P.L. Jonas's Blog, page 2

Book Review: Beautiful and Terrible Things by S. M. Stevens

A riveting tale of repressed feelings, hidden pasts, and tortured hearts woven around the need for love and acceptance.

This close-knit circle of friends with deep-seated issues revealed through flashbacks, supports each other until someone causes unexpected hurt and alienation. Through her skillful writing, S. M. Stevens created an electrifying window into this diverse group of three-dimensional characters who you will come to appreciate and care about.

At times it can seem a bit preachy, especially from the perspective of the social activist, a very unique character. I love how he speaks. But in the lessons learned through a tragedy that affects them, they come together in a surprising twist of love and acceptance.

A truly memorable book that leaves your heart pounding.

Pre-Order Paperback Book Here

Pre-Order Kindle Here

Publication Date: July 18, 2024

Review of a Great Thriller! "Stable" by Cam Torrens

Cam Torrens writes exciting suspense/thrillers that holds a reader's attention, keeping you turning the pages until the end.

I read Torrens' second book ,,False Summit (my review) first last year and was in awe of his writing prowess. It took me till now to finally read ,,Stable: Someone is taking them, the first book in the trilogy, mostly because of the topic. But Torrens handled the potential trigger stuff in a way that it just didn't trigger. I wish I had read it sooner.

Stable is an intense plot mainly focused on a family drama about finding one's voice to talk about feelings while in the midst of an abduction story. Torrens's ability to create a stunning visual story is like watching a movie. I find the search and rescue theme interesting and exciting. Great pacing, fast when needed, and slows down for personal connections.

I can hardly wait for book 3, Scorched, due out this year!

Get the book Stable! go here

Get the book False Summit! go here

Do you like YA Fantasy? Update on both Stephanie Garber's trilogies.

Once Upon a Broken Heart Trilogy by Stephanie Garber

I have now read both of Stephanie Garber's trilogies Caravel (read below) and Once Upon a Broken Heart. I read the first two books in this trilogy before discovering her first trilogy.

See my review here on my Blog of Book 1 Once Upon a Broken Heart

But in a nutshell, I completely fell in love with Garber's writing style and her story. I'm a mature, retired person, but I do enjoy a good YA fantasy. A 5-star read.

After finishing Book 1, I immediately bought book 2, The Ballad of Never After, published Sept 2022, which was just as fascinating, page-turning, and exciting a read as the first. Another 5-star read for me and I had been waiting impatiently for the third book ever since.

Book 3, A Curse for True Love, released Oct. 2023, my review:

I was so excited to finally find the time to read the beautiful hardback copy of this book.

However, unlike her other books, the world-building on this one was a bit disappointing, and why I gave it 4 stars. I had trouble visualizing many of the scenes. I also wondered why her sister wasn't mentioned in this final book. In Garber's acknowledgments, I got the feeling she struggled with writing this book. As a writer myself, I do relate to this somewhat. However, I don't know why she struggled. Was it personal reasons or writing burnout? I would like to know.

Despite that, I still DEVOURED the story and characters reading it in record time. I Love, Love Jacks and Evangeline's story. I hope a Series is developed for streaming too. I would watch it more than once I'm sure. A feature film couldn't possibly capture all three books.

To buy which I heartily RECOMMEND, Go HERE

,Caravel Trilogy by Stephanie Garber

While I was between books in Garber's Second trilogy, I read her entire FIRST Trilogy, Caravel, Read my Review here on my blog 5-stars.

Book 2, Legendary, I LOVED just as much and moved quickly on. 5-stars

Book 3, Finale. Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2019) 5-Stars.

As with the first two books in this trilogy, I enjoyed the fantastical world-building and characters. This book dealt more with the sisters and their interaction. For some reason, I was getting their storylines confused and had to go back and reread passages.

I did feel the book was longer than it needed to be and there were a few places I got a little bored and skipped forward. But it did not affect my star rating. That is a personal preference. My attention span is shorter than it used to be.

At any rate, I thoroughly enjoyed the series and I highly recommend it for romantic fantasy readers.

To buy which I heartily RECOMMEND, Go HERE

Fascinating Facts - My Reviews of "Locked in Silence" and "The Second Life of Mirielle West." Similar but Different.

Recently, I read two novels that brought to light details of two institutions in the U.S. that I'd never known about. I thought it would be interesting to compare both before sharing my reviews of these excellently written historical fiction books.

Locked In Silence by Natalie Dyen (released 02/01/2024) shares the history of Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA, the first fully solitary confinement prison in the U.S. The main character, Lizzy's storyline is set in 1848. I don't know how many of the public know this facility existed, but I was shocked it was still in use until 1971. If you are interested in more info go here.

