Sage Nestler's Blog, page 77

My Novels – FOR FREE!

Hello everyone!

I wanted everyone to know that in celebration of the free book day going on on April 1 I am releasing both of my novels, “Beautiful Nightmare” and “Into The Fog”, for free on Amazon!  These editions were released a few years ago but I am working on fine tuning them.  Therefore, I would love constructive feedback for the old editions.  I am offering the free copies in hopes that readers will leave reviews on Goodreads, Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  Your reviews would be much appreciated!

The e-book versions of these books will be free from March 28 through April 1.  Below are the details for both books and the links for where to get your free copies.

Title: Into The Fog

Purchase: e-book free for five days

A murder, a choice, and an eternal destiny.

Welcome to sixteenth century England and enter the world of glamour, mystery and heartache. Darielle has lived at the Tower of London her entire life among the royals. Engaged to Prince Tarum, she couldn’t be happier until the eve of their wedding announcement when Tarum is murdered in front of the entirety of the Tower. Darielle is suddenly thrown into a life that she never expected and hardly had the chance to prepare for as Tarum’s death leads to occurrences that she is suddenly the center of and when strangers enter to Tower to live alongside her she finds herself drawn to Harlisisle, the new guard of Queen Estelle, for a reason that she cannot place. This attraction to him changes the entire course of her life and the Tower forever. But who is Harlisisle and the family that he brought with him?

Will Darielle be able to find her place in the Tower without Tarum amongst these strange new beings or will she be thrown into a world foreign to everything she ever knew? Follow Darielle as she faces the biggest choice of her life – the choice between true love and her own safety, as well as the safety for those around her. Full of romance, action, thrills, and sorrow “Into The Fog” will keep you attached until the very end.

Title: Beautiful Nightmare

Purchase: e-book free for five days

Long ago the world suffered a terrible war, leaving behind only a select few hundred people. Believing that strong emotions fueled the war, those who survived created a town named Lunamoon, where each new human would be altered to be unable to feel emotion. They decide to choose only one man in each generation to be named the dream maker and he would create dreams for everyone to tell them what their jobs and life outcomes would be. The dream maker is able to live in solitude for the duration of his life, but the moment that the current dream maker is born, everything changes. Shawneleigh, a premature child who was born with narcolepsy on the same day as the dream maker, lives on her own in the hospital. Through her sporadic sleeping spells and the connection they made at birth, she and the dream maker are able to connect through her dreams. They become friends and then fall in love. Beautiful Nightmare is a tale of love and faith, showing how we can stand up for ourselves, while standing against those who want others to fail. For through it all, in the end, there is love. First-time author Ashley Marie Nestler grew up in Westminster, Colorado. “I have lived right by the mountains all of my life and the beauty really inspired me with this novel.”

Publisher’s website:Official Author Site

Thank you to everyone who has supported my writing and to those who have shared their stories with me!  I will have new reviews up soon and I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter :)

~Ashley

Support Indie Authors – Book Event

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to alert you about an online indie author event that is coming up.  On Friday, April 1st, when you visitevents.SupportIndieAuthors.com you will be able to pick up free and discounted books by indie authors!  This is a great way to support our fellow authors and honestly, what is better than free books?

Please check out the site and sign up for the newsletter which will alert you of upcoming book events.  You can also sign up as an author if that is something you would like.  This would allow you to offer your book for free or at a discount in future book events.

 

Hell School: Fresh Meat by Heidi Angell – 5/5 Stars

Title: Hell School – Fresh Meat by Heidi Angell

Released: March 18, 2016

Star Rating:  5/5

Angell’s book is a young adult novel based on true events about a young girl in high school who ends up being stalked by a fellow student.  The novel is written in chapters and diary entries and I absolutely loved the use of both of these aspects.  Using the diary entries gave us a better sense of who Sam is as a young girl and how she evolves.  They also proved her naivety drew empathy from the reader.  Sam is a young, unsuspecting girl who gets involved in circumstances that aren’t fair to her and she seems to be in a bad position from the beginning of the book.  Having moved to a different town and state just before high school is hectic enough and seemed to make her character a target for the other students.  They didn’t just target her because she was new, but because she was a beautiful person and the others were envious of her.  Reading this book made me remember the horrors of high school and I was surprised about how much I had forgotten about the high school experience.  This just proves how gifted a writer Angell is.  She not only transports you back to that time and place but is also able to relate to young people who will be reading her book now and in the future

