Harmony Kent's Blog, page 18

Find Harmony on the Voice of Indie #Podcast @VoiceOfIndie @FreshInkGroup to listen to the recording now on BlogTalk Radio, I Heart, Radio, Tune In and more!

Hi everyone! Happy Monday! In case you missed the live playing of my fun podcast with Stephen Geez and Beem weeks last week, you can find the show and have a listen in lots of places, which I list below!  I’ve also embedded the YouTube recording here on this page >>>

StephenGeez.com: https://stephengeez.com/podcast/voice-of-indie-episode-116-10-19-2022-kent/
FreshInkGroup.com: https://freshinkgroup.com/fig-podcasts/voice-of-indie-episode-116-10-19-22-kent/
BeemWeeks.com: https://beemweeks.com/podcast/voice-of-indie-116-10-19-22/
BlogTalkRadio: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/voiceofindie1/2022/10/20/voice-of-indie-episode-116
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5rEdbhhkpZVrBpCfmDZ2K6
I Heart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-thevoiceofindie-102023320/episode/voice-of-indie-episode-116-103511288/
Tune In: https://tunein.com/podcasts/TheVoiceOfIndie-p1805865/?topicId=202719103
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmxvZ3RhbGtyYWRpby5jb20vdm9pY2VvZmluZGllMS9wb2RjYXN0/episode/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5ibG9ndGFsa3JhZGlvLmNvbS92b2ljZW9maW5kaWUxLzIwMjIvMTAvMjAvdm9pY2Utb2YtaW5kaWUtZXBpc29kZS0xMTY?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwio0uj-1u_6AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

 

The show is archived now, and will be available whenever you fancy a listen and have the time! Thanks for all your support, everyone. Have a wonderful week! 

The post Find Harmony on the Voice of Indie #Podcast @VoiceOfIndie @FreshInkGroup to listen to the recording now on BlogTalk Radio, I Heart, Radio, Tune In and more! first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

#BookReview: When the Moongates Grew Over: The Last Sun-Born by Kate Frantz @greatiskate @bookroar_tweets

Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for an author I came across via a book review site, BookRoar: When the Moongates Grew Over: The Last Sun-Born  by Kate Frantz >>>

About the Book:

Lewel was born in the dark. Her sun-born identity hidden in lies and isolation. A life suffocated by fear of what the moon-born must do if they discovered the truth. Yet Lewel was not destined to remain in the shadows. There was a true evil barreling into the world that only she could stop. Embarking on a suicide mission that would test her merit, Lewel finds herself discovering the joy of friendship even while facing the grief of fate. As the ancient text prophesies: When the moon dances Upon open palm Thy destiny is glory. For Lewel, glory could only come by way of death.  

My Review:

A gripping read but lacks resolution at the end.

I haven’t come across this writer before, but the title, cover, and book description all pulled me in, so I grabbed a Kindle copy.

‘Ithriel wailed as they snatched the child from her grasp.’ … this tense opening line in the prologue shows us characters we don’t meet again in the main narrative; however, it sets up the world and its rules in a wonderfully succinct way, which is a great use of a prologue. From here, in Chapter One, we meet the main character, Lewel, right as her life is about to change drastically. 

Sun-born, Lewel has been kept hidden away all her life and told she’s an abomination. Then two moon-born strangers come to the tiny hut she’s spent her life in and take her away. From here, Lewel is faced with a barrage of new information and has to decide what’s true and what isn’t. Everyone she meets seems to have an agenda, and lies and deception abound, as does danger and challenge.

The characterisation and world building is well done, and some lovely descriptive sentences give the narrative a nice flow. Unfortunately, the writing also suffers from grammar and punctuation issues, as well as passive writing, missing words, and the over use of filler words.

The plot and pacing are great, right up until the end, where the story finishes abruptly with a ‘to be continued’ announcement. None of the plot threads so wonderfully woven are resolved or tied off at all. This makes the book feel like the set up for a story rather than a finished piece with a beginning, middle, and an end. All of which have left me frustrated as a reader. 

