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Westobou Gold Book Review

iRead Book Tours

The Indian Queen would risk torture and worse to keep her secrets from these barbarians in suits of metal and their search for cities of gold. They never found the gold.

Westobou Gold Book Review

About Westobou Gold

The Indian Queen would risk torture and worse to keep her secrets from these barbarians in suits of metal and their search for cities of gold. They never found the gold. Empires rose; empires fell, the centuries passed. Legend became fireside myths, but no treasure was ever found. Yet, among the grey-green drapes of wisteria and wild jasmine along the misty shrouded lowlands of bayous and marshes of the Westo River, the folktales persist.

In the lazed creep of a near-tropical dawn lit the pungent Turkish coffee permeates Moccasin Hollow. Beyond the kitchen door Lucky, Craige Ingram’s German shepherd gnaws a favorite bone. Looted burial mounds seem a world away until plundered mounds on Moccasin Hollow land brings amateur archaeologist PI Craige Ingram into the cross-hairs of kidnapping. Stealthy hideaways are concealed in old colonial brick-lined river grottoes beneath the big house of Ardochy plantation. Sex-tape underage blackmail and thrill killings on federal land spur a medical examiner’s preliminary postmortem to more than a hired cleaner’s quickie cover-up passed off as drug deals gone sour. Greed tangles a witch’s pigswill of illicit affairs and murder-to-hide-murder. Shady investigators and shadier politics stir an unexpected concoction that threatens the lives of those at Moccasin Hollow in a spiteful plot against ex-SEAL Craige Ingram and the woman he loves.

My Thoughts

A well written and thought out mystery full of murder, lies, blackmail and more. I love the way Hawk writes – he puts so much into the story and every little bit is revealed when and where we need it. You are never left confused or wanting more.

Westobou Gold is a tale of greed, murder and suspense. We have a hidden treasure that we briefly here about in the beginning in the novel. It is this treasure that causes the murders and plot to unfold throughout the novel, something you don’t quite expect! At the centre of this is ex-SEAL Craige, who must help solve the mysterious murders, blackmail and more. It is through him that we can see the story evolve and all of the micro-connections that exist throughout this novel.

Hawk has put so much effort into not only the plot but the character development as well. It is well written and plays out excellently, his skill at writing is amazing and well appreciated as a reader. You are never left bored or confused in this novel. I loved every suspenseful moment!

You can purchase a copy of Westobou Gold on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 5/5

Westobou Gold Book Review

About the Author

Internationally acclaimed author and public speaker, Hawk MacKinney began writing mysteries for his school newspapers. He served in the US Navy Reserve for over 20 years, and was a tenured faculty member at several state medical facilities, teaching postgraduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem, Israel. Since retiring Hawk has authored several novels that have received national and international recognition. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel, was nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award. The Cairns of Sainctuarie, his science fiction series, includes The Bleikovat Event and The Missing Planets, with a third book in the works. Hawk’s latest project focuses on The Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series. Book 1 in the series, Hidden Chamber of Death, was released early 2016.

You can connect with Hawk on his website.

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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.

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The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall

iRead Book Tours

What if you could choose your heaven now?

The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall

About The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall

What if you could choose your heaven now? Go on a celestial shopping trip of sorts? Thirty-five-year-old Vivienne does just that, as she lies dying in the ICU; a fatal walk into the path of a truck. In her final week of life, Vivienne treks through the Heavens of a priest, a best friend, a homeless child, and a lover who never was. Vivienne’s guardian angel, Noah, who may just be her soul mate, escorts her through selections of Heavens and through the confusion Vivienne experiences as she flounders between a doubt of life and the certainty of death. Although her visits to varied afterlives provide peace and beauty, choosing proves not so easy: Vivienne’s love for her young son and her earthly father pull her from her colorful journey—and from her divine love of Noah.

The nature of love, the variety and magic of life, unending hope, and the importance of saying goodbye are central to this uplifting tale.

