Beverly Stowe McClure's Blog: Enter Beverly's World of Writing, page 2

You Don't Want to Miss this One

Bouhaki by C. Lee McKenzie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A woman living alone after her boyfriend walked out, taking the cat with him, is having a bad day. And it’s almost Christmas.

No doubt about it. C. Lee McKenzie has a way with words that draws the reader into her story from the beginning and doesn’t let go until the last words. In MEET THE CAT, BOUHAKI, I was laughing and feeling sorry for Jeannie, with her flu and medicine problems, at the same time. And then there’s the cat. Oh, you really want to read this. It’s a great story. I recommend it, especially if you’re a cat lover or when you’re having a bad day. I bet you’ll be laughing when you do. Happy Reading.






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Day of Reckoning

Day of Reckoning by Kai Strand

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


DAY OF RECOKING, (CONCORD CHRONICLES BOOK 1)
By Kai Strand

From the opening scene of DAY OF RECOKING, CONCORD CHRONICLES BOOK 1 to the end of the story I was hooked. How could I not be with the interesting characters I met. Take Terra, for instance, a girl who on her twelfth birthday discovers who she really is, and her whole life changes. The other characters are fantastic, too, like someone you’ve never encountered before, living in a strange new world.

DAY OF RECOKING is a lovely fantasy story that will keep you reading to see who Terra meets next and what happens in this new world she finds herself in. At least it did me. So, take a look and visit another world like none you’ve seen before.





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Young Authors Anthology

Realms Reads: The Worst Last Day Ever by Friends of Realms

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


“The Worst Last Day Ever” is a group of short stories from students of Realms Middle School that tell about their worst last day of school. They really did a great job. They wrote about a variety of subjects and they were so good that I can picture some of the students going on to become authors. I won’t mention any in particular, but you should get a copy and read their work for yourself. I think you’ll be very proud of these young writers. I was honored to be one of the mentors that helped them do the best job they could. It was quite a pleasure. I look forward to more work from these students. So, please, get your copy and encourage them. Thank you.



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A Touching Story

Not Guilty by C. Lee McKenzie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Have you ever been accused of something that you didn’t do? How did you prove your innocence? Or did you?
Take a lie, a broken heart, and a mystery and you have a world spinning out of control. In C. Lee McKenzie’s latest novel, NOT GUILTY, Devon Carlyle has a dream. His chances are looking good to make his dream come true, until the unthinkable happens. Instead of the prospects of a basketball scholarship he ends up in Juvenile Hall although he’s innocent. Can he find a way to prove he’s not guilty? Or will he always be remembered as the boy that almost killed another boy, as well as losing his friends and the scholarship?
Devon’s story touched my heart. He isn’t perfect. Who is? He has a temper that adds to his trouble. Then there’s the girl problem that he doesn’t need at this particular time in his life. Can matters get any worse?
C. Lee McKenzie’s characters seem real, like the kids you might meet in you own town. They make mistakes. They laugh. They fight. They love. And I so wanted the guilty party to get what he deserved. Does he? You’ll find out when you read NOT GUILTY. I recommend NOT GUILTY for your private library and also for high school and public libraries. Happy Reading!




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Ghosts and Spooky Things

Haunted Places and Ghost Sightings Across Texas: Stories from the pages of Texas newspapers and paranormal experts by Kari Lynn Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Do you like ghosts and haunted houses? If they do fascinate you and give you the shivers, take a look at HAUNTED PLACES AND GHOST SIGHTINGS ACROSS TEXAS by Kari Lynn Collins and Kevin Slimp. You’ll find more than you expect to. You’ll walk through a Civil War prison camp with rumors of rifle fire and apparitions that people see and hear today. You’ll learn about an Opera House and its spirits, along with haunted houses, hotels, and cemeteries. You’ll read about sightings that will make you shiver.
It’s best to go to the haunted places if possible and get first hand evidence by hearing the ghosts and spirits yourself. If you can’t go then pick up a copy of HAUNTED PLACES AND GHOST SIGHTIKNGS ACROSS TEXAS which will take you on a journey you’ll not easily forget. Happy Reading.




