The Dragon Orb, the first installment of The Alaris Chronicles by Mike Shelton, follows the story of three teenagers: Bakari, a scholar wizard; Allison, or Alli, a battle wizard apprentice; and Roland, a counselor apprentice. These three kids have shown immense powers and promise as...

Polly Mae: The Old Suitcase is an historical adventure novel for children and preteens written by Julie Hodgson. Polly Mae was in trouble -- again -- for pulling that old cat's tail. She wasn't trying to hurt Mrs. Donkin's cat, but it was constantly getting...

Three boys, three countries, three eras in history, three tragedies. Each boy is marked by his past, but how the past marks his future depends on how he deals with his tragedies and the horrors that inflict these tragedies. As men, they all sought to...

Timothy's world of participating in any form of sports came to a sudden end after an ill-fated practice session of soccer. He could've given up right then and there, but his competitive spirit brought him back to the world of sports in no time at...

An Epiphany in Lilacs: In the Aftermath of the Camps by Iris Dorbian is a moving book, set within the years following World War II. It is 1945 when Daniel, a Latvian Jew, finally tastes freedom after his horrible experience of the Holocaust. Daniel is...

JK Battaglia’s A Hope of Life features great characters, a great plot and powerful themes, including end-times, political intrigue, and a woman’s struggle to reconnect with the only thing that could give purpose to her life. Ashton Deveraux Forte has suffered so much in a...

Alexandria: The Sword of Agrippa, Book 2 is a time-travel science fiction novella written by Gregory Ness. Alexandria is set in the near future; Roy, a physicist and his partner, Renee, are at home and settling in to watch a video of Jakub's dream. They...

Anyone who lived through the 1960s remembers it as a time like no other. The counterculture of young people smoking marijuana and using LSD, the draft, protests against the Vietnam War, changing sexual behaviors, and other events defined the hippie, or flower child, movement. Author...

Nothing is sustainable without effort and, with a relationship, often the time spent investing in it, and the other person, enhances and nurtures it. Over time people change, and so too does the nature of a relationship - they will grow and adapt, and sometimes...

Johan Twiss continues the I Am Sleepless YA sci-fi series with Book 2, The Huntress. Aidan, Palomas, Fig, and Masay’s next goal is to escape Mount Fegorio, head to Vapor City, and look for the rebellion group which will lead them to the Reader. With...

Zeke and Zak Fumble Through A Fairy Long Lesson by Lenora Rodgers is an exciting children's book that follows two fairies named Zeke and Zak. Zeke and Zak are apprenticed to the tooth fairy. But the two fairies aren't very good at their job. Their...

"Kobee Manatee: Shipwreck Sea Friends" is a fun underwater adventure written by Robert Scott Thayer and illustrated by Lauren Gallegos. Kobee, a bold manatee, along with his friends Tess, a brave seahorse, and Pablo, a fun loving hermit crab, head to Puerto Rico to explore...

I have read a couple of good books this year where the hero is somehow transported to a fantastic realm by mysterious and magical means. It’s an angle I like as a reader. I like the magical and fantastic landscapes, but it’s nice when the...

Cradle of the Serpent (A Man and a Woman's Imperfect Love) by Linda Lee Greene is a fictional drama with a theme of dream/time travel and archaeology. This is a book that would appeal most to an audience of young adults and adults who enjoy...

I spent eight years in the military. I was Army Infantry, but a smart infantry soldier can be used anywhere in the army system, so I had a lot of interesting jobs. I worked a lot with the special forces. These guys are different. They...

There is very little that is as it appears to be in The Field Trip, making for a twisting and turning plot that pulls you in and doesn’t let go until the last word of the book. There are many characters in The Field Trip...

True Life is the first entry in the Legends of Tye Series by R.J. Tolson, an adventure that will delight young adult readers and fans of comics. The reader is introduced to a magical setting and a clan known as the Astra Clan, comprising people...

Girl Unseen: Beyond the Grave series #3 is a paranormal thriller novel written by Athena Daniels. Pia Williams knew that someone or something was trying to get through to her, almost from her first tentative steps into the lighthouse keeper's cottage perched on Cape Leeuwin....

Part of Me by Deanna Kahler is an interesting story with an intriguing twist. Chase has been tormented for years by flashes of memories that make no sense. His life is upside-down because of these flashes and episodes of panic attacks that leave scattered clues...

Brought To Our Senses by Kathleen H Wheeler is a poignantly depicted fiction novel about the agony and trials of a family as they witness the decline of their mother as she ages. Jessica, Teri, and Elizabeth have begun noticing that their mother, Janice, is...