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Quarter-Finalist Publishers Weekly/BookLife BEST FANTASY NOVEL 2021
PW Review
Plot: Mage’s Mountain is an adventure fantasy with plenty of main- and sub-plots, none of which are ever in danger of getting lost amid the action. Every sub-plot and character mystery enhances the story, very often tying into the main plot, deftly weaving a complex, wonderful tale.
Prose/Style: This novel is perfectly paced with beautiful, captivating prose that brings battles to life and beautifully paints the worlds both above and below the Mountain of the New Gods.
Originality: Main character Xen is tasked by his late mentor with finally uncovering the truth of Dragon Rift Canyon. Ancient mysteries are uncovered, the land itself is hostile and unstable, and deftly-crafted fantasy beings—ones which lie far outside the familiar, Tolkienesque roots of the genre—abound. The magic system is both complex and unique, a real treat for fans of the genre.
Character Development/Execution: Xen is an extremely powerful mage, but one whose abilities have rules and limits that sometimes lead to inconvenient to deadly outcomes when using magic in battle, and someone who cares deeply about his companions. The cast of supporting characters is a fascinating plethora of different genders and fantasy races—waspmen, dwarves, dragons, and many more—each of whom the overarching plot could not do without.
Blurb: A high fantasy full of adventure, creatures both frightening and wondrous, and ancient mysteries waiting to be discovered that will leave fans of the genre eagerly awaiting the second book in the Dragonscales Chronicles.
Score:
Report Submitted: October 18, 2021
Description
A mystery lies at the bottom of the Dragon Rift Canyon. It’s something that has claimed the lives of wizards in decades past. Xen from the tower of wizards is sworn to uncover the mystery or die trying.
Xen’s band of adventurers, tireless dwarves, a young alchemist, and Joi, a fierce warrior-princess from the frozen northlands, move down the ancient crumbling stairs descending Dragon Rift wall.
They stand on the river banks three days later, observing an unusual flat boulder in the rushing water.
His exploration, unknown to Xen, will take him to the Mountain of the New Gods, where no one who dares climb its slopes ever returns.
But that is in the wizard’s future. Right now, he has to survive the test of the rock in Dragon Rift. A test no one has come through alive so far.
Written by the godfather of role-playing, and author of a number of best-selling fantasy books, James M. Ward and Steve Peek. Our beta readers consistently said, " one of the best fantasy books I've read in years."
"A naïve small-town girl and a disillusioned big-city cop, drawn together by an unsolved crime that is itself only the tip of the iceberg, The Memory Bell serves up the perfect steamy summer read." –Jenny Jaeckel, author of House of Rougeaux
Grace Penner's safe haven crumbles when a body is found outside of town. Gifted the memory bell, a family heirloom, from her grandfather's will, Grace's excitement is soon squashed when the bell gets broken right after she receives it. While gluing the pieces back in place, she discovers three are still missing.
Determined to find them, she is halted when the new detective, Bennet James, investigates her family. Grace is intent on showing the detective her family isn't capable of murder, but as the investigation deepens, and pieces of the bell show up with ominous notes, Grace soon realizes the Penners are not what they seem. Amidst the tightly knit family; dark secrets, deception, and possibly even murder unfold. Will Grace be able to save the family she loves more than anything without losing herself forever?
He either lives or dies, no more in between. The line can’t be straddled any further.
The Turners have been rocked by their oldest child’s spiraling depression and self-destructive behavior. It’s torn the family apart and drained their limited finances. When the psychiatrists have exhausted all treatment options with no success, they recommend an in-patient facility the Turners cannot afford. Life altering decisions must now be made.
How far will a parent go to save a child? At what cost to the rest of the family? How do you save someone who doesn’t want to be saved?
Karen Turner ignores the damage left from her son’s path and isolates everyone, including her two teenage daughters. She believes more money is the only solution. Larry works non-stop and sacrificed everything only to watch his son deteriorate further. With the Turners’ survival at stake, he takes an unthinkable and shocking approach to resolve their dilemma he may ultimately regret. And the family will never be the same.
My Job Expectations:
1. Help trauma victims gain confidence.
2. Teach workouts and fitness routines.
3. Help people believe they’re strong.
What Isn’t My Job:
1. Giving Jackie extra attention.
2. Finding every excuse to see her.
3. Thinking about her all the time.
She thinks this is her last chance for happiness.