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A Great Non-Fiction Book

Overcoming Obstacles with Spunk! by L. Diane Wolfe

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Are you looking for something to encourage you and inspire you in the crazy world of writing? If so, the non-fiction book OVERCOMING OBSTICALS WITH SPUNK, THE KEYS TO LEADERSHIP AND GOAL-SETTING, by Author and Publisher L. Diane Wolfe might be exactly what you need. In this book, the author gives the reader great advice about so many areas we face when writing a story or even facing events in our daily lives. She discusses people’s skills, overcoming fears, and so much more. She also talks about setting goals which I really need because I’m bad about just starting out to write a story with very few goals in mind. Not the best way to work. So now, I’m learning how goals help me, as does the other advice the author gives us in this book.
I recommend Overcoming Obstacles With Spunk for not only authors but everyone that has trouble setting or keeping goals, having trouble with your self esteem or dealing with fear and confidence, as well as other parts of your life. This book would make a great addition to high school and public libraries as well as your own library. Happy Reading.




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An Exciting Adventure

The Hunt for the Mad Wolf's Daughter by Diane Magras

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Do you enjoy adventure and suspense and mystery? How about a girl who will stop at nothing to achieve her goal? There also is a lot more to the novel The Hunt For The Mad Wolf’s Daughter, by author Diane Magras. Twelve-year-old Drest is a character I shall remember for a long time. She’s brave. She’s daring. And yes, she is a girl, which makes no difference to her. She’ll take on any knight or brother or man that stands in her way of achieving her goal, which you’ll learn what it is when you read her story.
Now, I haven’t read the first book in the series, but the author has written this second one in such a way that the reader feels right at home with Drest, her brothers, and the other characters. Oh, yes, she has brothers, and they add to the excitement of the story.
I recommend The Hunt For The Mad Wolf’s Daughter for middle grade readers, tweens and teens, and adults. I think all ages will find something in this novel that touches their heart. A great selection for school libraries, public libraries, and your own private library. Happy Reading




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Read If You Dare

Burnt Offering by Vivian Zabel

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


If you want to read a story that will bring tears to your eyes and also make you angry, take a look at BURNT OFFERING by Vivian Zabel. This is a novel that will stay with me for a long time. It’s sad, yet it has its moments of happiness, too. In this story, based on research, we see the evil side of humanity. Anyone who can watch their baby being burned alive is beyond me. Thank heavens we also see the good side. The author describes the scenes so vividly that I almost felt like I was there, experiencing what the characters were feeling.

The novel also shows the bravery of those who fought this evil to protect their children and stop the slaughter. The author’s research brings the story to life and makes me thankful for the brave people that fought against these horrible deeds. And now, as I watch the violence in today’s world over the TV, I wonder if we’re so far away from the past. I pray so.
I recommend BURNT OFFERING.





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Another Mystery

All Things Slip Away by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


ALL THINGS SLIP AWAY, book #2 in the Spookie Town Mysteries begins with a Prologue, ten years earlier, where police officer Frank Lester is on the trail of a kidnapper and killer, which then brings the reader to the present. And when a teen girl goes missing, we are caught in the middle of a mystery that affects the entire town. Did she run away? Is she lost, or kidnapped, or worse? This isn’t the first time that people have vanished, with no trace. And it won’t be the last.

So, turn on the lights, lock all the doors and snuggle up in a comfy chair to see what is going on in the small town of Spookie. Katheryn Meyer Griffith has written another mystery that will keep you guessing why people are disappearing. We met some of the characters in SCRAPS OF PAPER, the first book in the series, so they seemed like old friends. If you enjoy adventure, suspense, mystery, and a bit of romance, this is the book for you. Happy reading.






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Mystery and Suspense

Scraps of Paper by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Turn on the lights, lock the doors, and settle down for a mystery that will make you check all of the locks more than once. When Abigail moves to the town of Spookie to find happiness, she discovers a scrap of paper that changes her life forever, although not in the way she had planned. Kathryn Meyer Griffith has written a story of love, adventure, and danger, along with a cast of characters that I think you’ll remember for a long time after reading about their lives.

SCRAPS OF PAPER is the story of people that live in a small town and how they face the dangers that threaten to destroy them. This is good mystery that kept me wondering what would happen next. I recommend it for readers who enjoy suspense and mystery. This is the first book in a series, so you’ll want to check out the others, too. Happy Reading.




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