Lloyd Schifflebein’s lifelong goal of being a dad is about to happen, but then, greed and corruption reach out and try to ensnare him from the shadows.
Additional Comments:
Not sure you needed the talking teapot angle to tell the story, but it did add a different spin.
The family is chaotic but perfect.
Conclusion is satisfying.
Charlie is a lovely side character.
cover is creepy.
Performance was nicely handled. I still have Jenny Hoops type cast as Louise Pearle, but she’s done a few good tales for Iris Chacon too.
Conclusion:
If you are in the mood for something weird and light, this is an excellent choice.
If you want to get 5 clean audio promos a month. Sign up here.
Audiobook Promotions …
Many of my 57 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you. Free codes are probably on audiobooks unleashed.
Normal links go to audible. *The Amazon labeled links are affiliate links. That means I get a very small payment from Amazon if you go through with a purchase.* Note: Filter by US if you’re looking for those codes as many titles are out.
Ones I think may still have US codes: Reshner’s Royal Ranger, Never Again, Innova, The Golden City Captives, The Holy War, Reclaim the Darklands, Eagle Eyes, Treachery Makes it Tense, Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts, The Dark Side of Science, Ashlynn’s Dreams, Nadia’s Tears, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest
There are plenty of UK codes, but not many US ones left.
Review copies for many titles are available from StoryOrigin.
Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)
Awakening – Redeemer Chronicles Book 1, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
The Holy War – Redeemer Chronicles Book 2, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
Reclaim the Darklands – Redeemer Chronicles Book 3, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
River’s Edge Ransom – Prequel to Redeemer Chronicles (Amazon) (email devyaschildren @ gmail.com for free codes)
Aeris Legends Books 1-3 ~17 hrs of epic fantasy. (Request a Review Copy)
On the train ride up to see their grandparents, Hannah and Tamar stumble across a distraught, haughty woman and a scruffy looking dude. Things get weirder when the woman slips a strange package into one of the girls’ pockets.
Additional Comments:
Simple, kid safe mystery. Probably going for the market that loves Nancy Drew, The Bobbsey Twins, Mandie, and such.
Half the book is mystery and half is managing semi relationships with some nice guys from the town.
No real peril to the characters. Normally, that would annoy me, but it fits here.
Performance was good.
Main characters did have differences but sort of blurred into one type.
Conclusion works well and is satisfying.
Conclusion:
Clean, peril free mystery aimed at 10-14 year old girls. Fits that well.
If you want to get 5 clean audio promos a month. Sign up here.
Audiobook Promotions …
Many of my 57 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you. Free codes are probably on audiobooks unleashed.
Normal links go to audible. *The Amazon labeled links are affiliate links. That means I get a very small payment from Amazon if you go through with a purchase.* Note: Filter by US if you’re looking for those codes as many titles are out.
Ones I think may still have US codes: Reshner’s Royal Ranger, Never Again, Innova, The Golden City Captives, The Holy War, Reclaim the Darklands, Eagle Eyes, Treachery Makes it Tense, Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts, The Dark Side of Science, Ashlynn’s Dreams, Nadia’s Tears, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest
There are plenty of UK codes, but not many US ones left.
Review copies for many titles are available from StoryOrigin.
Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)
Awakening – Redeemer Chronicles Book 1, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
The Holy War – Redeemer Chronicles Book 2, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
Reclaim the Darklands – Redeemer Chronicles Book 3, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
River’s Edge Ransom – Prequel to Redeemer Chronicles (Amazon) (email devyaschildren @ gmail.com for free codes)
Aeris Legends Books 1-3 ~17 hrs of epic fantasy. (Request a Review Copy)
Featuring inspirational verses from the Bible, these coloring pages will help you relax, unwind, and enjoy some creative fun while hiding God’s Word in your heart! All the passages have a theme of thankfulness, so you’ll be encouraged to cultivate gratitude and be reminded of all you have to thank God for as you color.
The verses are printed in color-able word art with decorative borders, blank on the back to make them easier to remove and frame or display, if desired. Each coloring page is accompanied by thought-provoking journal questions that will help you dig into the Scriptures even more as you focus on their meaning and application in your life.