Her PTSD has controlled her life for so long.
When she finally opens up to me, all I want to do is protect her.
But it’s against my moral code to get involved with a client.
Too bad for me, my heart is overriding my senses for the first time in my life.
I’ll help Jackie heal, and then I’ll convince her to stay.
To hell with the consequences.
A sudden windfall - and the money to make every dream come true...
With finances and marriage strained to the breaking point, Rose and Henry Ball dream of new lives filled with romance and adventure. Then Fortune takes a hand. Against all odds the couple win a record Powerball lottery. The sudden windfall is the answer to all their prayers. Or maybe not...
Helpless to resist the sirens' song, the Balls leap feet first into the intoxicating world of the super-rich. Henry drifts into treacherous waters on a mad Russian oligarch's yacht, while Rose throws caution to the wind and rushes headlong into the arms of a dangerous stranger. The Balls are in way over their heads by the time Fortune reveals her capricious nature.
The pleasures and perils of sudden wealth spring to vivid life in the rip-roaring POWERBALLS, where wealth and security are illusions - and only love endures.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JIMMY CLIFTON was reported lost at sea in the early morning hours of June 7, 2020. His crewmates on the fishing boat Miss Rosie Mae remember his prodigious capacity for rum and a gift for spinning yarns that helped captain and crew endure those tedious stretches on the open water. He left a loaded .45, an old photo from better times, and several manuscripts as the only clues to a life well lived.
But the tale doesn't end there.
The task of curating the Jimmy Clifton series and bringing this gifted writer's intriguing novels to light has been left to MICHAEL HAYES, Clifton's only known living kin. As a longtime ad man, Hayes shares Clifton's talents for weaving tall tales and stretching the truth.
This first one's called POWERBALLS. A cautionary tale if there ever was one about the perils of sudden wealth, and what the almighty dollar can do to a man's, or woman's, soul. In the immortal words of Jimmy Clifton: Be careful what you wish for.
We think you'll like it.
"A promising new literary voice." –Kirkus Reviews
For aspiring indie filmmaker Kevin Stacey, it's another day on the set of his first film, but when his estranged father, a failed Hollywood actor, arrives unexpectedly with a bundle of cash, a gun, and a stolen capuchin monkey, he's propelled toward the journey that will change his life.
The monkey, Henry, has been liberated from a research lab by animal rights activists. Inspired by his friend Veronica to reevaluate his relationship with other species, Kevin learns about the pain and suffering inflicted on lab animals as he forges a bond with the capuchin. When father and son embark on a road trip with Henry, Kevin is caught between the egocentric father who abandoned him and the temperamental monkey whose fate is in his hands. With both the FBI and his mother's ghost watching, will Kevin risk his career and his father's freedom to bring the stolen monkey to safety? Meanwhile, Veronica's encounter with an eccentric Catholic priest triggers her own journey toward change.
A heartbreaking yet comic family drama, A Better Heart examines the human-animal bond and the bonds between fathers and sons, challenging readers to explore their beliefs about the treatment of non-human species.
Bad Night Stand
The man had seemed so innocent in the bar—hot, hard, and possessing a butt that I wanted to bite like the last chocolate chip cookie in my stash.
Of course, he’d also skipped town, leaving me woefully unsatisfied. That was before the news of a failed IUD. Before the plus sign. Before Jordan showed back up determined to make that night up to me.
I didn’t want a baby or a payday or a sexy, stubborn man in my life. I wanted to go back in time and pretend none of it had happened.
Unfortunately, my life had become all about that plus sign . . . and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
Bad Breakup
The first sign of trouble was the rough, masculine voice. The second was the Scottish accent. God, Cecelia loved Scottish accents. Colin McGregor was her every fantasy come to life. And Cecelia had been in love with him. Twice.
Then had her heart broken. Twice.
Well, the third time wasn’t the charm and CeCe wasn’t going to be stupid about Colin. Not again. Not now that she knew better.
But had anyone informed Colin of that fact?
Bad Husband
Heather O’Keith is the biggest, baddest female CEO around. Known for being tough as nails, fair to a fault, and a shark when it comes to securing contracts for her business, RoboTech, she’s also lonely.
Not that she would tell anyone else that . . . least of all one Clay Steele—sexy, smart, cold, and a man with a business acumen that both matches and sometimes surpasses her own.
