Lynn Hallbrooks's Blog

Book Review of Grid Zero by Andrew Diamond #NetGalley #BookReview #GridZero #TechnoThriller #RomanticSuspense

Introduction: I voluntarily read and am doing this Advanced Reader Copy book review Grid Zero by Andrew Diamond because the premise sounded interesting. I appreciate Stolen Time Press making it available through Net Galley. If after reading this review, you would like to read the book, too, it will be available to the public on Amazon on June 30, 2025.

Parental Note: This book includes sexual encounters, abusive behavior by a married spouse, and violence. 

Genres and Ratings: To me, this is a Tec...

Book Review of "A Clean Kill" by Steven Konkoly #ACleanKill #NetGalley #BookReview #Fiction #Conspiracy #Thriller

On July 1, 2024, A Clean Kill by Steven Konkoly was released to the general public. Months before the release date, I was provided an Advance Reader's Copy of this book via Net Galley as produced  through Thomas & Mercer. Below are my honest thoughts regarding this book.

Parental Note: This book is not cozy nor "clean". There is dead bodies, violence, smoking, and adult language.

Genres and my rating: This story could be considered a mix of conspiracy and thriller genres. I give it 5 stars out of...

Book Review of "The Sellout" by Andrew Diamond #NetGalley #BookReview #TheSellout #Satire #Noir #Mystery

On January 16, 2024, The Sellout by Andrew Diamond will be / was released to the public. Prior to the release date, I was provided an opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book by Net Galley . I voluntarily read this stand-alone book produced through Stolen Time Press. Below are my honest thoughts which I hope will edify you, dear reader.
 
Parental note: There is adult language and intimate conversations and situations which may be deemed unacceptable for young eyes. In addition, there is v...

Discounted eBooks at a Variety of Book Vendors! #eBooks #fiction #nonfiction #readers #sale

From now until the end of the year, Smashwords is having a sale on all participating books. Once again, all the eBooks under the Call Sign Wrecking Crew umbrella have been discounted on there. 

We thought it would be a wonderful treat for readers to put the eBooks on sale via all the book vendors courtesy of the Draft2Digital / Books2Read partnership.

​Great thought except that created an unintended consequence: all the books on Smashwords are now 50% off of 50% off of the regular price.

The good...

Book Review of Wide Awake by Steven Konkoly #NetGalley #BookReview #WideAwake #Thriller #SpyCraft #Fiction

On August 15, 2023, Wide Awake by Steven Konkoly was released to the public. Recently, I was provided an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book by Net Galley. I voluntarily read this third book in the Devin Gray series, produced through Thomas & Mercer, and now, I’m sharing my honest opinion with you.
 
Parental note: A few adult beverages and some adult language make appearances. These are relatively minor compared to the boatload of violence seen in many chapters of this book.
 
Genres...

Book Review of 32 Minutes by Andrew Diamond #NetGalley #BookReview #Mystery #Fiction

On July 21, 2023,  32 Minutes by Andrew Diamond will be released to the public. This is the third book in the Freddy Ferguson series. I was provided with an opportunity to read this book courtesy of Stolen Time Press via  Net Galley .
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Parental note: The book contains violence, adult language, mentions of drug use, and situations that adults would understand but children may not.

Genre and my rating: Mystery – 5 stars.

A brief synopsis: In this novel, Freddy Ferguson is tasked with investigating a mi...

Smashwords 2022 End of Year Sale #Authors #Books #Discounts #Sale #Smashwords

Books from multiple authors at various discounts When opportunity knocks, open the door enough to learn more. 

The team at Draft2Digital partnered with the team at Smashwords earlier this year. Recently, authors who have placed their books in the hands of the team at Draft2Digital were given the opportunity to add their books to Smashwords. Bonus, they could also add them into the Smashwords 2022 End of the Year Sale.

At one point in time, I had books available through Smashwords. Things happened...

A Fireside Chat by Lynn Hallbrooks #fantasy #fiction #SPNfamily

Amber nudged her sister. “Mom and Dad brought home a new chair, Shelly.”
“Let’s check it out.”
Each sibling left the crackling fire and took different sides of the gray-blue cushioned chair.
“Be careful not to scratch it. We don’t want them to fuss at us… again.”
“Yeah, you’re right, Amber, last time we went without treats for a week.”
“This chair smells different than the couch. Come here and sniff where I am, I’ll go over there.”
Amber noticed movement. “Uh oh, Mom and Dad are watching us. It’s tim...

Kill Romeo by Andrew Diamond #NetGalley #BookReview #KillRomeo #Mystery

Cover design by Lindsay Heider Diamond ​On July 2, 2022, Kill Romeo by Andrew Diamond will be released via Stolen Time Press. Since I read Gate 76, book 1 in the Freddy Ferguson series, I voluntarily read a galley version of Kill Romeo via NetGalley.

Parental note: The book contains violence, adult language, and situations that could make some adults blush.

Genre and my rating: Mystery – 5 stars.

A brief synopsis: Freddy Ferguson faced a fierce storm which came out of nowhere. Even though the turbulent weather cleared, his mind still churned over the things he witnessed. The only way he could figure out to process it all, was to solve the mystery of why the well-dressed woman was in the woods.
 
My take as a reader: The opening sequence had me a bit perplexed. However, as I read on and picked up the overall thread, I was hooked.

My take as an author: I came to realize the opening sequence was crafted intentionally to seem to meander. The story is told from a first-person point of view. A camera lens, if you will, except the reader is privy to Freddy’s observations and internal monologue. As happens with thoughts, events are non-linear and random, much like the story seemed to be before more pieces were added to the overall puzzle.

To me, making something that seems totally random and unconnected come together to form a full-length novel, takes time, practice, and a certain amount of talent.

Andrew Diamond is no stranger to the written word. He has multiple books and some awards to his name, all of which can be seen on the Stolen Time Press website.

There are a few on there which are currently on my reading list. I hope to get to them before much longer. It’s possible that in reading them, I’ll gain some insights on other characters mentioned in this book. Alas, a reader’s work is never done. :)
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Thank you for your visit, until we meet again, happy reading (and writing).
 
Lynn Hallbrooks
Author-Reader-Cheerleader
Creative at Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLC

Being There for Others #WATWB #HumansHelpingHumans

Graphic credit: Service Professionals Network We are all fellow Earth dwellers. Life here on our planet is not easy. However, it can be made a little bit easier when we help one another.

Yesterday, I was on a livestream with Michael O'Connor, founder of Service Professionals Network. While on there, I met a young man who stepped out of his comfort zone to request some assistance. I heard his story and I heard from someone else who has known him longer.

I came to the decision that I would like to ...