personal drama. Might feature an abundance of cute puppies.

The Minder Project Season 1 – (scifi, genetic engineering, superpowers; shares characters with Dustin’s Decision, Updated Wednesdays) The government gave her genetic Gifts. Now, it wants what it paid for from the program.

5 Steps to Better Dialogue – (nonfiction, writing skills; Complete) I feel like nonfiction titles should come with spoiler tags. This is a book for writers seeking to learn more about the creation of realistic characters and dialogue.

Assassin School Season 1 – (thriller, YA; Complete) Teen spies try to survive the rigorous training and other drama as powerful people battle to control the Ghost children.

Dustin’s Decision Devya’s Children Book 5 – (YA scifi, shares characters with The Minder Project; Complete) Genetically altered teens struggle to navigate the murky world and control their Gifts.

4/5 Stars Kill List by Brian Shea

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, thriller , , ,
pic from audible

Narrated by Conner Goff

Run Time: 7 hrs and 38 mins

Summary:

Over the top FBI thriller. It’s entertaining if you can overlook some of its flaws.

Additional Comments:

  • Tagline doesn’t really work because the “good guy” Nick Lawrence doesn’t really figure out that he’s working with the “bad guy” bank robber, Declan Enright.
  • I get having trouble getting a job, but with the way things pan out, I’m not sure why that wasn’t an option from the beginning. Also, why does his kid need therapy every single day? I thought autism was in some extreme cases more about being left the heck alone. An every day meeting seems stressful on everybody. Also, many school districts have services for dealing with kids with autism. Free services BTW.
  • Declan’s a guy you can root for. Nick’s troubles with his mother get old fast. Isabella’s cool, but also kind of just the love interest side kick with no other purpose.
  • Declan’s family is kind of just there. Val’s a saint. I don’t even remember the kids’ names or ages or if there are three or four of them.
  • There are some pacing issues.
  • There’s a semi-decent end twist. But even that is very, very far-fetched.
  • The conclusion happens fast, like the author was told you have 2K words to tie this up with a bow.
  • The true bad guy is almost god-like in his powers of foresight and planning. Even with a tragedy, I just don’t buy anybody having that much motivation to play games like this. There are mixed messages with the Mysterious Seven hanging around. They’re probably going to return in later books.
  • It’s not a very happy book, even on a personal level for Nick and Isabella. I’m guessing that’s to leave it open for sequels.
  • I’d probably like this less if I had paid for it. As is, I’ll listen to the other freebies. They’re good time-killers.
  • I liked that the author hit upon the bureaucratic showboating angles.
  • It’s more interesting if you ignore the oddities in everybody being billed as the best of the best and being led around by the nose by a bad guy given essentially deity-level foresight with a huge chip on his shoulder.

Conclusion:

Kind of depressing, yet simultaneously interesting FBI thriller.

*found on Audible Plus

If you want to get 5 clean audio promos a month. Sign up here.

Have You Tried Kindle Vella Yet?

Christmas Shorts – (Mystery, thriller, Christian, suspense; Ongoing; story 1 is complete) Only one story right now, but will be a collection of short stories with characters from across my series. Typically, FBI agents with personal drama. Might feature an abundance of cute puppies.

The Minder Project Season 1 – (scifi, genetic engineering, superpowers; shares characters with Dustin’s Decision, Updated Wednesdays) The government gave her genetic Gifts. Now, it wants what it paid for from the program.

5 Steps to Better Dialogue – (nonfiction, writing skills; Complete) I feel like nonfiction titles should come with spoiler tags. This is a book for writers seeking to learn more about the creation of realistic characters and dialogue.

Assassin School Season 1 – (thriller, YA; Complete) Teen spies try to survive the rigorous training and other drama as powerful people battle to control the Ghost children.

Dustin’s Decision Devya’s Children Book 5 – (YA scifi, shares characters with The Minder Project; Complete) Genetically altered teens struggle to navigate the murky world and control their Gifts.

4.45/5 Stars Lone Wolf by Sara Driscoll

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Audiobooks, thriller , ,
pic from audible

Narrated by Angela Dawe

Run Time: 7 hrs and 19 mins

Summary:

Meg Jennings and Hawk, her search-and-rescue Labrador buddy, get sucked into a wild investigation kicked off by a man with a grudge against the government.