But then Heather realizes that she may not be the only lonely one. The big lug who seems to enjoy tormenting her in the business world also has a soft side. And when that part of him is wholly directed at her, she gets stupid.
Stupid finds her waking up hungover and naked in Clay’s bed. With a giant diamond ring. On her left hand.
Oh lord, what has she done?
Bad Date: A Never Before Released Novella
Blind dates were the absolute worst.
Awkward, filled to the brim with small talk, and they never, ever worked out. Kay knew all that. Yet for some reason, she still had agreed to let Heather set her up.
Maybe it was because Heather O’Keith had rescued her when some idiot had dropped half a Venti Frappuccino on her laptop, saving her nearly-completed novel and befriending her in the process. Maybe Heather was just a force to be reckoned with. Or maybe, it was because Kay had serious pushover tendencies.
But when the date came, Kay found herself alone at a table for almost an hour before she called it quits. She’d been stood up. Yup, that was just perfect.
Her night was shot, she was behind on her word count, but then . . . she quite literally ran into tall, dark, and handsome outside the restaurant. One look at him and Kay thought that perhaps her night might be salvaged after all.
Until she discovered tall, dark, and handsome was a jerk. Until she discovered that jerk was her missing blind date—her rude and insufferable date who blew right by her as if she didn’t exist.
What. The. Hell?
Running away from home was never Chloe Kowalski’s plan. Neither was ending up the target of killers, or having her body change in unusual ways. She only wanted a vacation, someplace far from her crazy parents and their irrational fear of water. She only wanted to do something normal for once, and maybe get to know her best friend’s hot stepbrother a bit better at the same time.
But the first day she goes out on the ocean, strange things start to happen. Dangerous things that should be impossible. Things to which ‘normal’ doesn't even begin to apply.
Now madmen are hunting her. A mysterious guy with glowing blue eyes is following her. And her best friend’s stepbrother seems to be hiding secrets all his own.
It was supposed to be a vacation. It's turning out to be a whole lot more.
★ “A thoroughly absorbing and inherently fascinating account of a most unusual life lived out in a series of equally unusual circumstances.”—Midwest Book Review ★
Everyone has dreams of what they want to accomplish in life. Marty Essen’s childhood dream of becoming a herpetologist gave way to his dream of becoming a popular DJ, which led to his dream of becoming a big-time talent manager, which morphed into the dream of becoming an in-demand author and college speaker. While he achieved most of his dreams at various levels, he also realized that he didn’t necessarily have to reach the top to find success or happiness. Sometimes “almost” is close enough.
Hits, Heathens, and Hippos: Stories from an Agent, Activist, and Adventurer is a humorous and inspirational memoir that explores relationships and careers and how seemingly minor events can lead to life-changing results. Compelling stories have filled Marty’s life, and he tells those stories in a conversational style that combines his talents as an award-winning author with his talents as the creator of a one-man stage show that he has performed at hundreds of colleges across the United States.
This is a must-read for anyone faced with an unexpected career change, worried about finding and keeping the partner of their dreams, forced to take on bullies (whether individual, political, or corporate), eager for ideas to make life more satisfying, or just in search of a fun-filled adventure.
Marty’s stories include:
◆ Growing up with an over-the-top, born-again Christian father, who prayed aloud in restaurants, thought Satan possessed his Masonic lodge watch, and attempted to faith-heal his old Toyota.
◆ Becoming the youngest disc jockey in Minnesota history, where he survived an on-air attack from a jealous DJ and learned that rock ’n’ roll and country radio stations have vastly different groupies.
◆ Running multiple music talent agencies and becoming one of the top young talent managers in America.
◆ Telling the best lie ever to reel in and marry an amazing woman that the media would later dub as his “intrepid wife.”
◆ Moving to Montana, where he founded one of the state’s fastest growing independent telephone companies and an unusual baseball league with pro-prospects and out-of-control players.
◆ Surviving as an outspoken liberal in the most conservative region of Montana and dealing with the death threats and dirty tricks that came with it.
◆ Heartwarming and humorous stories from his relationships with musicians, governors, senators, and a very special Democratic nominee for President of the United States.
◆ Traveling to all seven continents in search of rare and interesting wildlife, backpacking with a tribe known for headhunting, and surviving a vicious hippo attack.
Be inspired, intrigued, and entertained!
