Ian Conner's Blog: Ian Conner Reviews, page 4
October 18, 2022
OCT 19 EXPRESSO TOURS Forever Bound by Jessica Dall
Genres: Adult, Romance, Time-Travel
Purchase: Will be found here come release day: https://amzn.to/3Mv88Wa
From the minute Bridget Marshall began renovating the old Irish Castle she bought outside the Village of Shansally, Ireland (pop. 119) she’d been on the verge of being labeled another “Silly American.” But after years of managing other people’s hotels, she’s ready to run one herself. And nothing will get in her way, not even her grumpy next-door neighbor, Liam O’Flannagain.Soon, though, the dream Bridget’s been waiting for is becoming a living nightmare. The renovations, not to mention the budget, are out of control, and someone—or something—is determined to get her out of the castle. And if that wasn’t enough, whenever she’s with Liam, the castle’s ancient past seems to come roaring to life, sweeping them along in a story they’re apparently destined to relive.If she is to uncover the castle’s secrets, Bridget will need Liam’s help to figure out exactly how they’re connected…before the tragic past repeats itself.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62711666-forever-boundPurchase:Will be found here come release day: https://amzn.to/3Mv88Wa
AUTHOR BIO:
Jessica Dall finished her first novel at the age of fifteen and has been hooked on writing ever since. In the past few years, she has published a mix of fantasy and historical fiction novels, along with a number of short stories that have appeared in both magazines and anthologies.In college, Jessica interned at a publishing house, where her “writing hobby” slowly turned into a variety of writing careers, including creative writing teacher and, her current job, content editor for a small press.When not busy editing or writing, Jessica enjoys crafting and piano, and spending time with her friends and family. She can most often be found at her home in Maryland with a notebook, her much-loved, sometimes-neglected husband, and toddler.Author links:https://jessicadall.com/https://www.facebook.com/jessicadall/https://www.instagram.com/jessicadallauthor/https://twitter.com/JessicaDallhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3301144.Jessica_Dall
October 16, 2022
OCT 18 R&R Book Tours ISLE OF DRAGONS LA THOMPSON
Genre: YA Fantasy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A jaw-dropping sequel to Readers’ Favorite Award Winner of 2021.
L.A. Thompson’s iconic steampunk heroine is back in this richly imaginative quest to find a mysterious magic library that holds the key to winning the war against the corrupt King Jarrod.
Watch steampunk technology and high fantasy witchcraft clash in this heroine’s fast-paced,
epic journey to rescue her father and reveal the secrets of the noble court.
On the run from the royal army in a giant mechanical centipede, sixteen-year-old Jade Sol
embarks on a dangerous adventure to help her father escape from the Isle of Dragons—a land
of untamed magic that some believe only exists in myth.
When Jade is cornered by soldiers, a mysterious witch named Miria Atkins rescues her,
calling on ancient spirits from a magical realm to channel their mystical energy into light and
matter. Jade begs Miria and the sorceress’s mechanist brother, Dan, to join her quest. The
siblings resist at first, but their hearts soften when they hear of her father’s fate. Their own
parents had attempted an expedition from Vansh to the Isle of Dragons years ago and never
returned. Together, the trio journey across the feudal countryside and trek across the sea to
become the first humans to reach the elusive Isle of Dragons… or so they think.
Die-hard readers of Angelique S. Anderson’s Dracosinum Tales and Jessica Drake’s Dragon
Riders of Elantia series will find L. A. Thompson’s writing magnetic, impassioned, and
clever in this novel’s twisting plot.
Add to Goodreads
Purchase:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B...
Author links:
L. A. Thompson always wanted to be a writer who created different worlds and characters
that would draw people in and take them into a time and space where they can forget their
worries for some time. Combining her love for fantasy and witchcraft, she writes about
historical periods and creates a world that is a mix of both technology and magic. L. A.
Thompson is a freelance writer and resides on the coast of Australia.
