A Ruby Red Christmas by Delilah Hall

 

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Bio:  Delilah Hall is a young Canadian author who lives in and writes smalltown romance. Growing up Delilah had the pleasure of being able to explore, a passion that has carried on into her adult life and has inspired many stories- and future novels.

Blurb: In a Ruby Red Christmas, Delilah Hall crafts a heartfelt tale of love that defies time. In a story set in both the past and the present, the reader gets to unravel the love story of Lucy and John and what pulled them apart. 

Once deeply in love. Then separated by the twists and turns of life, each of them carries with them a lifetime of experiences. Each of them has had a family and a full life that was happy. But what about those unfulfilled dreams they'd shared so many years ago?  

When their paths cross unexpectedly, all those memories come back. We get to see how two people pulled apart can find each other again, and what that looks like in the present.

One of our hi-lo (high interest/low reading level) series for older adults. While these heart-warming tales can be enjoyed by anyone, they are specially crafted for people experiencing cognitive impairment such as dementia. Short sentences, paragraphs, and chapters make for a pleasant reading experience.  

People may enjoy these books on their own, with a loved one, or in a group setting. Each book contains illustrations throughout. After each chapter, there are general discussion questions to encourage engagement and connection.

Interview questions: 

1.    Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing, and did you use it to your advantage? 

Yes! I was raised in a family full of writers and I was lucky enough to be encouraged at an early age to follow my writing. 

2.    Please introduce your genre and why you prefer to write in that genre?  

A Ruby Red Christmas is a later-in-life romance that I wrote recently, I normally write blue collar/smalltown romance but had been playing around with this idea for several months and when I found out about Lilac Arch Press’s call for submissions for their older-adult line, I thought this story would be the perfect fit! 

3.    What has been your most rewarding experience with your writing process? 

For me, the most rewarding part of the experience has been getting to meet the people who buy my book. The people who look at the cover, read the blurb and think they would enjoy the story that I wrote.  

4.    What positive piece of advice would you give to other authors?  

Take risks! You will learn more from trying things than you ever will from just studying. I’ve tried a lot of things, and failed at a lot of things, but along the way I’ve learnt so much!  
Along with that, build your connections. Talk with other writes, share your writing, get feedback, and put yourself out there! 

Website Links: 

WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / PINTERST

 

Book review: Abilene by Dare DeLano

Black Coffee Book Tours

November 28 - December 01

Three strong Southern women — twelve-year-old Len, her mother Cora, and her Aunt Jean — grapple with love and loss in this poignant tale set on a hardscrabble cattle ranch in a small Texas town. Len yearns to find the father who abandoned her, and after a chance encounter with a country music star who she suspects is him, she embarks on a life-altering journey to find the truth about her past. At the same time, Cora and Jean must deal with another shocking family betrayal that complicates everything. Told in turns by these three remarkable women, Abilene explores the boundaries of love and the transformative power of self-discovery.

Link for the book on the publisher’s website

Universal link for the book on Amazon

About the author

Dare DeLano holds an MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University. Her work has been short-listed as a finalist for the Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, and her children’s book Odus and the Long Way Home won the San Diego Book Award. Her work has been published in “A Year in Ink Anthology, Vol. 10, San Diego Writers, Ink, and has been exhibited in the San Diego Central Library’s Local Author Exhibition. Dare lives in San Diego, but her heart remains in the south. This is her first novel.

Website / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook 

Review 

Len, Cora and Jean are three Southern women who have faced a lot of hardships in their lives. They live on a ranch in Texas, raising cattle and try to make ends meet.

Len is a curious girl with a gift who wants to know more about her father. He left when she was a baby and the only picture she has of him kept him alive in her mind. Through an impromptu meeting, she thinks she has found him in a famous singer and goes after him to learn the truth.

I liked the relationship between her and Cyclops, a reliable horse who was her confidant and friend in ways no one could be.

“And I knew in my bones she was right. For often, with the first winds of morning, I could feel how the day was gonna go. I could feel the long, strange cry of a wolf, or the glorious scream of the eagle, circling. At the beach I could hear the sailors’ words as they were carried along in cries of the seagulls.” Len.

Cora and Jean are sisters who have always been close, but they are shaken by a family secret that threatens to tear them apart. They each have their own struggles with love, loss, and forgiveness.

“There was a deep-inside part of her that was at home here in the house she’d grown up in, the fields where she’d spent countless hours as a child. But there was part of her that knew she never fit quite right in this town. Everywhere Cora went, she felt a little different from the pack. In her hometown, she was smarter and more worldly, at college, she was edgier and more rebellious, and with the party crowd she hung out with she was smarter and more ambitious. She felt she was pieced together from all these different sections, and nowhere did she feel completely whole, nowhere did she feel completely understood.” Cora.

