Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 125

Review: TEMPTING THE LIGHT by Bonnie Gill

It’s your birthday, you get firedfrom your job, and you come home to catch your boyfriend screwing a mime inyour bed. Great, just great.

 

Then she gets her monthly visitorand a genie pops out to start her curse. What curse? Don’t women already have acurse?

 

The narrative was clever andsnarky, but the story had too many weird elements for my liking. Plus, it was alittle long and didn’t keep me vested in it very well.

 

Eh, not that great.

 

Rating:2 stars

Review: SILENCED GIRLS by Roger Stelljes

This story doesn’t really grab youfrom the start. It was kind of hard to get the lay of the plot and the feel forthe characters when you’re not really into it from page 1. And it was kind ofhard to continue with it, too. I just didn’t bother any more. DULL READ. And tocontinue for 500 pages?! Nah-uh, I don’t think so!

 

Rating:1 star

Blog Tour: 1956 LOVE AND REVOLUTION by J.A. Boulet

 

1956 Love & Revolution

by J. A. Boulet

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GENRE: Historical Fiction

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLURB:

 

1956 Love & Revolution

 

Whatwould you do for your country?

 

In1955, a group of uncommon people meet by chance. During the final year ofRákosi’s iron fist rule, Imre Nagy’s reforms are repealed, plunging Hungaryback into economic ruin.

Auniversity student, a cleaner, a Hungarian soldier and several others find themselvesdrawn toward each other as their love for their country is tested. In the fallof 1956, political strife deepens as the students begin demanding reform.

Howfar will they go to save Hungary?

 

Well-researched,politically charged and fast-paced, 1956 Love & Revolution will lure youinto the lives of everyday Hungarians who risked everything for theircountry. 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Excerpt One:

 

 

 

It was August 1955, and Elona was tired. She grabbed herbucket and wrung out the mop one last time. She had been cleaning at the theatreall night, and it was now early dawn. Something about the purple-lighteningskies always enchanted her. Budapest was a quiet city at 4:30 am, almostpeaceful. But Hungary was nothing close to peaceful lately. So many things werehappening in her country that it made her stomach churn. Politics wasn’tsomething she was keen on, but lately, it seemed every Hungarian held hope thattheir country would reinstate a more economically-sound government.

 

They lived through so many years of repression, paying exorbitanttaxes for Hungary's industrialization and war reparations to Russia, among somany other fees, that every single Hungarian paid almost two-thirds of theirincome out to the government. This left so little for food, cigarettes oranything else. It was a tough life of constantly working with little chance ofenjoyment.

 

Elona was only twenty-one years old, but she felt like shewas eighty.

 

She stepped outside onto the dark street and turned back tolock the theatre doors. Her pail and mop were already beside the door when shenoticed she had left the dirty water in the bucket. She sighed and cursedsoftly. Elona was not going to open up the heavy double doors again and returnall the way to the other side of the washrooms to dump her bucket.

 

She pushed the keys deep inside her pants pocket and pickedup the pail gently, sneaking to the alleyway. Elona tiredly tipped her bucketin the alleyway, dumping it upside down to empty it completely so she couldreturn home with a much less heavy pail. She didn’t drive, and her bicyclebroke, so she didn’t even have that luxury anymore. A headache started at hertemples, and she massaged her face gently. Maybe, one day things will getbetter.

 

She looked up as male voices echoed down the street. Shewondered who would be in the streets at this hour. There wasn’t much crimebecause of the state police, so she usually had nothing to fear.

 

Then a chill ran down her spine.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

What do youhope readers get from this story?

Ihope readers are engulfed in the historical events of the Hungarian Revolutionin 1956 and can’t put this book down. But when they do put down the book andThe End appears on the final page, I am certain they will feel an immensegratitude for ordinary people who have fought for freedom and reform. It is notan easy task and although the events at the time started peacefully, it did endhorribly, which the citizens did not envision at the time. Hungarians weresimply pushed to their breaking point and could not see any other path torecovery but to fight for reform.

