Category: iRead Book Tours

September 12, 2017

Blackout Spotlight Tour

In Blackout, Steele inches closer hoping to reveal and thwart the plot to bring down the U S government. How will the dramatic face-off end?

About Blackout

Alexander Steele is a private detective turned night club owner in the city of Philadelphia. Steele and his longtime girlfriend Shakia’s plans for him to retire are derailed when his cousin brings him an encrypted travel drive. The drive is opened by Steele’s hacker friend Stan. A few days earlier every transformer in Canada had been shut down by the terrorist. The drive in Steele’s possession gave details as to how the event would happen. What made it even more frightening was that the documents on the drive were created 3 months before the actual event; Steele finds himself drawn into the well-crafted mind games of a madman known as Chameleon an American terrorist.

His goal is to shut down the country by collapsing the economy of the United States. From the snow cover streets of Montreal to the tropical beaches of Nassau Steele follows a trail of clues and dead bodies. As he gathers more puzzle pieces Steele inches closer hoping to reveal and thwart the plot to bring down the U S government. He finds himself narrowly surviving constant attempts on his life. The dramatic face-off between Steele and Chameleon takes place in downtown Philadelphia. How will it end? Find out in Blackout, now on Audible.

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

About the Author

Born and raised in the city of Brotherly Love I have been writing for nearly 10 years. I am the author of the 2012 scifi novel Escape 2 Earth. In early 2009 I completed the second installment in the the Escape 2 Earth trilogy called Return 2 Earth also several short stories including a fantasy story titled Dimensions in Time and a sci fi story titled Planet of Doom.

In 2011 I completed my first detective novel called Blackout. Before writing Escape 2 Earth I began putting together a collection of inspirational and motivational quotes titled Observations from the Edge of Society. I am currently working on the final book in the Escape 2 Earth series called Earth 2, Redemption which will be completed in 2017.

You can connect with the author on his website, Twitter and Facebook.

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Disclosure: This is a spotlight tour. I did not receive compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 11, 2017

A Year in the Company of Freaks

A Year in the Company of Freaks is a”disarmingly appealing” tale of discrimination, transformation and restoration, Freaks is bursting with intrigue, drama, comic relief and romance.

About A Year in the Company of Freaks

It’s 1972 and a seismic clash-of-cultures is rattling northern California. In the redneck town of Trinity Springs, rumors of hippies migrating up from San Francisco have residents bracing for an invasion. When Italian-American hometown boy and Berkeley graduate Sid Jackson is busted for growing pot on his deceased parents’ farm, locals suspect the assault has begun. Will a crazy deferral program devised by the sheriff keep Sid out of prison? Or will a house full of eccentric strangers, a passionate love interest, and demons from his past be his undoing?

A “disarmingly appealing” tale of discrimination, transformation and restoration, Freaks is bursting with intrigue, drama, comic relief and romance. Reviewers agree this five-star, coming-of-age classic “very much reflects the attitude and mood of the times.”

My Thoughts

I wasn’t too sure what to expect from this book when I read the plot summary but I fell in love with the story from page one. You learn to understand, respect and appreciate so many different aspects of life and beliefs.

We start off learning about our main character Sid, who turned bad boy after his parents died. He went away to school and learned about a lifestyle so different from the one his small town parents raised him in. He challenged all of his teachings, faith and even relationships with family and friends. All he wanted out of life was to have a good time and travel. When he is busted for growing pot in his small town, he faces a cross-road. Either face jail time or serve one year at home in his parents house. But for him, coming face to face with his past and his parents death could be his undoing.

I loved watching Sid grow mentally and emotionally throughout this book. He went from believing he knew everything and that the new hippie lifestyle was the way to be, to understanding and valuing the differences in lifestyles and appreciating the beliefs of others. He learns that you can be happy and not be high. What spoke to me the most was the healing that he went through over his parents death and living in their home. He goes through so much emotionally and spiritually and to be able to experience this is special. He grows as a person and has to learn to move forward with acceptance and love. But it’s not just him that goes through an understanding, his Godparents do as well. They learn to understand and accept the lifestyle and beliefs of their godson – to love him for all that he is.

A Year in the Company of Freaks is an amazing story of healing, understanding, the pitfalls of discrimination and hope. It is a definite must read novel that you will not want to put down.

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

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Author of highly-acclaimed “A Year in the Company of Freaks,” Teresa was raised in a large Midwest family and now lives in Oregon. She is also the author of “Bianca’s Vineyard,” and its sequel, “Domenico’s Table.” Both books are based on the true stories of her husband’s Italian family in Tuscany. In addition to enjoying family, writing, reading, meeting her readers, wine tasting, traveling, and all things Italian, Teresa loves playing the fiddle with other musicians.

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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.

September 6, 2017

The Nomad’s Premonition

Eric Martin is desperate to forget his past, one that almost cost him his future.

About The Nomad’s Premonition

Working in Paris as deputy head of a bank’s internal security department, Eric notices a high-speed trader’s uncanny ability to predict extremely profitable trades. Even though there’s nothing illegal about the activity, he knows the trader’s success is more than just luck.

But, no one believes him. Armed only with a handful of data and a powerful instinct, Eric searches for the mysterious trader on his own. He suspects that a predictive algorithm has fallen into the wrong hands.