Jean is on trial for manslaughter, and as she tries to adapt to prison life, she has to face her fears and the revelation of secrets. Secrets that could tare her family apart. As one continues to read, I could feel the empathy the writer used to tell these three women’s story.

“I’m not scared. Even if no one else was around and he tried something I don’t reckon I’d be scared. I am a master at detaching from my body. I understand how to just leave and not care what is happening to the flesh and bone and skin that is lying there below me. I been doing it for years, whenever Roger wanted me. Trying to feel something – – something like I used to feel when we first were dating, back when things were sweet and I would get a little thrill when he touched me.” Jean

Abilene is a story of three women, in two different time zones, who discover themselves and each other through their journey of finding home.

The writing is beautifully crafted, and the plot has an easy flow that makes this an enjoyable read from beginning to end. 

Book review: The Killer's Stepsister by Caroline Taylor

Synopsis

For nine years, Felicity Terrebonne made her stepsister Maddy miserable, including marrying Maddy’s boyfriend Dan. Now Felicity is on trial for murder, and Maddy attends her trial. Is she there to gloat, or is it admiration that Felicity had the courage to deal with a would-be rapist?

But Felicity has her own agenda, one that enlists Maddy and her friend Pete in a frantic search for Felicity’s daughter Danielle, who was kidnapped by her father but is nowhere to be found.

She’s only ten years old and has been missing for five months. Dan promises to lead them to her only to learn that Danielle has escaped her kidnappers.

Now the hunt is on. Who will find the child first, and is she still alive?

About the Author

Born in Pasadena, CA, The United States

Genre Mystery, Thriller, Nonfiction

Influences: Guy Noir, Stephanie Plum

Facebook / LinkedIn / Goodreads

I am the author of several mysteries, one short-story collection, and a nonfiction book. All of them are listed on my website at https://www.carolinestories.com. Two of my novels won the Firebird Book award, and a third was a finalist for the Freddie Award. Loose Ends was Goodreads “best thriller set in DC” in 2016.

I grew up in the mountain west and have traveled widely, including a brief stint in the Foreign Service. I am a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

What’s the best thing about being a writer?

Living in a world that I have totally imagined whose inhabitants mostly--but certainly not always--do what I expect them to.

Review

A child went missing for five months, the mother faces a murder charge, and a supportive although reluctant stepsister steps in. From the opening chapter of the story, you realise the two didn’t get along.

When a child is missing, it is taken seriously by every law enforcement unit and person connected to the family. But in this case, the girl was gone for five months, and no one knew, not even the stepsister. That sounded very odd to me.

Though the two stepsisters were not close, Maddy came running when she heard about her sister’s fate. That there is not much love between is a fact, but that Maddy came says a lot about Maddy and a lot of nothing about Felicity. Only during the court case did Maddy learn about her niece’s abduction. I believe she would have been the first responder when she had received the news five months ago, and the reason I found it odd was that she wasn’t told.

With each scene, new characters were introduced that helped to develop the story, giving it a more mysterious edge. During the court case, Maddy got to see her stepmom again. Yvonne was a sickly woman, filled with regrets and unable to change the past. Maddy’s love is clear.

Detective O’Toole added the spice, making you wonder if the spark would grow between him and Maddie. The camaraderie between them a beautiful string that kept my nose in the book.

The book was written from Maddie’s point of view. As an outsider, she could explore the many reasons that led to her stepsister’s demise as she looked for Danielle.

With so many variables in the plot, you had to keep up with it all. What hindered me most about this story are the frequent back stories within each scene, slowing down the flow of the story. Getting to the story is the number one rule when writing a book. Too much back story is too much tell and not much showing.

Otherwise, it was a good book, that keeps on building on the mystery genre. With enough dialogue and sparks to keep you reading as twists unfold. The end of the book answered most of the questions, with Felicity’s fate still hanging in the air.

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Reedsy / BookBub / LibraryThing / Goodreads 

 

 

Book tour plus review: Black Fox One by Elyse Hoffman

 

Black Coffee Book Tours

November 14-17

Jonas Amsel and Avalina Keller, devoted Nazis and best friends, have a bright future in Hitler’s Third Reich. Ava, a talented gymnast, wants to serve Germany in the Olympics, and Jonas, who has loved Ava since they were children, wants nothing more than to marry her and start a family. When he is about to propose, however, Ava and her entire family vanish without a trace.

Jonas blames the Jews for Ava’s disappearance and throws himself into a career in the Nazi Party. He serves the Reich under the ruthless Chief of the Gestapo, Reinhard Heydrich. Jonas becomes particularly good at capturing members of the Black Foxes, an anti-Nazi resistance group, earning Heydrich’s respect and the moniker of “the Fox Hunter.”