Sam, the protagonist of the novel, is a beautiful character.  In the beginning of the novel she was seen as childish and just beginning to understand the world, but as the novel went on she began to embrace her body and how boys were beginning to see her.  This seemed to awaken her sexuality and changed how she saw herself as well.  She was not comfortable with this sexual awakening and it only brought her problems.  All of the boys seemed to want to be with her even though she wasn’t able to date until she was sixteen and rumors began to circulate that she was sleeping with one of the older boys, Wes, who was only her friend.  I loved how Angell seemed to sum up how Sam felt and how the other boys and girls seemed to see her in the sexual sense:

“’You know, guys like you for a reason.  Lots of girls don’t get it, so those who think that you have some cool secret that they don’t, resent you for it.’”

“’You are hot, you are stacked, and you are completely oblivious.  But that comes off to them as so confident in your good looks that you don’t bother with the clothes.  That kind of confidence and acceptance of yourself is intoxicating.’”

Angell perfectly captured these aspects of young women who aren’t focused on their looks but are seen only for their looks by others and how this causes problems for them.  Angell clearly knows people, and herself, and I loved reading her perspective on young people because they were so accurate and inventive.

“Hell School: Fresh Meat” is based on Angell’s own past and it is clear to the reader how strongly she feels about bringing awareness to society over the danger and importance of stalking.  I could feel her passion radiating throughout the pages and I couldn’t put it down.  I read it in only two days and with my busy life, that was a feat!  I highly recommend it to anyone who has gone through something similar or anyone who just wants a thrilling, high school based novel.  I would gladly read it again and again.  5/5 stars doesn’t seem to be enough for this beautiful novel.

Hell School: Fresh Meat by Heidi Angell

Title: Hell School – Fresh Meat by Heidi Angell

Released: March 18, 2016

Star Rating:  5/5

Angell’s book is a young adult novel based on true events about a young girl in high school who ends up being stalked by a fellow student.  The novel is written in chapters and diary entries and I absolutely loved the use of both of these aspects.  Using the diary entries gave us a better sense of who Sam is as a young girl and how she evolves.  They also proved her naivety drew empathy from the reader.  Sam is a young, unsuspecting girl who gets involved in circumstances that aren’t fair to her and she seems to be in a bad position from the beginning of the book.  Having moved to a different town and state just before high school is hectic enough and seemed to make her character a target for the other students.  They didn’t just target her because she was new, but because she was a beautiful person and the others were envious of her.  Reading this book made me remember the horrors of high school and I was surprised about how much I had forgotten about the high school experience.  This just proves how gifted a writer Angell is.  She not only transports you back to that time and place but is also able to relate to young people who will be reading her book now and in the future

Sam, the protagonist of the novel, is a beautiful character.  In the beginning of the novel she was seen as childish and just beginning to understand the world, but as the novel went on she began to embrace her body and how boys were beginning to see her.  This seemed to awaken her sexuality and changed how she saw herself as well.  She was not comfortable with this sexual awakening and it only brought her problems.  All of the boys seemed to want to be with her even though she wasn’t able to date until she was sixteen and rumors began to circulate that she was sleeping with one of the older boys, Wes, who was only her friend.  I loved how Angell seemed to sum up how Sam felt and how the other boys and girls seemed to see her in the sexual sense:

“’You know, guys like you for a reason.  Lots of girls don’t get it, so those who think that you have some cool secret that they don’t, resent you for it.’”

“’You are hot, you are stacked, and you are completely oblivious.  But that comes off to them as so confident in your good looks that you don’t bother with the clothes.  That kind of confidence and acceptance of yourself is intoxicating.’”

