3/5 Stars Eternal Curse by Kara Leigh Miller

April 24, 2021April 23, 2021 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Fantasy Andy Garcia-Ruse, Kara Leigh Miller, vampires

Narrated by Andy Garcia-Ruse

Narration 4.5/5 Stars, 2/5 Stars Story

Run Time 11 hrs and 40 mins

Disclaimer: Fans of Twilight may have a COMPLETELY different view of the story than I do.

*Mild spoilers possible in discussion of where the story didn’t connect with me.

*I am not the target audience. They might be more forgiving of the story’s varied flaws.

*Remember this is 1 person’s opinion. Clearly, others like such drivel. And stuff I love comes across as drivel to them.

Summary:

This is a fantastically narrated story that comes off as either Twilight fan-fic or a labor of love in homage to that series. When her mother dies, Chloe Madison moves from Florida to a new hometown (I forget it if it was mentioned) to live with her aunt and uncle. There she meets and falls head over heels in love with a devastatingly handsome vampire.

Additional Comments:

4.5/5 Stars Narration – Stories are nearly always better aloud. I do change the playback speed to a level that’s comfortable as 1x sounds insanely slow to me. That said, there was good variation in character voices.
1/5 Stars Story Plot – I have no idea why this book is just shy of 12 hours long. I was a nearly endless parade of dated/unbelievable school descriptions, middle school-esque pre-teen type boy troubles, and angsty navel-gazing combined with dashes of an intriguing backstory about the vampires’ history in the area and a blood feud. They sneak off from school, lie, go to a party, kiss deeply, admire his smell, admire his gorgeous eyes, hear of his concern, rinse and repeat. There’s one redeeming part literally 1.5 hours from the end where the MC gets kidnapped. I swear, all books get better once the MC gets kidnapped.
Clarification on the dated pieces – The MC doesn’t have a cell phone for a while. Perfectly legitimate given the move and all. But passing notes sounds like something the author remembers from her time in a school. Most kids flat-out don’t bother. Half the stuff’s online now anyway and was even before the pandemic. Oh, many don’t pay attention if they don’t want to. There were several points like that that just didn’t ring true for a modern high school. (I am aware every school is different, but kids are similar all the world over. I am a high school teacher.)
2/5 Stars Suspension of Disbelief – Takes some severe hits. So, these creatures are immortal, and they bother going to high school? She tried to explain that one away (they were bored.) The bad guys can put the mental whammy on anybody, and their best shot is messing with a teenage girl’s head? Revenge for something a hundred years in the past is kinda weak as a motive.
2.5/5 Stars End Fight: Cool, but lasts about half a second, maybe 1 solid paragraph.
2/5 Stars Closure: Clearly angling for a sequel, but there is the feeling that this part came to a close. So, why is the rating so low? It pulls one of the cheapest outs possible. I can’t say more than that without blatantly spoiling it, but suffice to say, it’s on par with “whoops, none of that happened, it was like a weird dream.” The end twist is predictable but mildly satisfying.
2/5 Stars Main Characters: Trent’s pretty much perfect (gorgeous, kind, strong, fast, etc, etc, etc à vampire; why are we driving home a message that the only “perfect” guy/ the soulmate is a mythical creature?). Chloe varies from useless to incredibly stupid and deceptive to sweetly naïve. Okay, so maybe the adult me is just being stodgy and doesn’t “understand” how the teenage heart and head works.
2.5/5 Stars Side Characters – Abby’s sweet. Everybody’s tool, but sweet. Aunt Beth and Uncle Dean are sweet. The other side characters are a blur. Dead characters were pretty much people the MC didn’t care for, so I found it hard to care as a reader/listener.
Clean of curse words and described sex scenes. Some chatter about sex, but that’s about it.

Conclusion:

If you love Twilight, you’ll likely enjoy this. If you don’t love Twilight, avoid at all costs.

Audiobook Promotions …

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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)

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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)

4/5 Stars Call of Kythshire by Missy Sheldrake

March 26, 2021March 13, 2021 Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Audiobooks, Fantasy, medieval, Young Adult Missy Sheldrake, Penny Scott-Andrews

Narrated by Penny Scott-Andrews

Run Time: 14 hrs and 12 min

Summary:

Azi’s recent promotion to squire heralds good things, but then, her mother disappears on the king’s quest. The one that should have been an easy quest.