Impressed by Jonas’ skills, Heydrich gives him his most difficult task yet: capture the elusive Black Fox One, the Black Foxes’ most deadly and mysterious operative. No Nazi who has pursued Black Fox One has returned alive, but Jonas is determined and confident. Capturing Black Fox One might bring him one step closer to finding Ava.

But while he is hunting Black Fox One, Jonas makes a shocking discovery, forcing him to make an agonizing decision. He must choose between his love for the Reich and his heart, torn between the lies he has been taught all his life and the new truth before him.

Black Fox One is a thrilling World War II story of lost love, bravery, and the hard road to redemption.

Check the book on Amazon here.

Book Review:

Black Fox One is an eye-opening story about Germany’s propaganda against the Jews during World War two. But it is also a love story of two people divided by war and hate.  

Lies and secrets were the foundations of this war, a war ignited and fed by ignorance and manipulation, and normal people on both sides of the coin suffered. This is the premises of Black Fox One. The author’s empathy and research can be seen on each page as the story came to life and you get to know the SS officer, the “Fuchsjager”.  

Ava and Jonas were ripped apart and found each other once more at the height of the war. The chipping down of lies came at a cost, and the questions of which side to choose remained throughout this heartfelt story.  

“They lied to me…they lied right to my face. My teachers, my comrades, they all lied to me!” Jonas Amsel said.  

Black Fox One, the moniker of a fierce leader, brings the suffering of the Jewish people's home. The entire team of black foxes was a menace in the German army and one they void to destroy at all costs. 

“You’re a loyal SS man, an Aryan. Don’t forget your nation, no matter what happens. At the end of the day, Germany must come first. Deutschland Über Alles!” Dieter Amsel. 

With two goals on his mind, the one, to find his one true love and own a “Ehrenring”, Jona, a national socialist’s mind, was set on the task at hand. Not knowing what will happen when he continues. But when Jonas was confronted with a different truth he believed, he had to make a choice.  

Since this book is written from Jonas’ perspective alone, it was difficult to know Ava’s thoughts. Yet I could summarize that she had a difficult time in the time they were apart. Though she had to be bitter, I found her endearing character relatable. She knew who she was and made no excuse for it. Her quiet and even sometimes explosive nature was a powerful beacon for Jonas’s character. If not for her gentle tutoring on a somewhat unconventional way, Jonas would have stayed lost.  

The strong bond of love is an ever-present string that holds it together.

The writing is clear and to the point. The descriptions lively as the author shows the story in apt ways. Adding additional dimensions to a very harsh time in our history.  

“I was lied to, he thought, and in the name of that lie he had killed. Murdered. Nausea took hold of him, and he almost collapsed. He was angry. Angry at his father who had lied to him, at the nation which had lied to him, at the lying system he had served.”

About the author

Elyse Hoffman is an award-winning author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. She loves to meld WWII and Jewish history with fantasy, folklore, and the paranormal. She has written six works of Holocaust historical fiction: the five books of The Barracks of the Holocaust and The Book of Uriel.

Website  / Goodreads / Bookbub 

Yuri and the pig by C.W. Lovatt. From the best-selling author of the Charlie Smithers adventures

From the best-selling author of the Charlie Smithers adventures 

A farmer and his pig set off on an extraordinary quest across war-torn Eastern Europe.

Entangled in a savage war, the country of Xoraina is fighting for its very existence; but to Yuri, a simple peasant from a remote mountain village, it seems all but certain that the invading Zlaimperians must ultimately prevail. Not that it is of any consequence to him, of course. In Yuri’s view, every form of government is equally bad, so it makes very little difference who holds the reins of power. Indeed, throughout time, the only things that have ever really mattered are that the soil be tilled, the cows milked, and the pigs shipped to market, all in a timely fashion.

But when an exorbitant new tax threatens that philosophy, he sets off with his pig across the war-ravaged land to the Capital in order to fight the injustice. In the process, their journey becomes a road to a terrible enlightenment, causing Yuri to question his deeply seated beliefs. But only when he and his pig find themselves placed squarely in destiny’s path is there any hope of those questions finding answers.

Buy links:

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Goodreads / Facebook page

Bio: 

CW Lovatt is the award-winning author of the best-selling Charlie Smithers Collection and the critically acclaimed Josiah Stubb trilogy. He lives on the Canadian prairies and is the self-appointed Writer in Residence of Carroll, Manitoba (pop +/- 20). "Yuri & the Pig" is his latest novel.

EXCERPT (based on the current war in Ukraine):

Overview

 

This tale concerns two countries in Eastern Europe. One, Zlaimperia, is very large. The other country, Xoraina, is much smaller and is situated on Zlaimperia’s southern border. In times past, Zlaimperia was the core of a fearsome empire which, among many other countries, included Xoraina.

