Guilty Wives by James Patterson

Patterson does it again!

He nails the suspense and mystery that are evident in the majority of his novels, and this one will take you on a crazy ride all the way to the end. I feel exhausted just reading it, but it was well worth it.

Imagine going on an innocent vacation with a few of your friends, and after a night out partying you wake up to being accused of the crime of the century.

You know you are innocent, but will your words mean anything?

This novel takes you on the journey of Abbie’s time in jail and her desperate attempt to prove her and her friends’ innocence.

You could not imagine what she has to go through while she is in prison, and it may leave you cringing in your seat.

This novel is pretty long with 400+ pages, but in normal Patterson fashion, the chapters are short, and it is really easy to get through. I didn’t want to put it down once I had started.

5/5 stars This was an excellent suspense novel and there was never a dull moment. 

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Through the Crimson Mirror by Daniel Alexander Dinnie

This book is interesting. It is a non-fiction/memoir book.

I feel like it read sort of as a journal, but was also trying to teach a few lessons through the author’s past experiences.

I felt like the beginning of the book was setting it up to be more about parenting from a child’s perspective, and while that theme did come up in every chapter, I don’t feel as though it was the main point of this book as I continued my reading.

It became more of a book about communication and how the author felt certain people in his life were not communicating properly, often referring to an ex-girlfriend and also bosses in the workplace.

So, at times I was a little confused as to what the actual purpose of this book was.

You can approach it in two ways, I think.

1.       You read it as though it is just a memoir. The author is only telling his past experiences and what he has learned from them.

Or

2.       You read it as an educational book, but with a lack of real structure.

I feel like the intro set it up to be an educational book, but it ended up as a memoir, which as I said before was a little confusing. It wasn’t mainly focused on parenting like I feel it was set up to.

That being said, it was a very interesting read. The author gives interesting insights into the topic of correct communication.

He does state that you should read this book with an open mind, and I think if you remember that throughout, you will be able to take something away from it.

3/5 stars. The way it was set up didn’t really equal what it ended up being, but it was indeed an interesting read.

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Broken Christmas by David Henderson

Broken Christmas is a compilation of short stories centered around Christmas.

Each story has its own feel and its own details that make them special in their own ways.
These stories are heartwarming and also heartbreaking all at the same time.

It is a great Holiday read though. It makes you grateful for what you have.

Now that it is the day after Christmas, and some of you have gotten some new reading tablets, I would suggest taking just a moment to relax and read this book. The stories are short, so it won't take long, but it will be worth it!

5/5 stars. All three stories were interesting, and none of them stood out more than another, they were all great.

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Merry Christmas, readers!

Hello everyone. I hope everyone that celebrates had a wonderful day. I know I did. I was trying to get a review up today, but i got busy being with family. I hope you all forgive me :) 

You can expect a review in the next day or two. 

Again! i hope everyone that celebrates had a great Christmas! 

And if you dont celebrate, well i hope yiu just had a great day.

thank you for reading everyone. I appreciate it! 

-Courtney

This is amazing.

The author of the book I just reviewed -- Addison Westlake is doing something very wonderful this year. 

All author profits that she receives this year are going to a charity to help the families of the victims of the Newtown, Ct. school shooting. 

This is an extremely self-less act by a wonderful author. 
 Please, with whatever leftover money you have from the holidays, pick up a copy. It is only a dollar, and not only do you get to read a great story, but you are helping others as well. 
There is a link the the amazon page in the review post and I will put another one here. 

Thank you all for reading. 

Pick up a copy here!

Christmas in Wine Country by Addison Westlake

Christmas in Wine Country is almost a coming of age story for the main character -- Lila. Even though she isn't exactly coming of age, she is finding herself again, and not in the place that she had imagined she would end up in.

This story will take you on a journey from happiness, to heartbreak, and back again. It is full of emotion, and is written to make you feel everything that is happening.

Lila finds herself leaving the corporate world after a .... mishap at the company's Holiday party. After settling down in a sweet little town she decides this is where she was meant to be all along.

After settling down comes task number 2 of finding someone to settle down with. Through all the pain of dating and falling in love comes a magical story of romance that will keep you flipping the pages of this book to find out how everything will turn out.

All of the characters in this novel have distinct personalities, and they were all carefully developed, and done so in a great way. There wasn't too much time spent on character development, there was a perfect mix in my opinion. It flowed well with the telling of the story.

Lila, the main character, is extremely relatable and likable. I think all readers would be able to see a little of themselves in her -- male or female.