1956Love & Revolutionis a poignant reminder of what our ancestors did in the name of freedom forfuture generations. Readers will find they have a renewed sense of gratitude toour parents and grandparents. Readers may even start researching the events ofthe ’56 Hungarian Revolution lol. I always leave a Final Note to Reader at theend of my books to inform my readers which characters are non-fiction and whichones are not, separating reality from fiction. Enjoy and thanks for stopping byon my book tour! I hope you enjoy 1956 Love & Revolution.

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

 

J. A. Boulet isthe passionate author of five historical fiction novels. Her newest novel, 1956Love & Revolution, is a chilling standalone book about the 1956 Hungarianuprising. A highly anticipated release scheduled for June 5, 2023, this is abook that the author holds close to her heart.

 

J. A. Bouletwas raised in the aftermath of the Hungarian Revolution. Her father was aHungarian soldier who fought bravely during the 1956 uprising. He escaped andwas granted asylum in Canada. Ms. Boulet’s mother also fled from the revolutionshortly after. The couple met, fell in love and built a family in Saskatchewan.

 

J. A. Bouletwas born decades later. Raised in a refugee family with strong morals hasprovided J. A. with the foundation to which she has stood behind all her life.Ms. Boulet began writing poetry at a very young age and progressed to shortstories and novels easily. She quickly became a history geek and becamefascinated with ancestry and the rough path of immigration. J. A. published herfirst book in 2020 and has since published one to two books annually. Shewrites with an unsettling realism, grabbing your emotions and refusing to letgo. 1956: Love and Revolution is a book you won’t be able to put down.

 

Follow her on

Website: https://jaboulet.ca/

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/1956-Love-Revolution-J-Boulet-ebook/dp/B0C5B9D76K

Twitter link: https://twitter.com/love_walk_life

Instagram link:https://www.instagram.com/jabouletauthor/

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHyJHrncBj09F5119oxt6Vw

Reddit link: https://www.reddit.com/user/NormalFemale

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GIVEAWAY

J. A. Boulet will be awarding a $10Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: THE ONE by Audrey J. Cole

The One

by Audrey J. Cole

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GENRE:   Thriller

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLURB:

 

To save their marriage, Sloane must forgiveher husband’s affair. Instead, she tries a more tempting option—settling thescore. But will it prove to be a deadly mistake?

ER doctor Sloane Marks is shattered when she learnsher husband Ethan slept with his partner at Seattle Homicide. She considersleaving him and joining The One, having gone to college with the popular datingapp’s billionaire founder, Brody Carr. But at forty-two, Sloane feels she hasno choice but to forgive Ethan if she wants a chance at creating the family shenever had.

Months later, Sloane bumps into Brody, who’srecently returned to Seattle. In due time, Ethan worries she’s cheating. Hissuspicions are confirmed when he learns the rich app founder took Sloane on afreediving excursion in the San Juan Islands. When Brody’s famous wife dies inan accident, Ethan becomes the lead investigator in her death—which he suspectswasn’t an accident at all.

Caught between a distrusting husband and a powerfulbillionaire who protects his secrets at all costs, Sloane is in a fight for herlife. And the only way out is to take matters into her own hands.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ExcerptTwo:

 

“There are risks,” Brody says, “and that’s why you train andrefine your technique. But some divers have gone much deeper than me. The worldrecord for free immersion freediving, which is what I did, is one hundred andthirty-two meters.”

 

Sloane does a quick calculation in her head. That was overfour hundred feet. It seems unfathomable.

 

“In free immersion, you have no propulsion equipment, andyou can only pull on the rope to assist with the descent and ascent.”

 

Sloane feels a shiver creep down her spine at the thought ofplunging to the dark depths of the ocean, aching for oxygen while enduring thecrushing pressure. “I can’t see why anyone would risk their life like that. Forwhat? Ego?”

 

Brody shakes his head. “Freediving isn’t about that. You doit for the dive itself.  Mentally, youlearn to succumb to the depths. Finding peace in the absence of all stimuli.Using the lack of light and sound to go inside yourself. The freedom of beingone with the water, at a depth few people have ever reached, mastering yourfears and surrendering to the darkness by allowing yourself to be carried intothe deep.” He stares out the window at the water, as if forgetting she wasthere. “When you get to about forty meters, it feels like your natural buoyancyis reversing, and the ocean starts pulling you down. It’s a freefall that feelslike you’re flying.”