This mixture of fantastic and frustrating makes it difficult for me to rate this read. Some of it is brilliant while other bits need work. In a case such as this, I find it helps me to break the writing down into separate elements, rate those, then add the scores together and divide by the number of elements to give me an average. Here goes …

 

Plot and Pacing … 5

World building … 5

Characterisation … 4

Grammar, punctuation, etc. … 2

Dialogue … 3.5

Finale/Resolution … 1

 

This gives us 20.5 divided by 6 = near enough 3.5, which I round up to 4 stars for rating purposes. With some tweaking, I can see this as an absolute gem of a read that would get an easy, solid 5 stars. Kate Frantz is definitely an author to watch, and I look forward to seeing her future works.

I enjoyed this read immensely and finished it quickly. If you don’t mind a wide-open ending and waiting for the next book in the series, then definitely go and buy this book!

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

I’d love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by

 

For anyone interested, here are the Amazon links …

UK … https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

US … https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

 

The post #BookReview: When the Moongates Grew Over: The Last Sun-Born by Kate Frantz @greatiskate @bookroar_tweets first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

Harmony is on the Voice of Indie #Podcast @VoiceOfIndie @FreshInkGroup

 

Hi everyone! Exciting news today … I’m on a podcast this evening with Beem Weeks and Stephen Geez! I’m so excited, now I’m over my nerves, lols.

Because I’m about 5 hours ahead of Eastern US time, we had to pre-record, and I won’t be on the live tweet stream when it airs at 8pm ET today … it will be about 02:00 AM my time, lols! … but I’ll be sure to look at the feed in the morning when I’m somewhat more awake and with it.  We had such a fun time doing the recording, and Beem and Stephen were wonderful to chat with.

 

You can find the show HERE at 8pm ET, when it airs, and it will also be available to listen to anytime once it’s aired. Enjoy!

 

Thanks for all your support, everyone

 

You can find Beem at his blog HERE.

You can find Stephen at his blog HERE.

 

The post Harmony is on the Voice of Indie #Podcast @VoiceOfIndie @FreshInkGroup first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

#BookReview: You Don’t Know What War Is by Yeva Skalietska @KidsBloomsbury @NetGalley #UkraineRussiaWar

Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for a young, debut author: Yeva Skalietska.

I received a free Advanced Review Copy of this book from NetGalley >>>

About the Book:

Everyone knows the word ‘war’. But very few understand what it truly means. When you find you have to face it, you feel totally lost, walled in by fright and despair. Until you’ve been there, you don’t know what war is.

This is the gripping, urgent and moving diary of young Ukrainian refugee Yeva Skalietska. It follows twelve days in Ukraine that changed 12-year-old Yeva’s life forever. She was woken in the early hours to the terrifying sounds of shelling. Russia had invaded Ukraine, and her beloved Kharkiv home was no longer the safe haven it should have been. It was while she and her granny were forced to seek shelter in a damp, cramped basement that Yeva decided to write down her story. And it is a story that the world needs to hear.

Yeva captured the nation’s heart when she was featured on Channel 4 News with her granny as they fled Ukraine for Dublin. In You Don’t Know What War Is, Yeva records what is happening hour-by-hour as she seeks safety and travels from Kharkiv to Dublin. Each eye-opening diary entry is supplemented by personal photographs, excerpts of messages between Yeva and her friends and daily headlines from around the world, while three beautifully detailed maps (by Kharkiv-native Olga Shtonda) help the reader track Yeva and her granny’s journey through Europe. You Don’t Know What War Is is a powerful insight into what conflict is like through the eyes of a child and an essential read for adults and older children alike.

 

My Review:

Utterly Compelling

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for a free ARC of this book.

You Don’t Know What War Is, is the dairy of a 12-year-old Ukrainian girl, Yeva Skalietska, and it covers her experiences of war from her birthday—a few days before Russia invaded—through the early days of the invasion and heavy shelling of Kharkiv, and onward to after she and her grandmother have become two of the many refugees fleeing their home country.

From the foreword by Michael Morpurgo: ‘Yeva’s utterly compelling story stays with us: one young writer’s descent from everyday life into hell, and ultimately into salvation.’