Hide it in Your Heart with Thankfulness is an ideal Scripture memorization aid for Christian schools, homeschool programs, Sunday schools, or your own personal use.
Children and adults will enjoy learning, practicing, and meditating on these artistically presented verses from the New International Version Bible. Order your copy today and start hiding God’s Word in your heart with thankfulness!
Author Bio:
Annie Douglass Lima considers herself fortunate to have traveled in twenty different countries and lived in four of them. A teacher in her “other” life, she loves reading to her students and sparking their imaginations. Her books include science fiction, fantasy, YA action and adventure novels, a puppet script, poetry, Bible verse coloring books, and a fantasy-themed cookbook. When she isn’t teaching, writing, or editing, Annie can often be found sipping spiced chai or pomegranate green tea in exotic locations, some of which exist in this world.
One Link to Rule Them All – Check out this lovely coloring book today.
If you want to get 5 clean audio promos a month. Sign up here.
Audiobook Promotions …
Many of my 57 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you. Free codes are probably on audiobooks unleashed.
Normal links go to audible. *The Amazon labeled links are affiliate links. That means I get a very small payment from Amazon if you go through with a purchase.* Note: Filter by US if you’re looking for those codes as many titles are out.
Ones I think may still have US codes: Reshner’s Royal Ranger, Never Again, Innova, The Golden City Captives, The Holy War, Reclaim the Darklands, Eagle Eyes, Treachery Makes it Tense, Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts, The Dark Side of Science, Ashlynn’s Dreams, Nadia’s Tears, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest
There are plenty of UK codes, but not many US ones left.
Review copies for many titles are available from StoryOrigin.
Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)
Awakening – Redeemer Chronicles Book 1, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
The Holy War – Redeemer Chronicles Book 2, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
Reclaim the Darklands – Redeemer Chronicles Book 3, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
River’s Edge Ransom – Prequel to Redeemer Chronicles (Amazon) (email devyaschildren @ gmail.com for free codes)
Devya’s Children Series Links:
Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – short stories featuring Jillian. (Amazon) (free codes)
The Dark Side of Science – official prequel to Devya’s Children; Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live. (Amazon) (Please email devyaschildren @ gmail.com for free codes)
Books 1-4 were re-released in audiobook form in 2021.
Ashlynn’s Dreams – Genetically altered Dream Shaper learns her gift. (Amazon) (Request a Review Copy)
Nadia’s Tears – Jillian tries to awaken her sister, Nadia, from a coma. (Amazon) (Request a Review Copy)
Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings try to save a friend’s mother. (Amazon) (Request a Review Code)
Varick’s Quest – Jillian and Danielle get kidnapped. Nadia’s also in trouble. (Amazon) (Request a Review Code) More Scifi:
Reshner’s Royal Ranger (epic sci-fi) just made it there. (Amazon) (click for sample)
If you’re all in and want to review the entire trilogy (~35 hrs!) go here.
Aeris Legends Books 1-3 ~17 hrs of epic fantasy. (Request a Review Copy)
Guardian Angel Files:
Spirit’s Bane – Allister and Mina are training to be Guardians. Satan’s out to get them. (Amazon) (free codes)
Kindred Spirits – Mina’s exiled to Earth. Allister’s stuck in the Heavens. (Amazon) (free codes)
I have Author Direct codes from Findaway Voices for the combo book that has Spirit’s Bane and Kindred Spirits. (Click here for a review copy.)
*Disclaimer: this is not a book I would have picked up from the description.
*Mild spoilers possible in discussion.
Summary:
Felicia and Matt embark on an odd relationship experiment in an attempt to do some good and deal with pain from their pasts.
Additional Comments:
3/5 Plot: There’s not much action. Okay, so there’s zip in terms of action. Some references to past action, but absolutely nothing in the current timeline. But there’s still a series of events that unfold and character choices being made here. A lot of it is far-fetched, but then again, many books have far-fetched plots. They talk. They space out. They talk some more, walk in the woods, and talk some more.