Additional Comments:

Characters 4/5 stars: Azi and Ryan (I might be spelling that wrong as I heard the audiobook) are the sort of good-hearted characters you can root for.
Side characters 3/5 stars: Flit seems like a waste of space for ¾ of the book before she proves her use. I could be biased here though because the “fairy voice” was super annoying. The prince and the evil mage played their parts well enough. Azi’s parents are nice. Wasn’t completely clear on the identity of Ryan’s parents. Maya is his mother. And I think Elliot is his father. But Elliot was mentioned late in the book and my first thought was “who the heck is Elliot?” The cook side character is adorably supportive.
World-building 4/5 stars: There’s a lot going on and the world’s pretty cool. There are some parts that don’t jive well. I’m keeping this vague to avoid spoilers, but if the world’s set up the way it is, then things should have been way easier for the protagonists. Same thing from the other side. If the bad guys had the sort of power they did, they did surprisingly little with it. Still, the limitations exist so the protagonists have stuff to do, and to that extent, it works. The way that things work out for some situations, like with Azi’s father are convenient. Ryan being silent on some key points, couched in magic rules, also convenient.
Performance 4/5: Handled well. The narrator has a nice range of characters, and scenes with multiple characters are still understandable. I didn’t like most of the fairy voices. (That’s just one person’s opinion. A hundred other people will hear the same parts and be fine with it.) I’d just decided that normal fairy voice was the worst thing to hit audiobooks when “whispered” fairy voice became a thing. Thankfully, the fairies aren’t in every section. That did have a cool twist at the end though. Almost made it worth it.
Azi’s family is nice.
The world as a whole is a neat medieval fantasy with D&D style classes (mages, clerics, paladin, etc). The costs of magic were interesting.
Pacing 3/5 stars: It’s long. Very long. There are ages long sections about balls and sneaking around that probably could have been shortened. Given the audio length, the book’s probably 130K words.
Very nice cover art.
End fight was cool.
Closure 4/5: Wrap up worked. It clearly angled for a sequel, yet closed off enough threads to be satisfying.

Conclusion:

Whether they know it or not, Azi and Ryan have a quest to save the source of magic from evil.

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 …

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Guardian Angel Files:

Clean Reads – Fiction That Fills the Mind and Soul

March 20, 2021March 13, 2021 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Family, Fantasy, middle grade, Writing, Young Adult clean reads

Introduction:

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.

Links:

Website: Juliecgilbert.com

Email:

Amazon page: https://smile.amazon.com/Julie-C-Gilbert/e/B002BMB2LG/

If you want to check out my audiobooks, go here in the US and here for the UK site.

Audiobook Promotions …

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Guardian Angel Files:

A New Old Way to Read Books – Clean Audios for Kids

March 17, 2021March 13, 2021 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Fantasy, middle grade, mystery, Prequel, scifi, short stories audiobooks, clean fiction, clean fiction blog tour, clean reads

Introduction:

I’ve always loved audiobooks, even from way back in the day when they were on CDs. When I started driving, I quickly learned the skill of flipping out the CDs if I was going on a lengthy trip. A few years after I started writing, I looked into getting my stories published in audiobook format. It’s a very expensive process, but well-worth it.

How are audiobooks made?

I’m sure it differs for traditionally published books, but indie rights holders would follow this general path: claim the book, open auditions, choose a narrator, listen to the performance, approve the performance, pay the narrator, and wait for it to go on sale. There are a lot of details I’m skipping because this is just an overview.

Whatcha got available?

If you want to check out my audiobooks, go here in the US and here for the UK site. Keep in mind though that of the 44 titles that are mine in this search, only about half are geared to YA, MG, or Children’s audiences.

I’ve hired about 16 people to bring my stories to audiobook format. Check out the samples to hear the wide variety.

Why listen to audiobooks instead of reading an ebook or a physical book?

Audiobooks are a different medium than physical books or movies. For me, it’s nice to be able to take in stories while taking a walk or doing a chore or a puzzle or something else where I don’t have to think too much. Others have long commutes. Still others like to experience stories as a family. Audiobooks let you have the best of both worlds in the sense that you can join others listening to something and get the full tale.

There’s also a performance aspect to most audiobooks that’s amazing to experience. If done well, the narrator can bring the words to life in a whole new way. I’ve experienced that even with stuff I’ve written.

For nonfiction, it can be helpful to hear things spoken aloud. Some people are auditory learners. Typically, people learn multiple ways. Auditory learners tend to soak in more if they hear something.

How does one find affordable (or free) audiobooks?

You probably noticed that audiobooks are much more expensive than ebooks or paperbacks. They cost a lot to make, so they are marked higher than the other versions. But there are definitely ways to get them cheaper.

Note: most methods apply to audios in general, not necessarily clean audios. AE is different because I run it.

