Month: December 2016

December 12, 2016

Disruption Book Review

In Disruption, there are two types of people: those who have been hacked and know it, and those who have been hacked and don’t know it.

About Disruption

There are two types of people: those who have been hacked and know it, and those who have been hacked and don’t know it.

Former Naval Intelligence Officer turned secret operative Jake Pendleton finds himself in a pulse-pounding race to stop a cyber-terrorist from releasing a string of the most heinous cyber-crimes the world has ever seen. Crimes that could render the world’s advanced technology useless.

Jake teams with his partner, Francesca Catanzaro, to track down their only lead, a white-hat hacker in Italy known only as The Jew. A man who might hold the key to stop a group of black-hat hackers from causing worldwide chaos—tag named Disruption.

After a search of the hacker’s flat in Rome turns up empty, Jake and Francesca follow the clues—a trail of dead bodies that leads them across Europe. Along the way, Jake discovers a possible link between recent hacks and a Malaysian airliner that mysteriously disappeared.

In the final adrenaline-charged moments before Disruption, Jake and Francesca find themselves in a high-voltage race to stop these cyber terrorists from unleashing destruction against their sworn mortal enemy.

My Thoughts

Hacking is one of the scary topics that you hear about but don’t always understand. I know I don’t understand it as much as I should! We put so much out there on the internet and it is scary to know how accessible this information is.

This novel brings hacking to the forefront in an exciting and scary way. The plot line was fantastic – I could not put this novel down it was so exciting! Between the schemes, terror plots, hacking and murders, my mind was blown!

Our two key characters Jake and Francesca play a central role in a race to try to stop the cyber terrorists from causing global destruction against the Western world that would threaten to push them back hundreds of years. The plot unfolds in a unique manner and you are never quite sure what is going to happen next. It is only near the end that the story fully comes together and you can fully understand and appreciate the plot. The murders add in a whole new level of suspense and fear to this adventure packed novel.

Disruption is a well written, exciting and suspenseful novel. I love the way he writes and have already read this novel again. It is a definite must read that will leave you questioning things you do online and share. I will definitely be looking into his other novels because of his superior writing and plots.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Audible.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Chuck Barrett is the bestselling author of the Award-Winning Jake Pendleton series—Breach of Power, The Toymaker, and The Savannah Project, as well as his latest award-winning blockbuster, BLOWN, the first book in his new Gregg Kaplan series.

In addition to writing thrillers, Barrett speaks and conducts workshops at book festivals, book clubs, reading groups, writers conferences, and writers groups. Some of his topics include Nuts & Bolts of Self-Publishing based on his book—Publishing Unchained: An Off-Beat Guide To Independent Publishing—as well as, Blueprint for a Successful Book Launch, Getting from ‘Idea’ to ‘Finished Manuscript,’ Mysteries & Thrillers: Fact or Fiction, and Adding the “What if” in Storytelling.

Barrett is a graduate of Auburn University and a retired air traffic controller. He also holds a Commercial Pilot Certificate, Flight Instructor Certificate, and a Dive Master rating. He enjoys fly fishing, hiking, and most things outdoors. He and his wife, Debi currently reside in Colorado.

The Giveaway!

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Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opionions expressed are my own.

December 12, 2016

Relentless Book Review

In Relentless, with the help of an unconventional therapist with secrets of her own, the hunt is on and Gina fights for her life in this harrowing tale of cat and mouse.

About Relentless

“The little girl lay under the hay stack scarcely breathing. Sweat poured down her face and dripped into her eyes; her heart pounded through her thin chest. Tiny flecks of hay clung to her wet skin, making her itch. She squeezed her nose tightly afraid she’d sneeze. Eyes clamped shut, she lay there. Flies buzzed around her, crawling on her. She didn’t move. She didn’t know how long she’d been there in the loft. She didn’t care how long she stayed. She couldn’t move. Not yet.”

Nearly a lifetime after a childhood filled with misery and abuse, Gina, now a successful doctor, finds herself thrown back into a terrifying world where her nightmares become far more than just a dream. With the help of an unconventional therapist with secrets of her own, the hunt is on and Gina fights for her life in this harrowing tale of cat and mouse.

