Harmony Kent's Blog, page 51

#BookReview: Pippo and Clara by Diana Rosie

Hi everyone. Today, I have a book review for you by an author new to me, Diana Rosie. I discovered this book via NetGalley and received a free ARC of this book. I enjoyed this read so much that I’ll have to check out her other books.

About the Book:

A country torn apart by war. Two siblings divided by fate.

Italy, 1938. Mussolini is in power and war is not far away . . .

Clara and Pippo are just children: quiet, thoughtful Clara is the older sister; Pippo, the younger brother, is forever chatting. The family has only recently arrived in the city carrying their few possessions.

When Mamma goes missing early one morning, both Clara and Pippo go in search of her. Clara turns right; Pippo left.

As a result of the choices they make that morning, their lives will be changed forever.

Diana Rosie’s Pippo and Clara tells the story of a family and a country divided. But will Clara and Pippo – and their mother – find each other again?

My Review:

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Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for a free ARC of this book.

Diana Rosie is a new author to me, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. This book left me pleasantly surprised.

The story is narrated, so that you are told of rather than shown events. Usually, this would put me off, but in this case it was done well enough to pull me in and engross me regardless. Parts of the writing seem unpolished, with extraneous wording, frequent use of split-infinitives, and the like, but–again–this didn’t detract that much from the story being portrayed. That’s because the characterisation and world-building were done excellently, and for the most part, I got so lost in the book that I forgot I was reading.

We have Italy under Mussolini.

Gypsies outlawed and persecuted.

Europe at war.

A murdered father.

Enter Clara (10 years-old) and Pippo (7 years-old), and a mother who goes out one lonely night in a strange city in search of work. Mama fails to return. First Clara leaves the boarding room in search of Mama. Then Pippo awakens alone and afraid. He, too, leaves the squalid and bare room to look for both Mama and Clara.

From that point on, each of the children’s tales diverge, and the narrative alternates between the POVs of Clara and Pippo. We follow them throughout the ensuing trials and tribulations and see both the brutality and uselessness of war, where the innocent are the ones who suffer. At the same time, we are shown bravery and compassion in abundance.

I loved this book and would read more from this writer. It gets a solid 4 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

Boy to Man: ‘Fiction In A Flash Challenge’ Week #24 NEW Image Prompt. Join in the fun! #IARTG #ASMSG @pursoot #WritingCommunity

Hi everyone! It’s that time of the week again … Friday fun flash fiction! This week’s picture had my muse … um, musing! Here’s the short poem I came up with >>>

 

Image by skalekar1992 from Pixabay

Boy to Man

 

From the boy to the Man,

He’s always done the best he can.

Ever careful of what he might teach or pass on

To his one and only little son.

But betimes life is hard and cruel,

And, at best, it leaves you feeling the fool.

All he’d wanted was for that little palm to grow to fit,

To nurture the figting spirit that never quit.

What to do when the body turns traitor?

When it does no good to rail against the creator?

He holds those tiny fingers and loves the child harder than ever,

And no matter what, they get through this together.

The man cherishes each and every smile and cry of joy,

That shows the staunch heart of this wondrous boy.

 

© Harmony Kent 2020

I’d love to know what you think of this short piece … so please don’t be shy and leave me a reply.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Image by skalekar1992 from Pixabay

The rules:

Please put your entry (or a link to it) in a comment HERE or email it to Sooz at her email address. by DEADLINE: 4pm EDT on Thursday, November 12th. Subject: Fiction in a Flash Challenge. If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to THIS page would be much appreciated.

UPDATE: The response to the prompts has been just wonderful. As a result, Soooz be sharing all entries received, and her own contribution on her blog AS SHE RECEIVES THEM. Rather than posting all of them only over a few days.

 

Find Sooz at …

My author page on AMAZON.

On Twitter.

On Facebook

On Goodreads.

By Email.