2.5/5 Suspension of Disbelief (Coincidences Abound): So, the MC insults a bunch of academics, and this alone gets the other MC to like her immensely? The MC also is a mathematical genius and just happens to meet an abused kid who’s a mini-me?
4/5 Main Characters: Felicia’s mood swings are interesting, but I probably would have put the book down ¼ in because of them. Her past is tragic, yet her mathematical genius lets her sort of cope. Matt’s an angel. He’s fun to read about but he’s preposterously OP’d when it comes to “good” and “desirable mating skills” if you want to be coldly clinical about it. (Tall, handsome, former soldier, wounded warrior, hero, can cook amazingly, can build stuff, etc) Nicole’s probably the most realistic character, math genius thing aside. She’s a survivor, but not a fighter.
This is a personal bias, but I don’t really like flashbacks and this book is about 80% flashbacks.
4/5 Unique factor. Not sure I’ve ever read a book with a MC with Borderline personality disorder.
3/5 Felicia’s and Nicole’s tragic pasts are WAY too similar. To be clear, it’s not hard to believe that two girls growing up face sexual assault and abuse, that’s just a sad part of society. What’s hard to sort is the other details. Abusive brothers. Deadbeat dads. Mothers who tried to save them. Helping along the drug trade but certainly not partaking of drugs.
4/5 Reading: Solid performance.
4/5 Ending: Everything works out perfectly. Yay. Happy endings. While that’s to be expected, I think everybody was too accommodating. Not one person who heard their plans was like y’all out of your blessed, naïve little heads?
Content Warnings: Talk of abuse. Random curse words.
Conclusion:
It’s an odd, but oddly beautiful modern fairy tale wherein two wounded people unite to save a third.
Audiobook Promotions …
Many of my 50 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you. Free codes are probably on audiobooks unleashed.
Normal links go to audible. *The Amazon labeled links are affiliate links. That means I get a very small payment from Amazon if you go through with a purchase.* Note: Filter by US if you’re looking for those codes as many titles are out.
Ones I think may still have US codes: Reshner’s Royal Ranger, Never Again, Innova, The Golden City Captives, The Holy War, Reclaim the Darklands, Eagle Eyes, Treachery Makes it Tense, Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts, The Dark Side of Science, Ashlynn’s Dreams, Nadia’s Tears, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest
There are plenty of UK codes, but not many US ones left.
Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)
Awakening – Redeemer Chronicles Book 1, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
The Holy War – Redeemer Chronicles Book 2, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
Reclaim the Darklands – Redeemer Chronicles Book 3, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
River’s Edge Ransom – Prequel to Redeemer Chronicles (Amazon) (email devyaschildren @ gmail.com for free codes)
Devya’s Children Series Links:
Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – short stories featuring Jillian. (Amazon) (free codes)
The Dark Side of Science – official prequel to Devya’s Children; Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live. (Amazon) (Please email devyaschildren @ gmail.com for free codes)
Ashlynn’s Dreams – Genetically altered Dream Shaper learns her gift. (Amazon) (free codes)
Nadia’s Tears – Jillian tries to awaken her sister, Nadia, from a coma. (Amazon) (free codes)
Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings try to save a friend’s mother. (Amazon) (free codes)
Varick’s Quest – Jillian and Danielle get kidnapped. Nadia’s also in trouble. (Amazon) (free codes) More Scifi:
Reshner’s Royal Ranger (epic sci-fi) just made it there. (Amazon) (free codes)
Guardian Angel Files:
Spirit’s Bane – Allister and Mina are training to be Guardians. Satan’s out to get them. (Amazon) (free codes)
Kindred Spirits – Mina’s exiled to Earth. Allister’s stuck in the Heavens. (Amazon) (free codes)
I only write clean fiction. That was a personal choice when I started writing that came about because that’s what I grew up with.
Personal Definition of Clean:
In reviewing a lot of books for the Audiobook Edge list, I’ve had to develop a definition of “clean.” I’m aware my definition is much looser than many others because I’m trying to cater to a wider adult audience. I typically stop listening after 4 f-bombs. Even if I continue, it’d be off my “clean” list. Curse words in general are only occasional. Adult scenes aren’t described in any sort of detail.