Now, also in times past – within the span of a lifetime ago – the Zlaimperian Empire was much weakened because of its struggle with the United States of America and her allies. Although still considered to be an empire by some, many of the vassal states, resentful of their Zlaimperian overlord, chose to go their own way, Xoraina being among them.

In the ensuing years, the divide between these two countries grew ever wider. Grasped in the iron fist of a dictator, Zlaimperia returned to its authoritarian roots. This dictator was known for his ruthless determination to cling to power, as well as his corruption. Xoraina, on the other hand, turned away from its past with Zlaimperia. Instead, they turned toward the western form of government that gave power to the people. In due course it began to prosper.

Now, the all-powerful Zlaimperian dictator lamented the lessening of what his country had once been and swore to regain those glories of the past. He also noticed that Xoraina had repudiated that past and embraced their old enemies in the West. Duly enraged by it, but he was also alarmed to have yet another democratic country on his border, especially a prosperous one, and this one most of all. To some degree, many in Zlaimperia and Xoraina shared a similar language and culture. Also, many people in Xoraina had friends and family in Zlaimperia, and vice versa. How long would it be, he wondered, before his own people, relating to life across the border, saw the benefits of democracy and wanted it for themselves? If such an unspeakable thing should occur, not only would it would be the end of all his dreams of returning Zlaimperia to its former glory, it would be the end of the dictator himself. Clearly, the status quo could not be tolerated. Therefore, girding the country in a blanket of lies, of how the erstwhile vassal state had now fallen victim to deplorable Nazis, he ordered his formidable military to invade Xoraina with two objectives in mind: to eradicate Xorainian democracy, and to absorb the country within a new Zlaimperian Empire.

However, having once tasted freedom, Xorainians were reluctant to surrender to the will of their old master. 

Instead, they chose to resist.

 

Suzanna's Escape; Another thrilling read from Andrew R. William.

The saga of the Fyfield’s continues in this story as Suzanna Fyfield escapes from the clutches of the Great Ones. All the players are back, with Rob taken out of the equation very deceitfully. Once he returned, he was as a force to reckon with. The question was, would Suzanna finally let go of her feelings for this no-good man?

With Akbar ever present, I found him annoying at times, but also very helpful. Though timing was not his strongest feature.

Suzanna’s escape takes you deeper into Arcadia, as hybrids tries try to kill her. Trusting the right people is of the essences and this ex-commander of the Emperess of Igocnito, quickly learned that not everything was at it seemed. But trust did not come easy for her, and it took a good part of the book to convince her of those who tried to help, of their sincerity.

Sharing her world with Arcadian Wolves and millipedes, hybrids, and AI’s makes this story interesting. It keeps you on your toes as you follow the continues drama as it unfolds. Adding a few twists in the plot, and you too, will be hooked till the last page.  

Website  / Amazon

Book review: Teaching Machines how To Cry by Dr. Paula Hidalgo-Sanchis

 

Review 

Teaching machines how to cry by Paula Hidalgo-Sanchis was recommended to me and I found it different. The shell on the book cover made me wonder about the book itself or the untold story. A very unsophisticated cover, but once you follow the story, the meaning becomes clear behind the simplicity. Life is very fragile, the outer casing only shell deep, and if you put too much pressure on it, it will break. The question was, how does this apply to the characters within the book? 

The book is the debut novel from the author, a highly esteemed person with a biography to impress. The relationship between Alba and M is very significant. Hence the name of the book, Teaching machines how to cry. It all began when Alba became ill, and an AI prototype became part of her everyday life. 

The relationship was more a monologue between her and M, where she talked, and M observed. With M only replying when a direct question was asked. But when it was removed from her life, she was left with a longing she could not understand. 

Twenty years later, Dr. Alba lands at the Hölfang Foundation, hoping to find her friend and be part of the groundbreaking work at the foundation. Set in the picturesque Portugal, Alba is confronted with many questions. 

She experiences life intensely. Each person who crossed her path added another dimension to her emotional framework. This became clear when she landed in Rio de Janeiro with the promise of a beautiful romantic time with Dr. P. Which ended with her in hospital and him gone. This experience shaped her even further. 

M, the AI prototype who shadowed Alba as a child to learn about human emotions, role is very significant. Adding no spoilers to this review, the connection between the two was more than just friendship. As secrets are unearthed and files disappear, it became apparent that Alba and M’s relationship holds the key to the future of the Hölfang Foundation. 

I found the author’s writing robotic at times, and the monologues didn’t help to capture the heart of the story. Too much inner dialogue dragged the story out and hindered the flow, in my opinion. Otherwise, a good story any science reader will enjoy. 