OCT 17 EXPRESSO BOOK BLITZ Under A Wicked Moon by Zoe Forward
They are the ultimate weapon. The ultimate secret. They are the Crown’s wolves. Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Purchase: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3eqV3Aw
Lycan Ky Lanzo is bound by the Crown’s command. His latest mission directive was deceptively simple. Get yourself caught. Now, Ky’s been bound, drugged, and collared by an unknown enemy in a facility that knows enough about him to neutralize his lycan strength and his telekinetic magic. But he’s not alone in his cell. Because there’s someone else with him. Someone exquisite. Someone altogether forbidden…
For Vivi Kinley, another month gone by means another full moon trapped in a cell with a moon-crazed lycan. There once was a time I’d never kill a living creature. Only, Ky is different. He’s powerful, latently sexy…and wanting him is dangerous trouble. Because sexual attraction is exactly what their captors want—and it’ll be an icy day in hell before she’ll allow it.
Now, Vivi and Ky have one chance at escape and to discover what twisted organization did this to them—and make them pay. The good news is that Ky might have found his near-impossible lycan mate. The bad news is that she might be programmed to kill them all…
The The Crown’s Wolves series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Bad Moon Rising
Book #2 Under a Wicked Moon
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62328840-under-a-wicked-moonPurchase:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3eqV3Aw
AUTHOR BIO:
USA Today bestselling author, parent, wife, veterinarian, chocolate lover. Author of spicy paranormal and contemporary romances. Zoe Forward brings readers the perfect combination of action adventure, romance, humor and a bit of magic.Her novels have won numerous awards including the Prism, Readers' Choice Heart of Excellence, Golden Quill, Carolyn Readers Choice Award, and the Booksellers' Best Award.You can find her residing in the South with a menagerie of four-legged beasts and two wild kids.See the latest on Zoe's website: http://www.zoeforward.comDon't miss the newsletter: http://www.zoeforward.com/contact/Author links:http://www.zoeforward.com/https://www.instagram.com/zoeforward/https://www.facebook.com/authorzoe.forward/https://www.bookbub.com/authors/zoe-forwardhttps://amzn.to/3eusHpchttps://twitter.com/AuthorZForwardhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6591244.Zoe_Forward
BLACK RAPTOR BOOK REVIEW SOLAR WARDEN BOOK 3: GENESIS by Peter Fuller
Solar Warden - Genesis
by Peter Fuller
Book Baby --Kindle $5.99 Paperback $25.00
422 pages ISBN-13 : 978-1667856063 Published: Nov 9, 2022
Fuller’s military experience is on full display in his writing. Well researched, this continuing series makes the reader believe they are standing on the deck of a carrier in space.
As a former Infantry Soldier, I was able to quickly identify with the nuances and not so subtle traces of military lingo. Fuller hints at betrayal, a possibility the team could be caught unawares by one of their own. This mystery is hinted at almost from the start. Our protagonists have a mystery of their own and slowly the details of their secrets are revealed.
Public knowledge, fiction designed to look like history and actual history, Fuller intertwines all these to fit into a convincing narrative. He uses dialogue in a completely convincing manner. Seamlessly linking his past works, this on and laying a believable trail to the next. Fuller’s characters are well defined and evolve over the course of the story. Unlike so many sci-fi writers who focus solely on world-building Fuller also develops his characters leading to an authentic story.
The books atmosphere is clearly military but just as clear is Fuller’s use of his characters, intertwining current events into the future. Fuller’s plot is chocked full of surprises. Indeed, he makes the grey’s and the reptilian antagonists seem all too real. With several subplots and mysteries, Fuller’s writing if filled with intrigue that catches the readers by the fingernails and pulls them along at full speed.
Fuller’s writing is great from the start, entertaining to the end. Highly Recommended.
Ian Conner Black Raptor Reviews Five Stars
Reviewed on October 16, 2022
https://www.amazon.com/Solar-Warden-Book-Three-Genesis/dp/1667856065
Award winning author Peter Fuller worked in the Military History Department of the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for eight years. He has studied military history for decades. Over the years, he's written numerous articles and lectured at major museums and universities on the subject of military history. He has also been a regular panelist at NORWESCON since 2017.
Mr. Fuller has studied the UFO phenomenon since grade school. He is a member of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) and has had a few "close encounters" of his own. He recently interviewed the son of a US military officer about his late father's work on several special access projects for the secret space program.
OCT 16 R&R Book Tours DIVISION X by August Hill
Visit Reads & Reels or R&R Book Tours
https://www.amazon.com/Division-X-Aug...