Inspired by Amelia Earhart’s heroic flights, young Winona ‘Nona’ Williams tenaciously clings to the desire to become a pilot even after her father, with dreams of his own, dismisses the idea. When he quits his job in the Chicago stockyards to join other homesteaders settling the Great Plains, Nona finds herself torn between supporting her father’s vision for their future and her mother’s struggle to adjust to life on a desolate prairie.
Initially, things look up for the family as they settle into life in Dalhart, Texas. The wheat boom is in full swing, and it appears her father’s dream of providing his family with a home of their own is coming true. Too soon the effects of the depression impact her family. Then the rains stop. Before long, Dalhart is the epicenter of the Dust Bowl.
Like Dust, I Rise transforms poverty into pride and reflects the heroism of endurance.
This collection contains the first two episodes in the Elixr Plague zombie apocalypse serial.
Episode 1: Vector
Billionaire philanthropist Desmond Martin has spent a vast fortune developing a gene-edited miracle drug that will reshape the future of humanity and provide almost superhuman immunity to sickness and disease--and he's giving it away to the world for free.
But when terrorists hijack the release of Elixr at several key worldwide venues, replacing the drug with a gene-edited concoction of their own, no one is prepared for what happens next. As the world descend into chaos following the spread of the Elixr Syndrome and cities are quarantined, the infected begin to die...and come back.
From ex-special forces mercenaries, to geneticists, to a grad student trying to earn his doctorate, Elixr Plague is told through the eyes of a wide, diverse cast of characters from all walks of life. Because in the end, there are only two sides to the global conflict: the living vs the dead.
Episode 2: Infected
Elixr has been unleashed upon the world, and the clock is ticking. As cities fall, people do whatever it takes to escape, hide, and survive. For some, like grad student Darren Bruce, trapped in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, that means kill or be killed. Others, like Seneca Roberts and Pastor Alan Walsh, stubbornly cling to the ideas of faith, loyalty, and duty in a world that is crumbling right in front of them. As Elixr spreads, everyone will be tested, but only the strong, the smart, and the lucky will survive.
Elixr Plague is a serialized story of the zombie apocalypse and is told in small episodes, easily read and written, so the story can be published faster.
Resolve all your confusion in life!
A mind that is fragmented and sees the world in terms of what is me and not me, good and bad, will be caught in endless conflict. Because externally, we are always trying to control what is “not me,” and internally, we always get perplexed trying to figure out whether our actions came from our “higher” or “lower” self. As Albert Einstein said: “We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
This book will help you to understand:
Many of us are starting to become tired of this game of life. We have been comparing and striving all our life. But no matter how much success we have achieved—we are still hollow and still have found nothing fulfilling. We don’t even know if happiness exists because it is no longer a living thing in our experience—it has become dead, as we only know it as a concept or memory.
We have sought self-help advice, philosophies, and religious teachings to transform ourselves but have not gotten anywhere. We have made some superficial improvements—like adopting a new mindset—but our core remains the same. We are still competitive, still fearful, and we get disturbed all the time.
The problem with all attempts at self-improvement is that we do not address the fundamental problem, which is: who is the “you” who needs to be improved? We do not see that the one who is making the improvement is the same one who needs to be improved. The more we try to improve, the more conflict we introduce, within and without. The more knowledge we stuff in our heads, the more we become trapped in a conceptual prison of reality. Inevitably, the more confused we get in life.
The book guides the reader out of their distorted beliefs to experience reality beyond the mind. When the deeper intelligence is allowed to flourish without our mind's interference, then the game of life becomes effortless.
The best word for Jasmine Renard’s past year is a four-letter word. After years of concerts and increasing recognition, a rogue group of vampire hunters forced her into hiding. When the offer of a lifetime to perform again comes from the arrogant vampire she’s dreamed of shoving off a cliff, Jasmine might have to reconsider everything. Including, Luca Martens.
Luca has waited long enough to be onstage with Jasmine again. Their electrifying musical chemistry damn near blew his mind the last time they performed. To the point he mishandled what happened backstage after their last concert. He’d do anything to feel the spark again while playing, the one only she can ignite. But she hates him.
*Enemies to lovers vampire romance*
Seville—the home of tapas, flamenco, and … murder?
Tour guide Lana Hansen is finally leading a trip to Spain—and during Easter week, no less! To top it off, she is a speaker at a prestigious travel and tourism expo taking place in Seville during the tour. Luckily, her clients—all influential travel bloggers and writers—are also attending the trade show.