I just finished a book, and honestly, it would have been better without the curse words. They didn’t add much. The problem in general is that people use cursing so casually, it loses all shock value and just becomes filler.
People curse in real life, so why avoid it in books?
It’s a simple concept of in and out. I may mention that a character curses, but I see no reason to include the actual curse word. Same for violence. Hard things befall my characters for sure, but the reader does not need to have disturbing images blazed onto their brains. You will internalize what you see. I want my stories to take people on grand adventures, not traumatize them.
Why are clean fiction reads important for children and young adults?
There are plenty of books out there in the world. Clean reads allow you to focus on the action and the characters without drowning in a sea of hard language or reading gory scenes that stick with you. Life’s got enough problems without adding a layer of brutality and hard edges to fictional adventures.
Awful things happen in the real world, why shy away from describing things?
There’s a very big difference between reading that a character lost their head and reading a point-by-point description of how that came to be. Nobody needs that mental image in their heads.
Enjoy being a kid
Kids have a lot to deal with. Stories have many functions. They bring people together. They teach us. They entertain us. Clean reads opens the way for people of several age groups to enjoy the same tale.
Focus on the characters
Some characters have special gifts, some don’t. A lot of my books feature people put in challenging situations. I want readers to focus on the characters and their actions, not their language unless that’s relevant.
I write my adult books without strong language or describing adult scenes. It can be done at all levels of fiction.
Learn to express yourself without resorting to strong language.
Sure, cursing is a way of expressing dismay or trying to sound cool, but children and young adults are still developing and discovering themselves. I’d rather let them learn how to express their feelings without curse words.
Some people, like me, grow up in homes where strong language is a rarity. This is good. There are so many words in the English language. There’s always a way to describe a situation tastefully or with just a few details.
Things you see and watch will shape the way you think and behave.
Have you ever been around somebody with a very strong accent, and then, unconsciously started slipping into that accent? The same concept holds true with things you read, listen to, and watch. Where possible, fill your mind with edifying things.
Conclusion:
I’m not saying every story has to have a happy, uplifting, sickeningly sweet ending, but stick to clean reads and get the most out of a story.
If you want to check out my audiobooks, go here in the US and here for the UK site.
Interested in a fun writing course designed for teens? Check out Storyquest Academy. (Note: affiliate link – if you sign up for the class through this link, I earn a commission … you get a great deal – win-win 😉 … seriously, most writing courses are a LOT more expensive.)
Audiobook Promotions …
Many of my 42 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you. Free codes are probably on audiobooks unleashed.
Normal links go to audible. *The Amazon labeled links are affiliate links. That means I get a very small payment from Amazon if you go through with a purchase.* Note: Filter by US if you’re looking for those codes as many titles are out.
Ones I think may still have US codes: Reshner’s Royal Ranger, Never Again, Innova, The Golden City Captives, The Holy War, Reclaim the Darklands, Eagle Eyes, Treachery Makes it Tense, Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts, The Dark Side of Science, Ashlynn’s Dreams, Nadia’s Tears, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest
There are plenty of UK codes, but not many US ones left.
Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)
Awakening – Redeemer Chronicles Book 1, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
The Holy War – Redeemer Chronicles Book 2, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
Reclaim the Darklands – Redeemer Chronicles Book 3, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
River’s Edge Ransom – Prequel to Redeemer Chronicles (Amazon) (email devyaschildren @ gmail.com for free codes)
Devya’s Children Series Links:
Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – short stories featuring Jillian. (Amazon) (free codes)
The Dark Side of Science – official prequel to Devya’s Children; Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live. (Amazon) (Please email devyaschildren @ gmail.com for free codes)
Ashlynn’s Dreams – Genetically altered Dream Shaper learns her gift. (Amazon) (free codes)
Nadia’s Tears – Jillian tries to awaken her sister, Nadia, from a coma. (Amazon) (free codes)
Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings try to save a friend’s mother. (Amazon) (free codes)
Varick’s Quest – Jillian and Danielle get kidnapped. Nadia’s also in trouble. (Amazon) (free codes) More Scifi:
Reshner’s Royal Ranger (epic sci-fi) just made it there. (Amazon) (free codes)
Guardian Angel Files:
Spirit’s Bane – Allister and Mina are training to be Guardians. Satan’s out to get them. (Amazon) (free codes)
Kindred Spirits – Mina’s exiled to Earth. Allister’s stuck in the Heavens. (Amazon) (free codes)
Aaron and Erin Thibodeaux aren’t related, but they happen to have names that are pronounced the same way and the same odd last name. They meet at a summer camp, make a pinkie promise to marry if they’re both unattached and old (26??).
