< Back W.W. Hennemann Call the Wind Mariah - A Story of Survival and Romance at Sea in a Futuristic World Turned Upside Down Book blurb... Call the Wind Mariah is a futuristic Odyssey in the face of catastrophic climate change. It's November 2055. Climate change has dramatically altered the planet. Coastal cities have been inundated by a dramatic ten-foot rise in sea level, far greater and far sooner than the climate models had anticipated. Large inland cities have become islands of civilization in a sea of anarchy caused by mass migrations and armed conflicts. Corey Wells' ticket out of the madness into which his country has descended is a 45-foot sailing catamaran named Mariah. He will make the 600-nautical-mile voyage from his home in Sea Isle, braving storms, pirates, shipwrecks and an uncertain future in a daring bid to reunite with his expatriated sister and start life anew in the futuristic island nation of Bermuda. The voyage will test his seamanship, his courage, his compassion and his will to survive in a world turned upside down. Will he find love and security enroute? Or is he fated to forever navigate solo through tempestuous seas in search of safe harbor? Call the Wind Mariah is a gripping, emotionally charged voyage through a near-future world undone by climate disaster - and a timeless story of resilience, humanity, and the search for love and safe harbor in a storm-tossed world. Purchase here

< Back J Paul Rieger Jr The Big Comb Over A wild satirical comedy about one extended Baltimore family. It’s 2050 and forty-something Robbie is attempting another DNA test, following several botched results. He is keen to learn more about his ancestry after joining a book circle and learning more about his friends lineage. While contemplating his odd DNA results, Robbie reflects on his life and precious memories of his childhood spent with his brother, cousins, and uncles. He remembers deep, spiritual conversations with his late uncle, Tim Elders (Tim, Tim). Tim had a long history of drug abuse and mental health issues, and Robbie’s parents discouraged contact between them. Robbie recalls happy memories of Tim, who shared extraordinary stories of their long family history. Tim said he could trace the family tree back to biblical times, and claimed the family had special superpowers to help and heal others. Robbie thinks about his strange DNA results and remembers a time when he saved a girl from drowning, even though he could not swim himself. He wonders whether Tim’s stories were in fact true all along. As Robbie further ponders his life, he remembers a particularly special trip with his uncles and nephews to London, when his Uncle Stefan married a distant member of the British royal family. As the men and boys explored the sights and sounds of London, they found themselves in a few sticky situations with the police, radical environmental groups, and neo-Nazi gangs. The Big Comb Over is a satirical comedy by author J. P. Rieger about a Baltimore family, and the special bond between brothers, uncles, cousins, and nephews. Spanning multiple timelines and incorporating multiple perspectives, the book takes readers on a hilarious journey through the lives of one extended family. During one overseas trip, the family stumble through a series of misadventures, whereby readers will simultaneously scratch their heads and laugh-out-loud uncontrollably. If you are in the mood for a laugh-out-loud comedy that defies reason and revels in ridiculousness, this book is for you! Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A hilarious satirical comedy about the special bond between brothers, uncles, cousins, and nephews, and their many misadventures. Purchase here

< Back Holly Brough The Name I Choose A historical fiction novel about the experience of women in nineteenth century Spain Set in nineteenth century Spain, fifteen-year-old Amalia is sold by her family to work as a housekeeper on the wealthy Tudós Estate. Amalia is expected to take care of the house and look after the family’s children, but the estate’s patriarch, Manuel Tudó, has a more sinister motive. Manuel is a violent, deceptive, manipulator and takes a sexual interest in the girl. He watches her closely and seeks every opportunity to catch her alone. Amalia is a sweet and naïve girl, who develops a close friendship with another maid who reminds her of her position in the household. When Tudó leaves the estate, Amalia is seduced by the duke of Cadiz, the future king of Spain. Amalia falls in love with the duke, but he quickly abandons her, and she discovers she is pregnant. Alone, penniless, and ruined, Amalia flees the estate and takes refuge with an older woman. The woman helps Amalia escape to the charming island of Menorca in the Balearic Sea, with the help of two English naval officers. Amalia hopes that her life will improve, but discovers the same patriarchal society exists on the small island. As she tries to make ends meet for herself and her child, she reaches the depths of despair. But, with the help of her new friends she discovers the shocking truth about her ancestors and heritage. The Name I Choose by Holly Brough is a harrowing and heart wrenching historical fiction novel about a young woman who is torn from her family to work on a wealthy estate, and experiences horrific abuse from her master. This is a well-researched, beautifully written, and fast-paced novel, which explores the experience of women in nineteenth century Spain, when women had limited freedoms and few rights. The main protagonist Amalia is a believable, likeable and well-developed character. Despite her abandonment, neglect, and abuse, she never gives up hope. It was great to follow her journey from a sweet, naive young girl to a strong, courageous woman. The book provides a fascinating insight into the culture of Spain in the nineteenth century, and the oppression that many women faced. A riveting good read and highly recommended. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A harrowing and heart wrenching historical fiction novel, and a riveting good read. Purchase here