Eric sets off for Istanbul to find answers promised to him by an informant. He finds an unlikely ally in Interpol agent Stephanie Brule. With Interpol wanting him back in Paris and out of the way, Eric’s quest is also hampered by the sudden appearance of his ex-lover, a boss he’s not sure he can trust, and a terrorist who always seems one step ahead.

Will Eric put an end, once and for all, to the nightmare that began when he accepted a job that was too good to be true? Or will his need for revenge and justice lead him deeper into a treacherous world he has no way of escaping?

My Thoughts

I loved every moment of this suspenseful book! It was full of twists and turns that you never really see coming.

Eric is a man tormented by what happened to him several years ago (events that occurred in the first book) but are retold throughout this story. He wants to seek justice in any way that he can. When he uncovers a series of profitable trades that just seem to good to be true, he knows he is on to something. The only problem? No one believing him. At times you wonder if they don’t believe him because they don’t want him to uncover the problem and if they are working for the enemy but you are constantly left guessing as to who is really helping him and who is the enemy.

This sets him off on a course of action to solve the case and this route throws him into constant danger. Sometimes I am never quite sure how he makes it out alive! He puts everything into uncovering the truth, regardless if everything also includes his own life.

Nomad’s Premonition is a well written, fast paced novel full of suspense and action. I loved how vulnerable and open our main character is and how quickly you become attached to him. It is a definite must read novel.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Georges Benay is a former international banker who is now working as a Toronto-based writer and award-winning photographer. He is the author of two novels, including The Nomad’s Premonition and a collection of short stories. His award winning pictures have been featured in several magazines and book covers.

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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.

September 6, 2017

Journey’s End Spotlight Tour

In Journey’s End, we write about death, dying, and end of life issues.

About Journey’s End

In Journey’s End, we write about death, dying, and end of life issues. We attempt to define and describe these real-life circumstances, and we discuss ways to proactively deal with them. Multiple personal and professional perspectives provide valuable insights.

What is dying like for dying persons, for loved ones, and for those who lend support in the process? Each experience will have unique qualities. Everyone dies in his own way, on his own schedule. While we explore the dying process, we make no assumptions about how any particular death will unfold.

Grief and bereavement support, training tools, and educational resources are included.

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

About the Authors

Victoria has a master of social work degree. She has worked as a case manager with older adults for the past seventeen years and as a group facilitator. Her past work experience was as a therapist with children and families, and as a case manager for adults with mental health issues. She just launched a consulting business, NorthernMSW to focus on end of life issues, planning, training, and advocacy, along with memoir writing and life legacy writing.

Julie was inspired equally by her professional backgrounds as a biomedical researcher and long time educator. Julie values open and lively discussions based on interview and research findings, trends in health and wellness, and exciting new modalities of treatment and professional education. She believes it will be through such discussions that we will create new and more satisfying cultural paradigms within which we may live all the days of our lives with dignity and quality of care.

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Disclosure: This is a spotlight tour, I did not receive compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

August 21, 2017

Path of Lucas Book Review

Path of Lucas follows Lucas Clarkson who is a simple man, a family man, and a hard working farmer’s son.

About the Path of Lucas

Path of Lucas follows Lucas Clarkson who is a simple man, a family man, and a hard-working farmer’s son. From a small town in Eastern Ontario, the author, Susanne Bellefeuille, brings us on Lucas’s journey through the trials and tribulations of his life.

Lucas’s path is not as simple as the man he’s portrayed to be. From the days spent working on his dad’s farm to becoming a successful mechanic, with a genuine heart and his incredible strength, Lucas faces many difficult decisions. The choices he makes may be the difference between realizing his dreams and keeping his family together.

Based on true events, this is Susanne Bellefeuille’s first novel.

My Thoughts

The Path of Lucas is the story of Lucas as he grows from his teenage years through his adult years and becoming a parent and then a grandparent. We are introduced to his story when tragedy hits very close to home. He opens up to his daughter about how he met her Mother and their relationship in their teen years that led to their marriage. We learn about the sacrifices he made not only for his wife and children but also for his Mother and Father. The story is told by Lucas and told both in the past and the present.

The Path of Lucas is a story that so many parents and children can relate to. We feel obligated to help our family and to honour them when they ask for our help, even if this means sacrificing our own wishes. This could be not going away to school or giving up a job opportunity to be closer to an aging parent. In this story, Lucas gave up the job that he loved and was succeeding in (not to mention a great pay) to return to his roots and work the farm that he disliked so much. He did this for his Father – a sacrifice he made for a parent that loved, guided and taught him everything he knew.

The story is heart warming and one that many of us can appreciate. I found myself laughing, crying and full of respect for the journey that Lucas went on. He had a heart of gold and always thought of others first. His first love was for his family and honouring them. It is a lovely story of care-taking, family, love, hope and faith that I fell in love with from the start. The ending was perfect and just what this lovely novel deserved.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon, Amazon Canada, Barnes & Noble and Chapters.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Susanne Bellefeuille is a sister, mother, grandmother, and an inspirational mentor to many people. Graduating from the social service worker program at St. Lawrence College in Cornwall, Ontario, Susanne spends countless hours offering her professional aid, guidance, and most importantly, her friendship to people with intellectual disabilities.

Susanne’s life changed remarkably after the realization that her desires would require her to complete college and set a better example for her children and grandchildren. From being a high school dropout and a mother at the young age of seventeen, Susanne has journeyed a considerable distance to become the successful person she is today. Her journey is not only to write books but also to help people reach their full potential, as she truly believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to shine in life.

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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.