My Thoughts

A very powerful story of abuse, murder and how one young girl escapes only to find her history following her. Gina was abused as a young girl by a family member, while her family stood by and let it happen. Years later and several identity changes, Gina is a successful doctor who has everything going for her. Then the nightmares begin and Gina finds it hard to tell fact from fiction.

As the nightmares return, they do so slowly. Giving Gina a glimpse at a past that she tried so hard to forget and which she did. She struggles very badly with these memories and visits a therapist, who is much more than your average therapist. Murders begin to happen with greater frequency and they seem to match up with the memories that Gina has but just can’t quite access.

The plot was excellent with two stories unfolding – the murders and the investigation into these murders and the unravelling of Gina’s memories and her history. It was frightening and suspenseful watching these two stories unfold and the way they overlapped. I was terrified for Gina and wanted badly for the investigators to solve the murders, I was scared for her throughout the novel. The man who wants to see her murdered is an awful person that just gives you the chills. The end was incredible and the perfect ending to this intense novel.

I loved every moment of this intense novel, I read it all in one sitting. You just don’t want to put it down. It is powerful, frightening and suspenseful – full of mystery and revenge.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Audible.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Love of the mystery/thriller genre combines with psychotherapy training and experience to produce an emotionally supercharged dramatic novel. Nancy Alexander has devoted much of her professional life to helping survivors of childhood trauma; their distress has been ingrained and works to create characters who give voice to their plight. To analyze the evil minds that prey on others and the intricacies of law enforcers who pursue them seemed a natural interlacing of professional, literary and creative interests.

The Giveaway!

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Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

December 12, 2016

The Woman at the Well Spotlight

Get ready for a rigorous spiritual bootcamp in The Woman at the Well.

About The Woman at the Well

Are you ready for a rigorous spiritual bootcamp? This 4-week intensive Bible Study is about a journey of self discovery. One that will incite and ignite something amazing and wonderful in you. This is the story of how one person’s transformation can create a massive wave of change for Jesus Christ in the world.

You can purchase a copy of the Bible Study on Amazon and Leader Guide on Amazon.

About the Author

Rachel was born in Dayton Ohio to a already large family of 5. She was the baby of the family, and literally about killed her Mother on her entrance into the world. Rachel was the 5th child to a school teacher and truck driver and soon found herself as a child of a single Mom of 5 who was forced to work 3 jobs to support her children. So Rachel is no stranger to seeing and living what it means to be a virtuous woman, as she watched her Mother do it, and continue to do it. Rachel is a devoted wife, Mother of 4 and Founder of Women at the Well Ministries. She is an author and currently writing her first in-depth Bible Study. She has been the keynote speaker at Mother’s of Israel conference, and several of her local church’s women’s events.

Her passion is studying scripture and then teaching those lessons to others, with the goal that they will then turn around and pay it forward. Her #each one #teach one philosophy is her mission. She is passionate about helping women by giving them tools to help them break strong holds so they can pursue whatever the Lord has for them. So, training them up for the call! That is what spurred her ministry.

She knows that God didn’t create women to just sit around and get pedicures and swap recipes and tackle the dust bunnies everyday, but to be side by side with the men in fighting the war against evil and taking as many people to heaven with them as possible. She now does life with her best friend, her husband Curt and will tell you, her children are the best kids on the earth. They love to do Bible studies together and love traveling with their family.

If she isn’t at home with her family, you will find her checking something off her bucket list! Her biggest so far would be competing in figure competitions, competing at the Arnold class in fitness, being in a beauty pageant representing her county as Mrs. Miami County in the Mrs. Ohio America pageant, and authoring a 30 day bible study devotional. And, she is only getting started.

She loves to weave her own personal stories in with her message, because she believes she is living her calling day by day, and sometimes it gets pretty funny!

Book Trailer

The Giveaway

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Disclosure: I did not receive compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

December 10, 2016

The Egg and I Book Review

Title: The Egg and I

Author: Betty MacDonald

Narrator: Heather Henderson

Length: 9 hours

Publisher: Post Hypnotic Press⎮2015

Genre: Humor, Memoir

When Betty MacDonald married a marine and moved to a small chicken farm on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, she was largely unprepared for the rigors of life in the wild. With no running water, no electricity, a house in need of constant repair, and days that ran from four in the morning to nine at night, the MacDonalds had barely a moment to put their feet up and relax. And then came the children. Yet through every trial and pitfall – through chaos and catastrophe – this indomitable family somehow, mercifully, never lost its sense of humor.