Tip: Many books are whispersynced, so if you buy the ebook through amazon, you can also add the audiobook for a discounted price. This is useful if you keep on top of what books are free. If you got the free ebook from a promotion, you can still add audio for the discounted price.

If you join Audiobook Edge, you’ll receive my personalized list of clean audios every month. That means I’ve listened to each of the books listed and approved it for clean content. It comes out the first Sunday of every month. Of the 5-ish titles each month, there’s usually a pretty good chance of hearing about ones geared toward kids.

Otherwise, you can find some on free audiobook code sites, but be forewarned, those sites are NOT only for clean books. You’ll know that quickly if you see any of the covers.

Libraries. Most libraries are connected to some audiobook programs. The problem here tends to be availability. You’d then find a title by searching as you would with your library. Many libraries will let you request certain products, so if you have your heart set on a particular title, ask your library to buy it for you.

Subscription services. Some sites let you pay a monthly service to get access to their collection of audios.

Chirp has some discounted audiobooks.

Connect with the author or narrator on social media. Many have free codes for kobo, audible, or authorsdirect. The ones with the most codes available are indie titles because typically the Rights Holder is the author.

The best way to get free audiobook codes is establish yourself as a reviewer. This doesn’t necessarily have to be formal reviews that show up on amazon or audible. Go with something you know. If you have a following on a certain social media platform (Youtube, Instagram, facebook, tiktok, etc), you can probably get people to give you review copies in exchange for you sharing your thoughts with your audience.

Review codes

I have review codes for Princess Melia’s Plight, River’s Edge Ransom, The Dark Side of Science, and a few others. The first two can be requested through Story Origin. The third you can request via email (devyaschildren @ gmail.com – take out the spaces). Dark Side I still get paid for, so I’m much more willing to give those out. The first two, I’m looking for people willing to leave their honest thoughts on audible. By necessity, I’ve become much stingier with those codes because the company changed the way codes are handled and decided to make way less available. The first two are very short though, so they’re also not that expensive to buy outright.

The Age Question:

While it’s certainly useful to stick to books that are age appropriate, don’t be afraid to branch out into clean adult books too. There’s only one title of mine that I’d say is probably best reserved for late teens/ adults and that’s Scratched Off. Not because it’s gory or filled with unsuitable language (it has neither), but it does feature a serial killer and some of his thought processes.

Reading levels are guidelines, not fences.

Titles from my Audible library that are kid-friendly:

Be Thou My Vision: Hymns of the West, Book 2 by Faith Blum (Christian, historical)

Holly and the Coat Mystery: Holly Lewis Mystery Series by Diane Harmon (YA mystery)

Nickle Brickle’Bee: In the Heart of EarthWorks by Sterling Nixon (fantasy)

The Smoke (Tales From a Revolution – New-York): Tales From a Revolution, Book 3 by Lars DH Hedbor (historical; these may occasionally have a curse word or war-intense scene; good for high school)

The Collar and the Cavvarach: Krillonian Chronicles, Book 1 by Annie Lima Douglass (adventure? Not quite sure how to place the genre, it’s about a teen trying to protect his sister in a society where they’re slaves.) highly recommended

The Binding Witch and the Fortune Taker: The Kate Roark Magic Series, Book 1 by Laura Rich (fantasy)

Sensation by Kevin Hardman (Superhero)

Swim Season by Marianne Sciucco (YA contemporary)

The Case of the Missing Crown Jewels by Robert Martin and Keira Ely (Children’s, mystery)

Dragonia: Rise of the Wyverns: Dragonia Empire, Volume 1 by Craig A. Price Jr. (fantasy)

The Pygmy Dragon: Shapeshifter Dragon Legends Book 1 by Marc Secchia (epic fantasy)

The Book of Dragons by E. Nesbit (fantasy)

The Afterlife Academy by Frank L. Cole (Middle grade, fantasy)

The Carpenter: A Retelling of the Story of Joseph of Nazareth by S.A. Wilson (fantasy retelling)

Adana the Earth Dragon: An Elemental Tale by Debbie Manber Kupfer (Children’s)

A Turtle’s Magical Adventure by Wanda Luthman (Children’s)

The Three Royal Children and the Batty Aunt by Angela Castillo (Children’s)

Dragon’s Future: Dragon Courage, Volume 1 by Kandi J. Wyatt (fantasy)

Dragon’s Curse: The Dragon and the Scholar, Volume 1 by H.L. Burke (fantasy)

Mercy’s Prince: He Who Finds Mercy, Book 1 by Katy Huth Jones (epic Christian medieval fantasy)

Apprentice Cat by Virginia Ripple (shapeshifters, fantasy)

More Fables and Fantasies: A Five Story Collection by Dale T. Phillips

Missing: Lessons from Fiori, Book 2 by Peggy M McAloon and Aneeka Rogers (fantasy)

Conclusion:

Audiobooks are a great way to take in stories. Sometimes it can be difficult to find clean reads, but if you know where to look and are willing to write some reviews or use your existing platforms, you can find an endless supply of great audiobooks.