Angell perfectly captured these aspects of young women who aren’t focused on their looks but are seen only for their looks by others and how this causes problems for them.  Angell clearly knows people, and herself, and I loved reading her perspective on young people because they were so accurate and inventive.

“Hell School: Fresh Meat” is based on Angell’s own past and it is clear to the reader how strongly she feels about bringing awareness to society over the danger and importance of stalking.  I could feel her passion radiating throughout the pages and I couldn’t put it down.  I read it in only two days and with my busy life, that was a feat!  I highly recommend it to anyone who has gone through something similar or anyone who just wants a thrilling, high school based novel.  I would gladly read it again and again.  5/5 stars doesn’t seem to be enough for this beautiful novel.

First & Then by Emma Mills

Title: First & Then

Author: Emma Mills

Release Date: October 13, 2015

Purchase: First & Then

Rating: 3/5

I received this book back in October in my Uppercase book box.  It is a debut novel by Emma Mills and the synopsis is as follows:

“Devon Tennyson wouldn’t change a thing. She’s happy silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon’s cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive jock, Ezra, right where she doesn’t want them–first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.

With wit, heart, and humor to spare, First & Then is a contemporary novel about falling in love–with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.”

I found this book to be a short and sweet high school novel about finding yourself and embracing who you are while also coping with the ridiculous drama that sums up the high school experience.

Mills obviously tried to base this novel off of the works of Jane Austen.  There are many Austen references throughout the book and Devon is painfully trying to be a character from her novels.  The funny thing is that she does end up being a character reminiscent to the heroines that Austen created, and her journey is lovable but also extremely naive.

I did not feel that this novel was groundbreaking in any way, instead it is much like reading a Sarah Dessen or John Green novel and revolves mostly around high school football.  Watching Devon’s cousin develop from a quiet, disturbed teen to a star football player was probably the most beautiful part of the novel, but I mostly found this book to be dull.  This could be because I am no longer in high school and I do think that current high schoolers would relate to this novel and the story it provides.  I gave it 3/5 stars because of the slow pace and unremarkable story line, but I do think that younger readers will benefit from the characters and will relate to them on a personal level.

Overall, I do not recommend this book for older readers because of the juvenile story line, but I do recommend this book for young adults because of the relateable factor they may be able to get out of it.

Into The Fog – My Second Novel

Hello All,

Besides being a book blogger I am also an author.  My second novel, “Into The Fog”, was released back in 2013, but I am currently working on redoing it.  However, I am offering it for free on Smashwords in hopes of gaining some feedback from you, the readers!  This edition would be unedited and only meant for review, but I would greatly appreciate it if any of you would read it and give me your thoughts.  If this is of interest to you, please email me at peachykeenreviews@gmail.com and I will give you a coupon code for Smashwords so that you can get the book for free.  This would require you having an account on Smashwords, which is free!  Below is the information on my book.

Thanks everyone,

Ashley

Title: Into The Fog

Author: Ashley Nestler

Link: Into The Fog on Smashwords

A murder, a choice, and an eternal destiny. Welcome to sixteenth century England and enter the world of glamour, mystery and heartache. Darielle has lived at the Tower of London for her entire life among the royals. Engaged to Prince Tarum, she couldn’t be happier until the eve of their wedding announcement when Tarum is murdered in front of the entirety of the Tower. Darielle is suddenly thrown into a life that she never expected and hardly had the chance to prepare for as Tarum’s death leads to occurrences that she is suddenly the center of. When strangers begin to enter the Tower to live alongside her she finds herself drawn to Harlisisle, the new guard of Queen Estelle, for a reason that she cannot place. This attraction to him changes the entire course of her life and the Tower forever. But who is Harlisisle and the family that he brought with him? Will Darielle be able to find her place in the Tower without Tarum amongst these strange new beings or will she be thrown into a world foreign to everything she ever knew? Follow Darielle as she faces the biggest choice of her life – the choice between true love and her own safety, as well as the safety for those around her. Full of romance, action, thrills, and sorrow “Into The Fog” will keep you attached until the very end.