Yeva’s experience and diary records certainly do stay with the reader. Her first entry shows us her youth and innocence… ‘I wake up early on the morning of 14 February. Today is my birthday. I’m twelve—almost a teenager!’ … Her excitement is palpable. Then, mere days later, Yeva writes: ‘All of a sudden, a massive rocket flew by and exploded with such force that I felt my heart go cold in my chest.’

The diary feels authentic with many of the words and phrases presented as you would expect from a twelve-year-old, and it seems the editors have, largely, left Yeva’s words untouched and true to her experience and expression. The only time I felt any intrusion into this was the point at which the reader is told: ‘I’ve been keeping a secret from this diary ever since we met the reporters.’ … This revelation was huge and would have changed how Yeva and her grandmother experienced and felt about all the events that had led up to that secret and beyond. For me, this undermined the authenticity of the read massively. I would have much preferred that the revelation had been given its proper place and significance in the telling of events. Being given this news when Yeva heard it, and getting her actual reaction, would have been real and brilliant. As it is, it feels jarring and deceptive. Was this an editorial decision? … I don’t know. But, for me, it would enhance rather than mar my experience of this read if the significant event was told in sequence.

As well as Yeva’s entries, we also see text messages between her and her friends. And this gives the reader more insight into how individual experiences of war can differ depending on viewpoint and location. Photographs, hand drawn maps, international news headlines, and detailed notes also help to add to the understanding of Yeva’s journey through Ukraine, Hungary, and eventually to Ireland.

Here are some lines which show this young writer’s skill …

‘Everything that seemed hard or bad in the past, becomes trivial.’

And …

‘Evenings are full of the unknown and swallow me whole with fear.’

And …

‘Do you enjoy fighting in cities, destroying everything in your wake, instead of fighting in the battlefields?’ … A great question, I feel!

The diary closes with short entries from some of Yeva’s friends, which I think is a wonderful thing to do. You Don’t Know What War Is gets five stars from me.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

I’d love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by

 

For anyone interested, here are the Amazon links …

UK … https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

US … https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1454949694/

 

The post #BookReview: You Don’t Know What War Is by Yeva Skalietska @KidsBloomsbury @NetGalley #UkraineRussiaWar first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

#BookReview: Rainer Razes Cain (Rainer Series Book 1) by Gregory R. Marshall @bookroar_tweets

Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for an author I came across via a book review site back in August last year: Torn Veil by Gregory R Marshall. You can find my four star review HERE. I enjoyed that read so much, I picked up another book of this author’s, and it didn’t disappoint >>>

About the Book:

Forced out of the police department after the disappearance of a dangerous suspect, Rainer Hase finds himself at a crossroads. When his former Lieutenant offers him a chance to extract a college girl from a cult, he sees it as a shot at redemption. Rainer soon finds that Cainstown is hiding monstrous secrets.

My Review:

A gritty action-thriller with relatable characters

‘After the incident, people never looked at Rainer the same way.’ From this intriguing opening line, we meet Rainer Hase, a good cop driven out of the force after a bizarre incident involving a car that disappeared into thin air. At a loose end, needing income, and desperate to regain some self-esteem, Rainer becomes a PI. Then is his former Lieutenant approaches him about the daughter of friends of his, who seems to have been reeled in by a cult.

Basically, this is a book that explores the divide between science and Christianity all while delivering a gritty action-thriller with relatable characters and an all too real scenario. The author brings us the fantastical as well as the macabre, and does it so well, I never once found myself having to suspend my disbelief. The plot is complex, the pacing fast, and the world-building and characterisation done excellently. At no point could I guess where this story would go or how the whole thing would end.

The only thing to let down this wonderful narrative are the numerous spelling mistakes and grammar hiccups. Basic things such as ‘phazed’ instead of ‘fazed’, etc., which get in the way too often. Still, the writing and overall story pulled me in so much, I still found myself fully immersed in this gripping read. Otherwise, the writing was well done with some wonderful descriptions and a fantastic thread of dark humour. Here are some lines I loved …

‘His whole existence lived in the space between simple traps and tazer zaps.’

And …

‘… This place could do with a woman’s touch.” | “I guess I was married to my work, but that bitch left me too.”‘

And …

‘You can’t make your insecurity into a cause.’

