FBI

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

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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.

4.45/5 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.

5 Stars FBI Undercover: The True Story of Special Agent Mandrake

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Based on True Story, Nonfiction, True Crime , , , ,
pic from audible

Narrated by Shawn Compton

Summary:

Subtitle pretty much spells out what you’re going to get.

Additional Comments:

  • Narrator did a nice job, but I don’t think he fit the main character very well.
  • This brings to light some of the stress that undercover work puts on any family, especially in prolonged campaigns.
  • Johnny was by far my favorite character. My favorite line was a question about somebody threatening the main character’s chastity.
  • It also brought to light some of the complications of bringing down likable bad guys. People make choices to do this or that for the money. Sometimes, that puts them on the wrong side of the law. Doesn’t make them any less likable in certain cases.
  • I’m not sure if they changed any names for the sake of privacy.
  • Content Warning: High profanity. I lost count of the f-bombs, but I don’t think there’s a way around that in a work like this. Speaking like a choir boy most likely would have gotten this guy shot and dumped in a storm drain.
  • I’m used to mostly fictional accounts of agents, so it was nice to hear something from somebody who actually lived the excitement and danger.

Conclusion:

The FBI fascinates a lot of people, me included, but it takes a special kind of person to be able to walk in those shoes.

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Audiobook Promotions …

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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)

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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)

My Audiobook Obsession and AE Code Shortage Remedy

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Author Resource, mystery, Reader Resource, scifi, short stories , , , , ,

Introduction:

In the last couple of months, I’ve spent much time setting up Audiobook Edge to bring authors/narrators and readers together. (If you’re not a member yet, no problem. Go here to fix that.) I want everybody to get something good out of the experience, but I realize that some weeks there might be a shortage of codes. To help remedy that, I will be offering up to 5 copies of my books each week as necessary to fill in some of the gaps.

*Please note, that I’m not purposefully shorting the list, but I am keeping the number of books low so people get the maximum exposure possible.

This post will introduce you to the works I have available.

My Audiobooks:

Over the past few years, I’ve embraced the opportunity to work with several talented narrators to give my books that added layer. I have 8 titles with one in the works and another under contract. I’m waiting to see what happens with The Davidson Case before leaping to find somebody for The Keres Case. First, I’ll break down which books are credited to which narrator. Then, I’ll give you details on which are available to you.

Who Did What:

Ashlynn’s Dreams became my first book to morph into an audiobook. I knew zip about the process, but luckily, Kristin Condon submitted an audition. Eager to begin, I closed auditions very soon after hearing how close Kristin came to how I pictured the characters of Jillian and Danielle.

These things, meaning audiobooks, don’t happen overnight. They take weeks and months, depending on how much time the narrator has to devote to a project. The sad reality is that very few people can make a living off of this sort of work. Over the course of several years, Kristin worked on Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts, Nadia’s Tears, The Collins Case, and The Kiverson Case. Then, life interfered and we parted ways.

Julie Hinton stepped in to take over the creation of Malia’s Miracles. She did a lovely job taking my scattered notes on the characters and bringing her talent bear here. I’m grateful for her willingness to tackle the center of a series. She’s currently working through Varick’s Quest. My guess is that should be ready Summer 2017.

Brian Troxell performed the prequel to the Devya’s Children series, The Dark Side of Science. I absolutely love this guy’s voice and range of characters. He did a superb job. It’s best to be familiar with the Devya’s Children characters before jumping into this book, but it can stand alone. Some might disagree with my choice, but I wanted a male voice for this story. The rest of the Devya’s Children series is set very much in the head of Jillian and Danielle, but Dark Side is third person. I wanted more of a storyteller of old feel to its presentation.

Caitlin Jacques became the voice of Victoria Saveron and many more characters from Awakening. I would have hired Julie Hinton again as I enjoy working with her, but I wanted a new voice for the Redeemer Chronicles series. The auditions for this one were very tight. It was a very tough decision because I got some great auditions, but I’m happy with how the project turned out.

Lightning Quick Summaries:

      Devya’s Children (YA, Science Fiction)

  • The Dark Side of Science (prequel) – a scientist struggles to regain her memories so she can help her children survive a brutal competition.
  • Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts (short stories, prequel) – Jillian’s pre-kidnapping journal entries.
  • Ashlynn’s Dreams – Jillian and her babysitter get kidnapped so she can learn to be a Dream Shaper.
  • Nadia’s Tears – Jillian struggles to wake her sister from a coma while Danielle tries to save a friend from stupid decisions.
  • Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings fight cancer and try to stay free.
  • Varick’s Quest (coming soon…) – an admirer of Dr. Devya snatches Jillian and Danielle for his own purposes.

    Heartfelt Cases (Christian Mystery)

  • The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents race against time to save a kidnapped family.
  • The Kiverson Case – Ann and Patrick play a deadly game with a man bent on revenge.

    Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

  • Awakening – a girl and her two friends try to survive zombies and her uncle’s schemes.