Purchase link: 

Amazon / Universal book link / Goodreads 

Brief bio: 

Paula Hidalgo-Sanchis is a citizen of the world who has lived on four continents. She spent most of her career working with the United Nations as a humanitarian, and as a sustainable development practitioner. She led ground-breaking work on the ethical complexities, and potentials, of artificial intelligence. That work informs her debut novel Teaching Machines How to Cry. She holds a PhD in Human Geography and lives in Portugal with her two sons. 

Blurb: 

In Teaching Machines How to Cry, Paula Hidalgo-Sanchis explores the story of Alba, a young woman seeking answers for a feeling of longing she can’t explain, and M, an AI prototype. Alba was a child when she first spent time with M, until they were unexpectedly driven apart. As an adult, Alba slowly realises that M might hold the answers to her life-long yearning when she remembers that the last time she felt whole was as a child when she taught M how to cry. This novel explores the symbiosis between AI and the human soul and raises the questions of how machines and humans might live and evolve together in a not so-distant future. 

Excerpt:

Diving into humanity’s written history, the team realized that some written records, such as Egyptian hieroglyphs, weren’t easy to understand.

To address this, they adjusted the scope of the case study with a new timeframe. The new timeframe was from 2,600 B.C. onwards. 2,600 B.C. was the date of a Sumerian cuneiform script that had been identified by historians as humanity’s first intelligible written text.

Once the new timeframe for the study was set, the team combined and categorized humanity’s written legacy dating back to 2,600 B.C. Hours and hours of work were spent on collecting all available data sources, including manuscripts, historical documents, court transcripts, magazines, poetry, philosophical essays, children’s books, religious papers, song lyrics, novels, and newspapers.

Then, the scientists wrote several algorithms to do a cross-sectoral examination of livelihoods, political and societal structures, creative arts, religions, and educational systems in the texts. With computations, the team analyzed the data with scatter plots, the Pearson correlation coefficient, the correlation matrix, principal component analysis (PCA), and Lasso regression. But the computations didn’t yield the expected results, and only weak correlations and causations were found among the data points.

The findings of the case study were irrefutable: a core set of ethical values that guided people to do right or wrong in the selected timeframe wasn’t found. The team concluded that the reason was that ‘human history is too inconsistent’.

To advance the implementation of the hL-M-p, a quality assurance team proposed that E would just have to learn the seventh commandment, ‘thou shalt not kill’. The new proposal was presented to the Foundation’s board for approval. A vote was conducted. The tally was eleven votes in favor, and one against. Can you guess who that one vote came from? It was the unintentional criminal, Mr. Austin, who deeply regretted attempting to murder his mother-in-law but believed that manslaughter could be justified sometimes.

At the same time, as was the normal practice, the scientists who conducted the study on moral values published a paper with the proceedings. The paper was entitled: ‘Teaching E to be good: a scientific approach’, and it was published in the journal Science Today. When the paper was disseminated, something unforeseen happened: many voices questioned the scientific rigor of the study.

Social scientists voiced their concerns about the methods used. Historians challenged the timeframe of the case study. And anthropologists claimed that the scope of the study had missed the fact that Homo Sapiens, or the wise man, had walked the Earth for three-hundred-thousand-years. In response to the criticism, the lead data scientist issued the following statement: ‘It’s not true that the history of humanity was simplified for the purpose of the study. The broad scientific community recognizes written knowledge as a turning point in the evolution of human intelligence. The combination of logograms and syllabaries in the selected Sumerian cuneiform script is considered by many to be humanity’s first writing system. So, it is reasonable to use that readable text as the milestone that marks the beginning of the evolution of men. Humans were not evolved before they learnt how to write.’

His statement ‘humans were not evolved before they learnt how to write’ went viral and ignited more criticism. A renowned philosopher then said: ‘The Hölfang Foundation has simplified the complexity of humankind to fit it into machine-learning reality.’

After this, a media scandal developed. For the first time since it was established, the Foundation was under public scrutiny. ‘It’s an unprecedented scandal’, the chairman of the board said. The ‘unprecedented scandal’ resulted in delays in the implementation of the hL-M-p.

In addition, the costs increased by 27 percent due to additional expenditures on lawyers and marketing consultant fees. To avoid further criticism, setbacks, and extra-budgetary expenditure, the board decreed that all research would be kept secret from then on.

‘The world will still benefit from our work, but we’ll not be interrupted again’ the chairman stated. To implement this resolution, the Foundation’s board approved a confidentiality policy that all employees should follow.

After further discussions, the board decided to suspend the hL-M-p indefinitely.

Book Review: Waves of chances by Sonja Gunter

Review:

Professor Caresse Deveau is in a league of her own. I must admit that I didn’t like her much in the beginning. Her self-righteousness and aloofness did nothing to warm me towards her. But as the story developed, I got to know the woman behind the facade. She is intelligent, straight shooter with a love for history.