The ending rounded up the plot and threads nicely. My only complaint is that the mystery of the disappearing vehicle never seemed to get cleared up. I believe a sequel is on the way, so perhaps that will get addressed then. As you may have guessed by now, I enjoyed this book immensely, and Rainer Raises Cain gets five stars from me.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

I’d love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by

 

For anyone interested, here are the Amazon links …

UK … https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

US … https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

 

The post #BookReview: Rainer Razes Cain (Rainer Series Book 1) by Gregory R. Marshall @bookroar_tweets first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

#NewBook: The Midnight Rambler … wonderful #DarkHumour from author C. S. Boyack @virgilante @storyempire #LizzieandtheHat #series

Hi everyone. Today, it gives me great pleasure to have Craig Boyack, fellow author, Story Empire contributor, and friend, over to visit. Craig has a new book coming out, and it’s in one of my favourite series of his, Lizzie and the Hat. If you haven’t read any of these fun books yet, I urge you to give them a read! You’ll find them full of dark humour and puns. Here’s my review for The Hat, the first book of the series. If you haven’t discovered Craig’s Pinterest collection, it’s a must-see! He’s curated some fantastic images on there. You can find the links to all his social media at the bottom of this blog page. Without further ado, I’ll let Craig tell you all about his latest release …  

I appreciate you loaning me your space today, Harmony. If I can ever return the favor, I’d be honored.

I’m here to talk about The Midnight Rambler, but we’ll let the cover and blurb give you some specific details for that. I like to keep these posts unique, and today’s topic is dark humor.

There’s no doubt these stories are corny. I go out of my way to make them so. I put my main character, Lizzie, through a lot. She’s been shot, had to kill a friend, and more. People die in these stories, and it’s not often peaceful. That’s pretty descriptive of the dark. That’s why I try to include some light.

I’m a big lover of adding humor to tales like this. It might be a whistling in the graveyard approach, but I think it keeps them fresh. There are a lot of vampire stories out there, but only one Kevin with his speech impediment and fear of virtually everything. These stories all have a certain pull-my-finger quality to them.

This is the series where I add silly little graphics as section breaks. Lizzie and the hat have a certain kind of buddy-humor between the two of them. Things happen to Lizzie that are more mortifying than life threatening. One example from a previous tale is how her witch costume was compared to blackface when she showed up at the local witches coven after a comic book convention.

I like to include characters like Kevin, but also Lizzie’s mother, Star St. Laurent. She’s an old hippy and makes no bones about it. When I use her she always brings a certain something to the stories. I’ve added magical creatures like Noodles the Rottweiler/snapping turtle thing, who’s manic happy all the time to the point of craziness.

I intend to keep torturing Lizzie in absurd and painful ways, but I also intend to fill these tales with a bit of humor. If you think this sounds like Halloween fun, come on the hunt for The Midnight Rambler. There’s no prequisite reading, and you might decide to check out the back catalog once you finish.

 

About the Book:

 

Something evil is after the hat. The ageless enemies have battled many times, but this time Lizzie is wearing the hat. She’s also up against a ticking clock, in that if she can’t find the maker of her new friend’s medicine he will die.

The Rambler has kidnapped the only witch capable of making Ray’s medicine in an attempt to make the hat sloppy in his efforts. He’s also flooded the streets with deadly minions to impede any progress our heroes might make.

As if that weren’t enough, Lizzie is facing more of life’s struggles, both financially and mechanically. This all goes down in the middle of a huge flood event that she’s ill equipped to handle.

Join Lizzie and the hat as they battle the elements, the paranormal, and a being of pure evil. Lizzie might be battling some personal demons along the way as she and Ray grow closer.

Get your copy here: https://mybook.to/TheMidnightRambler

 

 

Blog My Novels  Twitter Goodreads Facebook Pinterest BookBub

 

The post #NewBook: The Midnight Rambler … wonderful #DarkHumour from author C. S. Boyack @virgilante @storyempire #LizzieandtheHat #series first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

#NewBook: The Power of Love by Marlena Smith @WriterMSmith #Romance

Hi everyone. Today, it gives me great pleasure to have Marlena Smith–fellow author, blogger, and friend–over to visit with some exciting news! Mar has a new book out! I’ll let her take the stage to tell you all about it …  

Hello!!