The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore (released 07/27/2021) brings to life the true story of America's only leper colony in Carville, Louisiana, operational from 1894 to 2005. Skenandore's novel focuses on one patient, Mirielle's strange life as a leper in this colony in 1926. Here again, I knew virtually nothing about this facility and found it fascinating I had come across both of these books. For more info go here.

Dyen's approach to her story took me into the mind of Lizzy as she journaled daily about her incarcerated life. It is an emotionally charged and sad study, beautifully written and very detailed depiction of this facility during the mid-19th century. I felt I was right there with her in her tiny cell.

Skenandore takes a lighter approach showing the reader Mirielle's delusion and refusal to accept her condition which in the beginning was a bit humorous at times, despite the devasting details of the disease in other patients.

I appreciated both approaches and learned so much about this "hidden" history. Each story had similar resolutions in that there were journeys, investigations, secrets to uncover, and a satisfying ending. I highly recommend both books. Below are my official book reviews.

,Locked in Silence, by Natalie Dyen

A Riveting Story of Psychological Abuse, Betrayal, Loss, and Recovery

The book follows Lizzy, during her incarceration as she journals her daily life and struggles to remember the night of the birth of her baby. Author, Dyen, pulled me into the strange and insufferable world of the first fully solitary confinement prison in the U.S. I felt Lizzy’s agony as she experienced hallucinations and voices amidst the deafening silence. I was so relieved when she was finally released but worried her mind was lost from the horrific experience.

Fortunately, Lizzy reunites with her loving brother and he helps her reconnect with life and the world around her. Together, they investigate what happened the night Lizzy gave birth. What they discover baffles, shocks, and disgusts them.

Locked in Silence is a wonderfully written historical fiction set against the backdrop of pro-slavery and abolitionists, and the oppressive treatment of women of the times. Natalie Dyen paints an intense portrait of Lizzy’s life through her eyes and mind.

I highly recommend it. Link to Amazon

,The Second Life of Mirielle West ,by Amanda Skenandore

 When I first started reading this book, it took me a while to connect with the main character. A wealthy wife of a high-profile silent film star, Mirielle is in a deluded state when she is told she has leprosy and is carted off against her will across the country from California to Louisiana to the only official leper colony in the U.S.

It was funny and lighthearted on the surface. But once Mirielle comes to grips with her plight, it takes a serious turn. A strong character arc developed by Skenandore with a deeply developed cast of characters pulled me in and I was turning the pages not wanting to put the book down. I became involved with their lives and cared about their condition, cheering for them, and crying too.

I expect historical fiction to have richly depicted scenes to make me feel in the time and place. Although in my opinion, Skenandore did not spend much time in world-building, she made up for it through the story and characters she created, based upon her extensive research.

I highly recommend this book. Link to Amazon

Book Review: “Love and Miss Fortune” by Maggie Preston

Happy New Year!!!

My focus this January is on reading . . . reading . . . and more reading of novels. Starting with my discovery of a hidden gem, romance author Maggie Preston, right here in my home state of Arizona. Although I first met her at a local writing retreat quite a while back, I regrettably took way too long to read any of her books. When I’m thigh high writing my own novels, I find it hard to be reading. I’m making up for lost time this month.

I decided to read Book 3, “Love and Miss Fortune” from her Hearts of Louisiana, small town romance series. What a pleasant surprise!

Maggie's writing style hooked me from the start as I instantly bonded with Harley, the female protagonist in her twenties. I laughed out loud at her humor and cared about her family situation. Harley sacrificed her own dreams to pursue her late parent’s dream of success with the family whiskey distillery. I learned a lot about moonshine production, and when the story took me on the road with the competition circuit, I was rooting for her success.

The romantic male lead is Chance, a sexy consultant with a heart of gold (when you read this book, you’ll get my intended pun). I loved how these two bantered back and forth as they gradually (and I like that) developed their attraction to each other. Very romantic.

There are plenty of twists and turns in the story revealing sabotage, family deceptions, and successes and failures that will have you feeling what this couple goes through. I love it when I’m emoting along with the story. Maggie Preston does just that, right up to a great ending.

I’m looking forward to reading the first two books and . . . a little bird told me Book Four of this series is due to be released later this year! Don’t miss the release of any super book deals by following her on Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub. And while you’re at it, follow me too J See links below for both of us.

It’s a wonderful love story I promise you’ll enjoy.

Highly recommended, 5 stars!  Get the book(s) now!  ,https://a.co/d/cXWuU35

Maggie’s Links to Follow:

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08HY2Q731/about

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14086889.Maggie_Preston

Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maggie-preston

P. L. Jonas Links to Follow:

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/stores/P.L.-Jonas/author/B0BB19LPQC

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21815946.P_L_Jonas

Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/p-l-jonas

Book News: Hall of Deception

Exciting News about my historical romantic suspense novel Hall of Deception.

Today Only! Book of Today for Only $.99 at ERead News Todayhttps://www.ereadernewstoday.com/book/hall-of-deception/ The Historical Fiction Company has longlisted Hall of Deception for their Book Awards!! Category Awards will be released December 31st. Pinkies crossed!! For Arizona Peeps - Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe is now carrying the Paperback of Hall of Deception! Pick up a copy, if they are gone, ask the store for more!

How to keep your writing momentum going.

Every writer, even me, will experience lulls in activity related directly to your WIP. I'm not talking about writer's block. It could mean, you are waiting for feedback from Alpha or Beta Readers, and editors, or you have set your draft aside for a mental reboot before moving forward with rewrites or edits.

So, what do you do in the meantime?

Read books in the genre you are currently writing . Why? It stimulates the mind with ideas for your book. It can also show you what not to do if it doesn't work in the book you are reading. For me, I usually find help with how actions are well written since that is something I struggle with. Clean house. You might laugh, but when I'm knee-deep in writing, I become obsessed. Cleaning the house is the last thing I want to do when working on a book. But, cleaning has a way of clearing the mind, too. This opens the way for more ideas. Work on character profiles, if not already done. Even if you have created them, sometimes after you've written a draft, a character might change in a way you had not anticipated. Updating your profiles will help you in the future. Research. I write historical fiction so I do tons of research for my books. Even if you aren't writing historical there will be things you need to research for your genre. If I stop writing to research something, my process is slowed down. By researching ahead of time, I can keep writing without unnecessary disturbance. Update your bio . Your bio is used for many things, your website, queries, inside the book, or on the back cover. Book Synopsis. It doesn't matter where you are in the writing process, a synopsis is useful for more than a query letter or the back of your book cover. When I get an idea for a book, I begin with writing out the story in a narrative. I call it a Preliminary Synopsis. It is usually several pages long. From this document, I can extract key information for developing a brief synopsis, book description, or as a basis for a formal synopsis that is requested by agents and publishers. When you are in a lull, you can start a synopsis, or update it with any story changes you've made while writing the book. Find Agents and Publishers. If you plan to go the traditional publishing route, like me, this is a very time-consuming task. To find agents check out ,Query Tracker, my favorite; or ,Agent Query website and for publishers who accept non-agented submissions, ,Reedsy Blog Top Book Publishers has a list they update every year.

These are just a few suggestions. Let me know if these have helped you, or if you want to provide suggestions on dealing with a lull in the writing process.

I'm Typing As Fast As I can!

Exciting news for fans of my romantic suspense "Hall of Deception", a sequel is in the works!! I am busy, busy, busy writing every day.

"A Sea of Doubt" follows Hugh, Dee, Ellen, and new characters in the next stage of their lives. In 1960, six years after the wedding, Hugh moved his family to a small California beach community south of San Francisco.

With Hugh away too much with his new business, Dee is bored and unhappy with the move, and Ellen struggles to fit in at the public school. Suspicion and doubt surround the family as misunderstandings mount.

But when damaging rumors about Ellen and Dee spread through the community, their family’s happiness is put to a test.

Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

Projected Release: Fall 2023

Book Review: False Summit - The Truth is Hard to Face by Cam Torrens

Powerful and heart-rending. Author Cam Torrens weaves an intricate and suspenseful thriller that keeps you turning the page. Truly mesmerizing story-telling at its finest.

Tyler Zahn, a member of the search and rescue team, is determined to understand the disappearance of his friend, Kristee. We follow his personal investigation and discovery of Kristee’s secrets, desperate to find a motive for her demise. And in a dual POV, we follow Kristee’s story prior to her disappearance. All her angst and worry about her choices really come through in Cam’s masterful writing.

In a cinematic style, Cam brings the town of Buena Vista and the hiking trails of the beautiful Colorado Rockies to life. The tension piles up quickly, as the plot pivots between multiple storylines. It left me breathless and wondering what really happened -- right up to the final reveal.

I highly recommend it.

Pre-order Now from Amazon

Releases: October 5, 2023

New Audiobook of "Hall of Deception"

,Now Available!!

Listen to Sample Narrated by Lisa Bozek on ,,Amazon OR Audible