Additional Comments:

  • I feel like it’s obligatory that cop/FBI thriller stars have to have tragic pasts. Meg’s past qualifies. I do like that she has a nice relationship with her sister.
  • The reporter guy wasn’t really fully fleshed out. I think the author is angling for a longer series with him as a love interest.
  • Don’t know enough about the FBI’s K-9 teams to know if it’s realistic.
  • The investigation unfolded nicely. There didn’t seem to be too much lag time and meaningless background drivel, but there were a few tragic past bunny trails.
  • Performance was good.
  • The end managed to be both predictable and satisfying.
  • Content Comments: Some cursing. I don’t recall any sex scenes, but then again, I have listened to a lot of book in the last few weeks. Perk of catching the plague here.
  • Title makes some sense, but the ties aren’t super strong. I think it’s referring to the perpetrator and maybe a little about Meg’s state of mind.

Conclusion:

Fun thriller that hits most of the right beats.

*I think I found this one on audible plus

If you want to get 5 clean audio promos a month. Sign up here.

Have You Tried Kindle Vella Yet?

Christmas Shorts – (Mystery, thriller, Christian, suspense; Ongoing; story 1 is complete) Only one story right now, but will be a collection of short stories with characters from across my series. Typically, FBI agents with personal drama. Might feature an abundance of cute puppies.

The Minder Project Season 1 – (scifi, genetic engineering, superpowers; shares characters with Dustin’s Decision, Updated Wednesdays) The government gave her genetic Gifts. Now, it wants what it paid for from the program.

5 Steps to Better Dialogue – (nonfiction, writing skills; Complete) I feel like nonfiction titles should come with spoiler tags. This is a book for writers seeking to learn more about the creation of realistic characters and dialogue.

Assassin School Season 1 – (thriller, YA; Complete) Teen spies try to survive the rigorous training and other drama as powerful people battle to control the Ghost children.

Dustin’s Decision Devya’s Children Book 5 – (YA scifi, shares characters with The Minder Project; Complete) Genetically altered teens struggle to navigate the murky world and control their Gifts.

4/5 Stars Gertrude Gumshoe Gunslinger City by Robin Merrill

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, cozyish, mystery ,
pic from audible

Narrated by Darlene Allen

Run time: 3 hrs and 39 mins

Summary:

Gertrude and Cal get sucked into a Wild West style murder.

Additional Comments:

  • Standard fare for the series. They’re cute but not exactly brain busters.
  • There is a mismatch between the amount of running around Gertrude does and her need for a walker.
  • This one takes place at Gunslinger City, a dying theme park Cal used to frequent back in the day.
  • Nicely performed.
  • Gertrude is a sassy, good-hearted, slightly naive wannabe detective who always cracks the case through luck and timely friends.

Conclusion:

If you’re a fan of the series, you will enjoy this.

If you want to get 5 clean audio promos a month. Sign up here.

Have You Tried Kindle Vella Yet?

Christmas Shorts – (Mystery, thriller, Christian, suspense; Ongoing; story 1 is complete) Only one story right now, but will be a collection of short stories with characters from across my series. Typically, FBI agents with personal drama. Might feature an abundance of cute puppies.

The Minder Project Season 1 – (scifi, genetic engineering, superpowers; shares characters with Dustin’s Decision, Updated Wednesdays) The government gave her genetic Gifts. Now, it wants what it paid for from the program.

5 Steps to Better Dialogue – (nonfiction, writing skills; Complete) I feel like nonfiction titles should come with spoiler tags. This is a book for writers seeking to learn more about the creation of realistic characters and dialogue.

Assassin School Season 1 – (thriller, YA; Complete) Teen spies try to survive the rigorous training and other drama as powerful people battle to control the Ghost children.

Dustin’s Decision Devya’s Children Book 5 – (YA scifi, shares characters with The Minder Project; Complete) Genetically altered teens struggle to navigate the murky world and control their Gifts.

4/5 stars The Legends Saga Collection (Books 1-3) by Stacey Rourke

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Audiobooks, Horror, literature , ,
pic from audible

Narrated by Karen Krause

Summary:

Ireland Crane moves to a new town and gets caught up in a series of scary events.