Saying I’m excited doesn’t quite feel like enough to describe today. I can’t believe I’m finally here and promoting the launch of The Power of Love. Thank you so much for joining us, and a huge shout out to Harmony for hosting today! Thank you for supporting me and giving me the opportunity to share my story. [My great pleasure, Mar!]

Over the next few days, I get to visit some writing friends, and I’m thrilled to be sharing this journey with them because they’ve been a part of my writing family for several years. And oh how I adore each of them.  <3

Ok, let’s kick this launch off and go back to the beginning. Where it all began…

My earliest memories of writing are from grade school. Early grade school. If you know me, you probably know this story. We were given a gingerbread-shaped booklet and told to let the words flow. I wrote about my family and our home. Somehow, this story took me to the Alabama Young Author’s Conference, and my eyes were opened to a world I didn’t know existed. From there, the pieces came together.

I started typing up stories on our old family desktop and printing them off on the dot matrix printer. These would be called dinosaur devices today, but I thought it was the coolest.

I wrote about four princesses that were learning the full grasp of their magical powers, and they meet just as many princes. What a love story?! Then, there was the tale of Sara living in the days of horse carriages and general stores. This one has a little suspense due to a potentially tragic accident. We mustn’t forget the ridiculous amount of notebooks and journals I had, filled with my ramblings and ideas. These were mostly poetry because that was my first love, I think. Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe. They were the greats.

I love looking back on these old stories and am so thankful I still have them. Even at a young age, I had quite an imagination. I’m grateful I’ve never grown tired of that creativity.

Book Blurb:

She only wants a fresh start and a life away from the big city.

  Scarlet finds herself in the small town of Belmont, Montana. It’s a quiet town with a lot of charm. One she didn’t expect to fall in love with, but it offers something magical.

  Will her past catch up to her? Will she be forced back into the life she hates? Will she risk everything for a chance at love?

  Purchase Links:

Amazon PaperbackAmazon Ebook

About the Author:

Marlena Smith is a multi-genre author that uses her own small town life experiences to create stories of the same. Her publications include:

Ella: A Romantic NovellaThe Intruder: A Short ThrillerWriting Prompts: to bring out your dark side

 

Marlena grew up in Alabama with a love of words and creativity. She still lives in that small town today with her family and has never lost that passion. She spends her days working with churches to help them grow and her nights creating tales.

Three Random Facts  (I’m stealing this idea from fellow writer, D.L. Finn!)

I graduated high school with a 4.05 GPA. Even though the class had under 80 students, I was still excited to be part of the top 10. And to this day, 15+ years later, I still miss many of those faces I had grown so close to.I’ve visited one of the most haunted places in the US–Waverly Hills Sanitorium, a facility from the early 1900’s that housed Tuberculosis patients.At the above mentioned facility, I laid inside a coffin. It was part of the offered attractions, but for me, it was a way to experience what those patients went through. Harsh treatments and traveling down the body chute, being left with lifeless bodies even though you still had a heartbeat. It seems they didn’t have much compassion.

If you’d like to connect with Marlena, you can find her online:

WebsiteTwitterInstagramFacebook

 

I can’t thank you enough for joining us today. Please help me in thanking Harmony for sharing her site with us. (She has some fantastic posts and book reviews, so do yourself a favor and look at her past posts!) [Thanks so much, Mar]

See you in the next post! Happy reading!!  <3

The post #NewBook: The Power of Love by Marlena Smith @WriterMSmith #Romance first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

#BookReview: Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood @_franlittlewood @MichaelJBooks @NetGalley

Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for debut author Fran Littlewood. I received a free Advanced Review Copy of this book from NetGalley >>>

About the Book:

Grace Adams is one bad day away from saving her life . . .

‘Sometimes I have so much rage it scares me . . .’

One hot summer day, stuck in traffic on her way to pick up the cake for her daughter’s sixteenth birthday party, Grace Adams snaps.

She doesn’t scream or break something or cry or curl into a ball. She simply abandons her car in traffic and walks away.

But not from her life – towards it. To the daughter who won’t live with her anymore and has banned her from the party. To the husband divorcing her. Towards the terrible thing that has blown their family apart . . .