Twenty-four years old, no job, and kicked out by her parents, Randi Matheson is living at her aunt and uncle’s trying her hardest to complete a novel she can’t seem to start when a carnivorous monster interrupts her middling life on a full moon night. Attacked during an ordinary family dinner, Randi’s relatives are murdered, and she is bitten by the beast. Surviving the slaughter, Randi returns home to her distressed family only to become a monster herself under the next full moon. Nearly devouring her younger brother, she is stopped by the intervention of Division X, a company devoted to the killing and capture of paranormal threats. She awakens in a containment cell the next morning to be given an ultimatum… work for them as a new weapon in the fight against evil or be dissected. A cure to her lycanthropy is promised along the way, and with real motivation to stay alive, Randi pushes herself to the brink to return to her normal life. Small town horrors lie in wait with even smaller heroes to stand against them. Can Randi save them and herself, or will everything crumble to the wills of evil?
https://www.amazon.com/Division-X-Aug...
Excerpt:
I’m not me when I kill people. At least, that’s what I tell myself. I wake up, and I know I’ve done something horrible. My hands are covered in blood, my clothes are gone, and my stomach feels full. I don’t remember what I did. All I remember is the pain. It’s impossible to forget.
It starts with the fur. It spreads like fire, melting me. My bones go next, shifting, changing, breaking. I always cry, always scream, but I can live with the pain. I can’t live with what comes next. Something takes control and pushes me into the dark. I sleep a dreamless sleep, and when I wake up, the nightmare begins.
I don’t know them, the people I’ve killed, the ones I’ve eaten. But I do know they weren’t all bad. I live with the pain because I deserve it.
After receiving an education at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, August Hill started writing Division X, a supernatural horror filled with dark humor, adventure, and sinister creatures that leap off the pages.
His love for all things spooky and scary was unleashed when he discovered Jurassic Park at four years old and the R. L. Stine Goosebumps collection in elementary school. He holds a huge appreciation for 80’s horror and is partial to fun, dark, and witty ensemble casting with younger heroes. Some of his favorite influences include The Lost Boys, Aliens, Gremlins, and An American Werewolf in London to name a few.
Hill’s knack for writing fiction emerged at an early age when he wrote stories for his own enjoyment. He is a collector of horror films and is a board game enthusiast. When not writing, he can be found walking trails with his dog, enjoying movie nights with friends, spending time playing video games, and camping in Maine.
August Hill | Instagram | Twitter
October 15, 2022
The Unlikely Spy
Publication Date: August 21st, 2022
Genre: Spy Thriller/ Historical Romance/ Historical Fiction
Casablanca meets Notorious in a Hitchcock-style thriller of espionage, romance, adventure, and intrigue.
1917. Emma Christensen is a young widow who returns to the Danish West Indies to reclaim the life and the villa she left behind. When she discovers her husband has disinherited her in favor of his young heir—an illegitimate son—she turns to the one thing she knows, gambling, and soon finds herself deeply in debt.
Emma is approached by Cornelius Smith, a representative of an American shipping line, who offers an alternative: infiltrate the suspicious Hamburg-American Line and spy on its nefarious leader, Julius Luckner, to gain valuable business intelligence for his firm.
It doesn’t take long for Emma to realize that both Smith and Luckner are not as they seem. Close to the Allies but even closer to the enemy, Emma bravely engages in missions that could blow her cover at any moment. But with the Panama Canal at stake, how far will she go to help the Allies?
A gripping and suspenseful World War I spy thriller from an accomplished thriller and historical adventure writer.
Excerpt
From the moment she left the telegraph office, Emma had an eerie feeling that someone was following her. It stayed with her all the way back to the hotel. She felt as if someone was watching her every move although she was quite certain she had slipped past the German in the lobby.
When she returned to her hotel, waited impatiently for Smith’s cable. She called down to the front desk numerous times to ask if any message had arrived for her, but the answer was always no. With no other recourse, she went to bed, tossing and turning half the night, fearing that something terrible had happened to Allendorf and now she was all alone. This was completely unexpected. For several agonizing hours she pondered what she should do, but couldn’t come up with a viable plan. The Germans were watching her every move. She was basically trapped in her hotel room, and Smith was counting on her to complete her mission. But no one could have foreseen such a reversal.