Additional Comments:
I’m going to start with this (Christian romance) isn’t my go-to genre.
I’ve got no issues with the values presented in the book. Wish more books held to them. It did belabor the point a few times though. Most notably, Misty’s conversation with Aaron at the camp reunion of sorts.
I enjoyed the little bits of background on Erin and Aaron later. I missed the connection between Erin’s boss’s brother being one of her failed dates, but that was kind of glossed over. It’s also not a huge point. Their reactions did seem a tad overdone though.
The Erin and Aaron thing I can easily buy. The fact that they both happen to have the same weird last name, not so much. If they were both Smith, sure. Apparently, it’s a prominent French surname. Good to know.
There are a few other coincidences that had to happen to move the plot forward. They’re handled very well. (Jacky and Jackie)
I liked that it’s not set in the modern world, so it’s a time without cell phones.
Narrator’s performance is good. Kinda hated the voice she used for Russell, but he wasn’t in there enough to become a problem.
I had to stop listening for a while at the third act comedy of errors part. It works for the story, but the amount of times the two MCs jumped to conclusions was disturbing.
Story is predictable but satisfying.
I enjoyed that the author worked in some action near the end.
If you’re in the mood for sweet Christian romance and don’t mind coincidences, give this one a chance.
Audiobook Promotions:
33 of my 41 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you. Never Again (mystery, suspense) and Reshner’s Royal Ranger (epic sci-fi) just made it there. Note: Filter by US if you’re looking for those codes as many titles are out.
Ones I think may still have US codes: Reshner’s Royal Ranger, Never Again, Innova, The Golden City Captives, The Holy War, Reclaim the Darklands, Eagle Eyes, Treachery Makes it Tense, Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts, The Dark Side of Science, Ashlynn’s Dreams, Nadia’s Tears, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest
Devya’s Children Series Links:
Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – short stories featuring Jillian.
The Dark Side of Science – official prequel to Devya’s Children; Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.
Ashlynn’s Dreams – Genetically altered Dream Shaper learns her gift.
Nadia’s Tears – Jillian tries to awaken her sister, Nadia, from a coma.
Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings try to save a friend’s mother.
Varick’s Quest – Jillian and Danielle get kidnapped. Nadia’s also in trouble.
Were on Audiobookcrave.com (which just went under). Ones with links are relisted at Audiobooksunleashed.com.
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry
Spirit’s Bane (Guardian Angel Files Book 1)
Kindred Spirits (Guardian Angel Files Book 2)
Violence in Vegas (Eagle Eyes Book 1) – not relisted yet
Rescue in Reno (Eagle Eyes Book 2)
Danger in Dallas (Eagle Eyes Book 3)
Devya’s Children Series Links:
Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – short stories featuring Jillian.
The Dark Side of Science – official prequel to Devya’s Children; Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.
Ashlynn’s Dreams – Genetically altered Dream Shaper learns her gift.
Nadia’s Tears – Jillian tries to awaken her sister, Nadia, from a coma.
Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings try to save a friend’s mother.
Varick’s Quest – Jillian and Danielle get kidnapped. Nadia’s also in trouble.