A beloved literary treasure for more than half a century, Betty MacDonald’s The Egg and I is a heartwarming and uproarious account of adventure and survival on the American frontier.

Buy on Audible⎮Amazon

Betty Bard MacDonald (1907–1958), the best-selling author of The Egg and I and the classic Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle children’s books, burst onto the literary scene shortly after the end of World War II. Readers embraced her memoir of her years as a young bride operating a chicken ranch on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, andThe Egg and I sold its first million copies in less than a year. The public was drawn to MacDonald’s vivacity, her offbeat humor, and her irreverent take on life. In 1947, the book was made into a movie starring Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert, and spawned a series of films featuring MacDonald’s Ma and Pa Kettle characters.

MacDonald followed up the success of The Egg and I with the creation of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, a magical woman who cures children of their bad habits, and with three additional memoirs: The Plague and I (chronicling her time in a tuberculosis sanitarium just outside Seattle), Anybody Can Do Anything (recounting her madcap attempts to find work during the Great Depression), and Onions in the Stew (about her life raising two teenage daughters on Vashon Island).

Author Paula Becker was granted full access to Betty MacDonald’s archives, including materials never before seen by any researcher. Looking for Betty MacDonald, the first official biography of this endearing Northwest storyteller, reveals the story behind the memoirs and the difference between the real Betty MacDonald and her literary persona.

Heather Henderson is a voice actress and audiobook narrator with a 20-year career in literary and performing arts. Her narrations include the NYT bestseller (now also a feature film) Brain on Fire; and Sharon Creech’s The Boy on the Porch, which won her an Earphones award and was named one of the Best Children’s Audiobooks for 2013 by Audiofile Magazine. She earned her Doctor of Fine Arts degree at the Yale School of Drama, and is co-curator of AudioEloquence.com, a pronunciation research site for the audiobook industry. In 2015, Heather was a finalist for a Voice Arts Award (Outstanding Narration, Audiobook Classics), for her narration of Betty MacDonald’s The Egg and I.

The Egg and I was an interesting look at life in the 1940s on a chicken farm. This was my first time hearing the story (or anything related to the story!) and I enjoyed listening to her story that was infused with humour. She has a great skill in story telling and you feel as though it is a conversation with her versus a biography of her life. I had to look up more information and was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was translated into twenty languages and the Kettles were even featured in a movie. We have an Egg and I restaurant located near us and while it wasn’t associated with the story, I did find several in the US that were inspired by her novel. Pretty cool right?

Betty’s life was not easy – I can’t even begin to imagine how she must have felt moving to a chicken farm (I definitely know I would not be suited for that type of life at all). But both her family and herself made it through it and I think her humour and outlook helped them through it. I found myself literally laughing out loud several times throughout the novel (especially her comments about some of the women she met and the ‘boonies’). My family could hear me giggling from the bathroom as I listened to her novel (I loved that I could listen to the story and do other things like cook or bath while listening to the story – Audible books have quickly become one of my favourite methods to finish a novel). She is a very skilled author and has a great way of story telling that draws you into the story. You can hear, taste and smell everything she is describing. She has an amazing outlook on life, that is inspiring and uplifting, reminding us to embrace all that life throws at us and smile back. Something that I fear too many of us no longer do!

I do have to caution you that some of the references to Native Americans are inappropriate and very stereotypical of this time. Some are offensive but you have to bear in mind the time period this was written in as you are listening to the story. I am sure if she were to re-tell this in present time, it would not have the same tone and wording. It is encouraging to see how far we have come in realizing the inappropriateness of racial discrimination.

The narration was very well done, her voice definitely suited the tone of the story. Her voice and the story matched perfectly – it sounded just like Betty was reading you the story herself!