As the hours ticked by, she had an ominous feeling she couldn’t shake, that her life was hanging in the balance. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she had an unsettling feeling that would not quit.
When she could no longer tolerate her insomnia, she picked up the phone and ordered a chamomile tea from room service, hoping it would calm her jangling nerves. When the drink arrived, she splashed a bit of rum in it from her trusty flask. Yet she still had a nagging feeling that something was wrong.
Her eyes fell on her purse. It sat on the nightstand near her bed, just within her reach. She opened it, took out the pistol, and rehearsed priming it so she could use it in a tight spot. She needed to have the movements go like clockwork. There was no room for failure in this business. Luckily it only weighed two pounds. That made slipping it into her pocket easier. The magazine was already loaded with seven bullets. Seven chances to save her life. She gripped the pistol in her right hand and racked the slide, then added a bullet to the barrel. Now it was ready. She flicked the lever to “safe” and set the pistol down on the nightstand. Perhaps now she could sleep.
She lay down, pulled the sheet around her, and turned off the light. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, but she could not fall asleep.
Outside, the moon cast a luminous glow on the surroundings. Crickets croaked their nightly serenade and the stars lit up the heavens. The palm fronds billowed in the breeze. The waves crashing on the rocks sent an ominous warning. Emma found it difficult to sleep in a different bed, and impossible to relax when she had so much on her mind, so much responsibility on her shoulders.
She got up and peered outside. Despite the late hour, there were still people milling about, laughing and heading to restaurants and casinos. Horse carriages trotted past while motorcars meandered down the streets, their glowing lights like the eyes of a puma. Sounds of amusement echoed from the restaurant below. Lights shone from the ships in Manzanillo Bay, creating a scene that was idyllic, almost peaceful. Further out, she could see the lights on the ships waiting to enter the canal. There was a long line of them that suspended off to the horizon. Each one had its own purpose and destination. Each one could be sunk at any time by German torpedoes or hidden bombs. She shivered. An explosion along the canal would cause chaos for the Allies. The Kaiser would gloat in his victory. His generals and their underlings would launch even more attacks. Emma could picture Luckner in his office toasting his triumph, patting himself on the back even as the embers of the canal still glowed.
She went back to bed and covered herself with the sheet, trying to block out her worries. But it was impossible. She had a sense of impending doom. And for some strange reason, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
Suddenly she heard a scratching noise near her door. A man’s footsteps shuffled just outside. She froze and listened, not daring to move. Someone was fumbling with the lock, trying to break in. She sat up in bed, listening. She felt her heart stop. Yes, somebody was trying to break in.
She fumbled in the dark for her pistol. She grabbed it, flicked the safety to “fire” then eased herself off the bed. Crouching down on the floor, she listened as the noise continued ever so slightly that it was barely detectable. She sat behind the bed, aiming the pistol, not daring to breathe.
The latch turned and the door opened, allowing just enough light from the hallway to illuminate the figure of a man entering her room. When he was inside, he closed the door behind him and latched it. Her eyes widened. He tiptoed toward the bed and raised his hands as if to attack. Emma’s heart pounded as she released the pistol break and held her breath.
Available on Amazon!
About the Author
Sophie Schiller was born in Paterson, NJ. She is a novelist and a poet. She loves stories that carry the reader back in time to exotic and far-flung locations. Kirkus Reviews has called her “an accomplished thriller and historical adventure writer.” Publishers Weekly called her novel, ISLAND ON FIRE, “a memorable romantic thriller”, her novel RACE TO TIBET, “a thrilling yarn,” and her TRANSFER DAY, “a page-turner with emotional resonance.” Her novel, THE LOST DIARY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON, was called, “an engaging coming-of-age story of heartbreak, bravery, honor, and triumph” by Kirkus Reviews. She graduated from American University, Washington, DC and lives in New York.