This is a perfect Holiday read. With it getting cold out, and snow falling in various places, curl up on your couch with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and enjoy this great story.

5/5 stars. It was sad; it was funny; it was great! I really enjoyed reading this, and I would love it if there were a sequel, though I feel the ending for this one was perfect.

Click here to purchase!

Read ahead for spoilers

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Horrorism by Scott M. Goriscak

Horrorism is a collection of short stories that are either gruesome and filled with gore or haunted by the paranormal. Instead of spreading out the reviews for each story, I will post them all in this one post. Get ready!

The Game

Warning: This is not for anyone who cannot handle some gore.

This story is about a sick game that takes a turn for the even sicker. It starts out as a game made up by a bunch of teenage boys looking to cause trouble. They want to run over small animals with their cars.

After the competition heats up, the game becomes more than any of them thought it would, and gets out of control.

What lengths would you go to to be the point leader?

Scott Goriscak’s writing is very interesting, and I look forward to seeing what the next story holds.

5/5 Disturbing. Very, very disturbing. But, very well written and remained interesting throughout the whole journey. 

Home Sweet Home     

       

Have you ever thought there was an odd presence in your home?

Your thoughts come alive in this story. A man and his wife plan on getting divorced. When the woman finds the man a house to live in, she gets herself into more than she can handle.

The house is a rat-infested mess, and has a dark history.

When the man discovers the truth behind this residence, he becomes a little too comfortable.

Then, at the end, a huge twist is thrown at you.

It is a very creepy story, but I enjoyed it a lot. Well written, the characters were well developed, and the story was interesting.

5/5

Peepers

This story was very… odd. I shall explain why.

A man and his family decide to move from the city into the country.

When he decides he wants to fix something up in his daughter’s room, he discovers little creatures that will ruin his life.

Now, usually little creatures with extremely sharp teeth and claws would be terrifying, but I could not take it seriously, because as soon as I read it, I pictured the little worm from The Labyrinth.

Remember this little guy?

It made the whole story funny – in a sick humor sort of way.

That being said, it had a very eerie vibe to it – which proves good writing to me even though I could not take it seriously, and the end was actually pretty creepy.

4/5 Stars. The plot of little furry monsters ruining someone’s life is a little too out there for me, but it was good nonetheless.

Shadows of the Night

I have to say, this is the weakest link of the series so far.

It is about a man that has to take a roadtrip for business and winds up in a ghost town that was abandoned after a government experiment.

Things are not as they seem to him, and he begins to be haunted by the dead residents of the town.

While it may seem like the premise for a good story, it runs pretty dry throughout.

It also ends pretty abruptly, but you don’t really see that ending coming.

3/5 it was  okay, but not as good as the others. 

Parenting – Not For the Faint of Heart

This story started off with a very scary beginning, but then it evolved into something else.

It became a story of love – laced with losing limbs and eyeballs… but a story of love nonetheless.

When parents of an adopted child are forced into a situation they were not prepared for, they must learn how to cope with it, because it is their child.

It is really a great story. I found myself really enjoying it.

Oh, and there are werewolves involved.

5/5 great story. Love, blood, and violence. HOORAY!

Congratulations

WHAT DID I JUST READ.

Okay, back up.

A man is given a great promotion at work. His co-workers decided it would be a great idea to take him out to the bar at lunch time and get him completely drunk. He decides he is okay to drive after blacking out in the parking garage.

What he experiences next is something that no person should ever go through in their entire life. That is where I am going to leave you, because there is no way I can give away the ending to this one.

WHAT DID I JUST READ.

This story was so emotional I was on the verge of crying while reading that. Not many stories affect me in that way – especially short stories. But, wow.

5/5 even though I almost cried, and the story line was terrible (terrible as in very depressing) it was a great story. 

Blinded by the Light

This story was very interesting.

A man is killed by a secret experimental weapon that two fools were messing around with. To avenge his death, he begins to torment one of the men responsible.

It is sort of entertaining for a while with how he uses his abilities to get back at the man.

I wasn’t expecting the ending. It was a bit extreme, but it was pretty emotional.

4/5 It was odd, but interesting.  

Pet Co-Dependent

And I thought I was a cat person….

This story takes the “cat lady” term to a whole new extreme.

This story is about a man and his wife, and the cat that destroys the man’s life. It was sort of humorous because it seemed like it was mocking cat ladies, but to a gruesome extreme.

The end was pretty shocking as well.

5/5 It was silly, but it was also kind of scary

Playing with Dolls

This one was really creepy. Dolls in general are creepy to me after seeing the movie Dead Silence. This story reminded me of that movie in a way.

A man reconnects with one of his old girlfriends. As they begin to hang around each other more, he learns of her dark hobby. She places dark magic into the dolls she creates and sells to people.

He begins to distance himself from her, and once she sees him on a date with another woman, she decides to make his life a living hell.

This story was very interesting. It kept my attention the whole way through because I did not know what was going to happen next.

5/5 stars. Super creepy, but entertaining as well.  

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Read ahead for spoilers!

Time Trick by Nick Wisseman

Book Ten:

Wow! What a way to end this series.

Have you ever wanted to go back in time and change everything? This book will allow you to live out that experience through its pages.

It is a quick page turner, and it is very short. It won’t take long to read, but every page of it is enjoyable.

5/5 Best one of the series in my opinion. Loved it!

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Splintered by Nick Wisseman

Book Nine:

This book went from being a bad nightmare to being more like Shutter Island. It has a sci-fi element to it as well.

It follows a man named Jason through a collapsing universe. This is where the bad nightmare comes in. The events he had to endure felt like something you would witness in an awful nightmare and wake up severely confused. It was fun to read.

Then, at the end, we are thrown with a twist, which is when it becomes like Shutter Island.

Is he actually  crazy?

That is up to you to decide.

5/5 stars. Very interesting read. One of the better ones in the series.

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Smile by Nick Wisseman

Book Eight:

This story was very eerie. Probably the creepiest one of the series so far.

It is about The Artist and his photographs.

That’s all I got out of it, really. There are girls that play soccer, but then that story gets flipped around in a sudden twist, and I am not quite sure what happened.

It was very mysterious, for sure. For that, I give it 4/5 stars. I didn’t completely get it at the end, but I feel like you aren’t supposed to understand the whole thing. 

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Read ahead for spoilers

Revisions by Nick Wisseman

Book Seven:

You may want to sit down for this one. It takes you on a crazy journey.

It is about a man named Blake. He is a Shifter, and this story takes you through how he figured out what he is and what it means to be a Shifter.

I felt as if I was on the journey with him.

He was being slung into different situations and he had no way of stopping it.

I like the way it was written. It was very effective in telling this story.

I was confused for a while as to where this story was leading, but it came together at the end, and it was very interesting.

5/5 stars. I really enjoyed this one. The way it takes you along on the journey made it even better. 

To purchase, click here

Permanance by Nick Wisseman

Book Six:

Imagine being stranded on an island. You don’t know where you are or why you are there besides the fact that there was a war. One of your comrades is severely injured an mute. You don’t know if he will recover.

You all have to try to get along so surviving is easier.  All you have is a journal to document your thoughts. Will anyone read it? Will those be your last words ever documented? Or will you be rescued?

That is the journey that this story takes you on.

I liked how we got to see everyone’s perspective of their stay on the island through the journal. That made this story more interesting.

4/5 stars. The characters were well developed, but I didn’t really care what happened to them. I didn’t find them likable. 

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Low-Limb High by Nick Wisseman

Book Five:

A girl in search of the answers for the disappearance of her father and brother. A simple watch will lead the way.

Caroline makes a diagram of her house hoping it will give her the answers.

Are the answers comforting? Or are they more painful than not knowing at all?

This story was very intriguing. It kept me hanging on trying to guess where it was going. It wasn’t what I imagined it would be at all.

There was quite a twist at the end which was exciting.

4/5 It ran a little slow at parts, but the overall story and the twist were interesting.

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Love and World Eaters by Nick Wisseman

Book Four:

This book was about Aliah, a photographer hired to take photos of ancient artifacts.

Something goes wrong and she gets a bone fragment that has a mind of its own stuck inside her skin.

It takes her on a journey to discover the truth of an ancient murder, and drives her almost crazy until she does.

I couldn’t get into this one. That may be because I am not a huge fan of historical fiction. I found it to be bland at times which made it a lot harder to get through.

2.5/5 stars. I am hoping the next one brings more promise. 

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Ghost Writer by Nick Wisseman

Book Three:

A young writer, a special quill, and one final death wish.

Will you help bring justice to this young man’s life? Is it justice, or is it just murder?

We are met with a tragic story told from the eyes of boy met with tragedy.

His writing work was going to be published. But, his life came to a tragic end, and justice must be brought.

Was it because of the quill? Was there more to it than he knew?

That is up for you to decide!

5/5 Better than the second. Very mysterious!

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Read ahead for spoilers:

Charted Waters by Nick Wisseman

Book two:

This is a story of a boy named Ryan. We meet Ryan on a mysterious beach, and his body is scarred. He has a knife, but we aren’t sure why. Has he hurt himself? Or was he defending himself?

Reading further, we learn that he was on a ship of some kind and there is a mysterious Thing that has negatively impacted the journey.

This is about all we get out of this story.

3/5 for this one. I like the writing style of this, but I couldn’t get into the story. 

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Branded Faith by Nick Wisseman

Book One:

A stranger alone in a bar. A mysterious scar around his eye. The ability to heal or to harm. A religious connection.

That is all we get out of this story. Yet, it is remarkably well rounded and interesting.

From what I described above, you may feel as if you leave the story feeling as though there is something missing, but there isn’t.

Branded Faith is the first story in a series of short stories titled Outcasts.

It leaves you wanting more, and I cannot wait to see what the next story holds.

5/5 It doesn’t give you much detail, but if it gave you any more it would ruin the story. Very intriguing way to start a collection

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Read ahead for spoilers

Outcasts by Nick Wisseman

Outcasts is a collection of short stories written by Nicholas Wisseman. They come from different backgrounds, and all have different stories. They will all take you on a journey. Put on your seatbelt; this will be a crazy ride. 

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Coming of Age... Again by Carol Mizrahi

This book tells the story of four friends: Barbara, Irene, Sylvia, and Rochelle. They are all women in their early sixties, and all have very different personalities. Somehow they have stuck together since being very young.

It tells the story of the women coming to different points in their life where they aren’t happy, and they take back their lives. It is never too late to be happy.

This book was very real to me. It showed problem that real women go through everyday, but it had a humorous twist to it. I found myself laughing out loud more than a couple times!

Sometimes when you come across a book that has older characters in it, you may feel that it is only for older folks, but this one is completely different. I greatly enjoyed it!

5/5 Stars. Kept me entertained the whole way through!

To learn more, click here!

Read ahead for spoilers!

E-Learning 101 by Dr. Liz Hardy

This is a nifty little handbook for learning in an online setting.

It’s a very short handbook, so getting through it is easy, and it is informative.

Dr. Liz Hardy does a very nice job of calming the nerves of those who may be interested in taking an online class but aren’t sure if they can handle it.

As long as you set your mind to it, you can do it.

There are activities in the handbook that help you plan out your study schedule and also to limit your distractions and reasons for procrastinating.

Overall, 5/5 very simple handbook to get through, plus you get cute pictures of dogs on each page. What more could you ask for!

Islanders by John Barlow

This novel reminded me of a modern day Lord of the Flies. Not with the plot, just with the concept of the children being the main characters. I’m sure there are many novels like this, but I feel like this could replace that book in school curriculums.

It does have lessons that you can take away from it, such as you need teamwork to succeed, and also to never give up.

This novel is a sort of spin on a post-apocalyptic. There was a major war on the mainland including biological warfare. Some of the survivors were able to escape to an island unknown to the ruler of the mainland.

When a boat washes up on shore of the island carrying a messenger from the mainland telling Ben Brewer that his father is still alive, he and a gang of children set off to uncover the true story of what happened.

Will they be able to find Ben’s dad? Or will they get killed along the way?

You just have to read it and find out!

5/5 Stars. I spent all day reading this book and didn’t get bored once! It is full of adventure and get crazy at the end!

To learn more click here!

Read ahead for spoilers

Patriot's Blood by Richard Holcroft

This book embodies basically everything that interests me in a book. You have Mob references, conspiracy theories, detective work, and a lot of suspense.

It is based around a Lawyer, Marchetti. He is asked by a client of his to investigate a case for him in case of his death.

Once Marchetti begins to do the detective work, he puts everyone around him in danger. But worse than that, it is unknown danger. He cannot figure out where the threat is coming from and who is behind all of it.

It started off with the bombing of an important building and most of the facts were covered up or completely ignored by the government and the FBI. Marchetti’s client was one of the few who had witnessed the bombing and had seen who may had been involved.

The other witnesses began disappearing – staged suicides.

This novel is very well written! It kept me on the edge of my seat for the whole ride. Especially when it really began heating up at the end.

The end was packed full of action, so much that it had my heart beating quickly!

5/5 Stars. It was such an exciting read! I loved it!

Read ahead for spoilers