Today she’ll show her daughter that no matter how far we fall we can always get back up again. Because Grace Adams wasamazing. Her husband and daughter once thought so. They and the world might have forgotten. But Grace is about to remind them …

Amazing Grace Adams tells the story of a life, a marriage, a family, set against a single north-London day. A rollercoaster ride of redemption and discovery, it’s a powerful celebration of womanhood.  

 

My Review:

A fantastic read!

Many thanks to NetGalley, and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for a free ARC of this book.

First up, I have to say how amazed I am that this is a debut novel. I cannot wait to see what this author writes next. Amazing Grace Adams is a powerful, moving, riveting, and wholly believable novel about a woman who feels she has become invisible as she hits perimenopause and both her husband and daughter reject her. As soon as I read the book description, I thought of the movie Falling Down, and—indeed—this film inspired the idea behind this book. However, this story is told in a unique voice and perspective and comes alive in its own brilliant way.

‘Grace is hot. There’s the sun, like boiled breath, on the roof of her car but it’s more than that. This feeling from nowhere that she’s been set on fire from the inside out.’ … this opening line sets up the scene wonderfully, and when Grace ‘breaks’, the tension is delightful.

In many aspects this novel offers a quiet commentary on the sad state of modern society, especially in relation to victim blaming. Happily, it also shows the kindness of strangers—both older and younger, and even a teen boy, which I found incredibly heartening in a time when all the news seems to show us are endless stabbings and assaults. As well as the obvious angst in this story, the reader is also treated to the most wonderful humour and lively dialogue.

If you enjoy reading about love, loss, grief, life’s ironies, family drama, woman power, and ultimate redemption, then you’ll adore this book. Because it takes a deep look at the human condition, this is a novel that people from all walks of life will relate to on some level. If I could, I’d give ten stars for this amazing story. I can see this becoming a huge hit and definitely a tale made for adaptation to the big screen.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

I’d love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by

 

For anyone interested, here are the Amazon links …

UK … https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

US … At the time of posting, I couldn’t find a link for Amazon US. The book is due to publish in the UK on January 19th, 2023.

 

The post #BookReview: Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood @_franlittlewood @MichaelJBooks @NetGalley first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

Living With Chronic Pain. Part Three: Don’t Give Up on Finding Relief #chronicpain @Vocal_Creators #WritingCommunity #readersoftwitter #ReadingCommunity

Hi everyone. Exciting news today! I’ve written a short, non-fiction piece, on Vocal, about living with chronic pain. This is the third article in a planned a series of pieces on the many aspects of living with long term pain. The article is around 1,300 words long. 

I’d love to know what you think! And would be delighted if you could read my post HERE and leave a like and a comment. To like and comment, you’ll need to sign in to Vocal, which is free to do. 

Thanks for all your support! Hugs 

The post Living With Chronic Pain. Part Three: Don’t Give Up on Finding Relief #chronicpain @Vocal_Creators #WritingCommunity #readersoftwitter #ReadingCommunity first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

The Necromancer’s Daughter by D Wallace Peach @Dwallacepeach #NewBook #Fantasy #ReadersOfTwitter #BookReview

 

Hi everyone! It gives me great pleasure to have one of my favourite authors, fellow blogger, Story Empire contributor, and friend, over to visit today. Even more exciting, is that Diana has a new book out! Woohoo! I’ll let her tell you all about it. And my review is at the bottom of the page. This is one read you do not want to miss! >>>

Hi everyone. Diana here.

Today, I thought I’d share a snippet from Chapter 4 when Barus sees the infant Aster for the first time:

The king stumbled from the bedchamber, and the tension in the room eased into solemn tranquility as the midwives and physician concentrated on their tasks. The woman holding the dead infant placed the bundle on the end of the bed. Servants gathered for revised instructions, and she meted out their assignments. Not one of them noticed Barus or told him what to do or where to go.

He pushed up his cracked spectacles and left his book on a bench. Drawing in a breath, he stole a quiet step toward the tiny child. The infant’s skin appeared ashen, with petal-thin eyelids and a fringe of wispy lashes almost invisible to the eye. Spider-silk hair, as white as a summer cloud, matted the baby’s head, and her lips curved into a pink bow. A sweet hand curled under her chin like a spring flower yet to bloom.

