Dax Rigby, War Correspondent by John B. Rosenman

As WWIII rages on Earth, War Correspondent Dax Rigby travels to the savage planet Arcadia to investigate and report on the Western Alliance’s mission there. Soon, he fights not only to save two intelligent alien species from extinction, but also to rescue a dying human outpost threatened by a mysterious disease.

Facing assassination attempts, seduction from a passionate pilot, and his own mysterious powers of resurrection, Dax struggles to maintain his loyalties and complete his mission. The fate of two worlds hangs in the balance. Will he find a way to redefine both his identity and his destiny in time?

This is a page-burner.  The action starts the minute Dax’s boots hit dirt on the planet Arcadia, and it doesn’t stop.  Almost everyone is a suspect, and it’s difficult to tell reality from hallucination at times.  The only people he can trust are the priest and the amorous pilot.  Or can he trust them?  You’ll have to read the book to find out.  And you won’t know for sure until the very last pages. 

I recently attended the Hugo Awards.  (See my other blog.  http://rochelleweber.blogspot.com/2012/09/chicon-7-world-science-fiction.html) It really is a shame Science Fiction Writers of America is still in the dark ages in terms of membership requirements.  They’re eliminating some real talent with their two-thousand-dollar sale to a “qualified” publisher requirement.  I know some great writers in the e-book world who should be nominated for Hugos.  John B. Rosenman is among them with this book.

Length:  250

Price:  $5.95

Buy Link:  https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=96&category_id=7&keyword=Dax+Rigby%2C+War+Correspondent&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

You’ll notice I always include the publisher’s buy link.  That’s because authors usually receive 40% of the book price from the publisher.  Editors and cover artists usually receive about 5%.  When you buy a book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or another third-party vendor, they take a hefty cut and the author, editors and cover artists receive their cuts from what is left.  So, if a book costs $5.99 at E-Book Publisher.com and you buy from there, the author will receive about $2.40.  If you buy the book at Amazon, the author will receive about $0.83.

Downloading the file from your computer to your Kindle is as easy as transferring any file from your computer to a USB flash drive.  Plug the USB end of your chord into a USB port on your computer and simply move the file from your “Downloads” box to your Kindle/Documents/Books directory.  I actually download my books using “Save As” to a “Books” file I created on my computer that’s sorted by my publisher, friends, and books “to review,” and then transfer them to my Kindle from there.  That way, if there’s a glitch with my Kindle, the books are on my computer.  Your author will be happy you did when he/she sees his/her royalty statement.

The Great Northern Coven Book Two of the Cabbottown Witch Novels by Bruce Jenvey

  

J.R. is a bush pilot who drifts into small town, Haines, Alaska and signs on with the local flying service. He’s looking for a fresh start, a new beginning, and a place to hide from the painful past that literally haunts him day and night. What he doesn’t realize is the local Inuit Indians believe he is the missing piece in an ancient prophecy they have been waiting centuries to unfold. His arrival sets in motion a series of events that risks everything for everyone, right down to their very souls. It also brings forth a great evil and the only one who can save them all has to draw on her long-forgotten heritage of witchcraft.

This is the second book in the Cabbottown Witch Novels and is a story of the eternal struggle between good and evil with a wide range of characters from Lucifer and his minion, to pilots, barmaids and the ladies of the Tsonokwa Lodge… and of course, one very important Eagle-Man. But where Angela’s Coven centered on starting over and second chances, The Great Northern Coven is a story of letting go, moving on and taking that next step forward in our lives.

Normally I publish my reviews on Sunday, but The Great Northern Coven released today, so I decided to push things up a bit.  I greatly enjoyed the first of the Cabbottown Witch novels and looked forward to reading this one.  I was honored that Mr. Jenvey sent a copy to me before his release so I would be able to read it beforehand, and it did not disappoint.

I wondered how he could set a book in Alaska and tie it in to the Cabbottown coven and I even went back and skimmed Angela’s Coven to see if JR was related to them in any way, but he wasn’t.  I forgot about magic.  You’ll have to read the book to see how that works, and whether any familiar faces show up—besides, well…  As I said, you’ll have to read the book, which I highly recommend.  Once again, the characters are well-rounded, and the humor balances the suspense.  Even the bad guys have their quirks, some of which will cause a few lip-twitches and maybe even a few laughs.  But again, the good guys are very good (but not prigs), and you can’t help but feel good when you’re reading about them.  Now, it’s not like the pubisher’s going to run out of stock, but be sure to be the first on your block to read this one!

Length:  367 Pages

Price:  $5.95

Buy Link:  https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=507&category_id=69&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

You’ll notice I always include the publisher’s buy link.  That’s because authors usually receive 40% of the book price from the publisher.  Editors and cover artists usually receive about 5%.  When you buy a book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or another third-party vendor, they take a hefty cut and the author, editors and cover artists receive their cuts from what is left.  So, if a book costs $5.99 at E-Book Publisher.com and you buy from there, the author will receive about $2.40.  If you buy the book at Amazon, the author will receive about $0.83.

Downloading the file from your computer to your Kindle is as easy as transferring any file from your computer to a USB flash drive.  Plug the USB end of your chord into a USB port on your computer and simply move the file from your “Downloads” box to your Kindle/Documents/Books directory.  I actually download my books using “Save As” to a “Books” file I created on my computer that’s sorted by my publisher, friends, and books “to review,” and then transfer them to my Kindle from there.  That way, if there’s a glitch with my Kindle, the books are on my computer.  Your author will be happy you did when he/she sees his/her royalty statement.

Exiled: Autumn’s Peril, Book 1 Chronicles of Caleath by Rosalie Skinner

Last Sunday, I got distracted and never went online.  Hence, I never notified Ms. Skinner that her review was posted.  Therefore, I have decided to leave this review up for two weeks so that Ms. Skinner will have another week in which to promote this review.  Many thanks, readers.