What You Can Request:

Although technically anything I have available in audio form is up for the asking, you will likely get the most out of the first in each series. If you’d like Malia’s Miracles but you want to catch up first, head over to my website and join the Spec Fic list. You’ll get Ashlynn’s Dreams for free. That should help a little. If you like the book and review it on amazon, you can then email me the review link with a request for a copy of Nadia’s Tears. (These are very limited, so act fast.)

As with all audiobooks, you should listen to the retail sample to see if you enjoy the narrator’s voice. I personally love each of the narrators I’ve worked with. That said, having listened to 15+ audiobooks in the last few weeks, I understand that not everybody’s going to fall in love with every voice. That’s just the way life goes.

For Kristin Condon, I’d recommend going with Ashlynn’s Dreams.

 

The others currently only have one title each.

Sorry, I couldn’t find the audiobook version of The Dark Side of Science. Click through and you should still get to an audiobook sample though.

Caitlin Jacques’ audiobook debut:

Julie Hinton’s first work for me.

 

Audiobook Buying Ninja Tips:

Any book you own the official kindle version for, you should be able to buy on audio for around $1.99. I have mixed feelings on this. From a reader perspective, it’s awesome, but it does tend to short the authors/narrators. (Royalties are based on sale price.) For example, the Dark Side of Science was free on amazon for a few years. If you download it, you should be able to add the audiobook for the steeply discounted price.

If you find that you love audible and want to move to a paid plan, an easy way to help your favorite author/narrator is to buy their book first. ACX offers bounties, which is an ingenious way on their part to get some free advertising out of people. I’ve got 8 title, so if you’re moving that way, I’d love for you to choose one of them as your first book. Oh, and before you move to a paid plan anyway, do the free trial, so you get the first book or two free.

Meet the Narrators:

Kristin Condon

Brian Troxell

Julie Hinton

Caitlin Jacques – Sorry, she’s a bit of a mystery. I couldn’t find an official website.

Conclusion:

Audiobooks allow one to do other things while still experiencing stories. They’re great for long car rides, quiet afternoons, and something to do while ironing. Let me show you a whole new world.

As Always …

If you haven’t done so yet, join Audiobook Readers’ Edge.

If you’re an author/narrator with an audiobook you’d like featured, sign up for Audiobook Authors’ Edge.

For a limited time, I’m offering a fantasy book to anybody who supports Audiobook Edge.

Coming Soon … Lei Crime Kindle World: Echoes by Scott Bury

Julie Gilbert Kindle books, mystery, Reader Resource, Writing , , , , ,

Introduction:

May 12, 2017 will be quite the exciting day for those who love the Lei Crime Kindle World. A grand total of 11-ish new titles will launch that day. Join us for a Facebook Party too. It runs 3-11 PM EST on Friday, May 12, 2017. You’re cordially invited to come hang with us, chat, win prizes, and check out the sweet books releasing that day.

Echoes (Excerpt From Chapter 1): Out of the Past

Dylan nodded slowly and took a deep breath. “Cole’s wanted by the police. They say he shot two cops.”

“I know.”

“You know?”

“I’m a cop. FBI. Did you think the Oahu Field Office wouldn’t get notified about the shooting of two officers on the same island? And, of course, I recognized the name.”

“You knew? And you’re not doing anything about it?”

“I was pretty shocked, Dylan. I couldn’t imagine little Cole getting into any kind of trouble, let alone shooting anyone. But I read the reports. Although he hasn’t been convicted yet, he has a pretty long record for possession of drugs and association with criminals. He’s supposed to be a pretty big supplier of marijuana, ecstasy and other drugs on Oahu. And he apparently has been trying to move in on the heroin trade.”

She leaned in. “I’ve been following the case daily. You’re right. He’s gone dark. There’s an all-island alert for him, but no sightings since he burned down a house he was dealing from outside Hamika and shot two officers to escape.” Only then did she realize her hand was on Dylan’s knee.

He glanced down and smiled, but the smile vanished. “Can you help him?”

Vanessa withdrew her hand and looked at the ground. “Dylan, if he really shot two cops, he’s going to have to take responsibility for it.”

“You mean, he’s going to have to die for it?”

“No. Luckily, neither cop was killed. One’s still in hospital, the other’s out. Lucky for Cole, too. But he’s going to have to stand trial, and if he’s guilty, he’s going to have to serve time.”

Dylan snorted. “You know the cops in Hamika. They’ll never let him live long enough to get to trial. If they find him, he’s dead.”

He turned toward her and took her hand between his. He looked into her green eyes, and Vanessa suddenly felt like she was 17 again, like that night, the last time she had seen him until now, looking into Dylan’s eyes as dark and rich as chocolate. Her throat felt dry. She used sipping her iced coffee as an excuse to tear her eyes away.

The thinking part of her brain reminded her then that fifteen years had passed since that night, that special, so very important night.

She calculated. There were no urgent cases on her plate right now. She could tell Waxman, the Special Agent in Charge of the Honolulu Field Office, that she needed to take some personal time. The Bureau owed her more than a week.