 

The post Boy to Man: ‘Fiction In A Flash Challenge’ Week #24 NEW Image Prompt. Join in the fun! #IARTG #ASMSG @pursoot #WritingCommunity first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

#GuestDayTuesday – The Gift of Blogging by Sally Cronin

Hi everyone! I hope this week is being kind to you so far. Today, Blogger and supporter extraordinaire, Sally Cronin, is chatting over at Marcia Meara’s place. I had to hop straight onto my computer to share this, as this lady holds a special place in my heart >>>

 

Today, I’m pleased to announce that our guest is none other than blogger extraordinaire, Sally Cronin. I know many of you are familiar with her hugely popular Smorgasbord blog, and will reall…

Source: #GuestDayTuesday – The Gift of Blogging by Sally Cronin

The post #GuestDayTuesday – The Gift of Blogging by Sally Cronin first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

The Ballad of Mrs Maloney by C S Boyack @Virgilante

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Hi everyone. Today, it gives me great pleasure to host fellow author and friend, Craig Boyack to showcase his latest book in the fab and funny The Hat Series. I’ve enjoyed both The Hat and Viral Blues and look forward to feasting my eyes on The Ballad of Mrs Maloney. If you’re a fan of magic and mayhem and humour, then you’ll love Lizzie and The Hat in all their incarnations. 

Take it away, Craig >>>

Thanks for having me back, Harmony. Always nice to stop here. 

{It’s a pleasure to have you come visit. Please, help yourself to drinks and nibbles.}

I’m promoting a new book with a Halloween theme to it. It’s called The Ballad of Mrs. Molony, and it’s the third book in The Hat Series.

Don’t let that put anyone off, because I worked hard to make sure people could read them out of order. It’s a series, but each one can be read as a stand alone tale. 

{They’re great to read as stand alones and in order! I enjoyed both previous books immensely.}

I’ll let the cover and blurb do their job down below, as far as the specifics are concerned.

Today, I want to talk about one of the issues that’s coming to light in writing an ongoing series. There are some things I’m going to have to wrestle with to keep these stories as stand-alone books. Today’s topic is recurring locations.

[image error]There are a couple of places I’ve fleshed out, because they keep coming up. Lizzie’s basement apartment on Melton Alley is one example. It was an urban reclamation project and now it has a brick gathering area with tables and food trucks. Her band, Lizzie and the Pythons, keeps playing a bar called The Trippy Parrot, or a street venue called West Zephyr Boulevard. I designed that one after Fremont Street in Las Vegas, or 4th Street in Louisville.

Lizzie and the hat use the band as a way to hunt the monsters. As an example, the vampires in the new book are former rodeo cowboys, so Lizzie starts working country music venues to try spotting them. This allows me to explore and concoct a lot of fun locations, but some are probably going to get used more than once.

I’m pretty solid about the next three books in the series. I got several requests to flesh out the witchcraft world that appeared in book one. As I delve into that, some interesting places are going to show up. This is a point of concern.

I will try to make these places wonderful for my readers. However, if the story returns to one of these locations in a subsequent book, how much detail should I add on the return visit? I don’t think there is a right answer.

My mindset is to create intriguing places, but in the following books, I’m still going to have to flesh them out for new readers. It may not be over the top, but new readers need to have some detail to make it all real.

Remember, my ultimate goal is to have these stories accessible no matter where someone starts. On the plus side, after we reach a certain age, a few reminders are helpful for the long term readers, too. That’s the bullseye I’m trying to hit.

So what kind of places am I cooking up for the future? I want a modern, industrial themed bar. This is just a venue for the band, but it will add some depth to the city, because we’ve been to some country bars, and The Trippy Parrot a few times. I might add that one to the next book. Sounds like a good place to have a massive shootout somewhere down the line.

My witches and wizards are kind of eclectic, and I want some diversity there. I want one creepy old house, but another one that’s quite modern. These people all have to be a special kind of strange, but they have to be different, too. Their residences should reflect that. I already know there will be repeat visits to these houses.

Then there’s Good Liniment. I’ve already decided to use that as a book title about two books down the line. This is an old tavern. I want to style it after an English pub, with a residence upstairs. I have some images saved on Pinterest to help me with the description. This is where the coven gathers. I am going to design it somewhat like the famous Flatiron Building, mostly because I want five streets to make the intersection, kind of like a pentagram. (I think it’s cool.) I can see this fitting into multiple stories.

Stick with me folks. Lizzie and the hat have a lot of monsters to deal with down the trail, and I hope to keep them coming for a long time. The stories are going to happen in some interesting locations.

***

Blurb: Lizzie and the hat are back, and this time they’re chasing vampires across a subculture of America. A pair of rodeo cowboys are holding a woman captive to use like a milk cow since they joined the undead.