Caresse’s refusal to see what is happening in front of her, always thinking of her mother, had something to do with the setup, annoyed me. As if she was waiting for her mother to reveal herself, but the story turned out differently than expected.

The yearly mother-and-daughter cruise changed at the last minute when her mother excused herself from the cruise. Her father, instead of just leaving it alone, send her a text message to explain that her mother wasn’t sick. This seed of doubt resurfaced throughout the plot.

With Dennie Lang, I had a distinct feeling and liked him from the start. His genuine character and flawless manners made him the perfect candidate for a romantic novel. Add his job description into the mix and the blend and aroma of a unique story unfolded.

The meeting between the two was a casual introduction, and I could see the scene playing off in my mind’s eye. That encounter promised to have me glued to the book, wondering when and how they would find that moment of realization.

Another facet that made this story interesting was the ghost-child that kept on appearing in the most inconvenient times. This puzzled Caresse, as she could not understand the reoccurring dreams or the ghosts. The more she dug into her past, the more the answers eluded her. But an interesting twist revealed it all and led to a significant find.

Dennie himself struggled to get past his feelings of guilt against his deceased wife. And the growing feelings that stirred for Caresse. Soon we have a story that brings the reader a wonderful taste of romance with a touch of mysticism as they cruised the Mississippi. Until it came to a halt, and this is where the plot come into its own.

Kaimi added another element to the story. With a clever ploy, she tried her best to break them apart. Lies and deceit followed her like a shadow and for a time, I too thought she was telling the truth. But lies have a way to catch up with you, especially when jealousy rears its ugly head.  

A book I can recommend to all romance readers with a touch of the unnatural to spice up the evening. The dialogue between the two flowed with a comfortable ease and the writing was clear and concise.

 

Synopsis

Professor Caresse Deveau is all about work and trying to solve the meaning behind her reoccurring dream. Her mother’s interference of getting a son-in-law and a grandbaby is non-stop. Hoping for some rest and relaxation on their mother and daughter cruise, her mother cancels at the last minute.

Was this a ploy on her mother’s part to see her find a boyfriend?

Dennie Lang, owner of several vineyards in the US and England, is onboard to train the crew to serve his wines. From the first moment he sees Caresse, he is attracted to her and with the help of the Captain Neil Becker, his ex-brother-in-law, arranges to be seated at a dinner table for two.

When unseen forces worked to bring them together, there is someone trying to make sure it doesn’t happen and sets other events into motion. Will their new-found love at first sight be enough to keep them together?

Book links

Goodreads / Kobo / Amazon.com / Nook / Smashwords / Apple 

Excerpt

Clenching her teeth, she took a deep breath. How stupid she’d been for not picking up on what her mother had been doing in the first place. Caresse weighed her options. Canceling at this point would invalidate her mother’s well staged plan. Or, if she played along, went on the cruise alone, knowing her mother had alternate plans once she was on board, would she be endorsing the pretense?

“Are you there, honey?”

“Yes, mother.”

“I’m sorry I got sick.” Her phone dinged again. Another message from her father. She means well. Her father was right. Her mother was only being a mother. One who wanted her only daughter to marry. When she returned home, her mother’s meddling was going to stop. This was the last straw. A week by herself sounded pretty damn good.

“Okay mom, I’ll go alone. I’m sure Dad will do a wonderful job of taking care of you.”

“Oh, great—oh, he will...” More fake coughing.

“Love you. Bye honey.”

“Love you too. Bye.” She ended the call and sent her father a text. Tell her I know she was faking. His reply. Will do. XO

“Where to, ma’am?” Caresse looked at the driver.

“Sorry. The Port of Call, please.”

“Right away,” he stated and merged into traffic. Before the Port of Call came into view, a billboard caught her attention, advertising French Quarter Phantom tours. She made a mental note to contact them when she returned. They might be able to help with her dream and ghost.

At this point, she had nothing to lose. The taxi maneuvered through the heavy traffic of vans and cars to the unloading area. Finally, the line of vehicles moved. The driver set her luggage on the curb and a ship porter came and took them.

“Ma’am, enjoy your trip.”

“I will. Thank you.” Caresse handed him her business card and a ten-dollar tip.

“Email me your wife’s jambalaya recipe. I’d love to try it.” The taxi driver grinned.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Her stomach did a couple of flips as she glanced at the Vision of the Seas. This was a break from students. No stacks of final exams to grade. And now, no nagging mother commenting on her single status. Only peace and quiet waited for her with daily visits to the ship’s library and the spa for massages.

If I can handle over a hundred students in my lecture classes, I can manage a vacation by myself. With purposeful strides, she moved to the end of the line for early-boarding, a perk of having cruised often. A pleasant agent checked her passport, took her picture, and gave her the all clear to board. The excitement in the air was infectious and Caresse wasn’t immune and smiled.

