Time Travel Romance Merges with Paranormal for Wonderful Tale...

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The year is 1602 when Neil and Mora return to Scotland,
along with Fergus who at the last minute had chosen to jump
through the time portal as well...and thankfully he did because
he had brought his gadgets and had already saved Neil's life
once! Now they were on their way to the castle of The
MacDonald. Their research and Neil's memories were fast
 coming as he came closer and closer to where Naill was
imprisoned. In fact, Neil was taking on all of the pain and
suffering, need for food and water that Naill was experiencing!

Somewhere My Lass


By Beth Tressel






I enjoy the paranormal and Tressel brings in much to like! Not only do we have time travel, but a number of psychics to add to the fun! Of course, it might also have been just a bit of magic from the ancient Celtics?


Our main character, from the past, is Mora Campbell, who is found at the scene of the murder of the housekeeper for Neil MacKenzie. The problem, of course, is who is she, where did she come from, and why is she dressed in clothes that are clearly from another country and from long ago...

When Mora awakens she identifies herself as Neil's betrothed! Although she calls him Niall... and says that she was chased there by The MacDonald! In the meantime, Neil and everybody else thinks she has been hurt during the chase and is apparently the relative of his housekeeper they had been expecting...

However, as Mora shares about her life, Neil begins to pick up memories nudged by what she tells him about their relationship--that they were to marry, but he had disappeared and now she was to marry his younger brother...

Neil's friend and business partner Fergus is one of the most likable characters...he's a brilliant nerd that uses all things electronic...never leaving his home, using lighting to create night skies to sleep under and all the electronic gadgets that can possibly be used for "some" reason. Mora, of course, thinks he's a magician. It is his mother that is psychic and helps them locate "the portal"

The well-written fantasy is almost a fairy tale; merging the present together with the past in a seamless movement, using what they had brought from the present to help Mora be reunited to Naill in 1602...

Of course that meant that if history was changed, then Neil of the present would no longer exist!

There really wasn't any choice...by that time, Neil loved Mora and would do anything to make her happy...
Tressel gives us a dangerous adventure, suspense, a little Fergus humor, but most of all provides a story of unending love that does last... But wait!?! What about The MacDonald?!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! Surely romance lovers will find it a wonderful way to spend the weekend! Highly
recommended!

GABixlerReviews



 About Beth

I’m a historical/light paranormal romance author with the Wild Rose Press. I have seven releases out with more to follow. Married to my high school sweetheart, I live on a farm in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley with children and multiple animals. The rich history of Virginia and the people who journeyed here from far beyond her borders are at the heart of my inspiration.
My fascination with Colonial America, particularly stirring tales of the frontier and the Shawnee Indians, is an early and abiding one. My English, Scot-Irish ancestors had interactions with this tribe, including family members taken captive. These accounts inspired my passion. Intrigued with all things Celtic, much of my writing features these early Scot-Irish forebears who settled in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and surrounding mountains, spreading into Tennessee and the Carolinas.

This absorption with Colonial America also extends to the high drama of the Revolution. My ancestors fought and loved on both sides of that sweeping conflict. My research into the Southern face of the war was partly inspired by my great-great-great grandfather, Sam Houston, uncle of the famous Sam, who kept a journal of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina, 1781, that is used by historians today.

Moreover, I am ever intrigued by ghost stories, and Virginia has more tales than any other state. I find myself asking if the folk who’ve gone before us are truly gone, or do some still have unfinished business in this realm? And what of the young lovers whose time was tragically cut short, do they somehow find a way? Love conquers all, so I answer ‘yes.’ 

Thus began my ‘Somewhere’ series. In book two of that series, Somewhere My Lass, I journeyed back to 1602 Scotland and more deeply explored my Scottish roots.  In Red Bird’s Song (out fall of 2010) I honed in on my early American roots in a story featuring the Scots-Irish and an Indian attack that happened to my ancestors in the colonial Virginia frontier.  More recently, I ventured back into my British ancestry with my first historical set in England, Into the Lion’s Heart.