Check out my other titles available on Audiobooks Unleashed:
Beyond Broken Pencils – contemporary, literary
Shadow Council Combo (Books 1-4)
The Individual titles are available but not yet listed on an ad site
SC 1: Money Makes it Deadlier
SC 2: Revenge Makes it Sweeter
SC 3: Christmas Makes it Chaos
SC 4: Treachery Makes it Tense)
Eagle Eyes – mystery thriller
Scratched Off – mystery, thriller; FBI agent vs serial killer, more intense than Shadow Council/Eagle Eyes
Awakening – Redeemer Chronicles Book 1, MG fantasy
The Holy War – Redeemer Chronicles Book 2, MG fantasy
Reclaim the Darklands – Redeemer Chronicles Book 3, MG fantasy
The Collins Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 1, Christian mystery
The Kiverson Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 2, Christian mystery
The Davidson Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 3, Christian mystery
Other titles:
5 Steps to Better Blurbs – for authors
Innova – Christian Dystopia
The Golden City Captives – short fantasy
Fatal Interest – short mystery/thriller
A girl with a rare blood disease (not sure it’s ever specified) has an imaginary friend.
Additional Comments:
The story has a short story feel, but it’s on the long side for that.
Narration was well done.
I think I heard a different story by Joseph Barone (Prestigium), and I liked that much better.
I believe much of the story was meant be an epic journey of self-discovery, but it kind of sounded like a cycle of kid feels ill, kid chats up her imaginary friend or vice versa, mother worries, father tries to build stuff to deal with his worry, and kid goes on dream adventures with the imaginary friend.
The grandfather had great presence for a side character. He might be my favorite side character.
The book’s point of view made it a tad difficult to follow the family relationships.
It’s been less than a week, and I don’t remember the kid’s name. Had to look it up. Lily Fiore is a pretty name.
The town names were a tad over the top in terms of symbolism: Lily used to live in Reverie. She now lives in Salvation.
Conclusion:
Ha, my main problem with the story might be in the blurb: the book is existential. This poor author has no idea of my history with that horrible existential book about a guy who’s a bug (The Metamorphosis). (Story ticked me off in high school.) Guess I’m just not wired for existential journey things. If you like that sort of thing, check this out. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it. I just don’t like the style.
Cover from Audible
Audiobook Promotions …
Feb Promos on Audiobook Crave.com (requires email sign in):
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry
Spirit’s Bane (Guardian Angel Files Book 1)
Kindred Spirits (Guardian Angel Files Book 2)
Violence in Vegas (Eagle Eyes Book 1)
Rescue in Reno (Eagle Eyes Book 2)
Danger in Dallas (Eagle Eyes Book 3)
Devya’s Children Series Links:
Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – short stories featuring Jillian.
The Dark Side of Science – official prequel to Devya’s Children; Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.
Ashlynn’s Dreams – Genetically altered Dream Shaper learns her gift.
Nadia’s Tears – Jillian tries to awaken her sister, Nadia, from a coma.
Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings try to save a friend’s mother.
Varick’s Quest – Jillian and Danielle get kidnapped. Nadia’s also in trouble.
Check out my other titles available on Audiobooks Unleashed:
Beyond Broken Pencils – contemporary, literary
Shadow Council Combo (Books 1-4)
(Alternately, the individual titles can be found on Audiobook Crave
SC 1: Money Makes it Deadlier
SC 2: Revenge Makes it Sweeter
SC 3: Christmas Makes it Chaos
SC 4: Treachery Makes it Tense)
Eagle Eyes – mystery thriller
Scratched Off – mystery, thriller; FBI agent vs serial killer, more intense than Shadow Council/Eagle Eyes
Awakening – Redeemer Chronicles Book 1, MG fantasy
The Holy War – Redeemer Chronicles Book 2, MG fantasy
Reclaim the Darklands – Redeemer Chronicles Book 3, MG fantasy
The Collins Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 1, Christian mystery
The Kiverson Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 2, Christian mystery
The Davidson Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 3, Christian mystery
Other titles on Audiobook Crave (but buried deep):
5 Steps to Better Blurbs – for authors
Innova – Christian Dystopia
The Golden City Captives – short fantasy
Fatal Interest – short mystery/thriller
After witnessing a crime, Lily Brandt becomes Hannah Kurtz (spelling?) and hides in an Amish community. Jacob got burned in the past by a woman who didn’t want to be Amish anymore.
Additional Comments:
Disclaimer: This is not a genre I generally read. That probably heavily influenced my feelings about the story.
The pacing is very, very, very slow. I don’t think there’s one stitch of action until 7 hours into the story. And even then, it’s very small amount of action.
Side characters are numerous and decently fleshed out.
I can’t tell you how many times Jacob’s blue eyes were mentioned. Well, above 12 times.
Similarly, there was an overabundance of mentions of cookies.
Esther is my favorite character. At least she spoke her mind.
The twists were super-predictable.
The song (well-sung) at the end was scary. I don’t think that was the intended effect.
The performance was okay. I played it at 2x. (I realize that the nuances of the performance may be lost at faster speeds.)
Summary:
If you enjoy the genre, listen to a few minutes of the sample and give it a chance.
Audiobook Promotions …
Feb Promos on Audiobook Crave.com (requires email sign in):
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry
Spirit’s Bane (Guardian Angel Files Book 1)
Kindred Spirits (Guardian Angel Files Book 2)
Violence in Vegas (Eagle Eyes Book 1)
Rescue in Reno (Eagle Eyes Book 2)
Danger in Dallas (Eagle Eyes Book 3)
Devya’s Children Series Links:
Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – short stories featuring Jillian.
The Dark Side of Science – official prequel to Devya’s Children; Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.
Ashlynn’s Dreams – Genetically altered Dream Shaper learns her gift.
Nadia’s Tears – Jillian tries to awaken her sister, Nadia, from a coma.
Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings try to save a friend’s mother.
Varick’s Quest – Jillian and Danielle get kidnapped. Nadia’s also in trouble.
Check out my other titles available on Audiobooks Unleashed:
Beyond Broken Pencils – contemporary, literary
Shadow Council Combo (Books 1-4)
(Alternately, the individual titles can be found on Audiobook Crave
SC 1: Money Makes it Deadlier
SC 2: Revenge Makes it Sweeter
SC 3: Christmas Makes it Chaos
SC 4: Treachery Makes it Tense)
Eagle Eyes – mystery thriller
Scratched Off – mystery, thriller; FBI agent vs serial killer, more intense than Shadow Council/Eagle Eyes
Awakening – Redeemer Chronicles Book 1, MG fantasy
The Holy War – Redeemer Chronicles Book 2, MG fantasy
Reclaim the Darklands – Redeemer Chronicles Book 3, MG fantasy
The Collins Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 1, Christian mystery
The Kiverson Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 2, Christian mystery
The Davidson Case – Heartfelt Cases Book 3, Christian mystery
Other titles on Audiobook Crave (but buried deep):
5 Steps to Better Blurbs – for authors
Innova – Christian Dystopia
The Golden City Captives – short fantasy
Fatal Interest – short mystery/thriller
Starring Will Smith and Tom Holland and Ben Mendelsohn
Summary:
The worlds greatest spy, Lance Sterling (Will Smith), gets framed for stealing dangerous tech. His only chance to catch the real bad guy and clear his name is turning to Walter Beckett (Tom Holland), a disgraced guy from the gadgets lab.
Additional Comments:
There are moments so stupid it hurts to watch, but overall, there’s a weird charm to the movie.
It’s definitely got some Hollywood preaching going on in there. Can’t we all just get along? Fire fighting fire makes a bigger fire, etc. Bad guys are people too.
They went all Disney on Beckett’s mother. Kinda uncalled for.
I get it’s a kid’s movie, but the humor is more juvenile than most animated flicks. More about pratfalls and potty humor than anything else.
Flip side, there were some genuinely hilarious moments. My favorite moment was the subtitle from Lovey (I was aiming for your face.)
Is it worth seeing? Yes, but I’d say moreso if you have somebody who falls in the target group of about 10-12 years old.
Is it worth seeing twice? Nope.
Am I glad I saw it? Jury’s still out on that one.
Conclusion:
Harmless kiddie flick about Will Smith being turned into a pigeon.
Associate links to follow…
Note: I’m starting to use a few ad sites for audiobooks, so codes are disappearing quickly.
Available Audiobooks: I have free codes for almost everything. That will change very soon.
New Release: The Shadow Council Series 1: Money Makes it Deadlier – An FBI agent gets caught up in a robbery gone wrong.
Shadow Council Book 2: Revenge Makes it Sweeter – A midnight summons calls FBI Special Agent Megan Luchek into a fight for a young girl’s life.