Upcoming Book Reviews Round 1

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to update you on some upcoming indie books that I am reading and will be writing reviews about soon.  Below are all of the books on my review list, in no particular order, for you to browse through as well.

Title: Hell School – Fresh Meat

Author: Heidi Angell

Purchase: Hell School – Fresh Meat

Review is Now Up: Hell School: Fresh Meat by Heidi Angell

High school is hard, especially when you’re a freshman in a new town, surrounded by people you don’t understand and who don’t understand you. Sam was overwhelmed just trying to fit in. Then she is singled out with the first letter.

While some girls envy the “romantics” of this unknown admirer, Sam can tell something isn’t right. Sam wanted to just blend in, but someone’s eye is fixated on her. As the letters and bad poetry continue, so does the nagging in Sam’s stomach telling her this is not normal.

When things escalate from strange to creepy, Sam’s world becomes a nightmare. Twisted admiration is stalking her around every corner in the high school from hell….

*.*.*

Title: Forgotten

Author: Neven Carr

Purchase: Forgotten

Review is Now Up: Forgotten by Neven Carr Review – 5/5 Stars

Fear and the bitter stench of death have haunted Claudia Cabriati for much of her life, along with odd dreams, puzzling cards and the bone-chilling sensation of being watched. When a vaguely familiar woman possessing secret knowledge about Claudia’s family is murdered, it sets off a string of horrifying events including shocking revelations of family skeletons better left buried.

*.*.*

Title: Lovejoy’s World

Author: Dai Alanye

Purchase: Lovejoy’s World

Two naive Terrans of opposite sexes, accidental and unwilling travel companions, each spend their life savings on a journey to a primitive criminal-ridden planet, pursuing different but equally unlikely dreams. These two innocents, these babes in the wood, these pathetically hapless greenhorns are in for the biggest shocks of their lives.

Escorted by an alcoholic local, Keira and Wally backpack their way across an inhospitable stretch of territory from the landing site to the planet’s second city. They make it almost halfway before losing their guide, being attacked by bandits, and stumbling into a pack of dangerous local wildlife.

Then the trouble really starts. Hitherto antagonistic, under pressure of danger they begin to feel attraction for one another.

This, of course, can only lead to worse problems.

*.*.*

Title: Mortal Showdown

Author: Nik Krasno

Purchase: Mortal Showdown

Mortal Showdown is an action packed thriller sending the reader on a kaleidoscopic race through violence, sex, scamming and anti-scamming, political upheaval and murder.

Michael (Misha) – a Ukrainian oligarch who was rapidly climbing the Forbes rich list, wakes from a coma caused by an assassination attempt and realizes that he’s in the thick of a multilayered attack on him and his business empire. Making things even worse – among his numerous adversaries is one of Russia’s most influential strongmen. From rich and powerful, Michael very quickly becomes a fugitive, struggling for survival. Counting on his wits and a handful of loyal associates, he searches for a way to even the score with each of his adversaries and to save his country from the Russian bear’s grasp.

In order to have the slightest chance in a face-off with his prime nemesis, Michael needs to attack head on, undertaking the greatest risk of his entire life. Unfortunately, the dangerous mission goes wrong from the very beginning…

*.*.*

Title: The Unseen Face

Author: Joannes Rhino

Purchase: The Unseen Face

James Maddox must face the demons of his past and question everything he thought was real; even his own memory.James was used to living without emotion after losing his Emilia unexpectedly; he gave up on happiness the day she died. His plans for their future, of marriage and kids, died right along with her. He preferred feeling numb, rather than feeling the pain of losing his dreams. That all changed the day he received an anonymous letter in the mail with just three words: I am innocent. James began dreaming of Emilia that same night. However, his dream quickly becomes his nightmare as she haunts his sleep, demanding he knows the truth, that he faces the unseen. And what is hidden threatens to change James’ life forever.