Additional Comments:

  • Book 1 mixes in the headless horseman, Washington Irving, and Rip Van Winkle. book 2 brings in Edgar Allen Poe and Ridley.
  • Poe can raise the dead and see them, but they aren’t very nice.
  • Performance is nice. The narrator fits the main character well.
  • Noah is a fun side character.
  • The homicidal demon is kind of hilarious.
  • Story 2: there are even more dreams and hallucinations… makes things hard to follow.
  • Book 2 is 90% witty banter, while fun, it feels like filler.
  • Regan (the horse) might be my favorite character. At least he is true to form.
  • Get to meet a lot of literary figures. I never did like The Scarlet Letter though. Would help if I knew each of the original stories better because these stories are like random literature tossed into a blender and frosted with sarcasm.
  • Disturbing, interesting.
  • Ending is confusing, like the author legit couldn’t pick just one.

Conclusion:

Oddly fun for a horror story.

If you want to get 5 clean audio promos a month. Sign up here.

Have You Tried Kindle Vella Yet?

Christmas Shorts – (Mystery, thriller, Christian, suspense; Ongoing; story 1 is complete) Only one story right now, but will be a collection of short stories with characters from across my series. Typically, FBI agents with personal drama. Might feature an abundance of cute puppies.

The Minder Project Season 1 – (scifi, genetic engineering, superpowers; shares characters with Dustin’s Decision, Updated Wednesdays) The government gave her genetic Gifts. Now, it wants what it paid for from the program.

5 Steps to Better Dialogue – (nonfiction, writing skills; Complete) I feel like nonfiction titles should come with spoiler tags. This is a book for writers seeking to learn more about the creation of realistic characters and dialogue.

Assassin School Season 1 – (thriller, YA; Complete) Teen spies try to survive the rigorous training and other drama as powerful people battle to control the Ghost children.

Dustin’s Decision Devya’s Children Book 5 – (YA scifi, shares characters with The Minder Project; Complete) Genetically altered teens struggle to navigate the murky world and control their Gifts.

4.5/5 Stars Ace Carroway and the Ghost Liner

Julie Gilbert Action Adventure ,
pic from amazon

The Adventures of Ace Carroway Book 7

Summary:

One of Ace’s companions disappears on a trip to speak to some people about getting Tungsten for one of Ace’s pet projects.

Additional Comments:

– I heard book 1 as an audiobook. It feels like a lot happened in the intervening time. You can still enjoy the series without hearing everything in between, but you’re probably going to have the same semi-lost feeling during some sections.

– There were a lot of colorful characters with pretty heavy accents. Having heard the audio of the first, I think that’s standard for the series. In that regard, it’s much easier to have something or someone read the story to you instead of reading it yourself, but that might be a personal preference.

– I’m not 100% clear on why Bert was kidnapped in the first place, but I’m sure if I paid more attention, that part would be clearer.

– Ace is overpowered as a character, but that’s part of her charm. Her motley crew is loyal to a fault, but they do have their own skills to bring to the table. Gooper and Gallows kind of got crossed in my head for a bit.

– Clean read. I think there’s one curse word in the book.

– Little to no romance involved in the series. It’s more action and tech of the 1920’s. It’s got the feel of an alternate universe history.

Conclusion:

Solid entry in an intriguing series.

If you want to get 5 clean audio promos a month. Sign up here.

Have You Tried Kindle Vella Yet?

Christmas Shorts – (Mystery, thriller, Christian, suspense; Ongoing; story 1 is complete) Only one story right now, but will be a collection of short stories with characters from across my series. Typically, FBI agents with personal drama. Might feature an abundance of cute puppies.

The Minder Project Season 1 – (scifi, genetic engineering, superpowers; shares characters with Dustin’s Decision, Updated Wednesdays) The government gave her genetic Gifts. Now, it wants what it paid for from the program.

5 Steps to Better Dialogue – (nonfiction, writing skills; Complete) I feel like nonfiction titles should come with spoiler tags. This is a book for writers seeking to learn more about the creation of realistic characters and dialogue.

Assassin School Season 1 – (thriller, YA; Complete) Teen spies try to survive the rigorous training and other drama as powerful people battle to control the Ghost children.

Dustin’s Decision Devya’s Children Book 5 – (YA scifi, shares characters with The Minder Project; Complete) Genetically altered teens struggle to navigate the murky world and control their Gifts.