My Thoughts

Death is one of those frightening and yet fascinating topics. What happens when we die? What does heaven look like? Is there really a hell? Who do we meet there? The questions are endless and because of the love we have for those who have passed away it sometimes makes it painful to think about.

When I first started reading The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall, I found myself a bit confused as we jumped around in the story but by a quarter of the way in I was hooked. We learn about Vivienne’s childhood – her fears, her family, her successes and even the great love she holds for Noah, her childhood best friend. This story alternates with the future story of her son (which I didn’t quite put together until halfway through the novel), her stay in the ICU and her visit to multiple different heavens with Noah. We watch as she faces the worst and happiest moments in her life with Noah and how this has made her into the woman she is. Her heaven is beautiful and full of promise, love, hope and faith.

The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall was beautiful and made me smile and cry. Vivienne in her own confident and powerful way, showed her son such a great love and how to be a strong young man. What could have been a moment that would destroy people, is turned upside down and provides hope and faith. The story was uplifting and provides many great lessons about letting go, moving forward and loving with all your heart. I absolutely loved every moment of this story and it is a definite must read.

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

Rating: 5/5

The Extradordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall

About the Author

Shannon Kirk is the awarding-winning author of the international bestselling Method 15/33 (psychological thriller–bestseller in Colombia and Spain, will be lead title in Italy, 2017) and Heavens (Literary Fiction). Method 15/33 has received multiple accolades: 2015 Foreword Review Book of the Year (Suspense); Winner of 2015 National Indie Excellence Award, Best Suspense; 2015 USA Best Book Finalist; School Library Journal’s Best Adult Books for Teens (2015); and Finalist in 2013 William Faulkner William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition (when a Novella). Method 15/33 is optioned for a major motion film and has sold to nineteen foreign rights.

When not writing, she is a practicing lawyer, residing on Massachusett’s Cape Ann with her husband and son and two cat writing accomplices, Marvin Marquez (in honor of Gabriel Garcia Marquez) and Stewie Poe (Edgar Allen Poe).

Shannon enjoys writing in several genres: literary fiction, psychological thriller, young adult, and poetry. She has been honored three times by the William Faulkner William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition. ​

Connect with the author: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

Book Trailer for The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall

The Giveaway!

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

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iRead Book Tours Three Year Anniversary Spotlight

iRead Book Tours

One of my favourite companies to work with, iRead Book Tours is turning three years old this year! Laura, the owner at iRead, works incredibly hard to help bring amazing books to our readers each month.

iRead Book Tours Turns 3!

About iRead Book Tours

At iRead, we give special attention to every book that tours with us. We are passionate about books and we customize all our tours because no two authors are alike.

We don’t just market books. We help our authors get the best exposure with traditional tours consisting mainly of reviews. We work closely with our authors and pride ourselves on our highly individualized customer service.

All our staff are book bloggers and authors, so we understand the process and the hard work involved. We’ve built a solid relationship with our database of reliable book bloggers who are eager to read your books.

Laura Fabiani

About Laura Fabiani

In 2008, Laura began blogging about books shortly after she published her first book. She started Library of Clean Reads, a book review blog, and discovered the joy of reviewing a variety of genres. Her children have joined her in this venture and they spend many happy hours reading books together. A Special Care Counselor by profession, Laura has co-led and developed programs for seniors with dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease. She has a passion for the topic of neuroscience and wellness.

Throughout the years she has met and worked with wonderful publishers, both traditional and indie, as well as publicists and authors. Best of all, she discovered the world of book bloggers–a community of special people who spend their precious time sharing their love of books and all things related to books.

Taking part in book tours has always made Laura feel more connected to authors and the publishing field. She organized her own virtual tour when her book was published and she learned several things. As an author, it exposed her to actual reader views and social media. As a book blogger and book tour organizer, it taught her the amount of work it entailed. And she loves it!

You can find Laura blogging at Library of Clean Reads and Essentially Italian. She is the owner of iRead Book Tours,  Italy Book Tours, and Je Lis Blog Tours.

Why I LOVE iRead!