< Back Russell Camp Seeking The Healer Book blurb... How far will a father go to see his son healed? This thing that would come and attack his son. Without warning. Without remorse. Without a cure. Yosef’s heart broke more with each one, his hope fading as he watched this thing slowly destroy his son, along with everything he loved. But just as the darkness seemed to envelop him, Yosef heard a whisper on the fluttering wings of a dove. There was one who might be able to help. A healer existed somewhere, out there. Yosef had only to find him. SEEKING THE HEALER is the gripping story of a father’s love, a son’s courage, and a family on the brink. Pursued by an enemy who is as relentless as he is corrupt, Yosef and his son, Gabriel, must flee their home and follow an unsure path, hoping it will lead them to a mysterious healer, of whom they have only heard rumors. Along the way, they meet others who will point them towards the end of their journey, but will they find this healer before their enemy finds them? Purchase here

< Back Juliet Rose Do Over Can Sam leave her past behind and ‘do over’ in a new town? Samantha (Sam) Rutliffe packs up everything she owns into her car, and drives. She doesn’t know where she is going, she just wants to leave her old life behind. She ends up in a small tourist town by the ocean and sleeps in her car overnight. The town looks like the perfect place to start a new life, enabling her to leave all of her troubles behind. Sam settles into the town, finding herself a place to live and a job as a bar tender at a local bar. She meets lots of new people, and develops a close friendship with two lifeguards, Smitty and Casey. But the whole town is shocked when Casey’s lifeless body is found in the ocean. The cause of his death is uncertain, but drugs are found in his system, and his friends suspect suicide. Rumours spread across the town, and soon the nice boy who tragically lost his life, becomes known as a worthless, back-alley junkie. As Sam comes to term with losing her friend, she grows closer to Smitty, and they soon develop an intimate relationship. But as their relationship develops, Sam learns more about Smitty’s shady past, and his involvement in the local drug scene. As Smitty’s past finally catches up with him, Sam must make a difficult decision about their future together. Will she stay with Smitty as he faces the consequences of his previous misdemeanours? Or will she pack up her car again and start anew in the next town? Do Over, by author Juliet Rose, is a heart-warming novel about a young woman’s struggle with self-acceptance and undiagnosed mental illness. Sam makes a terrible error of judgement and betrays her best friend. She is riddled with guilt and unable to move on from her mistake. She sees her only option is to pack up and leave town, and start over again. But before she can move on with her life, and accept the love she deserves from Smitty, she must face her own demons. This is an authentic, well written and easy to read novel, with likeable and relatable characters, and an intriguing plot. The book deals with issues of mental illness, crime, and drug addiction, that many readers will relate to, and empathise with. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: An authentic, well written and heart-warming novel about a young woman’s struggle with self-acceptance and undiagnosed mental illness. Purchase here

< Back Diane Marie Taylor I'm on Assignment!: An Alternate View of Past Lives, The Impact on Our Current Lives, Soul Mates, World History, and the Akashic Records Book blurb... We all get discouraged from time to time about how our lives are going, and it’s in that level of discomfort that we question our existence and what our purpose is. Our path is more obvious than we think once we learn to read the signs, and our connection with the spirit world is much stronger than we think when we learn how to pay attention. This book shares powerful ideas and encourages you to pass on the knowledge to others. Gain insights on past lives, soul mates, the Akashic Records, and more. Purchase here