@SophieSchiller @RRBookTours1 #RRBookTours #TheUnlikelySpy
#HistoricalFiction
@rrbooktours #rrbooktours #theunlikelyspy #historicalromance #historicalfictionbooks
Oct 15 BOOK BLITZ Magissa by Kassandra Flamouri
Synopsis:
“…a stirring combination of real-world Greece and supernatural overtones…the perfect amount of magic and monsters.” – Verified Reviewer “…an exciting adventure of magic, loss, and healing.” – Verified Reviewer
For as long as she can remember, Chrysa Markou has longed for Pyrga, her native village in the mountains of Greece. But she never thought she would return like this—an orphan, crushed by grief and wracked with guilt over her parents’ deaths. Even surrounded by family, she feels like a xeni—a foreigner. A stranger.All she wants is to belong, but Chrysa instead finds herself beset by vicious gossip, family secrets, and a magical heritage that could derail the future her parents wanted for her. To make matters worse, the one responsible for orphaning Chrysa has returned to unleash a reign of supernatural terror over her new home.With the help of a handsome but moody Seer and a pair of burly guard dogs, Chrysa scrambles to protect her village from an onslaught of dark creatures commanded by her parents’ murderer. As the noose of the killer’s malice draws tighter, Chrysa grapples with festering doubts: Is she the victim, the hero…or the true cause of her people’s suffering?Triumph over evil seems worth any cost, until it threatens to unravel everything Chrysa believed she was fighting for.Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55626964-magissaPurchase:Amazon: https://amzn.to/3CPcaW0B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/magissa-kassandra-flamouri/1140158131?ean=9781956136364iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/magissa/id1585696003Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/magissa
Author links:
https://www.flamourifiction.com/
https://www.instagram.com/flamourific/
https://www.facebook.com/flamourifiction
https://mobile.twitter.com/flamourific
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17912140.Kassandra_Flamouri
October 13, 2022
OCT 13 BOOK BLITZ Sky Over Mountain & Memory by JB Lassalle
A painter with a mystical talent. An adventurer with a lifelong quest. Can they survive a brush with danger and find the love they lost in their youth?
Amelie pretends she’s content with her small business outside New Orleans. But despite her magical ability to create paintings anyone can travel through, she yearns for the love that never was. So when the boy she rescued as a child by sending him through her canvas returns as a handsome man in need of her aid, the aimless artist is startled by the flood of unexpected emotions.
Rav’s quest feels never-ending. Having escaped an abusive father through the hidden world Amelie opened for him, he’s dedicated his life to fulfilling his mother’s deathbed request. A request that has taken him across the globe, searching for an enchanted treasure. But when the object he’s seeking eludes him, he returns to the painter who saved him as a child… and discovers she’s all grown up.
Agreeing to paint the landscape to complete Rav’s epic journey breathes new life into Amelie’s world. But when the stakes are raised, Rav must answer the ultimate question: which treasure is more precious?
Sky Over Mountain and Memory is the adventure-filled first book in the Enchanted Elements fantasy romance series. If you like childhood friends to lovers, low steam slow burn romances, and dangerous mystical quests, then you’ll adore JB Lassalle’s exciting new world.
Buy Sky Over Mountain and Memory for a unique shade of fantasy today!
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62950398-sky-over-mountain-and-memoryPurchase Here!
*OCT 14 EXPRESSO TOURS COVER REVEAL* WINTER DRAGON-OLENA NIKITIN
Preorder NOW
https://www.amazon.com/Winter-Dragon-...
Some victories are more costly than others, and Ina was the one that paid the price.Determined to rescue her dragon, the newly appointed royal witch embarks on a gruelling journey through the wintery Grey Mountains. The weather is not her only obstacle, as the enemy forces gathered in the kobold mines have only one goal.To capture the Chaos mage and deliver her to the heart of the mountain.With the help of Sa’Ren, Ina arrives at Castle Liath almost unscathed, but her joy is short-lived, as its granite walls hide a shocking revelation.With blossoming love shattered by a possessive dragon’s claim and an impossible mission to fulfil, will the mysterious Blessing of the Mountain help or hinder her efforts to protect Cornovii? Immerse yourself in the second book of Season’s War, where passion mix with cruelty and the world-changing power is buried deep in the ancient tomb guarded by the stern Mountain God.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62977885-winter-dragon
Ian Conner Reviews
Contact me! Ian@BlackRaptorBooks.com
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