Related articles

• Fabulous New Review for Somewhere My Lass! (bethtrissel.wordpress.com)

Turning Back to Yesterdays...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Gang

A King in a Court of Fools


By Larry Enright




Do you remember "Our Gang"? Or maybe you are a fan of  "A Christmas Story" and, like my sister, watch it over and over every year? Yes, I'm one of those individuals who believe that the past was a happier, more friendly time.  We weren't afraid to go off on our own to explore the surrounding neighborhood or the woods nearby. Even better, our parents thought nothing of allowing us to go!

Larry Enright has done an amazing job in capturing all those early moments for us to remember as he introduces the Caswell Gang to us. Interestingly, he presents the story from the youngest member of the Gang:

"...That leaves you with me to piece this together. You have to keep in mind that I was only in first grade at the time, so my reading skills were limited. Simple chapter books were easy, but not six grade Tom-ese...How did we get our hands on Tom's secret journal?..."

Of course most of the group are siblings, with the oldest boy the leader; but it is apparent that, just as we remember it, our friends were just like family members and we cherished that bond. If you are a Baby Boomer, you will find yourself remembering. Another plus for me was that the setting is nearby Pittsburgh, where memories of the steel mills as we traveled still are clear in my mind.

If you are younger and have at least once heard, "Oh, the good ole days..." and never quite believed it...then I highly recommend you consider this story. It pulls you in and I read it in a day, while spending a little time remembering as well!

Enright certainly has a wonderful memory...or maybe we all would if we stopped to remember more about our early life. Curiously, you wonder how much is fiction or how much is from his own story. Perhaps that is not important, because it is so well written that you think he might have been keeping a journal, as is included in the story...and just pulled that journal out one day and molded it into a novel...Realistic and memorably full of yesterdays...I thoroughly enjoyed the day he provided.

And, in addition, a mystery is even included! And just as the characters did, I pictured being Nancy Drew or working with the Hardy Boys to solve the mystery surrounding "The Pink Lady" whose car the Gang found in the woods, together with the clothes and even the wallet of the owner. What had happened to her? The Caswell Gang is on the trail--but then the car is gone! But that doesn't stop them. In fact, it gets them further into action, meeting and making friends with a veteran neighbor and stopping to help him with the chores that he could no longer handle himself... 

But they persist until the crime has been totally solved! 

This is a wonderful book for children--but I have to say that many adults will be the ones that truly will be thankful for the time spent enjoying their youth once again...I loved it!

Biography

Larry Enright was born to Irish Catholic first-generation immigrants and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After college, he moved to the Philadelphia area where he has filled his life with many careers including teacher, musician, computer programmer, researcher, and writer.

He has published three novels: the best seller "Four Years from Home" (09/2010),
"A King in a Court of Fools" (09/2011), and "Buffalo Nickel Christmas" (11/2011).

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Read Only If You Dare...

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One Voice Too Many


Paul Martin Midden


Many of us have heard on the news, when a tragic murder has occurred, that neighbors claim that the individual involved as always been quiet, a good neighbor, or something similar, though now expressing their amazement or dismay learning that somebody they knew was guilty of such an action(s)...

But surely, if we are willing to admit it to ourselves, we all do things that so go against our nature, that we later realize that we shouldn't have done it, and maybe even wonder what led to our being so emotionally involved that we, for a moment, snapped. Fortunately for most, that situation may never arise again and everybody soon forgives and forgets.

Sometimes, however, when that break occurs, for whatever reason, something happens in the brain of that individual... Or, maybe, something had already been wrong, but had never been triggered...
If you dare, enter into the life of Jeremy...

Jeremy worked in construction. In fact, an accident occurred the day he met Macy and Macy could have been seriously hurt but there was an attraction between them that soon turned into a relationship and, later, marriage.

Jeremy had been mostly a loner although he enjoyed his job. Still, Friday meant that he could look forward to going home and not having to be around people. But, now they were married and Macy wanted a home.  They had been living in a small apartment and it had been hard for Jeremy to adjust to how close it was when all three, including Macy's daughter, were all home. Jeremy cared for both of them deeply, but when Macy wanted to buy a home, even though it was not what Jeremy really wanted, he had agreed. Once there, he realized that having more space was much better, but...