 

Except you’re sinking, Sloane thinks.

 

“It’s an inner stillness that is unlike any other humanexperience. The only time I’ve ever felt pure joy. You let go of everything,even the urge to breathe. Your heart rate slows. Some divers have recorded aheart rate of only ten beats per minute.”

 

“That would induce unconsciousness.” Sloane gapes at him,and Brody laughs.

 

He shakes his head. “But in freediving, it doesn’t.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Review: “Real connections. Lasting love”was The One’s slogan.

Sloane never even considered adating app, especially when she was still married and still dealing with herhusband’s betrayal. With the tension and distance still in her marriage, Sloanereconnects with an old classmate, who was also the founder of this dating app.

In the beginning, it was all aboutSloane and Ethan’s crumbling marriage and their past, so it was slow at first.A romantic getaway to the islands and an exciting scuba diving venture leads toa moment of infidelity. As if Sloan’s marriage didn’t have enoughcomplications?

Things get more complicated whenthe wife of Sloane’s lover comes into the ER as the victim of an apparentdrowning. Was it really an accident? Will the police and Sloane’s cop husbandsuspect her involvement because of the affair?

“Brody Carr [was] a man with muchmore to hide than the affair.”

“Out of all the men she could’vepicked to right her capsizing ship of her marriage, why did she have to pick amurdering psychopath?”

The narrative was nicely writtenand the story reels you in. What other secrets will be uncovered? And who willtake the blame in the end? The ending was pretty good—not as thrilling as Iwould’ve expected—but I didn’t really see that coming.

A captivating thriller and a goodread! Just another good one from Audrey Cole.

 

Rating:4 stars

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

AudreyJ. Cole is a USA TODAY bestselling thriller author. She residesin the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two children. Before writing fulltime, she worked as a neonatal intensive care nurse for eleven years.

Connectwith Audrey:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AudreyJCole

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/audreyjcole

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/audrey-j-cole

TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@audreyjcole

Website:https://www.AUDREYJCOLE.com

AmazonAuthor Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Audrey-J.-Cole/author/B071GFZMLT

Linkto buy The One on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BPPZ7N8R

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GIVEAWAY :

Audrey J. Cole will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnesand Noble GC, to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast: THE AIRS OF TILLIE by Barbara Casey

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Barbara Casey will award a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The small town of Wellington, Florida, has the distinction of playing host to some of the wealthiest people in the world as well as the most prestigious equestrian events. King Charles comes from England to watch polo on the fields where he once played as Prince. The United States Olympics Equestrian team trains and competes there with teams from other countries. In sharp contrast, just down the road, due west, are some of the largest sugarcane fields in the world. The people who work these fields are for the most part poor. They come from many cultures and backgrounds, but they primarily come from Haiti, Jamaica, and the United States. This combination of horse owner and cane worker is an unusual dichotomy, and it is a blend of these things that makes up the world in which my story’s main character, Tillie, the 11-year-old daughter of a sugarcane field foreman, lives.

In The Airs of Tillie, Tillie Turpning lives in an imaginary world that is filled with beautiful horses, polite people, and luxurious homes. Her real world, however, includes living in a cane foreman’s small tenant house with her over-worked mother, an autistic sister, and a rebellious older brother who is searching for answers within a radical Muslim group. When Tillie is unexpectedly forced to assist in the difficult birth of a new foal, she proves that her determination and belief in herself will allow her to accomplish anything she sets out to do.

Read an Excerpt

The soft pastels of yellow, pink, and magenta gently pushed upwards on the horizon. It would be daylight soon. Motionless, Tillie watched through the unshuttered window above her bed. In the distance she could just make out the darkened shape of a large, sprawling, two-story house and its steep-pitched roof. Beyond the house she could see another large structure, and beside it something long and built closer to the ground. It was the barn and stables. Tillie sighed and shifted her weight ever so slightly so as not to disturb her sister sleeping in the bed next to her. She pushed her face closer to the open window and breathed deeply. They had been clearing the cane fields for several weeks now, and the air was filled with the sweet, pungent scent of burnt raw sugar.