The person who put them onto the trail is also a vampire, but he has to be the worst vampire in history. Is he really that pitiful, or is he setting a trap for our heroes? Does the woman even exists? Can Lizzie and the hat find her before she also takes up blood sucking?

Follow Lizzie and the hat as they use their cover band to stalk vamps across the country music scene.

 

Purchase your copy here: The Ballad of Mrs. Molony

Other stories in the series are:

[image error] The Hat

 

[image error] Viral Blues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can contact Craig at the following locations:

 

Blog | My Novels |  Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Pinterest | BookBub

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The post The Ballad of Mrs Maloney by C S Boyack @Virgilante first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

Update to An Apology

[image error]Hi everyone. Further to my going offline for a while the other week, I now have some blood tests, which may explain why I have no energy.

The fix isn’t going to be a quick or easy one. It seems my immune system is attacking me, and my body is full of inflammation and allergies of one sort or another, which is also affecting my breathing and my skin–and, of course, skin is our biggest organ, so it’s no fun at all.

My doctor has put me on a short course of broad-spectrum antibiotics to try and bring down the inflammation. He’s also put me on a week’s course of Lorazepam to try and help me sleep. So far, the sleeping drug is having mixed results, and the antibiotics are hitting my body hard.

I need to have more blood tests sometime around early November, so we’ll see what’s happening by then. I’ll keep you posted. Sadly, I’m having to conserve what energy I do have, so while I’m around, my appearances will be spotty and ad hoc, I’m afraid. I’m supporting you all in spirit and will continue to visit and do as much as I can. Again, huge thanks to you all for your ongoing support. Sending hugs all around.

As a side note, my blog remains open to you all. I’ll need plenty of notice and for you to ensure you visit the post often and respond to comments, but otherwise, I’d love to have any of you come and visit. Take care, all

#BookReviews – From Divinity to Carnality @HowellWave @MarciaMeara @JessicaBakkers #Mustreads

Hi everyone. Yesterday, I discovered a wonderful review for my original Interludes book, along with fab reviews for John Howell and Marcia Meara … hop on over to Jessica’s place and check them out (the review for Interludes will have you laughing out loud!) >>>

Eternal Road: The Final Stop – John Howell When I picked up this book, I expected a sombre tale about passing over and a journey to the other side. I didn’t expect a rollicking adventur…

Source: Book Reviews – From Divinity to Carnality

The post #BookReviews – From Divinity to Carnality @HowellWave @MarciaMeara @JessicaBakkers #Mustreads first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

#BookReview: Your Neighbour’s Wife by Tony Parsons

Hi everyone. Today, I have a book review for you by an author new to me, Tony Parsons. I discovered this book via NetGalley and received a free ARC of this book. I enjoyed this read so much that I’ll have to check out his other books.

About the Book:

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What do you do when your perfect life spins out of control? A gripping psychological thriller that combines the emotional warmth of Man and Boy with the page-turning brio of The Murder Bag.

Tara Carver seems to have the perfect life. A loving mother and wife, and a business woman who runs her own company, she’s the sort of person you’d want to live next door to, who might even become your best friend.

But what sort of person is she really?

Because in one night of madness, on a work trip far from home, she puts all this at risk. And suddenly her dream life becomes a living nightmare when the married man she spent one night with tells her he wants a serious relationship with her. And that he won’t leave her or her precious family alone until she agrees.

There seems to be only one way out. And it involves murder …

My Review:

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Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a free ARC of this book.

I’m new to Tony Parsons and will be reading more of his books after having read and enjoyed Your Neighbour’s Wife.

An excellent psychological thriller with plenty of red herrings thrown in to throw off the reader. A story that reminds us all how quickly and irretrevably a normal, settled life can fall apart and descend into a nightmare. Oh, for the choices we make.

While I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, except the child and the dog, they were well written and portrayed. I simply didn’t connect with them or their choices on a personal level. However, the antagonist was very well written and believable, and that guy got what was coming to him for sure.

I give Your Neighbour’s Wife a strong 4 out of 5 stars and highly recommend this read.

***

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

An Apology

[image error]Hi everyone. Just a quick post today to apologise for not being online as much last week and over the weekend, and for more absences to come this week. I’m exhausted. Plain and simple. And I need to take some down time. “I’ll be back.” (sans ole Arnie’s muscles! lols).