Laura is one of the most amazing individuals I have ever worked with. She is always there to answer my questions within the hour, she is super organized and her content is always flawless. She knows not only what authors and bloggers need but also what readers want and need to know about the novel. She presents this information in an easy to follow format not only for readers but for bloggers as well. She hosts a wide variety of books and I have never been disappointed with hosting a tour spot with her – from communicating about available tours, to receiving books and to receiving information about the book spot.

It has been a pleasure to work with Laura and I can not wait to continue working with her in the future! Happy Three Year Anniversary iRead Book Tours!

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Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Theodoric Saga Book Review

Theodoric Saga Book Tour

In the Theodoric Saga, what will triumph? Love of country or love of mate?

Theodoric Saga Book One

The Crown of Anavrea

The Theodoric Saga Book 1

by Rachel Rossano

Genre: Historical Romance

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In a time when castles were the strongest…in a place where combat was face to face…Labren was on the run. He hid his true name and he admitted it freely.
In a time when slavery was legal…in a place where kings were all-powerful…Eve,a slave, appeared in the right place at the right time.
Eve saved his life. In return, he offered her the opportunity of freedom. She did not know what would happen to her if she chose to accept his proposal, but she did know the consequences of rejecting it.

My Thoughts

I found myself torn with this story – I loved the plot but I was left wishing for just a little bit more to their story. The plot was excellent – full of adventure, suspense and just enough romance. We have a man who was rescued and cared for by a slave. Little did this slave woman know that he was a Prince on the run, with a bounty on his head by his Father. She cared and tended to him and in return he freed her from her slavery. It wasn’t until his wounds became more fatal that he was forced to seek help from trusted friends and have to tell her the truth. Eve took this with grace – she trusted Labren fully and would do anything for him.

I loved the plot line and the characters but I just would have loved to see a bit more depth in the character development or even a little bit more detail in the plot line. It seemed almost rushed at times. I still loved the story and can’t wait to read book two and three in this saga!

Rating: 4/5

Theodoric Saga Book Two

The King of Anavrea

The Theodoric Saga Book 2

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A reluctant king, a blind queen, and a marriage that sparked a rebellion…

Ireic Theodoric, King of Anavrea, constantly battles with his council over who will

run the country. When the council insists on a treaty with Sardmara, he agrees. However, the

treaty quickly becomes an arranged marriage. Ireic offers up himself for the sake of Anavrea. But

after he signs, no princess appears.

Lirth Parnan, only daughter of the king of Sardmara, survives alone in a cold, damp

tower room. Baron Tor kidnapped her in an attempt to control her father. No one came to claim

her. She suspects her father considers her flawed beyond use in his political games. After five

years of waiting, her hope of rescue wanes with her health.

After Ireic fights his way into Lirth’s tower, he realizes the depths of her father’s

deception. Instead of being an answer to his problems, Lirth creates new ones. The council will

not accept her as queen, but Ireic has sworn an oath that he will marry her. His choice could cost

him his throne, perhaps his life.

Theodoric Saga Book Three

The Reward of Anavrea

The Theodoric Saga Book 3

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She couldn’t hide forever.

A hard life taught Jayne to avoid men, powerful men most of all. When a new nobleman arrives to

take over the vargar, she takes her family and hides. But the new baron seeks her out and makes

her an offer she can’t refuse: protection. However, once they were sheltered behind the dark

stone walls of the vargar, who would protect her from the new master?

His reward isn’t what it seems.

King Ireic of Anavrea charges Liam, a former bodyguard, with the task of retaking

and taming a corner of the northern wilds. Upon arrival at Ashwyn Vargar, Liam finds challenges

beyond his military experience. The keys to the vargar are missing and so are the field hands who

should be harvesting the fields. Once he finds the keeper of the keys, she raises more questions

than answers.

th-about-the- author

rachel-rossano

Rachel Rossano

specializes in clean romantic fiction set in historical-feeling fantasy worlds. She also dabbles in

straightforward historical romance and not-so-strict speculative fiction.

A happily married mother of three small children, she divides her time between mothering, teaching, and writing. She

endeavors to enchant, thrill, entertain, and amuse through her work. A constant student, she

seeks to improve her skills and loves to hear from readers.