If you want to hear more about some of my series, check out my website (http://www.juliecgilbert.com/) or the previous blog post from 3/3/21.

There’s lots more to come. Catch up if you need to.

March 1^st Story Quest Academy

March 2^nd Ellie Naomi

March 3^rd Julie Gilbert

March 4^th Jasmine Natasha

March 5^th Liz Delton

March 6^th Mark Hansen

March 7^th Ian Vroon

March 8^th Story Quest Academy

March 9^th Nicholas Kotar

March 10^th J.M. Hackman

March 11^th Mark Hansen

March 12^th Courtenay Kasper

March 13^th Debbie Schreffler

March 14^th Story Quest Academy

March 15^th Steven Guglich

March 16^th Laurie Lucking

March 17^th Julie Gilbert

March 18^th Meg Dendler

March 19^th Nicholas Kotar

March 20^th Courtenay Kasper

March 21^st Story Quest Academy

March 22^nd Molly Casperson

March 23^rd D.J. Edwardson

March 24^th Marty C Lee

March 25^th Molly Casperson

March 26^th Mark Hansen

March 27th Allison Tebo

March 28^th Story Quest Academy

March 29^th Debbie Schreffler

March 30^th Nicholas Kotar

March 31^st Molly Casperson

Audiobook Promotions …

Many of my 44 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)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Guardian Angel Files:

4/5 Stars Mercy’s Gift by Katy Huth Jones

March 9, 2021February 28, 2021 Julie Gilbert Christian, dragons, Fantasy, medieval he who finds mercy series, Katy Huth Jones

Summary:

Prince Valerian and his new wife, Merry, settle into married life and their new roles. The first threat has been dealt with, but troubles brewing in the southern section of the kingdom.

Additional Comments:

I don’t often read books these days, but unfortunately, this one hasn’t yet made the journey into audiobook. Still, it’s worth the effort to read. Took me a few months to finish, but that has more to do with the amount of time I have to read than my interest level in the book.
Plot 4/5: There’s decent balance between the goings-on of the heroes and the villains, even though it’s probably way more focused on the good guys.
Main Characters 4/5: Merry’s Healing gift makes her somewhat useful so she’s a tad more than just the prince’s good little wife-y. Otherwise, everything’s focused on Prince Valerian’s exploits (preparation for tournament, tournament, trip to see father, etc). They’re young. Like super young, but I suppose that’s accurate for the time period. Kieran’s a cool character. Valerian only had a few moments that made me wanna smack the irrational jealousy out of him. His Sight gift is kinda awesome.
Side Characters 4/5: Gwen is a little more fleshed out than Drew. The king and queen are barely mentioned, but fulfill their function well enough. Cormack’s awesome. I guess Kieran and Tristam could be considered side characters since they don’t rate a blurb spot, but they’re in it enough to make them at least semi-main characters.
End twist worked very well. 4/5.
Dragons – yay.
Closure 4/5: Even though you know there’s a lot more to come, it feels like this part of the story has an end.
Content Warning: Medieval violence. A LOT of medieval violence. Lots of implied marital relations. Nothing’s described in detail. I’d definitely still categorize this as a clean book, but if you’re squeamish about blood and violence, it might not be the right series for you.

Conclusion:

It’s a solid entry in a long, long, long series, but so far, well-worth reading.

Audiobook Promotions …

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Guardian Angel Files:

4/5 Stars Wager’s Price by G.P. Ching

March 6, 2021February 28, 2021 Julie Gilbert Action Adventure, Audiobooks, Fantasy, Young Adult G.P. Ching, Holly Adams, YA fantasy

Narrated by Holly Adams

Run Time 11 hrs and 44 mins

*mild spoilers possible in discussion

Summary:

Finn and Hope end up at Revelations, a unique reform school.