I’ve closed the comments on this because I won’t be around enough to keep up with your lovely replies and support. But I am grateful for each and every one of you. Have a lovely week, everyone, and I’ll be back in the thick of things next week. And sorry again that I won’t be visiting all your wonderful blogs, etc. for now.

Hugs all around.

 

The post An Apology first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore Author Update Release – #Poetry Geoff Le Pard, Reviews -#Dystopian Harmony Kent, #WWII Marina Osipova

Hi everyone. Yesterday I came home from getting the flu jab and found the most wonderful surprise, which had me sitting there doing my happy dance >>>

#BookReview: The Astral Conspiracy Series by @StaciTroilo-and-The Emissary Book One by @MarciaMeara

Hi everyone. Today, I have two book reviews for you by authors near and dear to me, Staci Troilo and Marcia Meara. I loved these reads so much.

Basically, I binge read all five of Staci’s Astral Conspiracy Series books, and all of them are five-star novels.

I’ve yet to read the next two books in Marcia’s Emissary series, but book one was certainly a great read, and I look forward to getting to the other two.

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THE GATE:

He lost his job. He lost his girl. Now it’s all he can do not to lose his life.

Landon Thorne is a disgraced archaeologist, a laughing stock in his field because of his unconventional beliefs – he’s an ancient astronaut theorist. No one takes him seriously.

Until an alien armada targets Earth.

Now Landon’s in high demand – by the US government and someone far more sinister.

They race across two continents to the Gate of the Gods, the one place on Earth that might give humans an advantage over the aliens. But no one is prepared for what they’ll find.

And not everyone will make it out alive.

Fans of action, intrigue, and aliens will love The Gate, the first book in the Astral Conspiracy series. Pick up your copy now!

My Review:

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Having read other books by this author (Staci Troilo/D L Cross), I grabbed my copy of The Gate as soon as it went on pre-order, and I haven’t been disappointed.

What a fantastic fast-paced read. We meet Landon Thorne, long ridiculed for his outlandish beliefs. Then we meet the agents of AATIP, who pull us into a world of betrayal, back-stabbing, ambition, lies, and intrigue.

Meanwhile, an Astral App has alerted everyone on Earth that Aliens are coming.

All of a sudden, Landon Thorne is the man everyone wants. And while he’s happy his beliefs and life’s work have, finally, been recognised and vindicated, he’s less than thrilled at the mess and complications he gets pulled into.

While the author has obviously done lots of research for this book, she doesn’t bore the reader with it, but uses it to enhance an already gripping tale of Aliens, conspiracies, government secrets, and betrayals. While this first episode in the series does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, it also rounds off many of the preceding threads nicely and leaves you wanting more.

I’m eagerly awaiting the second book in the Invasion Universe (Astral Conspiracy) series. If you’re a fan of ancient-alien theories, thrown together with modern conspiracy theories and plenty of action, suspense, and intrigue, then you’re bound to love this book.

I can’t recommend this first book in the series highly enough. It gets a solid 5 stars from me. Go out and buy it now.

THE STONES:

He’s running from Astrals. Running with Black Ops. And running toward the end of the world.

Landon Thorne belongs to an elite group: he’s one of the few people who have ever accessed the Akashic Record. He discovers a weapon that could defend the Earth.

The Astrals want to stop him. The government wants to control him. Even his allies are hiding something.

Through it all, he has one purpose. One compulsion. He’s drawn to the Georgia Guidestones.

His journey is fraught with danger – bandits, cannibals, and ancient booby traps — but when Landon finally reaches the Stones, even he is surprised by what he finds. If he can decipher the code, he can save the world.

If he can’t? His discovery may destroy him – along with the rest of the human race.

The Stones is a taut, fast-paced Indiana Jones meets Falling Skies style thriller that spans the globe and digs deep into humanity’s past, unearthing mysterious artifacts and clues to aliens’ motives for invading our world. It is the second book in the Astral Conspiracy Series, set in the world of Platt and Truant’s groundbreaking Invasion Universe – the original series with over 1000 5-star reviews.

D.L. Cross has a flair for high-stakes, heart-pounding thrillers that will keep you up late into the night.

THE NINE:

He can’t trust his allies, won’t trust his enemies. Now he fears that he shouldn’t trust even himself.

Landon Thorne is convinced the key to defeating the Astrals is in the vault — a repository of ancient artifacts, origins unknown, covered with undeciphered glyphs. He’s also convinced he’s the one person on the planet who can translate the markings.