*.*.*

Title: Mind in the Clouds

Author: Bruce Perrin

Purchase: Mind in the Clouds

A suspenseful whodunit, where not all the suspects are human.

Recently graduated and newly hired Ruger-Phillips employee, Dr. Sam “Doc” Price is excited to be starting his new assignment. He will be assessing training developed for a team. It is, however, a team like no other, because only one of the team members is human; the other is one of the most intelligent and lethal systems ever built by man – the Joint Aerial Combat Capability or JACC. Loaded with the latest in detection and threat assessment technology, JACC is a silent, deadly hunter in the sky. Doc discovers, however, that JACC may not be the only killer on the remote, Nevada test range where he now finds himself. Soon, he is involved in a cat and mouse game with an unknown adversary. In this fight for his life and the lives of his friends, Doc asks himself, how do you match wits with the mind in the clouds, when you are not sure if you are facing the cold, exact logic of machine intelligence or the coldblooded urges of a human murderer?

*.*.*

Title: The Calypsis Project

Author: Brittany M. Willows

Purchase: The Calypsis Project

The year is 2438. Ten years ago, an ill-fated encounter on a human mining colony triggered a devastating war between the United Nations Planetary Defense and an alien organization known as the Drocain Royal Empire.

After a decade of fighting with no sign of a conclusion in sight, the men and women of the UNPD find themselves faced with the harsh reality that mankind’s very existence is at stake.

When Corporal Alana Carmen stumbles upon an encrypted communications device, she learns there is more to the conflict than a simple war-for-worlds. But to uncover the truth, she must make allies of those she once considered enemies.

And now, the fate of the entire galaxy may rest on the shoulders of a single alien warrior . . .

Following a public shaming at his own Coming of Age ceremony, Kenon Valinquint enrolls in the Drocain Royal Empire with the hope of one day redeeming himself. Unbeknownst to the young Drahkori, this decision has set in motion a staggering chain of events that could very well change the direction of the war, and the known history of the universe, forever.

*.*.*

Title: Davenport House

Author: Marie Silk

Emotions are running high in the midst of a family scandal at Davenport House, where social classes collide and discretion is the secret to survival.

Mary Davenport is a 22-year-old idealist who worries that the world in the Progressive Era is leaving her behind. She lives isolated in the Pennsylvania countryside with her affluent and secretive family. When her father dies suddenly, Mary becomes pained with grief and increasingly suspicious of those around her.

A humble servant girl has the chance of a lifetime to become a lady’s companion. Costly dresses, exquisite rooms, and fine dinners are pleasant distractions from what is really happening in the house.

Upcoming Indie Book Reviews – 3/25/16

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to update you on some upcoming indie books that I am reading and will be writing reviews about soon.  Below are all of the books on my review list, in no particular order, for you to browse through as well.

Title: Hell School – Fresh Meat

Author: Heidi Angell

Purchase: Hell School – Fresh Meat

High school is hard, especially when you’re a freshman in a new town, surrounded by people you don’t understand and who don’t understand you. Sam was overwhelmed just trying to fit in. Then she is singled out with the first letter.

While some girls envy the “romantics” of this unknown admirer, Sam can tell something isn’t right. Sam wanted to just blend in, but someone’s eye is fixated on her. As the letters and bad poetry continue, so does the nagging in Sam’s stomach telling her this is not normal.

When things escalate from strange to creepy, Sam’s world becomes a nightmare. Twisted admiration is stalking her around every corner in the high school from hell….

Title: Forgotten

Author: Neven Carr

Purchase: Forgotten

Fear and the bitter stench of death have haunted Claudia Cabriati for much of her life, along with odd dreams, puzzling cards and the bone-chilling sensation of being watched. When a vaguely familiar woman possessing secret knowledge about Claudia’s family is murdered, it sets off a string of horrifying events including shocking revelations of family skeletons better left buried.