“All right, Dylan. I’ll help you, but it can’t be in any official capacity. So far, Cole’s case belongs to the Honolulu Police Department, specifically the Hamika detachment. I can take time off to help find Cole and convince him to turn himself in.” She touched his shoulder to stop his protest. “That’s all I can do, Dylan. And I’ll be acting in my own capacity, which means I won’t be able to use any Bureau files, networks or other resources. It will be personal.”

Dylan looked into her eyes again, but she was ready for him this time. He wasn’t going to wear her down today. After a beat, he nodded. “Okay. That will do.”

“And Dylan? You’re going to tell me about that night fifteen years ago. The truth. That’s the deal.”

Dylan sighed, not breaking eye contact. “That night. The truth. Deal.”

About Echoes:

“I am hopelessly in love with a memory. An echo from another time, another place.” — Michel Foucault

In 1999, the Kahuna was The Man on Oahu’s west coast. The coolest guy at the wildest parties, with the coolest posse, the best weed and the most beautiful girlfriend.

Then he disappeared.

Fifteen years later, that girlfriend is no longer a high school senior. She is FBI Special Agent Vanessa Storm, and she sees through every lie the Kahuna spins when he shows up again to beg her help.

How can she say no when the Kahuna wants her help not for himself, but to protect his little brother. Young Cole ‘Aukai is ready to set fire to the whole Oahu illegal drug trade—for revenge.

Echoes is Scott Bury’s fourth Lei Crime Kindle World title, joining:

  • Torn Roots (2015)
  • Palm Trees & Snowflakes (Christmas, 2015)
  • Dead Man Lying (2016)

About the author:

Scott Bury can’t stay in one category.

After a 20-year career in journalism, he turned to writing fiction. He has written children’s fiction, mysteries, historical magic realism, action thrillers, memoirs and erotic romance.

In between writing books and blog posts, Scott helped found an author’s cooperative publishing venture, Independent Authors International. He is also President of author’s professional association BestSelling Reads.

You can find more about Scott Bury, and contact him through his website, http://www.writtenword.ca, his blog, Written Words, and on Twitter @ScottTheWriter.

 

 

Audiobook Reviews: Diamonds and Cole by Michael Maxwell

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, mystery, Reader Resource , , , ,

Introduction:

I’ve had the privilege of listening to a lot of audiobooks of late, and I’ll say that this is one of the most compelling of the lot for large sections. The narrator fits the role very well. I have a few content reservations, but overall, the hours slipped by swiftly while listening to this.

Summary:

Cole Sage gets a call from an old flame and goes flying to her side. There, he finds her languishing in a nursing home with a couple of huge favors to ask of him. From there, Ellie and Cole’s story unfolds in detail. To him, she’s the one that got away, the one he walked away from because his career sang a siren song.

Why I have slightly mixed feelings:

  • There are some events in here that I find disturbing. They show a cruel streak in our hero. In one sense, it fleshes Cole out and gives him a few flaws, but in another sense, it just makes him look like a petty jerk. That’s not cool. I want to be able to root for the good guy always.
  • It’s categorized as a mystery, but it’s probably 30% mystery with 70% romance done in flashbacks. For once, the flashbacks are done very well. Cole has some downtime at various points in the book so he thinks and dreams about times with Ellie.
  • Ellie and Erin are decent characters, but again, choices are made along the way that cast them in a less flattering light.
  • I heard the audio performance by Lou Hecker. For the most part, it’s a stellar performance. Unfortunately, there are times he did his job too well. The few times he was doing a TV like preacher set my teeth on edge by being both loud and 130% annoying. There was one slight editing mistake in the almost 8 hour narrative.
  • Content warnings: some strong language; a disturbing/crude image within the first few pages. Aside from those though, it was fairly clean compared to the grand scope of modern mysteries.

What I liked:

  • The twist at the end is highly predictable but also satisfying.
  • I loved the narrator.
  • The story of Cole’s relationship with Ellie unfolds in a series of flashbacks. It’s filled with regret but beautiful all the same. I loved how he flew to her side and becomes her knight in tarnished armor. He might not be perfect but at least he’s willing to stand up for his friend.
  • The characters in here are quite interesting, flaws and all.
  • I liked the FBI guy – Ferguson (sorry about spelling, I heard the audio).
  • Aside from the few spots mentioned above, it’s an easy to listen to narrative.
  • Cole’s the kind of guy you can see getting in to a lot of trouble.

Conclusion:

This is only the first in a long series of books about the title character. If the opportunity arose again, I’d probably pick up another and see what’s up in Cole’s life.

As Always …

If you want the chance to get the audiobook for free, please join Audiobook Readers’ Edge.

If you’re an author with an audiobook you’d like featured, sign up for Audiobook Authors’ Edge.

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Julie C. Gilbert

Audiobook Edge and it’s Matchmaker Program are completely free now, but if you wanna donate anyway, go for it 😉

Er, just do it as a friend b/c otherwise, you’re basically just paying paypal.

Prime Student – Oh, how I wish I was still a student.

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