Jeremy began having dreams...

And then one day, he turned to see who was talking to him, but nobody was there. He knew he was awake, but he knew he had heard somebody... That wasn't the last time and soon he started answering back...

What IS that breaking point that triggers aggressive actions towards others. I admit I was fascinated to read One Voice Too Many, meeting Jeremy and watching as his psychosis was affected as his home life changed and he felt he was losing control of his life, until he began to change enough that his closest family members began to see what was happening and became afraid.  Could individuals who show early symptoms have been helped if his psychological issues had been detected during his childhood? Were they even apparent to his parents? Midden doesn't take readers into that period of Jeremy's life, but meeting Jeremy in Midden's novel allows readers to begin to understand how some individuals turn to criminal activities, including those against people.

This book won't be for everyone. If you are not intrigued by the psychological makeup of criminals, this one isn't for you. You've been warned...

True crime enthusiasts, those who love psychological drama (like Criminal Minds, for instance), practitioners, are those who will find learning more about Jeremy's progression to his break from reality very informative.But stops short so that readers do not really see a significant amount of his aggression.  Midden spends enough time sharing Jeremy thoughts and changes, while he leaves the conclusion open-ended. If it were a routine thriller, I might think that it was a setup for another novel...This time, I'm not sure...Will Jeremy ever be well again? This novel is extremely thought-provoking and a potential intimate look into a "criminal mind" as it develops and ultimately snaps into actions. Highly recommended for those who seek to learn, to explore the fascination with criminal activities and why.... What happens and what might be behind the actions of those we see on television, having just killed another individual? Is it learned behavior or definitely mental health? No answers are provided, but Dr. Madden has certainly helped us in seeing the background and evolution... You decide whether you want to meet Jeremy. I was...and I'd even like to know what happened to him?



Book Received Via
http://maryglenn.com/.


GABixlerReviews

Paul Martin Midden is a practicing psychologist and the author of two previous novels. His literary interests include developing interesting characters who are confronted with the challenges of modern life. He lives and works in Saint Louis, Missouri, where he experiments with different approaches to fiction.

Take A Drink and This Novel to Your Man-Cave for Long Weekend Read!

Coast Guard and Stiletto (Photo credit: U.S. Coast Guard)

..."The Elbow ascended from the ocean floor like a mountain, its peak culminating
just below the sea's surface. At its sandy threshold lay the remains of centuries
of boats and ships that were lost or disabled. The mighty craft of kings,
admirals, and pirates, built of ancient timbers, milled wood, polished steel and
shiny Fiberglas now lay twisted, splintered, and decaying on the ocean floor.
Fortunes were won and lost running gold, guns, rum and other contraband
through this fragile link in America's border. This unforgiving path of the ocean
was located right in the heart of the Gulf Stream, the waters occupying the
territory between the Florida Keys and the western boundaries of the
Bahamas...
"Amidst the turbulence, a lone 30-foot center console powerboat lay anchored
securely to the bottom. The bullet-shaped craft was custom-built for speed,
dark blue and gray with a tubular, canvas-covered top mounted to its helm.
Its name, Island Girl...sported three high-powered outboards that laid firmly
off her transom, the back of the boat, like sleeping dogs ready for the kill..."
Bobby Alazar was waiting for the delivery, one that he would take on to the
next step where the drugs would be delivered. Instead...

Mid Ocean




T. Rafael Cimino




Are you a boating enthusiast? Or do you like to delve directly into the action and watch as criminals plan, organize and carry through their activities? What we seen on television or in movies normally involves a set "case" that we see begin and end. In Mid Ocean, however, Cimino takes us directly into the drug business. We all know that drugs are illegally brought into the country. We may even sit back after a movie or watching the news on TV and wonder why so much makes it here. Yes, we deplore that the "demand" is clearly living high in our good ole USA, but, for me, I had not fully realized and experienced  the full scope and complexity of those men who are in this business...