Title: Lovejoy’s World

Author: Dai Alanye

Purchase: Lovejoy’s World

Two naive Terrans of opposite sexes, accidental and unwilling travel companions, each spend their life savings on a journey to a primitive criminal-ridden planet, pursuing different but equally unlikely dreams. These two innocents, these babes in the wood, these pathetically hapless greenhorns are in for the biggest shocks of their lives.

Escorted by an alcoholic local, Keira and Wally backpack their way across an inhospitable stretch of territory from the landing site to the planet’s second city. They make it almost halfway before losing their guide, being attacked by bandits, and stumbling into a pack of dangerous local wildlife.

Then the trouble really starts. Hitherto antagonistic, under pressure of danger they begin to feel attraction for one another.

This, of course, can only lead to worse problems.

Title: Mortal Showdown

Author: Nik Krasno

Purchase: Mortal Showdown

Mortal Showdown is an action packed thriller sending the reader on a kaleidoscopic race through violence, sex, scamming and anti-scamming, political upheaval and murder.

Michael (Misha) – a Ukrainian oligarch who was rapidly climbing the Forbes rich list, wakes from a coma caused by an assassination attempt and realizes that he’s in the thick of a multilayered attack on him and his business empire. Making things even worse – among his numerous adversaries is one of Russia’s most influential strongmen. From rich and powerful, Michael very quickly becomes a fugitive, struggling for survival. Counting on his wits and a handful of loyal associates, he searches for a way to even the score with each of his adversaries and to save his country from the Russian bear’s grasp.

In order to have the slightest chance in a face-off with his prime nemesis, Michael needs to attack head on, undertaking the greatest risk of his entire life. Unfortunately, the dangerous mission goes wrong from the very beginning…

Title: The Unseen Face

Author: Joannes Rhino

Purchase: The Unseen Face

James Maddox must face the demons of his past and question everything he thought was real; even his own memory.James was used to living without emotion after losing his Emilia unexpectedly; he gave up on happiness the day she died. His plans for their future, of marriage and kids, died right along with her. He preferred feeling numb, rather than feeling the pain of losing his dreams. That all changed the day he received an anonymous letter in the mail with just three words: I am innocent. James began dreaming of Emilia that same night. However, his dream quickly becomes his nightmare as she haunts his sleep, demanding he knows the truth, that he faces the unseen. And what is hidden threatens to change James’ life forever.

Title: Mind in the Clouds

Author: Bruce Perrin

Purchase: Mind in the Clouds

A suspenseful whodunit, where not all the suspects are human.

Recently graduated and newly hired Ruger-Phillips employee, Dr. Sam “Doc” Price is excited to be starting his new assignment. He will be assessing training developed for a team. It is, however, a team like no other, because only one of the team members is human; the other is one of the most intelligent and lethal systems ever built by man – the Joint Aerial Combat Capability or JACC. Loaded with the latest in detection and threat assessment technology, JACC is a silent, deadly hunter in the sky. Doc discovers, however, that JACC may not be the only killer on the remote, Nevada test range where he now finds himself. Soon, he is involved in a cat and mouse game with an unknown adversary. In this fight for his life and the lives of his friends, Doc asks himself, how do you match wits with the mind in the clouds, when you are not sure if you are facing the cold, exact logic of machine intelligence or the coldblooded urges of a human murderer?

Title: The Calypsis Project

Author: Brittany M. Willows

Purchase: The Calypsis Project

The year is 2438. Ten years ago, an ill-fated encounter on a human mining colony triggered a devastating war between the United Nations Planetary Defense and an alien organization known as the Drocain Royal Empire.

After a decade of fighting with no sign of a conclusion in sight, the men and women of the UNPD find themselves faced with the harsh reality that mankind’s very existence is at stake.

When Corporal Alana Carmen stumbles upon an encrypted communications device, she learns there is more to the conflict than a simple war-for-worlds. But to uncover the truth, she must make allies of those she once considered enemies.

And now, the fate of the entire galaxy may rest on the shoulders of a single alien warrior . . .