< Back Brittany Severn Ancora, Book One Book blurb... Pippa Wilder thought that being struck by lightning and being dead for fourteen minutes would be the worst thing that would happen to her… But when she begins to see ghosts, she has to wonder what this new gift, or curse, could mean for her future. With her newfound abilities, Pippa meets Shazo, who works in Ancora–a notorious suicide forest in Alabama–searching for those who have ventured inside. He entices her into the role of a ghost whisperer tasked with helping lost souls cross over. Leaving behind her familiar life, Pippa takes her chances in Alabama, where she meets Felix Murdock, a hearse-driving member of the crew at Ancora. Despite his reserved demeanor, a magnetic attraction kindles between them, fueled by his gentle heart. As the trio seamlessly works in service of the dying and the dead, Pippa falls into her role as she begins to accept her new abilities. But a sinister twist emerges when bodies that appear to have been slaughtered surface, leading to the unsettling belief that there might be a killer on the loose. And then she meets a ghost–Fin –who changes everything. Purchase here

< Back William Meisel The Lost History of "Talking to Computers": And What It Teaches Us About AI Exuberance Book blurb... Speech recognition ”using human language to connect with computers” is an area of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that has caught people's imagination and challenged hundreds of companies to make it a reality. This work documents 27 years of efforts by companies and the individuals driving them to connect us to computers using human language and to make a financial success of the effort. In some years, over 300 companies believed they could profitably deliver speech recognition technology or its applications. They faced the hurdle of the cost of computing power being much higher than it is today and had to compromise in early years on their objectives, finding applications that both served a need but could be delivered at an affordable price. This history provides a perspective on how difficult technologies evolve more slowly than we remember, with much of that history and its lessons lost. The Lost History of "Talking to Computers" provides insights into today's exuberance over Artificial Intelligence. Purchase here

< Back Marieke Lexmond The Magical Tarot Deck A spellbinding second instalment of the Madigan Chronicles, from author Marieke Lexmond In the second instalment of the Madigan Chronicles, Tara and her family are relieved when the Dagger of Consciousness, an artefact stolen by her evil twin sister Lucy, is recovered, and hidden safely away in a magical tarot card deck. The tarot deck, created by Tara’s husband Seamus, comprises twenty-two cards, and each card embodies a member of Madigan family. When someone draws a card from the deck, the card comes to life and the person painted on the card disappears from real life until they fulfil the question of the person who drew card. But, while Tara’s daughter Ceri is stuck in Fairyland, Lucy’s grandson, Cal, finds and steals the tarot cards and hands them over to Lucy. Lucy, set out on revenge, sees an opportunity to destroy the family and retrieve the dagger. The Madigan’s must stop Lucy before she uses their own tarot magic against them. The Magical Tarot Deck by Marieke Lexmond is an enchanting fantasy fiction novel, full of sorcery, mystery, and magic. Lexmond has written a truly unique and imaginative story, where the reader can escape to a wonderful, magical world of fairies and witches. This is a complex and fast paced story, but very easy to read. With a great plot and well-developed characters, each with their own distinctive personality traits, fantasy fiction fans will love this. You don’t need to read the first book in the series (although it is recommended) as the author provides a brief and useful summary of the previous events. Star Rating: 5 Stars Summary ‘A unique and imaginative story, where the reader can escape to a wonderful, magical world of fairies and witches. A FINALIST Purchase here

< Back Glendall C Jackson III Naked Came the Detective An escort turned super sleuth, investigates the mysterious death of a client. An unnamed high-end escort entertains a wealthy, high profile client in a hotel room in Washington DC. The next day her client, Ben, is found bludgeoned to death in an alleyway just outside the hotel. The police believe his death was a mugging gone awry, but the escort believes there is something strange about the case. As she continues her business in Washington’s luxury hotels, she takes it upon herself to investigate the case. She questions her friends and clients, and learns that Ben was an unscrupulous businessman running an illegal Ponzi scheme. As she tends to her regular clients, she learns that many of them had invested, and lost, large amounts of money in Ben’s ‘business’. Her clients, including a lawyer and the medical examiner, are reluctant to talk, but she uses her skills of seduction to tease out important information about Ben’s life and business dealings. Any one of her clients could be a potential suspect in his murder, but the police continue to stick to their mugging theory. When she returns back to the hotel where Ben was killed, she recognises a familiar number plate, and gets the feeling she is being watched. As she starts to look closer to home and her own relationships, she soon finds herself right in the middle of the investigation. With her life in grave danger, she develops an elaborate plot to expose the killer. Naked Came the Detective by author Glendall C Jackson III is a cosy mystery novella, with a sexy twist. Set within the sex industry and the business world of Washington DC, the story focuses on the brutal murder of a well-known businessman. The unnamed protagonist is an escort with a sharp mind and a mysterious past, who is unwittingly thrust into the role of an amateur detective. Fuelled by a mixture of grief and curiosity, she is determined to unravel the mystery behind his death. This is a compelling and gripping mystery that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The narrative is fast paced with plenty of twists and turns, and Jackson’s exploration of the sex industry is both respectful and enlightening. This is a short novella at just 100 pages, and I devoured it in a single setting. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A compelling and gripping mystery novella, with a sexy twist. Purchase here