Tillie had been awake for what seemed like hours, listening to the night sounds, watching, and waiting. Maybe this was the wrong day. But it had always been the first Thursday in June, she argued with herself. Just then a flicker of light caught her attention, and she saw a car slowly move away from the big house. It turned from the driveway onto the blacktop road that ran between the cane fields and the pastures. Tillie could feel the excitement rising inside her. She had been right after all. It was today. Today the big girl would come home.

Tillie watched the car stop at the end of the blacktop road and then turn east onto the main highway toward Palm Beach. When she could no longer see its taillights, she quietly slipped off her bed. Tillie hadn’t pulled the covers down the night before so she wouldn’t have to waste time making her bed. Besides, it had been a warm night and very little breeze. It would have been too hot with covers. Mabe, her sister, had thought Tillie was playing a game, but she wouldn’t sleep on top of her covers. She always slept under a faded blue spread. It didn’t matter to Mabe how hot it was.

Tillie looked over at Mabe to make sure she was still asleep. She didn’t want to wake her before she normally got up or she would be cross. On the foot of Mabe’s bed was a ratty looking purple and green Easter basket. Its handle was positioned exactly perpendicular to the horizontal floorboards because that was the only way Mabe would go to sleep. In it was a pad of drawing paper, some charcoal pencils, and an assortment of broken crayons and colored chalk. Cardboard had been taped over the bottom and around the sides of the basket so nothing could fall out.

About the Author: Barbara Casey is the author of over two dozen award-winning novels and book-length works of nonfiction for both adults and young adults, and numerous articles, poems, and short stories. Several of her books have been optioned for major films and television series.

In addition to her own writing, Barbara is an editorial consultant and president of the Barbara Casey Agency. Established in 1995, she represents authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan.

In 2018 Barbara received the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and Top Professional Award for her extensive experience and notable accomplishments in the field of publishing and other areas.

Barbara lives on a mountain in Georgia with three cats who adopted her: Homer, a Southern coon cat; Reese, a black cat; and Earl Gray, a gray cat and Reese’s best friend.

http://www.barbaracaseyauthor.com
http://www.barbaracaseyagency.com
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Barbara-Casey/author/B001K7S4IW
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/697572.Barbara_Casey

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: SECRETS IN LITTLE LEAF CREEK by Cindy Bell

It had been a busy day at thediner and all Cassie wanted to do was rest. The last thing she needed to end arather hectic day was to find a dead body in the parking lot. At the urging ofthe victim’s heartbroken sister, Tessa and Cassie had to find justice andfigure out who the killer was. Was it a bitter ex-wife? Or was it adisgruntled, old friend from high school? Could the murder have anything to dowith a possible arson? What secrets will the mystery uncover? You just have tofind out in this great, little mystery! Another good one from Bell!

 

Rating:4 stars

Review: DEATH BEHIND THE DUMPSTER by KB Blake

Scarlett was a temp worker. Thisweek she was working at an oral surgeon’s office. You’d think you’d be safe atan office, then lightning strikes and the whole place goes dark. Even moreconfusing was the weird hippie lady asking for help. In search of this crazylady, Scarlett somehow finds herself standing beside a dead body in a dumpsterand a surprised construction worker. Did the construction worker have anythingto do with it? Suddenly, Scarlett was smack-dab in the middle of a murderinvestigation and she was working with the construction worker, who stillwasn’t clear of the murder as far as she was concerned.

 

This was an easy read for the mostpart, but the whole thing was unusually long and slow. Instead of diving rightinto the mystery, we hear about Scarlett’s friends, basement apartment, andrandom thoughts.

 

A mild and lengthy mystery atbest. I may check out the rest of the series if I have nothing else to read.

 

Rating:3 stars

Review: THE SOFTWOOD HOUR by Glacia Cronk

The narrative was nice with somegood description, but it takes a long while to get the story going. So far, wehave Lark having pizza with her twin brother. From there, we go to an endlessargument between an FBI agent and his wife. I felt like I was just waiting forsomething—anything—to happen. But nothing ever did. Just a boring read.

 

Rating:2 stars

Review: THE DAY WE DIED by Wendy Owens

The day you realized you were akiller’s daughter was the day your old life died. Sydney Booth was her new nameand she was proud to rise to the ranks of a crime scene technician.

 

“Once I decided helping peoplewould be how I justified by existence, it became my sole focus.”

 

The next crime scene sheinvestigates seems to fit the MO of the Lipstick Killer. But it couldn’t be.Her father was dead.

 

The premise sounded kind ofinteresting. The diary narrative was decent, but I found it rather slow andanticlimactic.

 

Overall, this was an okay read,but I wasn’t too into it.

 

Rating:3 stars

Cover Reveal: THE SCRIPT IS NOT ENOUGH by Jamison M. LoCascio

This post is part of a Cover Reveal organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly drawn commenter will win a $10 Amazon gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Script is not Enough takes a unique look at the making of four different independent feature films. The author takes you through every stage in development from writing, to financing, and to distribution and marketing. Find out how you can learn from the hard experiences and challenges that face the filmmaker along the way.

About the Author: Jamison LoCascio is an award-winning feature film director. In 2012, Jamison LoCascio began to write the screenplay for his first union short, "Midnight Catch," which garnished much acclaim at the New Jersey International Film Festival and Manhattan Film Festival. LoCascio decided to form his production company, Halcyon Valor Productions Incorporated. Graduated from Montclair State University with honors winning the “Excellence in Filmmaking” award for his numerous successful productions which premiered in film festivals around the world. LoCasio's short films have since been honored by the Screen Actors Guild and screened at such festivals as the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, Montclair Film Festival, and NewFilmmakers New York. LoCascio's shorts "Track 3," "A Stranger's Confession," and "Powerless" were all official selections of the Festival de Cannes Short Film Corner. His films have been anthologized in the prestigious Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan, distributed worldwide on DVD, picked up for online distribution by Film Bay. DIRECTV & AT&T distributed 6 of LoCascio's short films on their new International short film platform. LoCascio's first feature film, "The Depths," starring Michael Rispoli and Patch Darragh won Best Feature Film at the 2017 Manhattan Film Festival and had a strong critical reception. The film also won Best Feature Film and Best Director at the 2017 Los Angeles Film Awards and received domestic distribution with Sony Pictures and The Orchard releasing on all major platforms including Amazon, Itunes, DVD and more. LoCascio's second feature film "Sunset" starring acclaimed actor Austin Pendleton received rave reviews and won multiple awards including Best Dramatic Feature Film at the 2018 Manhattan Film Festival, Best Ensemble at the 2018 Los Angeles Film Awards, Best Leading Actor (David Johnson) International Independent Film Awards. "Sunset" also received domestic distribution with Sony Pictures and The Orchard. LoCascio and Adam Ambrosio have recently launched their latest initiative by filmmakers for filmmakers called Film Valor, a youtube channel with over 3,000 worldwide followers and over 250,000 views, a behind the scenes look at their filmmaking process. "Know Fear," his latest feature film, received critical acclaim and stars Amy Carlson. The film had a limited theatrical release. His next feature film "How Dark They Prey," a unique horror anthology, has been released on major streaming platforms including Amazon Prime, Tubi, Plex, Udu, Mometu and many more with critics hailing the film as "Horror at its best". His latest feature film release “7x7” is a collection of many of LoCascio’s award-winning short films brought together for one viewing experience on major platforms including Tubi and Amazon Prime.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYMpC0IdUggTr1xMMEqsCPw
Twitter: https://twitter.com/filmvalor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/filmvalor/
Website: https://jamisonmlocascio.wixsite.com/mysite
Jamison LoCascio’s Social Media Links: https://linktr.ee/filmvalor

a Rafflecopter giveaway