What amazed me most was the breadth of involvement of individuals working for the drug business! Readers will watch as people are flying, for instance, to pick up the load...then one or more speed boats are put into action, while another man takes out the electricity for another step, while a worker at an elite country club for yachts arranges for the arrival of an incoming yacht...then a railroad car takes it the next step...and on and on!

At the same time, though, the FBI, the local police, the Coast Guard and other law officials are working not so publicly to track, indict, and capture those involved!

Mid Ocean moves steadily through all this maze of activity to arrive at an explosive action-packed, very satisfying ending, even though we know that the drug trade will go on and on... The reason I mentioned boat enthusiasts earlier is because of the detail provided for the involved boats, how they are made, put into the water, only to possibly be destroyed on their first use. The detail was a bit tedious for me, given I know little about boating; however, guys, if you have a man-cave to which you go to read as well as watch your favorite games, I highly recommend you take a drink with you and settle in for a novel deep with drama and true-life crimes!

Book Provided by
Akula Media Group


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Related Article

http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2011/12/sometimes-your-past-wont-let-you-go.html

Biography

T. Rafael Cimino was born in Wayne, New Jersey in 1963. He is an American writer and film producer and is the youngest member of the Cimino Family of American film producers. He has been credited contributing to such films as "Lost in Translation", "A Love Song for Bobby Long", and "The Other Boleyn Girl" and the television series "Miami Vice" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." Cimino has also authored "MidOcean", Table 21", and "River Town." In 2008 he signed a five year contract with Akula Films and in 2009 started pre-production of "Table 21" as a major motion picture. He currently resides in Florida, New York, and Sofia, Bulgaria.

T. Rafael Cimino is the nephew of famed film director/ writer Michael Cimino.

A "New" Classic Fairy Tale Series Becomes Must-Read For Me!

The Land of Darkness:


A Fairy Tale By
C. S. Lakin




Have any of you been watching "Once Upon A Time" or "Grimm" on television? I am enjoying both of them, especially watching how pieces of the original stories as I knew them are used as the basic story, while the creators have taken much liberty in taking the concepts and moving on to an entirely different tale! C. S. Lakin has done something similar--as her latest novel opens we meet a young girl with two sisters and a mother who hates her new daughter...sound familiar as Cinderella? But almost immediately you will forget the touch of that fairy tale and move into a new world, one you will never have heard of--The Land of Darkness!

"It is not the land that is dangerous, Callen. The danger lies in your heart. Others have lost their lives searching for the bridge. Are you certain that you are prepared to pay that price?"

And you must travel through that Land to find The Bridge...

"Now, his mind raced with a dozen warnings, but they came too late. For he was a stranger to this part of the world. He had never heard of the tales whispered in dark corners over mugs of ale, or told as harsh threats to badly behaved children. He had set out as many do, to find his fortune. But now he would find only misfortune, for fate or carelessness or stupidity--it didn't matter which--had led him to the Land of Darkness...He stepped into the maw of blackness as if he had been swallowed whole; he left no footprint behind...No one who entered that bewitched land ever came back out."

We meet Callen first, a young carpenter apprentice. But his skill was especially in creating those marvelous  engravings, those designs that a talented individual would carve into what once was a piece of plain wood. Beren, his mentor and the man for whom he worked had allowed him to work on beyond his other apprentices, finding designs in the shop and copying them so that they appeared just as originally sketched...

But one day he found a very old sketch that Beren had told him he must have picked up in his youth. It was a bridge, one that had been carved just as he would carve a chest or table--it had to be made of wood, but how could a bridge be made of wood? Then he noticed that there was nothing under the bridge for support. Rather, it was suspended from above... Callen became obsessed as he studied the drawing--he had to find that bridge!

While nearby a little girl, Jadiel, was alone with her father, Ka'rel, after her mother had died.But then he met Huldah, an outsider who was not known in the community and Ka'rel had changed, as if he were bewitched. Although he loved Jadiel so much, as soon as Huldah drew him near, he would forget anything else and seemed under her spell. Jadiel was old enough to realize that Huldah did just that every time Ka'rel was going to talk or sit down with Jadiel.