Rating: 4/5

The Egg and I Grand Prize

The Egg and I Runner Up

The Egg and 2nd Runner Up

The Egg and I 3rd Runner Up

Nov. 20: From the TBR Pile (Spotlight)

Nov. 21: Printcess (Review & Giveaway)

Nov. 22: Voicing Expert (Review)

Nov. 23: The Pursuit of Bookishness (Audio Excerpt, Spotlight & Giveaway)

Nov. 24: A Page To Turn (Audio Excerpt & Spotlight)

Nov. 25:

Nov. 26: He Said Books Or Me (Review)

Nov. 27: Field of Bookish Dreams (Audio Excerpt, Spotlight & Giveaway)

Nov. 28: Que Sera Sara (Spotlight & Giveaway)

Nov. 29: Terri Luvs Books (Review)

Nov. 30: Never Anyone Else (Review & Giveaway)

Dec. 1: Dab of Darkness (Review, Interview & Giveaway)

Dec. 2: Avid Book Collector (Review, Spotlight & Giveaway)

Dec. 3: Ali The Dragon Slayer (Review & Giveaway)

Dec. 4: Never 2 Many 2 Read (Review & Giveaway)

Dec. 5: Celtic Lady’s Reviews (Spotlight)

Dec. 6: Terri Luvs Books (Interview & Giveaway)

Dec. 7: Chapter Break (Interview)

Dec. 8: Jorie Loves A Story (Interview)

Dec. 9: Bound 4 Escape (Review & Giveaway)

Dec. 10: Jorie Loves A Story (Review)
Working Mommy Journal (Review & Giveaway)

December 8, 2016

Of Stillness and Storm Book Review

“I felt torn between two worlds. Each with its own mystery. One more captivating than the other, but the other more real and breathing.”

About Of Stillness and Storm

It took Lauren and her husband ten years to achieve their dream—reaching primitive tribes in remote regions of Nepal. But while Sam treks into the Himalayas for weeks at a time, finding passion and purpose in his work among the needy, Lauren and Ryan stay behind, their daily reality more taxing than inspiring. For them, what started as a calling begins to feel like the family’s undoing.

At the peak of her isolation and disillusion, a friend from Lauren’s past enters her life again. But as her communication with Aidan intensifies, so does the tension of coping with the present while reengaging with the past. It’s thirteen-year-old Ryan who most keenly bears the brunt of her distraction.

Intimate and bold, Of Stillness and Storm weaves profound dilemmas into a tale of troubled love and honorable intentions gone awry.

My Thoughts

Of Stillness and Storm is a powerful and intimate look into the lives of a family that gave up all the modern comforts to travel to Nepal to share the word of God. Lauren made this change to her life with some concerns but Sam pushed through with his dream and dragged his wife and young son across the world. That is when the world they knew began to be torn apart.

Ryan becomes withdrawn and angry. Lauren feels isolated and alone while Sam heads off full of life into the isolated parts of Nepal to bring supplies and the word of God. You literally watch their family be torn apart and find yourself getting angry at times with Sam, who seems oblivious to what is going on with his son and wife. Ryan’s pain broke my heart both as a Mother and a person. He needed so much help but he did not know how to ask for help and no one knew quite what he needed. His Father felt he should just get used to the change – which many of us know is not the solution to mental health. He was taken from everything he loved and knew, without any say and entered a world he could not understand. This took such a great toll on his emotional and mental health. We see this unravel slowly throughout the novel.

Lauren is amazing and kind woman but my heart broke for her. She never truly spoke her mind to her husband and let him walk all over her with his decisions. It was satisfying to watch her change when an old friend enters her life online. She gains back some of her passion and take charge of her own needs and wants.

The ending was devastating and hopeful at the same time but is perfect for this novel. Of Stillness and Storm is powerful and moving. It gives us an intimate look into the lives of those who gave up everything to help others – the good, the bad and the ugly. We also see the effects these decisions have upon the most innocent individuals – the children of these families. A definite must read.

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy of this book here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Born in France to a Canadian father and an American mother, Michèle Phoenix is a consultant, writer and speaker with a heart for Third Culture Kids. She taught for 20 years at Black Forest Academy (Germany) before launching her own advocacy venture under Global Outreach Mission. Michèle travels globally to consult and teach on topics related to this unique people group. She loves good conversations, mischievous students, Marvel movies and paths to healing.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.