But strange, frightening things happen every time he gets close to the relics.

His allies decide it’s not safe to let him near the vault, so they force him to take a new mission. He’s captured by the Nine — the nefarious organization he’s been running from.

Their leader makes him an offer he can’t refuse — study the Dropa Stones for the answers they seek. Or else. To do that, he needs a cipher. And there’s only one place he can get it.

Getting in will be difficult. Getting out may prove impossible.

THE TWINS:

They took the world’s best hope. Took the father of her children. Now she’ll take revenge.

Landon Thorne was abducted by the Astrals. But Reverie Sterling doesn’t have time to dwell on his absence. She has twins to raise in a dystopian world.

Twins with psychic powers.

She was trained to rise to any challenge, so that’s what she does. As one of the Resistance’s top fighters, she’s vowed revenge against the Astrals. To get it, she partners with an unlikely ally — the Nine, the mysterious organization that’s been thwarting the Resistance since Astral Day.

The tenuous alliance converges on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, or what’s left of it. There they wage a war against local zealots and Astral warriors.

Reverie thinks she’s protecting her children. Too late, she realizes the twins have more power than anyone — and she’s the one who needs protecting.

THE LAB:

One last mission. One last stand. One last hope.

Time is running out for the planet. The twins insist on traveling to Illinois to find Jovian, their grandfather. He’s been communicating with them telepathically and promises he has all the answers the Resistance has been searching for.

He does, but they come at a cost. A steep cost.

Now Reverie and the Resistance must make their last stand: the Astrals have judged humanity and found it lacking. Annihilation is coming, unless Jovian can deliver on his promise.

Earth’s best chance is deep in his laboratory under Monks Mound.

And the old man has one last surprise no one is expecting.

My Review:

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A Mind-Blowing Series

Wow. Absolutely fantastic set of five books. I’ll be devouring these again at some point. Such a lot to process. Brilliantly imagined and written. Excellent world building and characterisation. If you love aliens or sci-fi or just plain politics and machinations on a global level, read these books.

The whole Astral Conspiracy series from D L Cross is a must-read 5 star epic tale.

 

The Emissary: A Riverbend Spinoff Novella

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Was Gabe Angelino, the mysterious truck driver in Finding Hunter: Riverbend Book 2, really an angel, as Willow Green believes? Or was he simply a good man, determined to help a stranger in need? Find out, as author Marcia Meara reveals the truth in the first Riverbend spinoff novella, The Emissary.

An angel’s work is never done—that’s part of the gig. But angels hadn’t been created to deal with such a vastly over-populated planet, rife with misery, suffering, and general chaos. Helping souls in peril has become a nearly impossible job, and even angelic tempers are frayed.

The archangel Azrael has had enough. He believes he’s found a way to ease their burden while saving jeopardized humans, too—hired help.

When Jake Daughtry lost his life rescuing a total stranger from certain death, he was on the fast track to Heaven. But that was before Azrael pulled him right out of line at the Pearly Gates. Now, as an Emissary to the Angels, Jake is taking to the highway in a quest to help souls in trouble. But the innate stubbornness of human beings bent on self-destruction is a challenge unlike any he’s ever faced.

It’s up to Jake and Azrael to bridge the gap between humans and angels. Will they ever convince the Council of Angels this endeavor is worthwhile? Can Jake figure out how to play by Azrael’s complicated rules? Will Azrael ever master the use of contractions in general conversation?

To find out the answers, hop on board Jake’s big red-and-white semi and travel the roads from the Florida Keys to north Georgia on an adventure that will make you laugh hard and cry even harder.

My Review:

[image error]I won this book, along with the other two in The Emissary series, from an online competition. As I’ve read other books by this author, I was eager to read these. And I’m so glad I bumped this novella up my to-be-read list. It is a short but thoroughly enjoyable read, and I’ll be reading the next two as soon as I can.

The writer brings you all the emotions you could ask for in a book: humour (lots of laugh-out-loud momemts), sadness, despair, grief, determination, hope, etc.

I loved the two main characters in The Emissary, and Azrael is brilliant. The whole concept of overworked angels grabs my interest and arouses my sense of humour. All in all, a fun and intriuging read.

It gets 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.

 

I’d love to hear what you think of these reviews. Thanks for stopping by