She was the most exquisite thing Barus had ever beheld.

A gift from the Blessed One.

 

About the Book:

A healer and dabbler in the dark arts of life and death, Barus is as gnarled as an ancient tree. Forgotten in the chaos of the dying queen’s chamber, he spirits away her stillborn infant, and in a hovel at the meadow’s edge, he breathes life into the wisp of a child. He names her Aster for the lea’s white flowers. Raised as his daughter, she learns to heal death.

Then the day arrives when the widowed king, his own life nearing its end, defies the Red Order’s warning. He summons the necromancer’s daughter, his only heir, and for his boldness, he falls to an assassin’s blade.

While Barus hides from the Order’s soldiers, Aster leads their masters beyond the wall into the Forest of Silvern Cats, a land of dragons and barbarian tribes. She seeks her mother’s people, the powerful rulers of Blackrock, uncertain whether she will find sanctuary or face a gallows’ noose.

Unprepared for a world rife with danger, a world divided by those who practice magic and those who hunt them, she must choose whether to trust the one man offering her aid, the one man most likely to betray her—her enemy’s son.

A healer with the talent to unravel death, a child reborn, a father lusting for vengeance, and a son torn between justice, faith, and love. Caught in a chase spanning kingdoms, each must decide the nature of good and evil, the lengths they will go to survive, and what they are willing to lose.

 

About the Author:

A long-time reader, best-selling author D. Wallace Peach started writing later in life when years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books. She was instantly hooked.

In addition to fantasy books, Peach’s publishing career includes participation in various anthologies featuring short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She’s an avid supporter of thearts in her local community, organizing and publishing annual anthologies of Oregon prose, poetry, and photography.

Peach lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two owls, a horde of bats, and the occasional family of coyotes.

Amazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.com/D.-Wallace-Peach/e/B00CLKLXP8

Website/Blog: http://mythsofthemirror.com

Website/Books: http://dwallacepeachbooks.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dwallacepeach

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon Links:

US: https://www.amazon.com/Necromancers-Daughter-D-Wallace-Peach-ebook/dp/B0B92G7QZX

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Necromancers-Daughter-D-Wallace-Peach-ebook/dp/B0B92G7QZX

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Necromancers-Daughter-D-Wallace-Peach-ebook/dp/B0B92G7QZX

AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Necromancers-Daughter-D-Wallace-Peach/dp/B0B9FY6YZJ

IN: https://www.amazon.in/Necromancers-Daughter-D-Wallace-Peach-ebook/dp/B0B92G7QZX

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My Review:

Good and evil aren’t what they seem

Having read this author before, I preordered my copy of The Necromancer’s Daughter as soon as it came on sale. I wasn’t disappointed!

‘Barus wrinkled his nose at the poison’s fetid stench, and his stomach bubbled into the hollow of his throat.’ … from this pungent opening line, which certainly engages the reader’s senses, the reader is—as promised—treated to ‘… an epic tale of compassion and deep abiding love where good and evil aren’t what they seem.’

I fell in love with the characters immediately and felt for them in their ever more desperate plights. The author did a fantastic job of world building, as well as hooking the reader with the people, plot, and pacing. I admire and applaud how the author took attributes usually seen as negative—ugly, deformed appearance and the practice of necromancy—and turned them into something beautiful and worthy. I loathed the hateful characters and believed in this magical world fully with no suspension of disbelief needed, as the writer did such a superb job in presenting this story as real and true to life despite its many differences.

As ever from D Wallace Peach, the narrative and prose is beautifully descriptive and evocative … poetry in sentence form. Here are some lines that stood out for me …

‘Behind the wind, a voice called, a lost sound like the hoot of a faraway owl.’

And …

(A long history in a few, succinct words) ‘… since she’d rescued his malformed and abandoned body from the woods and carried him home.’

And …

‘ … a tragic last step in a journey of blindness, of unforgiving guilt and blame, of a rigid perception of faith.’

I could go on. So difficult to choose from so many wonderful words. This is one of those reads I didn’t ever want to finish because it was so good! As you may have guessed, The Necromancer’s Daughter gets a resounding 5 stars from me.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

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