Additional Comments:

Main Characters 4/5 Stars: Even though the blurb focuses on Finn Wager, the book struck me more as Hope’s book through about 70% of it. He’s not particularly good at anything, which fits his ordinary persona quite well. (Yet, he still has zero problem getting Wendy to like him.) Hope kind of annoyed me, inducing a few times where I wish I could reach in and tell her to quit whining and do her job.
Side Characters 3/5 Stars: Most of the sidekicks blurred or became a stereotype. Jayden. Mike. Evil chick enforcer. Evil sadistic hunter enforcer dude. Literal guardian angel. Even the good guys didn’t seem fleshed out enough/likable to the point where I really cared about their fate one way or the other. Except Ms. D. Kinda liked her.
Plot 4.5/5: Intriguing. Took a long, long, long while to get there and quite a few long-winded infodumping sessions, but it’s quite an imaginative journey. A few things were a tad convenient, but that happens.
Closure 3/5: Yes, this story arc closes, but the end felt like a blatant pitch for a sequel.
Unique 4/5: Props for the circus angle.
Performance 4.5/5: Nicely handled. It’s a very long story. Characters are distinguishable. I think I liked the magician’s voice best.
General observation: The book kind of had a hard time deciding what it wanted to be. It was part Raiders of the Lost Ark gone wrong, part typical Gifted kids go to a cool, dangerous academy tale, and part where the Star Wars Expanded Universe lost it’s dang mind and went all fantasy-based paranoia road story.
Side note: I have a slight issue with the idea of a Soulkeeper—supposed servant of God—practicing reiki. I 100% get that this is pure fantasy, but that is some serious mixing of ideas. You want your immortal, reluctant Soulkeeper to heal people, awesome, do it, but make up a term for it or just stick with generic healing.
Content Warning: Quite a bit of cursing. Some gruesome descriptions of violence.

Conclusion:

Interesting opening to a YA fantasy series very, very loosely based on angels and demons.

Audiobook Promotions …

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Guardian Angel Files:

Many Flavors of Kid-Friendly Clean Reads

March 3, 2021March 2, 2021 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, children's, Christian, contemporary, Fantasy clean fiction blog tour, clean reads, Julie C Gilbert

Who is Julie C. Gilbert?

I’m a high school chemistry teacher who happens to write in several genres. My latest venture isn’t published yet, but that’s going to be litRPG. That series is far from complete, so I’ll focus on what’s currently available.

My website: Juliecgilbert.com

Amazon page: https://amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B002BMB2LG

Why Clean Reads?

I grew up on a steady diet of The Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew/The Hardy Boys, Star Wars Expanded Universe stories (pre-Disneyfication), and Christian contemporary and historical fiction I borrowed from my mother’s extensive book collection. Things can be hard-hitting without being gory. One can also explore relationships without describing everything. Besides simply being used to clean fiction, I’ve always wanted to write stuff my students could safely read.

Nonfiction: 5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry and 5 Steps to School Success

Before I dive into fiction, I should mention the non-fiction stuff meant to help people in two specific areas.

The chem book is a broad survey of the topics one would hit in college prep or honors chemistry. It can also function as a review for someone entering first-year college general chemistry.

The school success book focuses on how to make the most of your high school years. The pandemic has changed a lot about the way school is run, but a lot of the book discussions are still relevant. Some are even more important. It talks about things like emailing your teachers, managing stress, and putting things in perspective.

I had my current students reading it chapter by chapter (1/week) for the last few months. Here’s some of what they said (Disclaimer – they got a grade for giving me feedback not whether the feedback was positive or negative.):

“I really enjoyed reading the 5 Steps to School Success book. Not only did it help me with school related things, but it also helped me personally. I think the amount written on each topic was perfect – at no point did I feel like the information was getting repetitive nor did I feel like any information wasn’t in depth enough. My favorite section of the book was Chapter 6: Learn to Read Your Teacher. Hearing this information from a teachers perspective gave me another insight and helped me greatly.” – AC

“I absolutely loved the 5 Steps to School Success book and all of the advice it gave me. It gave me ideas on how to deal with my stress, anxiety, and constant worry about school. Yes, my stress and all that is still there and school seems to love to do that but it had definitely gotten better just by reading this book. In Ch 3 of Persist and Persevere, helped me lower my stress levels by listening to music as a work and watch movies and TV shows as a “reward” after finishing an assignment. I also really took the advice of talking to friends more often and enjoying nature which took my mind off of a lot of things.” – MR

Literary/Contemporary: Beyond Broken Pencils

Target age: upper middle school/high school

Content Warning: focuses on a school shooting

This is likely one of my hardest-hitting books. There’s definitely a fine line between violence and gore. I don’t usually have to put content warnings on my books, but I’m aware this one has a topic that not everybody will be comfortable with.

School shootings crop up in the media every few years. The pandemic has changed this too, but once things revert to normal, it’ll likely happen again. It’s tragic and often senseless. What makes people resort to violence? What do ordinary people do in such a crazy situation?

YA Science Fiction: Devya’s Children

Ashlynn’s Dreams was one of my earliest stories. I set out to write a kidnapping story and ended up with a soft science fiction that focused a lot on the relationships that build around kids placed in extraordinary situations. Jillian and her genetically altered siblings each have special Gifts. She’s a Dream Shaper. Nadia’s been given a very powerful mind. Malia can control emotions.

I loved the characters in Ashlynn’s Dreams enough to see where the tale would lead them next. Nadia’s Tears, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest came from that desire to know more about them. The Dark Side of Science is a prequel.

This series is written as letters and journal entries. Good for a discussion on epistolary works.

Children’s Short Story: Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts

This is a prequel series of short stories set well before Ashlynn’s Dreams opens. Before Jillian learns of her Gifts, she’s just a kid dealing with some life issues like her parents’ divorce, schoolyard bullies, and the urge to explore creepy places.

YA Christian Fantasy: Guardian Angel Files

Spirits Bane and Kindred Spirits both feature a pair of guardian angels-in-training. There are a lot of Christian themes in here, but it’s also pure fantasy. Allister and Mina share a Kindred Spirit Bond. Satan and his minions know. They know they’ll need to either control or destroy Allister and Mina.

The angels write journal entries. The demons write letters. Stylistically, a wee bit like The Screwtape Letters.

MG Fantasy: Redeemer Chronicles and Aeris Legends

Redeemer Chronicles started as fantasy with the Chosen One trope and spun into so much more. When it begins, Victoria Saveron knows little more than that she’s supposedly the Chosen One, but she’s frustrated by the fact that her friends have cooler powers than she does. She glows when dark things approach. That’s it. She can’t even remember any fight as she blacks out every single time. Awakening shows Vic coming into her power. The Holy War has her and a few close friends trying desperately to keep the magic races from destroying each other. Reclaim the Darklands depicts Vic’s epic battle to save Aeris from the Dark Man.

Redeemer Chronicles is mostly first person, but one of the 3 perspectives that cycle is the Lady. As an immortal, her first-person accounts read more like third limited.

Aeris Legends is a prequel trilogy which is also preceded by River’s Edge Ransom.

The Huntsman and the Healer starts where River’s Edge Ransom leaves off. It’s basically the story of how Vic’s parents met and married. The Dark Man’s Wrath and The Lady’s Grace round out what happened before Redeemer Chronicles opens.

Children’s Fantasy

Princess Melia’s Plight

This one exists as a beautifully drawn graphic novel or an ebook or an audiobook. It’s about a princess trying to save her kingdom from a madman. It’s a very short, fun tale. I highly recommend the graphic novel version. My friend, Tim Spavero, did an amazing job with the illustrations. Kate Poels brought her lovely British accent to bear bringing the story to life.

The Golden City Captives

In The Golden City Captives, Keio and Clara are captured and sent to the Golden City, but it’s nothing like they’ve been told all their lives. There’s a prophecy, but what will it cost them to fulfill it?

Fun fact: This one was adapted to screenplay. I’ve seen the script, and it looks amazing. I may have to someday expand this one into a full novel.

Christian Inspirational Poetry

Last summer (2020), I got to travel to Michigan to record my poetry collection for audiobook format. Normally, I would hire somebody to do this for me, but most of the poems are also songs, and I didn’t have sheet music for them because they weren’t made with that in mind.

Thin Black Road, Just Like You, and My Champion are the individual collections. They’re also available as a combined volume called Made to Praise. I recommend buying the combo version if you want ebook. I need to create the individuals so they would be available as separate audiobooks.

Although a small number of the poems are stories, most are short thoughts about life, nature, the nature of God, and so forth.

Multiple Formats:

Most of my books are available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook. I’ll expand more on this process later (See the 3/17/21 post when available), but for now, suffice to say, audio’s one of the fastest-growing parts of the book industry. I’ve worked really hard on hiring awesome people to bring these stories to life.

If you want to check out my audiobooks, go here in the US and here for the UK site.

Unifying Theme:

Throughout my stories, you’ll find the idea that everybody has gifts. Often the main characters have magical gifts, but even the ordinary people have gifts they use to help others. That and kidnapping. Lots of kidnapping going on in my tales. Not sure why that is, but regardless of their gifts, my characters tend to be stronger together.

Conclusion and Connections:

No matter what kind of story you’re looking for, I probably have something that will appeal to you. Get on my newsletter to keep up with news and get access to exclusive content (coming soon).

Don’t Miss a Beat … Check Out All the Awesome Blogs to Come

Catch up if you missed any to date. Don’t forget to come back on March 17th to hear about Clean Indie Audiobooks.

March 1^st Story Quest Academy

March 2^nd Ellie Naomi

March 3^rd Julie Gilbert

March 4^th Jasmine Natasha

March 5^th Liz Delton

March 6^th Mark Hansen

March 7^th Ian Vroon

March 8^th Story Quest Academy

March 9^th Nicholas Kotar

March 10^th J.M. Hackman

March 11^th Mark Hansen

March 12^th Courtenay Kasper

March 13^th Debbie Schreffler

March 14^th Story Quest Academy

March 15^th Steven Guglich

March 16^th Laurie Lucking

March 17^th Julie Gilbert

March 18^th Meg Dendler

March 19^th Nicholas Kotar

March 20^th Courtenay Kasper

March 21^st Story Quest Academy

March 22^nd Molly Casperson

March 23^rd D.J. Edwardson

March 24^th Marty C Lee

March 25^th Molly Casperson

March 26^th Mark Hansen

March 28^th Story Quest Academy

March 29^th Debbie Schreffler

March 30^th Nicholas Kotar

March 31^st Molly Casperson

Audiobook Promotions …

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Guardian Angel Files:

4.25/5 A Clockwork Carol by Billy O’Shea

February 15, 2021February 13, 2021 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Fantasy Billy O'Shea, kingdom of clockwork, steampunk

Narrated by Billy O’Shea

Run Time: 7 hrs and 35 min

Summary:

Karl Nielsen’s little caper with the former king turns into a much bigger affair. There’s also a separate story like with two Irish monks, Brother Joe (who’s actually a woman) and (Brother Christopher).

Additional Comments:

Performance 4/5: The author has a nice reading voice. He handles each character well. Many of the minor ones sound the same, but that’s to be expected. People in the same scene are distinct. That’s what counts the most.
Story 4.5/5: Could be titled Karl’s lousy week. Promised a lucrative, quick trip, he follows along in the charismatic deposed king’s wake … and winds up in a world of trouble. The Northlanders have blockaded Cantabor (sorry about spelling, I heard the audiobook, so I’m not entirely sure on spelling). The city is starving. There’s distrust and accusations flying all over the place.
Going deeper: If you’d like to go deeper, the plot also brings up a lot of great points about running a kingdom, being a leader, superstition, propaganda and story spin, etc. It brings up an excellent point about human nature. When things go well, people are quite willing to help their fellow man, but when times are tough, they flip to defensive mode and all bets are off.
Characters are likable: Brother Christopher and Brother Joe are amusing. Karl’s ingenious in his own way, but he’s certainly not an action hero, which is part of his charm.
Closure is decent: The threads here are answered for, but there is an opening for the author to continue the tale with one of the threads through the monks.
Content rating: clean. There’s some pseudo cursing and mention (in passing) of things like torture, but nothing is described in gory detail.
The trilogy is unique in the sense that it’s set in the future but reads like the distant past. So, it’s technically post-apocalypse, but reads like historical steampunk. It’s really an interesting mix.
I listened to it twice. It was enjoyable both times.

Conclusion:

A satisfying conclusion to a charming, if somewhat odd, tale of a clockmaker’s misadventures.

Audiobook Promotions …

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Guardian Angel Files:

4/5 The Song Maiden by Jonathan Brooks

February 3, 2021January 10, 2021 Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Fantasy, LitRPG Anneliese Rennie, Jonathan Brooks, Uniworld

Narrated by Anneliese Rennie

Run Time: 7 hrs and 27 mins

Summary:

A college freshman gets the crap beaten out of her. While she convalesces in the hospital, her friend gets her a VR headset that allows her to enter a game world where she can speak for the first time in her life.

Additional Comments:

This is one of my first encounters with this genre. Overall, I like what I see/hear.
Candence’s troubles aren’t terribly realistic. Mute, yes, but not being able to learn sign language, no, at least not in the absence of other cognitive issues.
Her college professor’s gross overreaction isn’t very realistic either. I get that profs can be stuck in their ways and pull some power-trippy stuff, but the way this lady reacted to her being late borders on will-get-you-and-the-college slapped with a lawsuit so fast your head’ll spin.
A few things happen conveniently for the plot, like the MC losing her phone at just the right time.
The guys who beat her up aren’t terribly realistic either. Harassment, yes. Verbal abuse, yes. But beat her up then leave her alive, no. Cruel people exist, but powerful people like that find ways for their crimes to be covered. This just seems amateurish to the max.
The book is clearly angling for a sequel.
The leveling up stats and such seemed random and arbitrary.
The MC goes from knowing zip about games to expert way too quickly. It would be more realistic if she was a casual gamer in her distant past so had some familiarity with the process.
All these nits (and a few others) aside, the story was still fun overall.