< Back Jennifer Ivy Walker The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight Tristan and Issylte return in the third instalment in the Sea Raven trilogy series by author Jennifer Ivy Walker Tristan, the banished Blue Knight of Cornwall, and heir to the Kingdom of Lyonesse, and his wife Issylte, the Emerald Princess and heir to the Irish crown, have fled from Issylte’s wicked stepmother, the Black Widow Queen Morag, and taken refuge on the island of Avalon. As heirs to their respective thrones, Tristan and Issylte pose an intolerable threat to Queen Morag, and her sovereignty over those two kingdoms. The Queen poisoned her first husband, Issylte’s father, the King Donnchadh of Ireland, and also attempted to murder Issylte, to secure her position on the Irish throne. She is poisoning her second husband, the King Marke of Cornwall, Tristan’s uncle, to maintain her rule over the Cornish Kingdom. The Queen is still raging from the death of Morholt, her beloved Black Knight who was killed by Tristan during a failed Viking invasion of Cornwall. She vows to find Tristan and avenge Morholt’s death. When Queen Morag and her cronies discover that Issylte is pregnant with Tristan’s child, she is further enraged. With her ally, dwarf Bothor, she plans an elaborate plot to kill Tristan, and capture Issylte and her unborn child. The Queen plans to imprison Issylte until her baby is born, and then sacrifice the royal infant during the winter solstice, to break a curse that has plagued the Queen for many years. Issylte is captured and imprisoned in a tower on the top of a rocky cliff edge. Tristan and his army of knights must journey back to Tintagel to rescue his wife and unborn child. Will Tristan save his wife and child from the murderous queen? Will Tristan and Issylte ever regain their thrones to their kingdoms? And will Queen Morag ever be punished for her crimes? The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight is a fascinating medieval fantasy fiction novel by author Jennifer Ivy Walker. In this third instalment in the Sea Raven trilogy, Tristan and Issylte’s journey to reclaim their rightful positions on their respective thrones, comes to a breathtaking climax. With gruesome and bloody battle scenes, hot and steamy love scenes, and many unexpected twists and turns, this is an electrifying conclusion to a magnificent trilogy. The book, and the series, is a super addition to the medieval fantasy fiction genre and will captivate readers who enjoy Celtic history and folklore. I could not wait to read this final book and I am gutted the series had concluded. I am hopeful that Tristan, Issylte and their son might return for a new adventure very soon! Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: An epic medieval fantasy fiction novel, comes to an electrifying conclusion. Purchase here

< Back R.J. Halbert Architect: The Goodpasture Chronicles (Book 3) Book blurb... A storm is coming. Timelines collide. Could a sacrifice finally break the curse? In the final installment of the Goodpasture Chronicles, R.J. Halbert's Architect explores legacy, consequence, and the courage required to confront the designs that shape us. Enthusiasts of award winning Caretaker and Servant will discover even more emotional depth, spiritual tension, and a sweeping historical scope delivering a powerful and deeply personal finale. The morning after Zach's astonishing return, the Keane family grapples with how to process the supernatural events of the previous days. Time feels fractured. Memories don't align. The house that once concealed its secrets now seems to pulse with a restless purpose. Still wary of the forces that have already torn her family apart, Ariel must find an inner strength to confront truths long hidden in the fog. Beyond their world, Akolo's ancient story moves toward its own turning point-one shaped by devotion, loss, and a power that has never truly been laid to rest. As past and present begin to converge, the Keanes realize their lives are not simply being influenced by history... they are entangled within it. And Marshall-the quiet figure, always standing at the edge of their understandings-may hold the key to a design far older, and far more personal, than any of them ever imagined. Purchase here