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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.

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Rhynan Saga Book Tour

Rhynan Saga Book Tour

Rhynan Saga Book Tour

 Duty

Novels of Rhynan Book 1

by Rachel Rossano

Genre: Historical Romance

rh-about-the- book

Duty to King
Tomas Dyrease, the newly made Earl of Irvaine and the village of Wisenvale, owes his good fortune to his king and the recent civil war. When his benefactor demands Tomas marry the cousin of a noble, he obeys. However, no one warned him that she wasn’t a typical noblewoman.
Duty to Others
Brielle Solarius struggles to keep her village from starvation under the new Lord Wisten, her cousin. The men rode off to war and never returned. The remaining women and children face a dire winter if they do not find a solution soon. When she learns her cousin sold her into marriage to save his life, she isn’t surprised. However, she is taken aback by Lord Irvaine’s unpolished ways. Was this man a noble or a foot soldier?
Duty to Each Other
Bound by Bound by the words of their vows, they face a rough future. They must forge a marriage while battling betrayal, accusations of treason, and villains from the past. Survival depends on their precarious trust in each other. Failure could mean death.
My Thoughts
I fell in love with this book! The plot was unique, which I loved with excellent character development. Tomas and Brielle were special main characters and I loved watching them grow as individuals and as a couple. They are both bound by duty and honour, although they start off not knowing each other and may be a little distrustful – through a series of misadventures they are drawn together. They definitely did not have an easy start to their marriage as they fall victim to evil plots, attempted murders and more! I couldn’t tell you who I  loved more – Tomas was a favourite because of his flaws, his honesty and his trustworthiness. Brielle for her confidence, bravery and independence. You just keep rooting for them to open up enough to each other and wish them peace and happiness.
The story is well written with well-developed characters and an excellent plot line. I can’t wait to read the next two books in this series!
Rating: 5/5

Rhynan Saga Book Two

 Honor

Novels of Rhynan Book 2

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The Earl of Dentin excels in his position as Securer of the Realm. But the king’s order to pluck an orphaned child from a loving home unsettles Dentin.When a dark-eyed woman challenges his honor regarding the mission, Dentin finds himself unable to justify his actions or get her out of his mind. Something about her lack of fear intrigues him.
Lady Elsa Reeve attempts to avoid the marriage of convenience her brother and mother demand of her. She understands the need to pay off her brother’s massive debt. She only wants her family to consider her wishes in the process.
As Elsa becomes further entangled in a snare of her brother’s creating, only one man defends her. But can she trust Dentin, her unlikely champion, and his motives? With a murderer on the loose, Elsa’s fate in jeopardy, and a traitor plotting against the king, Dentin finds his priorities shifting in an unexpected direction.

Rhynan Saga Book Tour

The Making of a Man: A Short Story Anthology

(Novels of Rhynan)

This is a short story anthology.

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The Earl of Dentin returns. Eight stories ranging from short story

to novelette in length give us greater understanding into why Dentin is the complex and enigmatic

man he is. It also includes new adventures that happen between Honor and the next Rhynan novel.

Passing the Mantle – An ill-fated hunting trip

Forging Friendships – Recruiting able-bodied men ineligible for knighthood

The Sword of Korma Monroe – A sword made for trouble

Turning Point – A duke and an earl plot treason

The Bittersweet Pear – A marital misunderstanding

Isbeth’s Redemption – Dentin doesn’t make a good first impression

A Squire’s Love – Reginald’s quest

Restoration – A trip to Braulyn produces unexpected company

rh-about-the- author

rachel-rossano

Rachel Rossano specializes in clean romantic fiction set in

historical-feeling fantasy worlds. She also dabbles in straightforward historical romance and not

so-strict speculative fiction. A

happily married mother of three small children, she divides her time between mothering, teaching,

and writing. She endeavors to enchant, thrill, entertain, and amuse through her work. A constant

student, she seeks to improve her skills and loves to hear from readers.

rh-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.

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