But then Jadiel noticed something about her stepmother and began looking at her strangely. Huldah noticed her studying her and immediately realized what was happening! Jadiel had to go! She began to send her out on dangerous trips to bring something back for her stepmother. The latest one would require her to be gone for a long time and she had no guidance where she could find the tree that had been requested. At that point, Huldah made it quite clear that if she didn't return with the tree leaves, Huldah would kill her father!

It doesn't take long for Jadiel to meet dangerous men. Fortunately for her, Callen had chosen to begin his search in the same direction and he saved her! Then discovers they have a connection and decide to do their search together...

And then the adventure begins!

What a creative genius! C. S. Lakin's Series, in my opinion, will ultimately be included in what we refer to as Classic...I haven't had a chance to read the first two, but The Land of Darkness is timeless, has a moral to share for all readers, no matter their background and no matter their age. At a time when Fairy Tales are "big in literature, tv, and movies, C. S. Lakin has to be considered one of the top writers in the field.The entire series will be a must-read for me...Highly recommended for your consideration!

C. S. Lakin is novelist and writing coach who spends her time divided between developing new book ideas and helping writers polish theirs. She is the author of eleven novels – six contemporary novels and five in the fantasy/sci-fi genre. Whether she is exploring the depths of the human psyche and pushing her characters to the edge of desperation, or embellishing an imaginary world replete with talking pigs and ancient magical curses, she is doing what she loves best – using her creativity and skills to inspire and affect her readers.

In all her books she seeks to journey to the heart of human motivation, to uncover unmet needs, and show the path to healing and grace.

My fantasy series, The Gates of Heaven (AMG/Living Ink), debuted with the July 2010 release of The Wolf of Tebron, followed by The Map Across Time (March 2010) and  The Land of Darkness (September 2011).

Related articles

• The Land of Darkness by C. S. Lakin - Review Coming Soon! (gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com)

Full of Action and Suspense - A Great Read!

"Beth moved toward Lucy's head. "Can't let her roll."
Which was exactly what Lucy had in mind. The mare
turned onto her back. Hooves flailed in the air. Beth
jumped to the side, but not before a thrashing hoof
caught her on the calf. Her leg went out from under
her, and she fell onto her hip in the straw. Another
hoof missed her skull by inches. Beth ducked and
rolled out of the way, coming up against the wall
hard...

She Can Run


By Melinda Leigh






Nobody knew who Elizabeth Baker was or why she had been hired...

She had shown up at the Pennsylvania estate ready to take on her new job and, at least, she had the knowledge and  easy way with the horses that showed she could indeed run the estate. But her new boss had died since she had been hired...

Nephew Jack O'Malley, has been injured and retired for the moment but his former position as a homicide detective leaves him confused and wanting to know what has been happening! He had been selected by his uncle to receive the estate, but even that had a condition to it...staying there...and he wasn't sure that was what he wanted for the future...But the place had been his home for long visits throughout his life and he was still dealing with the loss of his uncle.

Shocked to find her new boss gone, Elizabeth began to immediately consider where she and her two children could go. She had already cut off all ties to where they had last stayed, knowing that it was no longer safe for the man who had opened his home to her. But where could they go and not be found--she knew that her husband, with all his connections politically, would find her, and she feared what would happened to her and the children!

Jack decided to have Beth stay, and tried to ignore the attraction he had felt from the first time he saw her. While Beth just refused to admit her own attraction. But the children loved living there, helping with the chores and horses and having lots of land to explore. Things seemed to be working out...


But then the body of a woman is found...they believe he is a serial killer!

and Beth seems to be having accidents...

Had her husband found her? Would they be forced to leave? While keeping everything inside of her, she wonders what to do; but there are people around her, trying to help, although they don't know the whole story! 


The action builds and more players get more and more involved...all watching, circling, tracking Beth! Will she ever find a safe haven? Readers will need to pay attention to who, how, and what is happening and can easily get lost--truly a page-turner that will keep you guessing until the very end! I loved this one!


Received from
Amazon Vine


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