Shadow Council Book 3: Christmas Makes it Chaos – The FBI agent gets a strange ally in the quest to prevent chaos from rocking a lot of people’s holiday season.
Shadow Council Book 4: Treachery Makes it Tense – The agent and the assassin have to team up if they want to survive.
Shadow Council is also available as a ~13 hr bundle.
The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.
If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.
Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.
Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.
Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…
Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.
I’ve already covered what I saw in 2019. This post will rehash some of that, but I’ll give you more insight into my reaction to each title by categorizing them. Think of it as my own mini-awards show.
One Hit Wonders for Me (Movies I Wouldn’t Seek to See Again)
Welcome to Marwen
Glass
The Upside
Cold Pursuit
Fighting With My Family
Nancy Drew: The Hidden Staircase – I enjoyed it, and I’m still a Nancy Drew fan, but it’s just not good enough to warrant seeking out again.
Captive State
Unplanned – Super-powerful and moving movie, but not exactly a feel-good story to re-experience.
Hellboy 2
Pokemon: Detective Pikachu
Godzilla: King of Monsters – Cool fights, but that’s about all it had going for it.
Aladdin
Dark Phoenix – Cool fights, but of the comic book movies, it’s just okay.
Shaft
Stuber – Not worth a re-watch.
The Lion King
The Matrix (20th anniversary)
Rambo: Last Blood
Joker
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Black and Blue – Good movie, but there are so many movies and so little time.
IT Chapter Two – Horror is not my thing. This only confirms it.
Knives Out – Decent movie but I hated nearly every character. Ain’t nobody got time for that kind of irritated feeling.
Zombieland 2
Worth Re-Watching (Movies I Would See Again if the Chance Arose)
Captain Marvel
Avengers: End Game – I like that we finally got some closure. Infinity War ended horribly.
Men in Black 4 – Pawny is awesome.
Spider-Man: Far From Home – I’m borderline on this one, but I saw it a few times and enjoyed it both times.
Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw
How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World
Angel Has Fallen – When looking for mindless action, you can rely on this series.
Alita: Battle Angel
Charlie’s Angels
Lego Movie 2
Shazam!
Secret Life of Pets 2
Terminator: Dark Fate
Movies I Hope to See Again Someday (Will Likely Seek Out)
Jumanji: The Next Level – Would definitely see twice in theaters. It has that sort of larger than life appeal that’s great on a big screen.
Star Wars Ep IX: The Rise of Skywalker – Definitely seeing a few times in theater.
Frozen 2 – Not as good as the first, but it carries the torch well.
Surprisingly Good
Jumanji: The Next Level
Black and Blue
Captain Marvel
Zombieland 2
Terminator: Dark Fate
Favorite Movie of 2019
Jumanji: The Next Level
Since I’m a big Star Wars fan, you might find that surprising. Jumanji turns out to be the “better movie” because it had less expectations. It found its brand of weird comedy and capitalized big time. They also managed to fit a few awesome side stories in and around the main plot.
Conclusion:
I’m not sure how many times I’ll see Star Wars, Jumanji: The Next Level, and Frozen 2, but suffice to say it’s likely more than once. I enjoyed the majority of the movies I got to see in 2019. Looking forward to what 2020 holds.
Associate links to follow…
Note: I’m starting to use a few ad sites for audiobooks, so codes are disappearing quickly.
Available Audiobooks: I have free codes for almost everything. That will change very soon.
New Release: The Shadow Council Series 1: Money Makes it Deadlier – An FBI agent gets caught up in a robbery gone wrong.
Shadow Council Book 2: Revenge Makes it Sweeter – A midnight summons calls FBI Special Agent Megan Luchek into a fight for a young girl’s life.
Shadow Council Book 3: Christmas Makes it Chaos – The FBI agent gets a strange ally in the quest to prevent chaos from rocking a lot of people’s holiday season.
Shadow Council Book 4: Treachery Makes it Tense – The agent and the assassin have to team up if they want to survive.
Shadow Council is also available as a ~13 hr bundle.
The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.
If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.
Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.
Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.
Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…
Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.