Exiled and driven by guilt and vengeance, Caleath, adept in virtual reality games, finds himself on a world where magic rules. Assassins hunt him, ghosts haunt his nights, a sorcerer covets his knowledge and a beautiful hostage complicates his escape.

Washed ashore from the wreck of the Albatross, tortured in mind and body, Caleath uses his dreaded nanobots in order to survive and reluctantly befriends the young Gwilt Their search for the survey satellite, which could lead Caleath home, unveils the terrifying world of “a dark soul, black magic and a bloody sword.”

On this perilous journey, an assassin destroys Caleath's healing nanobots, and exiles from his home planet follow his every move. He takes the beautiful Nasith, of the Ferran clan, hostage to keep the assassins at bay, but her presence endangers him more. A sorcerer forces Caleath to aid the Council of Mages when he discovers Caleath carries vital knowledge that could save the Sharyac people from the invading Tarack, a species of giant ants.

I bought this book for my grandson for Christmas.  He does not have an e-reader, so I had to download it to my computer and give it to him on a flash drive.  Which means, it was on my computer when I needed something to read.  When I asked him what he thought of it, he said he had difficulty getting into it, because he felt like it started in the middle.  There is a lot of backstory that is revealed as you read the book.  But I found it engaging and worth the wait.  I guess my grandson just doesn’t have my patience.  No one washes up onshore after a shipwreck without a backstory.  They were on that ship for a reason—getting away from something, going toward something, leaving something or someone behind.  Caleath is no exception.

This book has elements of sci-fi, fantasy, the paranormal—Ms. Skinner does an incredible job of world-building.  As a writer and editor, I know how difficult it is to write three dimensional characters.  My science fiction takes place in the foreseeable future using plausible technology (and no math—I didn’t do well in Math). I couldn’t imagine tackling the kind of world-building Ms. Skinner has done so flawlessly here.  And yes, her characters are well-drawn and three dimensional.  My only complaint is that this is Book 1 of a seven book series.  Seven?  Really?  I need to buy six more books?  Ah, well…  I’m up into the teens in the Honor Harrington and Harry Dresden series.  And I scarped up all seven Harry Potter books.  I guess I can get the other six Caleath books, too.  Fortunately, they’re all out. 

Length:  226 Pages

Price:  $5.95

Buy Link:  http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=202&category_id=60&keyword=Autumn\%27s+Peril&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

You’ll notice I always include the publisher’s buy link.  That’s because authors usually receive 40% of the book price from the publisher.  Editors and cover artists usually receive about 5%.  When you buy a book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or another third-party vendor, they take a hefty cut and the author, editors and cover artists receive their cuts from what is left.  So, if a book costs $5.99 at E-Book Publisher.com and you buy from there, the author will receive about $2.40.  If you buy the book at Amazon, the author will receive about $0.83.

Downloading the file from your computer to your Kindle is as easy as transferring any file from your computer to a USB flash drive.  Plug the USB end of your chord into a USB port on your computer and simply move the file from your “Downloads” box to your Kindle/Documents/Books directory.  I actually download my books using “Save As” to a “Books” file I created on my computer that’s sorted by my publisher, friends, and books “to review,” and then transfer them to my Kindle from there.  That way, if there’s a glitch with my Kindle, the books are on my computer.  Your author will be happy you did when he/she sees his/her royalty statement.

When We Touch (A Whiskey Creek Novella) by Brenda Novak

You're invited to a wedding in Whiskey Creek, Heart of the Gold Country

Unfortunately, it's the wrong wedding. Olivia Arnold is arranging the festivities—and it's the hardest thing she's ever done. Because she should be marrying Kyle Houseman. They were together for more than a year…. But her jealous sister, Noelle, stole him away—and now she's pregnant.

All their friends in Whiskey Creek know as well as Olivia does that Kyle's making a mistake. His stepbrother, Brandon, knows it, too. But Kyle's determined to go through with it, for his child's sake.

Olivia's devastated, but surprisingly Brandon—the black sheep of the family—is there to provide comfort and consolation. The intensity between them, both physical and emotional, shows Olivia that maybe Kyle wasn't the right man for her…

But is Brandon?

Every family seems to have a good kid and a bad kid.  Obviously, Olivia and Kyle are the good kids in their families while Noelle and Brandon are the bad kids.  Well, not horrible—they don’t rob banks or do drugs, but Noelle steals Kyle from Olivia and gets pregnant and Brandon’s a ski bum.  That’s what his father calls him.  Actually, he’s a champion skier with corporate endorsements—the whole nine yards.  But all his family sees is that he jets around skiing.  They think the logos on his clothing are just for decoration.

When she breaks down on the way into town for the wedding and has to pull over to the side of the road because she can’t see through the tears, Brandon is one of the last people she wants to see.  He dated her once in high school and then moved on, reinforcing her Plain Jane self image and his own ladies’ man reputation.  She doesn’t need him hitting on her when she’s down.  But his suggestion they attend the wedding as a couple just to shake people up is an intriguing one…

This was a pleasant read.  Maybe it’s unfair, but I guess I’m holding Ms. Novak to a higher standard since she’s a best-selling author contracted to a major publisher.  I suppose I expect to be dazzled more.  Maybe it’s because I’m writing this the morning after reading another book by a debut author at a small publisher that kept me up all night because I couldn’t put it down.  However, When We Touch is  worth the price, and I do recommend it.

Length:  102 Pages

Price:  $1.99 Free Right Now

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Touch-Whiskey-Creek-novella-ebook/dp/B008JI9EHU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347900981&sr=1-1&keywords=when+we+touch+whiskey+creek