The moment she crossed over unto the ship, her breath caught in her throat. After a dozen or so cruises, it never failed to be impressive. The openness, the grandeur of the whole entrance. “Welcome aboard the Royal Caribbean, Vision of the Seas.”

“Thank you,” Caresse nodded, turning her attention to the crewmember.

Excerpt 2

Behind the protection of his Maui Jim’s, Dennie studied the woman who was presenting her assets for anyone to view. He clamped his mouth shut and ran his hand over his chin, fearing it had fallen open.

“It’s okay, but I would like some sun.” This time, the woman’s voice held a sharp tone of irritation. How had he missed her when he’d come up a few minutes ago? Her flowered bikini swimsuit top displayed the swell of her breasts, that were not too large and not too small, but enough to make it appear as if they were overflowing the material. It was a sight for his deprived eyes. He swallowed and took two steps to the right. The mid-afternoon sunlight cast a golden glow on her skin. His eyes traveled the length of her body. Her burgundy shorts came to the middle of her well-shaped thighs, baring long, shapely legs.

“Thank you.”

He tore his gaze away from her body and focused on her face. Her short brown hair was pushed behind her ears, but some strands had come loose allowing the wind to move them freely. He couldn’t see her eyes because her own sunglasses hid them but imagined them to be brown.

He watched as she put down an electronic device revealing no ring on her second finger. Could Michele be trying to tell him to move on? Why would he see a woman in the same spot he’d been thinking about? They didn’t look alike at all.

“I’m sorry,” Dennie repeated and stepped further to the right allowing the sun to hit the woman. She only smiled.

“Is this chair taken?” He pointed to the empty chair next to her. She looked to her left and right. He did the same and saw his mistake. There were numerous vacant lounge chairs. His attempt at small talk had been absurd.

 

Jim's Revenge by Andrew R. Williams, a witty story filled with humourous moments.

Although retired, Jim Godwin takes a lowly part-time job at Slobend, Fleecem & Skinnem out of boredom and the need to eke out his pension. Unfortunately for Jim, he's had a prior altercation with two staff members. Worse, Jim knows that they are drug dealers on the side.

The two main drug-dealing ringleaders at Slobend, Fleecem & Skinnem try to get rid of Jim by playing pranks on him. However, Jim is made of steamer stuff, refusing to leave. He then realizes that Moira Buckle, another staff member, is also being bullied and coming to her aid. Poor old Jim. He just wanted a part-time job, but finds himself dragged into the local underworld, bullying, drug dealing, and race-fixing. What else could happen?

©2019 Andrew R Williams (P)2023 Andrew R Williams

Audible / Amazon 

Review

I bought the audible format of this book and enjoyed it immensely.

The narrator, Anne-Lise Kadri’s clever voice variations, helped to distinguish the unique characters, each with their own quirks and distinct mannerisms. I think she really captured the mood of the book perfectly. The ease of her narration really made this a likeable story.

Jim’s Revenge is a witty, cleverly planned plot with so many happenings you must keep up. With this book, details made the story and the dialogue’s realistic flow keep your attention. Through it, you really get to know the characters, some were likeable and some a real menace. Jim’s character was perfectly verbalized to one who can think on his feet. Despite a few disadvantages, he was the unwilling hero of this story, and the outcome was a perfect end. 

Jim, the main character, is a pensioner that knows nothing about modern technology. Cell phones, WhatsApp and cameras, but common sense and a keen interest in his surroundings made him the natural hero. 

To curb the boredom, he applied for a job across the street where he lived, at Slobend, Fleecem & Skinnem. Without adding some spoilers to the review, it is good to know, because it centered the plot neatly. The entire plot involves the employees of this company and Jim learned quickly. 

The connection between him and Moira was very sweet, and like a father, he tried to help her. Especially when the bullies bully became adamant to hurt her. All I am willing to mention is that practical jokes have a way to catch up to you. Watch out who you play with. Jim might be old, but not senile or stupid. And having a team of young men with their own agendas helped. 

The supporting characters were a mixture of sweet and sour, with a tangy twist which made it surprisingly witty. From drug barons to the damsel in distress, each character forms part of the suspense filled plot.

Other books by Andrew R Williams

Science Fiction: Arcadia’s Children Series

Samantha’s Revenge 1 

The Fyfield Plantation 2

Pushley’s Escape 3

Samantha’s War 4 

Marooned: Prequel

Technical

Domestic Building Surveys ISBN 0 419 178000 7

Practical Guide to Alterations and Extension ISBN 10: 0-415-43426-2

Spon’s Practical Guide to Alterations and Extensions.