Conclusion:

If you’re looking for a relatively clean litRPG story, this is a nice starting point.

Audiobook Promotions …

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Guardian Angel Files:

Princess Melia’s Plight Playlist – Explanations

January 19, 2021December 26, 2020 Julie Gilbert Fantasy, playlist Graphic Novel

Length:

1 hr and 4 mins (on the shorter side for me)

Introduction:

I haven’t quite decided if I’m done, but seeing as the audiobook of the entire project is about 55 minutes, I guess it fits that a soundtrack is on the shorter side. It’s been a strange year. My concentration has been more on audiobooks and the graphic novel for Princess Melia’s Plight than on writing new projects. The songs will roughly be broken down by which comic they’re in.

Princess Melia’s Plight Issue 1: Draygor and the Wildwood Witch

Diggy Diggy Hole (Orchestral) by Wind Rose – A beautiful, mildly rousing theme that is good to encompass Draygor’s quest to conquer the Seven Kingdoms, including the dragon wars.

A March Across Ancient Land by John Abbot – I’m surprised that the Youtube video for this has so few views. This is another, slightly grimmer song that captures the spirit of war in the name of conquest.

The Guardian by White Wall – The Seven Kingdoms raise of armies to fight the dragons. By extension, the dragon wars themselves. Also, Draygor’s quest to be rule the world. His slow but surefire plan to forget the Elemental Pendant.

Make it a Memory by Andreas Kubler – The waiting time of relative peace while the princesses grow up.

Princess Melia’s Plight Issue 2: Conquests and Chains

Fire and Thunder by Cjbeards – I was thinking this would be good for the Shadowlands, but I think it fits better as Draygor’s second quest to take over the world. After his long wait, his plan finally breaks wide open.

This is Our Land by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori – Draygor’s march through the Quintessa castle. It has notes (beginning) that seem to stand for the brave castle defenders and notes (around 1:40) that represent the conquerors claiming the space.

Unyielding by Martin O’Donnell, Michael Salvatori – “I am who you seek.” Princess Melia breaks her chains and races up to the throne room to save her friends and family.

Princess Melia’s Plight Issue 3: The Princess Test

We Will Find Them by Daniel Rojas – Princess Melia’s quest to prove her identity. Draygor’s doubt and the princess test.

Rounds of the Fates by Tomoki Miyoshi – Princess Anne’s theme. She doesn’t get a lot of page time in the story, but I think this captures her spirit well. Light, somewhat frivolous, but serious when it counts. Hands-down one of my new favorite songs. By extension, a song for all the princesses.

Princess Melia’s Plight Issue 4: The Witch’s Revenge

I Will Stay by Your Side, Forever by Tago D. Ferreria, Epic Music World – In the Shadowlands, the White Witch directs the young princesses on how to fulfill their destiny. The end silence is almost crazy long at like 10 seconds, but that fits the moment just before the return to the mortal world.

Daybreak Town by Project Destati – Soft music for the seven princesses finally fulfilling their destiny.

Riding the Light by Epic Soul Factory, Cesc Vila – Return to the mortal world from the Shadowlands. This is the story’s big reveal, so it’s naturally good to have a big, sweeping theme represent it. Once again, I’m surprised by the number of views, though this time in the opposite way. Not saying it’s not a great song, but not sure what makes this one watched 2 M times as opposed to the one struggling to get 400.

Princess Melia’s Plight Issue 5: Right to Rule

Evalia by Audiomachine, Paul Dinletir – A darker, grim piece of music. Also good as a Shadowlands theme. Also works as a conquering theme, but I seem to have picked quite a few of those already. But I think it best fits here in the fight for Princess Melia’s mind and the arrival of unexpected allies.

Daydream by Marika Takeuchi – A calmer, beautiful piece of music great for the moments when Melia’s making a momentous decision about her future.

Where the Hills are Green by Peter Roe – peace is restored; start credits

I See Fire by Zyrah (Song from The Hobbit Soundrack) – second half of credits

Whirling Dulcimer (Medieval Melody) by Todd Masten – Part three of the credits. There’s hope for the world yet. Things are starting to normalize, but is all truly right in the world?

Conclusion:

Hope you enjoyed this collection. Check out all my Spotify Playlists.

Grab Princess Melia’s Plight in your preferred format:

Short Story Ebook

Graphic Novel Ebook – Kindle Unlimited

Graphic Novel Paperback

Graphic Novel First Edition Print Copy

Audio – coming soon.

Audiobooks …

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Guardian Angel Files: