Lynn Hallbrooks's Blog, page 4

Team Effort #Authors #Books #Readers #TeamCSWC

I realize that the military is not everyone's "thing", however, it has a lot to offer. For instance, you learn how to work as part of a team. Sure you get that in sports. I'm not sure if it's quite the same as when you've been a part of the military. Even those of us who never fought in a war have learned the value of working in concert with others. 

An author writes a book and publishes it with the goal of said book being enjoyed by a reader. It seems that all the authors are vying for atten...

What's a Little Law & Disorder Among Friends? #Readers #ReadingCommunity #DoubleCrossLit

Military, historical fiction, and crime noir mash-up. I admit, I read a variety of genres and am loving the creative way that the founder of Double-Cross Lit mashes up the genres for the cross-promotional events. 

Law & Disorder is their theme for August 2019. The event will run from August 23-25, 2019. The mix of genres is military, historical fiction, and crime noir. 

I urge anyone reading this during that time frame to check to see if the authors provided any hidden gems by way of reducing the price on other books. Sometimes we sneaky authors do that to see if the readers are thinking outside the box when it comes to bargains.

Are you ready for the hunt? Visit here.

Happy Hunting and Reading,

Lynn Hallbrooks
Author-Reader-Cheerleader
Founder Call Sign Wrecking Crew LLC

Trial and Error #WritingCommunity #BloggingCommunity

I wish it was true that all authors have tons of money and can do charity work at the drop of a hat. That isn't the case.

Independent authors, such as myself, work hard to promote their own books as well as those of fellow authors while online. Sometimes we are seeking insights into ways to improve our writing skills. 

One of the things that I've learned is, producing quality books requires money above and beyond what many authors receive in royalties. That and other financial considerations is often why authors also have a full-time job.

I hope that my little website was helpful to those authors who needed the information and the sharing of their works. That is, one of the reasons, why I created this website.

To be honest, it was also a way to garner some passive income so that I could supplement my royalties. In my mind these two things seemed like a good fit. I took a leap of faith.

My error was that I funded the site from the beginning. While I have seen some passive income, it's trickling in. The cost of paying for this website is no longer an option. 

As of today, this website is a sub-domain of Weebly and thus the links that I have previously provided will change. Other than that, the information should stay the same. Please be patient with me as I do some adjusting.

My question for those visiting this post: should I remove all the ads now that the trial and error phase is over? Alternately, should I leave them up in hopes that someone will find something they need, while browsing my website?

All positive feedback is welcomed. 

Thank you for stopping by,

Lynn Hallbrooks
Author-Reader-Cheerleader
Founder of Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLC

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Who's Up for some Law & Disorder? #DoubleCrossLit #Books #Military #HistoricalFiction #CrimeNoir

Double-Cross Lit is known for it's multi-genre mix-up cross-promotional events. Their newest mash-up features stories in military, historical fiction, and/or crime noir genres.

For the record, Call Sign: Wrecking Crew Wings of Eagles is in the mix. Why, you might ask? Good question. The answer is there is chaos and mayhem in abundance. Team Wrecking Crew is on the trail of the culprit and they join forces with active military. Plus there are some interesting family squabbles that break out...

#BookReview of The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey #NetGalley #TheKillingTide #ChristianRomanticSuspense

​Upfront information: I was provided with an advanced reader’s copy of The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey courtesy of Bethany House Publishers via Net Galley. The book will be available for purchase on August 6, 2019. As I understand it, a percentage of the proceeds will be donated to the Coast Guard Foundation.

Parental note: As a Christian fiction book, one would expect it to be clean. It is except there is mild to moderate violence – most of which is played off-stage.

Genre and my rating: Christian Romantic Suspense – 5 stars

Brief synopsis: Noah Rowley heads up a Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) team in a small coastal town. When a pregnant woman is concerned for her Coast Guard husband’s safety, his team gets the call. What they discover sets them on a journey that no one expected.

My perspective as a reader: There were plenty of plot twists and turns plus I was invested in the ongoing investigation along with the team. This is the first book by Ms. Pettrey that I’ve read. If this is any indication of the type of stories she writes, then she has found a new fan.

My perspective as an author: Each character had their own personality and quirks. While some of them seemed vaguely reminiscent of those seen on television, they were different enough not to be cliché. While the Christian-based faith is evident in some of the characters, it isn’t over the top. In my opinion when an author creates fictional characters that aren’t paper cut-outs but seen as real people, that’s a mark of a true story-teller.

I do enjoy reading new-to-me authors and this felt like the appropriate one to try out of Ms. Dani Pettrey's work. That's because my favorite types of books have something to do with military members, medicine, mystery, and law enforcement. This book has it all. 

Thanks for stopping by and reading my review of The Killing Tide. If you purchased a copy, thank you for supporting Ms. Pettrey in her contribution to the Coast Guard Foundation. If you didn't know, August 4th is when the US Coast Guard celebrates their "birthday". 

Lynn Hallbrooks
​@LHallbrooks
Author-Reader-Cheerleader
Founder of Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLC

#BookReview of To Hell With Johnny Manic by Andrew Diamond #JohnnyManicBook #NetGalley #PsychologicalSuspense

Upfront information: To Hell With Johnny Manic by Andrew Diamond was provided to me via Stolen Time Press and NetGalley. It will be available for purchase on August 1, 2019.

​Parental note: There is violence as well as adult language and subtle scenes of an intimate nature.
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Genre: Psychological Suspense

Brief synopsis: A man running from his past enters Napa Valley to make a new start. A simple life as a computer repair technician. A nice plan if he can make it work. Not an easy task for a person who is magnetically attracted to trouble.

My thoughts about this story as a reader: As I was reading this story, I seem to feel the main character’s highs and lows. I’m not sure if I was relating to the character or the situations. Either way, it made for a significantly different reading experience for me. I’d recommend to fellow readers to not read this as you are trying to get to sleep. There will come a point when you simply will not be able to stop or sleep until you finish it.

My thoughts about this story as an author: I think that Mr. Diamond made the right choice in presenting this story from the first-person perspective. In that way, the reader only saw what the narrator saw, heard, and felt as events unfolded.

If you missed it, Mr. Diamond’s Gate 76 was my first NetGalley review and the first time I read his work. I'm sure I'll read even more of his work in the future. If you'd like to learn more about the author and/or his books, you can visit any of the following links.

Blog posts

Facebook page
 
Website
 
Stolen Time Press

 
Thank you for taking the time to read this review. If you know anyone who would love to read this book, feel free to share this blog post with them.
 
Lynn Hallbrooks
Author-Reader-Cheerleader
Founder Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLC

The alternative career of Dilkerton Thallawell by Jim Webster #BlogTour #EpicFantasy #ShortStory #Books #FamilyDrama

Welcome everyone. Jim Webster is once again on tour, sharing some tales from Tallis Steelyard. Today's story is The alternative career of Dilkerton Thallawell.

Dilkerton was a member of the great Thallawell legal family. To be fair his life was comparatively conventional, if only because he was somebody who instinctively tried to conform. So he went into the family legal practice, married a nice young lady and they had two delightful daughters. So whilst he worked hard, he made sure that he was home from work early enough to spend time with the family.
Now he wasn’t a great courtroom performer. On the other hand he had a real genius for cutting through to the crux of the case and working out what were the real issues. Indeed the partnership decided that his analytical mind was wasted on courtroom histrionics. Instead he would examine the case when it arrived with the partnership and then, when it was assigned to a partner, he would go through it with them and explain it. Even old Tildus Thallawell, the senior partner, and considered by many to be the finest legal mind in Port Naain, would discuss his cases with young Dilkerton.
This led to Dilkerton being much in demand, and the pressure was on him to work longer hours. He put this off as long as possible, but the girls were older, well into their teens, and his wife pointed out that there were going to be a lot of large expenditures to face soon. Daughters don’t get cheaper to keep as they grow older. So somewhat reluctantly, Dilkerton started working longer hours. To be brutally honest at this point, he did love the work so that side of it was no hardship. Initially he stuck strictly to his days off but his wife pointed out that if he could get money tucked away with his usurer now, once the girls were married and away, then they could relax a bit and spend more time together. This seemed reasonable, indeed it was a goal Dilkerton could work towards. So he threw himself into work. Indeed his wife arranged with the partnership to put up a bed in his office for him and every day somebody came in with a complete set of clean clothes and took away the previous set. Similarly, three times a day a lady arrived with his meals.
He settled down nicely into his new routine, his wife would send him a pleasant note every so often letting him know how things were going, and he set out to put aside enough money. He was lucky in that the partnership had a number of complex but fascinating cases. On the strength of his part in these, the Council of Sinecurists asked him to produce a codification of Port Naain commercial law.
He produced the first volume, ‘The rights, duties and perquisites of the Legal Person in Port Naain law’ in a couple of months. He was helped in this because he’d been prompted to do the research because of the complexities of one of the cases he was working on anyway. The second volume was, ‘The law of Land and Property, including inheritance and the duties and privileges of Landowners, absolute, qualified or possessory. The third volume was, ‘Maritime law, including maintenance and cure, reasonable care of passengers, maritime liens and mortgages, salvage, and piracy’. Legal experts seem to regard this as his magnum opus. Certainly it was immediately accepted within Port Naain. Indeed it was also adopted within a month of publication in Prae Ducis. Apparently well-thumbed and hand-written copies of the piracy sections have been seen being passed around rough bars in Ulwin and Rothturning. 
I’m not sure how long this had been going on when he found, in his morning’s post, a letter from his usurer. It was an apologetic missive, it merely informed him that unless he could send funds immediately they would not be able to honour his monthly standing order to the Goldclaw Baths and Laundry. This came as a shock to him as he hadn’t realised he had such a standing order. He questioned the person who brought his clean clothes. Dilkerton had rather assumed that the chap was somebody from his household, sent each day by Dilkerton’s wife. It turned out that he was from the Goldclaw Baths and Laundry. Later that day he discovered that the woman bringing his meals was Madam Balgot, who had quite a nice business providing decent meals for men too busy to leave their desks. After he had finished his lunch he left the building and walked to his usurer’s offices. There he asked to see the ledger of his account. On the input side he could see the money he was earning, pouring into the account like a river. Unfortunately on the other side of the ledger he could see money pouring out like the retreating tide. He looked more carefully at where the money was going. Goldclaw and Madam Balgot were there, being paid their quite reasonable sums. Rather more surprising was the fact that judging by the sums disbursed, he was apparently the sole support for three of the city’s more prestigious ladies’ dress shops. Then to his genuine shock he discovered that he’d also opened an account in the last three months with a gentleman’s outfitter.
It was a remarkably thoughtful Dilkerton Thallawell who made his way home (to his house, not the office). He did wonder whether he would even be able to get into the house, but there appeared to be a ball in progress so he could stroll in unremarked. He found the situation disconcerting. He didn’t recognise the servants, he didn’t recognise the guests, and even the décor was strange to him. He suddenly had an irrational fear that he’d inadvertently slept for a century and was now surrounded entirely by strangers. As unobtrusively as possible he made his way through the house to where there appeared to be dancing.
Standing near the door he watched the dancers. He could see his wife dancing with a rather handsome gentleman. He turned to the man standing next to him. “Who’s the gentleman dancing with Madam Thallawell?”
“Damned if I remember his name, but I think he’s the favourite to be the widow’s next husband.”
A little dryly Dilkerton said, “I hadn’t realised she was a widow.” He thought briefly and asked, “Did she have any children by her first husband?”
“Yes, two daughters, but they both married in the last twelve months.”
Somewhat shocked by what he’d heard, Dilkerton made his way out. He noticed a copy of the Port Naain Intelligencer on the table in the hall, and for perhaps the first time in his life, when he looked at the date, he checked the year first. Much to his relief the paper and he agreed on the day, month and year.
Next morning he left instructions that any income from his codification of the law should be paid to the Order of Illuminated Seditionists. He took leave of absence from work, took his current month’s salary in cash and walked out of the office and headed for the Roskadil Ferry. Eight hours later he was at the home of a client he’d always got on well with.
Next morning he started work. He watches over his employer’s horrocks, for which he gets a cottage and three meals a day. As he watches over his charges, Dilkerton will carve small animals from wood, just as he used to when his daughters were little.
During the evenings he reads a lot. Every so often he will send me a bag of the animals he’s carved and I’ll sell them for him. Then I’ll go to Alen Gaetz’s second-hand book shop. There I’ll buy as many fifty-dreg tales of derring-do and romance set amongst the bandit chieftains of Partann as the carved wooden animals would pay for. He trusted me to do this properly, as I had a list of the books I’d taken to him previously.
His wife I never really knew so cannot really say what happened to her. She wasn’t the sort of person to patronise poets. But Dilkerton didn’t leave her penniless. As a partner there would be his annual share of the profits. Although paid quite some time in arrears, there’d be enough for a lady living quietly in a small house. It might even be enough to pay somebody to come in two or three days a week to do the washing and cleaning.
A message from Jim Webster:

So here I am again with another blog tour. I’ve released two collections of short stories from Tallis and if you’ve enjoyed the one you just read, you’ll almost certainly enjoy these.
So what have Tallis and I got for you?

Well first there’s, ‘Tallis Steelyard. A guide for writers, and other stories.’ The book that all writers who want to know how to promote and sell their books will have to read. Sit at the feet of the master as Tallis passes on the techniques which he has tried and perfected over the years. As well as this you’ll have music and decorum, lessons in the importance of getting home under your own steam, and brass knuckles for a lady. How can you resist, all this for a mere 99p. 

Amazon UK
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Amazon US ​Then we have, ‘Tallis Steelyard. Gentlemen behaving badly, and other stories.’ Now is your chance to see Port Naain by starlight and meet ladies of wit and discernment. There are Philosophical societies, amateur dramatics, the modern woman, revenge, and the advantages of a good education. 

Amazon UK

Amazon US

So come on, treat yourself, because you’re worth it. Below is a list of other stories and their scheduled dates. If you enjoy reading Epic Fantasy, these will be a real treat all for the price of a few clicks and perhaps a book or two?

A fine residence - July 14, 2019

A man who doesn’t pay his bills never lacks for correspondence - July 15, 2019

Be careful what you pretend to be - July 16, 2019

Call yourself a writer -  July 17, 2019

Every last penny - July 18, 2019
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It all comes out in the wash - July 19, 2019

Noteworthy - July 20, 2019

Oblige - July 21, 2019

Performance art - July 22, 2019

The automated caricordia of Darset Dweel - July 24, 2019

The dark machinations of Flontwell Direfountain - July 25, 2019

Thoroughly married - July 26, 2019

Water under the bridge - July 27, 2019

Who you know, not what you know - July 28, 2019

My compliments to Tallis Steelyard and Jim Webster for sharing their time and their stories with us. A "tip of the hat" to my fellow bloggers for their time and shares.

Lynn Hallbrooks
Author-Reader-Cheerleader
Founder of Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLC 
Can be found on Twitter as @LHallbrooks

A Sale to Celebrate Life and Books

I recently realized that all three members of the current Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLC author team have birthdays in June. I won't be giving away birth dates or ages but I did think it was a wonderful reason to celebrate. The best part is you get in on great deals. 

Call Sign: Wrecking Crew Storm Warning was the first book published and is the name sake for the compa...

Stories of Love & Death #Romance #War #History #DoubleCrossLit

This month, Double-Cross Lit's theme is Love & Death. The stories featured in this sales event contain something to do with military, history, and/or romance.
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The sale will start on 21 June 2019 and run through 23 June 2019. The eBooks will be available for 99 cents USD or its equivalent. Box sets will be $1.99 USD or its equivalent. Stop by Double Cross Lit this weekend and see if there is anything that you just can't live without.  

Happy Reading,

Lynn Hallbrooks
Author-Reader-Cheerleader
​Founder of Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLC

Forrest Fenn's Treasure Remote Viewed #BookSeries by Kiwi Joe #BookReview #Nonfiction #RealLifeMystery

Book 1 of series Book 2 of series There are times when I read a book simply because a friend suggested it. This is one of those times. Kiwi Joe's book series introduced me to a real-life mystery and his call to action intrigued me. 
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Kiwi Joe, among other things, is a remote viewer who has helped many different clients. A recent client requested his help in regards to Forrest Fenn in particular, his ability to remote view the treasure that was hidden in 2010. The information he gathered inspired him to write these books. After seeking permission from his client, he spent some of his own time remote viewing and put together some images that are now viewable by his readers. In my opinion, they are enough to help those already on the trail of the treasure as well as pique interest in those new to the venture. 

Brief book series synopsis: In book 1, The Chest, part 1, Kiwi Joe provides a brief introduction of remote viewing and the ongoing search for Forrest Fenn's treasure. In part 2, he provides his impressions of the chest, what's inside, and the area immediately surrounding it. Book 2, The Location, briefly recaps information then goes on to provide Kiwi Joe's impressions of the location of the treasure.

My thoughts as a reader: When I read book 1, I was intrigued by the information but at times I felt it may have been a bit over my head. It could simply have been me and therefore I gave the book a 4-star review. When I read book 2, things started clicking in place - so perhaps the recapping worked. By the end of it, I found myself wanting to help solve the mystery. That's why I gave it a 5-star review.

My thoughts as an author: Nonfiction books are not at all like fiction books. It isn't easy to share what you may have spent a lifetime acquiring. You want to provide the facts but not tread on information that others have already shared. It's a tricky balance. That aside because a particular reader doesn't get what the author is saying the first time through is not necessarily a reflection of what the author wrote. It may have more to do with how the reader's life's journey connects (literally or figuratively) with what they have read. 

My recommendation: If you love being a part of solving real-life mysteries, or perhaps remote viewing is your thing, then pick up these books. Read through at your own pace. If you feel the books are worthy of a review, then share your thoughts on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever you feel is appropriate.

Afterword: If you read these books and they help you find the treasure, contact Kiwi Joe via the email address he provides inside the books. He looks forward to adding your photos of the treasure chest and the location to the two books. 

Happy Reading and Mystery Solving,

Lynn Hallbrooks
Author-Reader-Cheerleader
Founder of Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLC