Review: The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter

Goodreads Blurb

I thought I had nothing left to give.

I thought wrong.

They started the war.

Now I will end it.

Alice “Ali” Bell thinks the worst is behind her. She’s ready to take the next step with boyfriend Cole Holland, the leader of the zombie slayers…until Anima Industries, the agency controlling the zombies, launches a sneak attack, killing four of her friends. It’s then she realizes that humans can be more dangerous than monsters…and the worst has only begun.

As secrets that may tear Ali and Cole apart come to light, and more slayers are taken or killed, Ali will fight harder than ever to bring down Anima—even sacrificing her own life for those she loves.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Wow, what an amazing book. I’m definitely finished with a huge bang. This last book in the series for now has left my heart broken. Could not ever imagine losing your best friend and having her turn into a zombie. I was very happy that Ali was so strong and was able to give in to such evil people. Stopping them at any cause was the best thing that they could have done. Ali is such a strong woman, and I love that this book portrays women as being the strong ones. She was able to save most of her friends. My heart stopped when the zombies exploded the house, and Ali was trying to find her friends. Could not imagine being in her place. I was happy about the way the book ended. Ali got her memory back and was able to blank Mrs. Smith memory. It has such an amazing turning point that Ali’s parents weren’t who she really thought, and she was the cure to all problems with the zombies. It should feel great that now no one has to use the zombie toxin in order to survive. Now, the zombies would be at peace after all. I’m hoping there will be another book to this amazing series.

Author Biography

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over seventy books, including the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld series, the Gods of War series, the White Rabbit Chronicles, and the Forest of Good and Evil series. She writes sizzling paranormal romance, heartwarming contemporary romance, and unputdownable young adult novels, and lives in Oklahoma City with her family and menagerie of dogs and cats.

Review: By the Sound of the Crow by Susan Allison-Dean

Goodreads Blurb

Often life’s toughest moments take us in new directions.

Jill Bradley Cooper never forgot the orphaned baby girl after the tragic accident that she was involved in years ago. As fall is celebrated in 2012, and the anniversary nears, she is haunted by the sad memories yet again. The riptide of life has pulled Jill out to the sea of busyness and distraction for years: marriage, a new home, raising two girls and changing her job to become a school nurse. This harvest season, however, the guilt inside her insists on being soothed. Jill decides the only way to do this is to find that orphan.

Thirteen-year old Amanda Cooper, Jill’s daughter, is wrestling with her own troubles. Having dyslexia and not being good at sports is preventing her from feeling normal at school. When Amanda is the first to discover a dolphin in distress in the Hudson River, several miles north of New York City, she has no idea how it will change her life.

By The Sound of The Crow is the sequel to Susan Allison-Dean’s debut novel, I Know You’re There.

http://www.susanallisondean.com

Susan’s first two novels are set in the picturesque Hudson Valley, New York with escapes to the tropical Caribbean Island, Triton. Her novels are widely shared amongst mothers, daughters, sisters and friends.

My Review: Rated 5 out 5 Stars

Received this book from the author, and I am so happy I was able to read it. It touches my heart very much since I live a few minutes from Stony Point where the dolphin was found. I saw the news about it online, which is very sad that people litter so much and throw plastics in our oceans and rivers, and the poor sea life has to pay with their life. My heart was broken since dolphins are my favorite. He will be forever in my heart.I was very touched to read a book that talked about the county I live in. As I read, I knew so many of the locations that were described. I was so upset to have known that Jill was tortured for so many years with the events that changed her life and Samantha’s. I was so happy that she took it upon herself to search for her so that she could get closure for the death of her parents. I really enjoyed the trip they had at Triton Island. Amanda is a strong teenager and knows the consequences of the actions the people do with littering. She is a big animal lover and suffered when she found out the dolphin had died. She wants to make the world a better place and save all animals from all human disasters. Thanks so much for letting me read this exceptional book.

Author Biography

Susan Allison-Dean is an advanced board-certified Holistic Nurse. While creating healing gardens for her clients, she felt a nudge to write a novel. As much as she tried to shoo the idea away, it insisted on being written and ‘I Know You’re There’ was born. Then came a sequel, ‘By The Sound Of The Crow’. Her third novel is due out this summer.

She has authored several clinical and horticulture articles and was a contributing author to the bestselling book, Touched By A Nurse. She is passionate about the sea and loves exploring tropical islands. She extends this passion by doing volunteer work benefitting dolphins and whales. Sue splits her time between Armonk, New York and Cary, North Carolina, with her husband and English bulldog, Bubba.

Susan’s first two novels are set in the picturesque Hudson Valley, New York with escapes to the tropical Caribbean Island, Triton. Her novels are widely shared amongst mothers, daughters, sisters and friends.

Connect with Susan on Facebook (The Nature Nurse), Twitter (@thenaturenurse), Pinterest, Instagram (@thenaturenurse) or friend her on Goodreads.

Review: Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter

Goodreads Blurb

Zombies stalk the night.

Forget blood and brains. These monsters hunger for human souls.

Sadly, they’ve got mine…

Alice Bell has lost so much. Family. Friends. A home. She thought she had nothing else to give. She was wrong.

After a new zombie attack, strange things begin to happen to her. Mirrors come to life, and the whispers of the dead assault her ears. But the worst? A terrible darkness blooms inside her, urging her to do very wicked things.

She’s never needed her team of zombie slayers more, but ultra bad-boy Cole Holland, the leader and her boyfriend, suddenly withdraws from her…from everyone. Now, with her best friend, Kat, at her side, Ali must kill the zombies, uncover Cole’s secret and learn to fight the darkness.

But the clock is ticking…and if she fails at a single task, they’re all doomed.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Wow, this book was even better than the first. I just couldn’t put it down. Ali was such a strong person. She got dibilated by Z.A, but she wouldn’t let her take over her life and others. Cole never gave up on her and was really in love with Ali. He stayed with her through good times and bad. I was glad that the traitor wasn’t one of the zombies slayers. I would have been upset. They are all family. The doctor got what he deserved. He killed so many innocent people in hopes of saving his daughter. Ali was put through so much pain, and poor Jaclyn was malnutrition and tortured. I was really hoping for the zombies that he was controlling, which should have been the ones to kill him. I was so happy to see all slayers help Ali release that evil zombie Alice away from her body. Now they saw that they are able to cure themselves and be able to kill more zombies. This book had me at edge between all the fighting, torturing, escaping, and starvation. I’m going to be reading the next book in this series and can’t wait to see what will happen next.

Author Biography

Review: The Dark Realm: Feyland Book 1 by Anthea Sharp

Goodreads Blurb

What if a high-tech computer game was a gateway to the dangerous Realm of Faerie?

When a game…

Feyland is the most immersive computer game ever designed, and Jennet Carter is the first to play the prototype. But she doesn’t suspect the virtual world is close enough to touch — or that she’ll be battling for her life against the Dark Queen of the faeries.

Turns real…

Tam Linn is the perfect hero — in-game. Too bad the rest of his life is seriously flawed. The last thing he needs is rich-girl Jennet prying into his secrets, insisting he’s the only one who can help her.

Winning is everything…

Together, Jennet and Tam enter the Dark Realm of Feyland, only to discover that the entire human world is in danger. Pushed to the limit of their abilities, they must defeat the Dark Queen… before it’s too late.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 Stars

Received this book from the author in exchange for a review. I must say this book was out of this world. I loved it. It was the first book I have ever read that involved a video game or should I say a secret world. It grabbed my attention from the very beginning, with the Queen taking away Jennet’s soul. It was scary since video games have become a big part of our society, and who knows if a video game that feels real and appears in true life can happen? I was so hurt when Tam was taken into the game and spared Jennets life. I was so happy that the real true hero was Jennet, who gave all she had to save Tam from ending up like Thomas. This book really put fear in me. Having to go through the Goblins and hounds trying to rip them apart. I felt like I was living there fears too.The lyrics to the ballad were invigorating. I really loved how Anthea used the lyrics and the story plot into her book. The book was very easy to read and understand. I was at the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen next in the world of Feyland. Thanks for writing such an amazing book. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. All the books in the series have beautiful covers.

Author Biography

Growing up, Anthea Sharp spent her summers raiding the library shelves and reading, especially fantasy. She now makes her home in the Pacific Northwest, where she writes, plays the fiddle, hangs out in virtual worlds, and spends time with her small-but-good family. Contact her at antheasharp@hotmail.com, follow her on twitter, find her on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/AntheaSharp), and visit her website.

Review: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Goodreads Blurb

If anyone had told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real.

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I am speechless after reading this amazing book. Can’t wait to see if they make this book into a movie. I loved that Gena thought out of the box and didn’t give us the same book like all those zombies movies that have been made. I loved the concept of zombies being in spirit form, and they eat your spirit while killing you in human form. I was at the edge of my seat reading this book. Action all the way through. Can’t wait to start the next book on this series. I got caught off guard and didn’t expect her dad to have turned into a zombie, let alone try to defend her. The cast for this book is perfect. They all know each other from school, and the enemy used to be best friends with Cole and used to fight to kill the zombies. It was such a great opportunity that I got to meet Gena at a panel and got all three books signed. Thanks for writing such an amazing book. Don’t forget to pick this one up, you won’t be disappointed.

Author Biography

Review: I Belong to You by Lisa Renee Jones

Goodreads Blurb

Master…

Being that person, that man is how I define myself, how I allow the rest of the world to define me as well. And now, with a terrible loss shredding me inside out and someone trying to destroy my family to punish me, control is more important than ever. It is everything. It is what I need. It is all I need. Or maybe I just need…her.

My Review: Rated 5 out 5 stars

Received this book for an early review. This series is just amazing. I love Mark and Crystal’s relationship. He wants to be her master and she doesn’t let him. She stands up to him, which I love, and so does he. A woman with a challenge makes you work harder for what you want. Mark is viewed as the master but in this book, with his mother having cancer and is delicate, you can see that he isn’t as strong as he seems. You see that he loves and cares for his mother’s well-being. He is hurting for his girlfriend missing and trying to get vengeance for what might have happened to her.I love the passion and chemistry between them both. They crave each other, but he want’s to take her under his wings with his dominance, and she just wants to have a normal relationship. Another book from Lisa with a deserved FIVE STAR. You don’t want to miss it.

Author Biography

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series. Suzanne Todd (producer of Alice in Wonderland) on the INSIDE OUT series: Lisa has created a beautiful, complicated, and sensual world that is filled with intrigue and suspense. Sara’s character is strong, flawed, complex, and sexy – a modern girl we all can identify with.

In addition to the success of Lisa’s INSIDE OUT series, she has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Lisa is presently working on a dark, edgy new series, Dirty Money, for St. Martin’s Press.
Prior to publishing Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women’s Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at www.lisareneejones.com and she is active on Twitter and Facebook daily.

Review: The Daughter’s Tale by Armando Lucas Correa

Goodreads Blurb

BERLIN, 1939. The dreams that Amanda Sternberg and her husband, Julius, had for their daughters are shattered when the Nazis descend on Berlin, burning down their beloved family bookshop and sending Julius to a concentration camp. Desperate to save her children, Amanda flees toward the south of France, where the widow of an old friend of her husband’s has agreed to take her in. Along the way, a refugee ship headed for Cuba offers another chance at escape and there, at the dock, Amanda is forced to make an impossible choice that will haunt her for the rest of her life. Once in Haute-Vienne, her brief respite is interrupted by the arrival of Nazi forces, and Amanda finds herself in a labor camp where she must once again make a heroic sacrifice.

NEW YORK, 2015. Eighty-year-old Elise Duval receives a call from a woman bearing messages from a time and country that she forced herself to forget. A French Catholic who arrived in New York after World War II, Elise is shocked to discover that the letters were from her mother, written in German during the war. Despite Elise’s best efforts to stave off her past, seven decades of secrets begin to unravel.

Based on true events, The Daughter’s Tale chronicles one of the most harrowing atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis during the war. Heartbreaking and immersive, it is a beautifully crafted family saga of love, survival, and redemption.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

This historical novel is divided into two parts. The first part has to do with a mother making sacrifices to save her daughters from any harm the Germans might cause them, and the second part is about the younger daughter’s survival instincts to survive and get a chance to see her older sister one day. It’s filled with heartbreak, determination, survival, hope, dreams, love, sadness, friendship, and family. The Sternberg family went through so much to survive, and it was heartbreaking to join the characters through the terrifying moments they endured. This story was based on true events. This story not only teaches us about the terrible events of the Holocaust but also what other innocent lives also went through in the middle of this war. I would have liked to have learned more about what happens to Amanda in the camp and how Viera made out in Cuba. Most of the focus of this book is on the younger daughter, Lina. This book also had strong-willed women who fought for survival and had strong bonds with their friends. These characters survived because of the relationships they built that felt like family. It gives them a purpose to continue living, hoping the war will end soon.

Author Biography

Armando Lucas Correa is a Cuban writer.

Correa is the recipient of various outstanding achievement awards from the National Association of Hispanic Publications and the Society of Professional Journalism. Recently, he was awarded with the Cintas Foundation Fellowship in Creative Writing.

His book En busca de Emma (In Search of Emma: Two Fathers, One Daughter and the Dream of a Family) was published by Rayo, Harper Collins in 2007 and for Aguilar, Santillana (Mexico) in 2009. It will be available in English (In Search of Emma) by Harper One, October 12th, 2021.

His first novel The German Girl/La niña alemana was published in October, 2016, in English and Spanish by Atria Books, a division of Simon and Schuster. The German Girl is an international bestseller and it has been translated to 16 languages and it is in more than 30 countries.

His second novel The Daughter’s Tale/La hija Olvidada was published in May 7th, 2019 and has been translate to German, Portuguese, Danish, Swedish, Italian, Hungarian and Hebrew.

For his third novel, The Night Travelers (Atria, January 20th, 2023), Correa received the Creative Writing Award of the Cintas Foundation Fellowship (2022). The Night traveler/La viajera nocturna has already been acquired for translation into 10 languages.

He lives in Manhattan with his husband and their three children.

Cover Reveal: Clare at Eighteen by Don Roff

BOOK DETAILS:

Clare at Eighteen
by Don Roff
(Clare Bleecker, #3)
Published by: Parliament House Press
Publication date: June 16, 2024
Genres: Adult, Thriller

Synopsis:

Just when you thought Clare Bleecker had faced the darkest corners of Pickman Flats, her story takes a murderous detour under the glitzy lights of Hollywood.

In a town where the stars shine bright and secrets lurk in every shadow, Clare finds herself with an opportunity that could be her big break—or her final downfall. When movie producer Lester Bryce is found murdered, Clare is cast not in the role of a lifetime but as the prime suspect in a deadly drama. Talk about creative differences.

Now, caught in the spotlight of suspicion, Clare must navigate a labyrinth of lies and deceit in a city known for making and breaking dreams. Hollywood harbors a strange cult with a thirst for celebrity blood, and Clare’s own could be next on the altar. As the lines between performance and peril blur, can Clare unveil the truth before the final cut silences her scream? Can you say development hell?

The stakes of Clare’s “passion project” are higher, the Tinseltown killers more cunning, and the twists more treacherous than ever before. Clare must use all her cunning to survive this lethal script.

Can she “do lunch” and deliver a performance that will clear her name, or will this role prove to be her most deadly?

Will Clare win or die?

Kill Discriminately,

XOXO Clare

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208875437-clare-at-eighteen

Pre-order: https://books2read.com/u/m2K6y7

AUTHOR BIO:

Roff grew up in Milton-Freewater, Oregon. As a teen, he worked at the local drive-in theater and made Super 8 mm movies with his neighborhood friends, writing many of the scripts. He graduated from McLoughlin Union High School in 1985.

Roff joined the United States Army in 1989. He was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia in the 3rd Ranger Battalion. He was a part of “Operation Just Cause” in Rio Hato, Panama, December 20, 1989.

Roff graduated from Walla Walla Community College in 1995, and The Evergreen State College in 1997.

In 2000, he was The Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Semifinalist for his coming-of-age screenplay, LORD OF THE YARDS. In June 2006, Roff received the prestigious Zola Award for screenwriting from the Pacific Northwest Writers Association for his science fiction adventure script, OUTBOUND.

Roff’s bestselling book, ZOMBIES: A RECORD OF THE YEAR OF INFECTION is available from Chronicle Books/Simon & Schuster UK. The audiobook is available from AudioGO. The calendars are available from Universal Publishing (a division of Rizzoli International Publications).

His supernatural thriller, SNOWBLIND, will soon be a major film, as will his dark comedy thriller, CLARE AT SIXTEEN.

Author links:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/847186.Don_Roff

https://www.facebook.com/Author.Don.Roff

Tweets by DonRoff

https://www.instagram.com/donroff/

Currently Reading: Still See You by Lisa Gardner

Goodreads Blurb

Frankie Elkin is an expert at finding the missing persons that the rest of the world has forgotten, but even she couldn’t have anticipated this latest request—to locate the long-lost sister of a female serial killer facing execution in three weeks’ time.

She has called herself “death,” but people called her the devil.

The case was sensational. Kaylee Pierson had confessed from the very beginning, waived all appeals. Despite the media’s chronicling of her tragic circumstances—the childhood spent with a violent father—no one could find sympathy for “the Beautiful Butcher” who had led eighteen men home from bars before viciously slitting their throats.
Now, with only twenty-one days left to live, Pierson has finally received a lead on the whereabouts of the sister who was kidnapped over a decade ago, and she needs Frankie’s help to find her. The Beautiful Butcher’s offer:

When was the last time your search ended with finding the living?

Unable to resist the chance for a rescue, Frankie takes on Pierson’s request. Twelve years ago, five-year-old Leilani went missing in Hawaii. The main suspect? Pierson’s tech mogul ex-boyfriend, Sanders MacManus. Now, on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific—the site of MacManus’s latest vanity project—fresh evidence has appeared. In order to learn the truth and possibly save a young woman’s life, Frankie must go undercover at the isolated base camp. Her challenge: A dozen strangers. Countless dangerous secrets. Zero means of calling for help. And then the storm rolls in…

Author Biography

Lisa Gardner is the #1 New York Times bestselling thriller author of the Frankie Elkin series, as well as the Detective D.D. Warren, the FBI Profilers and the PI Tessa Leoni series.

Her current suspense novels feature Frankie Elkin, an everyday, average person who specializes in finding missing people. When the locals have given up, when the media has never bothered to care, Frankie takes on the challenge. From looking for a missing teen in inner city Boston to searching for a missing hiker in the wilds of Wyoming to rescuing a possibly kidnapped girl on a remote island in the Pacific, Frankie is on the case!

Lisa lives in the mountains of New Hampshire with two crazy pups. When not writing, Lisa loves to hike, play cribbage, and, of course, read!

I will post my review once I am done reading this thrilling novel that will be released on March 12, 2024.

Review: Snow Angel Cove by RaeAnne Thayne

Goodreads Blurb

Nothing short of a miracle can restore Eliza Hayward’s Christmas cheer. The job she pinned her dreams on has gone up in smoke—literally—and now she’s stuck in an unfamiliar, if breathtaking, small town. Precariously close to being destitute, Eliza needs a helping hand…for her sick young daughter’s sake as well as her own. But she’s not expecting her holiday hero to almost run her down with his car!

Rescuing Eliza is pure instinct for tech genius Aidan Caine. At first, putting the renovation of his lakeside guest lodge in Eliza’s hands assuages his guilt—until he sees how quickly he could fall for her. Having focused solely on his business for years, he never knew that what his life was missing was Eliza and her little girl. But is he willing to risk hoping for a yuletide romance that could lead to forever?

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Won this book on RaeAnne’s FB page. I am speechless. This book left me wanting more. The chemistry between Aidan and Eliza was amazing. This book started with devastation and hurt but ended with a happy ending. I loved both characters occupation its was a perfect match. This book hits close to home since I lost my grandmother on Christmas Eve of 1995 because of cancer. I know how Aidan felt like life was going to be over before he received his results. I loved that Aidan’s character was strong, limitless, and with a touch of love and compassion while not portraying it. Eliza was determined and strong-willed. I smiled every time Maddie got excited. I would have never foreseen that she had a medical condition since she was always happy and energetic. The end of the story got me all teary-eyed from the gift he did for Eliza to the love that all the family gave to each other. Christmas is a time to spend with family and where magic can come true. I read this book in two days, not wanting to put it down. Thanks so much for a sweet and romantic story.

Author Biography

I’m not one of those people who knew from birth she was destined to become a writer. I always loved to read and throughout my childhood I could usually be found with a book in my hands. To the disgust of my friends, I even enjoyed creative writing assignments that made them all groan. But I had other dreams besides writing. I wanted to be an actress or a teacher or a lawyer.

Life took a different turn for me, though, when my mother made me take a journalism elective in high school (thanks, Mom!). I knew the first day that this was where I belonged.

After I graduated from college in journalism, I took a job at the local daily newspaper and I reveled in the challenge and the diversity of it. One day I could be interviewing the latest country music star, the next day I was writing about local motorcycle gangs or interviewing an award-winning scientist.

Through it all — through the natural progression of my career from reporter to editor — I wrote stories in my head. Not just any stories, either, but romances, the kind of books I have devoured since junior high school, with tales about real people going through the trials and tribulations of life until they find deep and lasting love.

I had no idea how to put these people on paper, but knew I had to try — their stories were too compelling for me to ignore. I sold my first book in 1995 and now, more than 30 books later, I’ve come to love everything about writing, from the click of the computer keys under my fingers to the “that’s-it!” feeling I get when a story is flowing.

I write full-time now (well, as full-time as I can manage juggling my kids!) amid the raw beauty of the northern Utah mountains.

Even though I might not have dreamed of being a writer when I was younger, now I simply can’t imagine my life any other way.

I love to hear from readers. You can reach me at my email address, raeannethayne@gmail.com