 Excerpt

Jim and Moira

After searching for a pencil, Jim Godwin put a ring around an advertisement in the sit’s vac page of the Tipham Star. Reading further, he found another possible job and circled that too. By the time Jim had finished, there were six rings on the page. He started re-reading. Within seconds, he put a line through four of the circles; he didn’t want to work anti-social hours and he didn’t want to travel far. Ideally, the job would be part-time.

He was just about to reach out and call one of the numbers when his mobile rang and startled the life out of him.

Answering it, a high-pitched voice shouted, “Hello Grandpa Godwin!”

Jim smiled, “Hello, Sam.”

Sam’s voice was suddenly replaced by Amanda, his daughter-in-law, “I’m going shopping. D’you want anything?”

Jim raised his eyebrows at the brusque tone in Amanda’s voice, but he ignored it because he had no desire to lock horns with her. Instead, he reached for his list of special items he’d written out the previous day and read them out.

“Is that all you want?” Amanda demanded.

“That’ll do,” Jim confirmed. “Thank you.”

“Okay, I’ll get Tommy to bring them over later.”

 “That will be nice,” Jim replied. “Will Sam be coming too?”

There was a silence but instead of the line being cut as it usually was, Jim heard Sam protesting, “I want to speak to Grandpa again.”

A moment later, Sam came back on the phone, “Hello Grandpa!”

After talking to Sam and listening to his football exploits in the local junior team, Jim eventually terminated the conversation and went back to his paper, but swiftly grew bored with sit’s vac and the local news. Finally, he decided to visit Cunningham Park and feed the ducks; it was one of those rituals he did practically every day to waste away a few hours.

Picking up the specially bought bird food instead of the stale bread he’d given innocently for years but which he’d recently learned was potentially lethal for them, Jim left his flat and set off towards the park. He noticed that Adrian Drinkwater was already sitting in his usual position.

Moving towards the bench, Jim sat down beside Drinkwater and said, “I hope you’re not going to accuse anyone of being a drug dealer today.”

Drinkwater frowned, “And why would I do that?”

“You did yesterday.”

“Did I?”

“You did,” Jim replied opening the bag he was holding. The slight rustle was enough to spark the local wildfowl into a frenzy; the lake emptied, and the air filled with the sounds of quacking and honking.

After throwing some food to the thronging masses and watching them gobble it up, Jim glanced at Adrian and said, “So how’s things today?”

Adrian shrugged and said what he usually said when Jim fed the birds. “They’re going to ban people feeding the ducks y’know, Jim. They say it attracts rats.”

Jim ignored the comment and responded with, “How’s your family?”

“Never see ‘em,” Adrian replied dismissively but Jim suspected the comment was untrue. In all probability, his children had visited Adrian but his Alzheimers had wiped away all memory of their visit.

Adrian added, “How’s your family?”

“Tommy’s coming around with Sam to deliver my special items shortly,” Jim replied.

Adrian frowned, “Special items?”

“I’ve told you about the special items before,” Jim replied. “I ask for them every week so Tommy has an excuse to come around and see me.”

Noting the blank expression on Adrian’s face, Jim concluded Adrian’s Alzheimer’s had once again wiped his memory banks.

“Tommy is my son. Amanda is his wife. Amanda and I fell out a few years back and she’s not the sort to forget a grudge.”

“Tommy,” Adrian said. “Which one’s that? Is he the one you said would regret marrying again?”

Jim only had one son but he didn’t correct Adrian. “That’s the one.”

Adrian responded with, “Is he the one like Henry the Eighth?”

“That’s the one.”

Partially recalling one of their previous conversations on the subject, Adrian said, “Tell me how it goes again.”

When Jim didn’t respond, Adrian said, “Go on.”

“Okay,” Jim said. “Tommy has a typical English family. Like King Henry the Eighth, Tommy has gone through several wives and has children by most of them.

Unlike Henry’s spouses, none have been beheaded. In Tommy’s case, the sequence is divorced; buggered off with another man; died in car crash; remarried.”

Amused by the description of Tommy’s family, Adrian let out a cackle. He said, “So who is Tommy married to now?”

“Amanda. She’s Tommy’s fourth and twenty years younger wife. Sam is the fruit of her loins.”

After talking about his family for a while longer, Jim was surprised when Adrian remembered something from a previous conversation.

“Have you found a job yet?”

Jim shook his head, “I’ve contacted a few firms but I’ve begun to realise no one wants to employ someone of my age. It’s as if I have ‘supplanted’ tattooed on my forehead.”

Adrian eyed him thoughtfully. “I’m surprised you want a job at your age.”

“That’s what Tommy keeps on saying,” Jim replied tartly. “But there are times when I get really bored. Having a part-time job, something light would break up the day would do me fine.”

After giving the ducks the remainder of the food, Jim bid Adrian adieu and went back to his apartment.