Following a public shaming at his own Coming of Age ceremony, Kenon Valinquint enrolls in the Drocain Royal Empire with the hope of one day redeeming himself. Unbeknownst to the young Drahkori, this decision has set in motion a staggering chain of events that could very well change the direction of the war, and the known history of the universe, forever.

 

Upcoming Indie Book Review – 3/25/16

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to update you on some upcoming indie books that I am reading and will be writing reviews about soon.  Below are all of the books on my review list, in no particular order, for you to browse through as well.

Title: Hell School – Fresh Meat

Author: Heidi Angell

Purchase: Hell School – Fresh Meat

High school is hard, especially when you’re a freshman in a new town, surrounded by people you don’t understand and who don’t understand you. Sam was overwhelmed just trying to fit in. Then she is singled out with the first letter.

While some girls envy the “romantics” of this unknown admirer, Sam can tell something isn’t right. Sam wanted to just blend in, but someone’s eye is fixated on her. As the letters and bad poetry continue, so does the nagging in Sam’s stomach telling her this is not normal.

When things escalate from strange to creepy, Sam’s world becomes a nightmare. Twisted admiration is stalking her around every corner in the high school from hell….

Title: Forgotten

Author: Neven Carr

Purchase: Forgotten

Fear and the bitter stench of death have haunted Claudia Cabriati for much of her life, along with odd dreams, puzzling cards and the bone-chilling sensation of being watched. When a vaguely familiar woman possessing secret knowledge about Claudia’s family is murdered, it sets off a string of horrifying events including shocking revelations of family skeletons better left buried.

Title: Lovejoy’s World

Author: Dai Alanye

Purchase: Lovejoy’s World

Two naive Terrans of opposite sexes, accidental and unwilling travel companions, each spend their life savings on a journey to a primitive criminal-ridden planet, pursuing different but equally unlikely dreams. These two innocents, these babes in the wood, these pathetically hapless greenhorns are in for the biggest shocks of their lives.

Escorted by an alcoholic local, Keira and Wally backpack their way across an inhospitable stretch of territory from the landing site to the planet’s second city. They make it almost halfway before losing their guide, being attacked by bandits, and stumbling into a pack of dangerous local wildlife.

Then the trouble really starts. Hitherto antagonistic, under pressure of danger they begin to feel attraction for one another.

This, of course, can only lead to worse problems.

Title: Mortal Showdown

Author: Nik Krasno

Purchase: Mortal Showdown

Mortal Showdown is an action packed thriller sending the reader on a kaleidoscopic race through violence, sex, scamming and anti-scamming, political upheaval and murder.

Michael (Misha) – a Ukrainian oligarch who was rapidly climbing the Forbes rich list, wakes from a coma caused by an assassination attempt and realizes that he’s in the thick of a multilayered attack on him and his business empire. Making things even worse – among his numerous adversaries is one of Russia’s most influential strongmen. From rich and powerful, Michael very quickly becomes a fugitive, struggling for survival. Counting on his wits and a handful of loyal associates, he searches for a way to even the score with each of his adversaries and to save his country from the Russian bear’s grasp.

In order to have the slightest chance in a face-off with his prime nemesis, Michael needs to attack head on, undertaking the greatest risk of his entire life. Unfortunately, the dangerous mission goes wrong from the very beginning…

Title: The Unseen Face

Author: Joannes Rhino

Purchase: The Unseen Face

James Maddox must face the demons of his past and question everything he thought was real; even his own memory.James was used to living without emotion after losing his Emilia unexpectedly; he gave up on happiness the day she died. His plans for their future, of marriage and kids, died right along with her. He preferred feeling numb, rather than feeling the pain of losing his dreams. That all changed the day he received an anonymous letter in the mail with just three words: I am innocent. James began dreaming of Emilia that same night. However, his dream quickly becomes his nightmare as she haunts his sleep, demanding he knows the truth, that he faces the unseen. And what is hidden threatens to change James’ life forever.

Title: Mind in the Clouds

Author: Bruce Perrin

Purchase: Mind in the Clouds

A suspenseful whodunit, where not all the suspects are human.

Recently graduated and newly hired Ruger-Phillips employee, Dr. Sam “Doc” Price is excited to be starting his new assignment. He will be assessing training developed for a team. It is, however, a team like no other, because only one of the team members is human; the other is one of the most intelligent and lethal systems ever built by man – the Joint Aerial Combat Capability or JACC. Loaded with the latest in detection and threat assessment technology, JACC is a silent, deadly hunter in the sky. Doc discovers, however, that JACC may not be the only killer on the remote, Nevada test range where he now finds himself. Soon, he is involved in a cat and mouse game with an unknown adversary. In this fight for his life and the lives of his friends, Doc asks himself, how do you match wits with the mind in the clouds, when you are not sure if you are facing the cold, exact logic of machine intelligence or the coldblooded urges of a human murderer?

Starflight by Melissa Landers (Contains Spoilers)

Title: Starflight by Melissa Landers

Release Date: February 2, 2016

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

I received this novel in my February Uppercase Box.  It is a young adult science fiction novel with romantic and dramatic elements and I was thoroughly intrigued.  Not to mention the fact that Landers is active on instragram and liked and commented on all of my posts about the book.  She is a lovely human being and obviously engaged with her audience.  That alone made me appreciate her book more because it was obvious how much she cared about her work and her fans.

But to start the review I would like to start with the cover, for one thing.  The saying is always “don’t judge a book by its cover”, but as visual beings we all tend to do that.  In that aspect alone, this book excelled.  I absolutely love the galactic elements of this cover and if I had first seen it at the bookstore I would have picked it up right away.  I also love how the back cover featured a quote instead of a small summary.  The quote seemed to sum up the relationships of the characters well and bind together all of the themes of the story.

Even though this book was publicized as being a “firefly inspired novel for the next generation” Landers said that she did not base the novel on the television series “Firefly”, but instead was inspired by the memory loss element of the 1980’s film “Overboard” which features Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.  With “Overboard” being one of my favorite movies of all time, I was very impressed by this reference.  Don’t be mistaken, this book is nothing like “Overboard” except for the fact that the main male character, Doran, loses his memory and regains it back during the course of the novel.

I did like this aspect of the novel, however, I do feel that it could have been done better.  Doran lost his memory for only a short amount of time before regaining it and this seemed to make that part of the novel almost insignificant.  I would have liked it better if Doran had not regained his memory all at once, but I do understand why she did it that way.  She needed Solara to get away with kidnapping him so that she could afford fair to get on another ship, but she also needed him to be present again to really fall in love with her and form their relationship as well as being an active participant of the novel.

The main premise of this novel was about Solara, who is a felon, running away to start her life on a new planet.  Along the way she and Doran become part of a ship full of felons and have to fight off galactic pirates as they travel to different planets and experience life on a new ship with people who end up becoming like family.  I thought that the way Landers progressed the relationships of all members of the ship was lovely, and there were some extreme plot twists as one member of the ship passes away and another person related to a member of the ship turns out to be alive when he was believed to be dead.  There was a lot of action in this novel and it kept me reading the whole way through.  Each character had many different faces and it was hard to get a solid grasp on any of them, because they all seemed to have secrets that unfolded during the novel.  This was a strong writing element and proved to me that Landers is very skilled with character development.

Landers did, however, use a lot of sexual scenes as well as one accidental drug related scene and younger readers should be aware of this.  I thought that these scenes were tasteful and necessary to the action and progression of the story, but they are something that is not usually seen in young adult novels.

Overall, even though I do not usually pick up science fiction novels I was very fascinated by this novel and thought that it was a beautiful, multi-faceted story.  I highly recommend this book for anyone, even those who do not normally read science fiction.  This book serves as a great introduction to its genre.  4/5 stars for beautiful writing, but one star off because of the rushed element of Doran regaining his memory.

Buy the Book: Starflight by Melissa Landers

Email: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com for review inquiries.  I respond to all emails.