Lana is excited to speak at the conference … that is, until Chet Rogers—an eminent travel writer being honored at the expo—publicly humiliates her and several of her guests.
When Chet is killed during a workshop soon after, Lana is one of the Spanish police’s prime suspects. But she is not the only one in her group who would rather see Chet out of the picture—permanently.
Can Lana sleuth out the killer’s true identity and dance her way out of a jail sentence before her group’s tour to Seville is over?
The Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries are heartwarming stories about making friends, traveling, and celebrating new experiences. Join tour guide Lana Hansen as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that often turn deadly.
Books in the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery series:
Book 1 - Death on the Danube: A New Year’s Murder in Budapest
Book 2 – Death by Baguette: A Valentine’s Day Murder in Paris
Book 3 – Death by Windmill: A Mother’s Day Murder in Amsterdam
Book 4 – Death by Bagpipes: A Summer Murder in Edinburgh
Book 5 – Death by Fountain: A Christmas Murder in Rome
Book 6 – Death by Leprechaun: A Saint Patrick’s Day Murder in Dublin
Book 7 – Death by Flamenco: An Easter Murder in Seville
Book 8 – Death by Gondola: A Springtime Murder in Venice
Books 9-12 – Coming Soon!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really enjoyed the story, and the details made the story even more realistic, I lost myself in the whole book.
From the International Bestselling author, Sagar Constantin comes the first book in the addictive IN-BETWEEN series.
Eva Monroe is returning from a three-week business trip, one in which she left her five-year-old son in the care of her estranged ex-husband when the plane that's taking her home crashes.
The accident leaves her in a coma, unresponsive to doctors' attention and the urgings of her little boy.
However, while Eva's body lies on the precipice of death, Eva's spirit has traveled to a place known as the In-Between - a world that is hovering in the clouds above our planet.
The In-Between is a temporary home for people where they must decide whether to return to their lives on Earth or move on to the next stage in their development.
It is a wondrous place, filled with spiritual aids and advanced technology. It is also a place where a person faces themself fully for the first time.
When Eva arrives at the In-Between, she is utterly sure of her decision: she wants to return to her son.
Yet, she soon realizes that what she believes about herself and her place in the world isn't as straightforward as she'd always assumed.
And with this realization comes the understanding that her decision will be much harder to make than she ever would have guessed.
Thus, she is faced with the most challenging decision a parent can make.
Buy THE LIFE today to be drawn into a place that you never want to leave.
I’ve never been afraid of the dark, because I am relentless in the night.
This world, my world, is a black hole of death and despair.
No one knows it better than me.
But my Alyson Scarpati is a blinding light.
Her innocence captured my heart the moment I saw her.
She vanquishes the shadows and leaves an uneasiness burning inside me.
Her father wants to give her away as a gift to the highest bidder?
But all he wants is a profitable alliance.
Not if I have anything to say about it.
Her protection is my reverence.
And when she tells me about our little secret
nothing, not even our families will get in the way.
She’s my Little Lamb.
And I will be her Lion.
A baby? Impossible.
I moved to the mountains to start a new, quiet life.
Danger followed me.
Aiden is my protector.
A gruff ex-Marine who saved my life
When the men who killed my father came for me.
Sparks between us turned to a hot affair
Hiding out in his cabin has its perks.
Hunted by the Mob after they took out my dad,
I have to stay alive.
For Aiden. For our baby.
I won’t keep this a secret,
Even if it costs me the man I love.
I could heal Aiden’s wounded soul.
We could be happy together.
If he can save me in time…
I’ll just admit it right up front—I don’t love the holidays.
In fact, Christmas makes me downright cranky.
Call me the Grinch if you must, but if your dad chose that day to decide he was wrong about that whole wanting a family thing, you’d grow up miffed about mistletoe too. Every candy cane, ugly sweater, and falalalala reminds me of the worst day of my life.
So when my uncle—a bigwig network executive—gives me one last shot to salvage my disastrous TV production career on a show called Holiday Homes, I’ve got no choice but to suck it up, head to the small town of Singletree, and fake festive.
The problem?
Callan Whitewood. The sexy, sullen former pro-soccer player might be the one person on earth who hates the holidays more than I do. After a devastating injury ended his career, he’s left with a limp, no idea what to do with his future, and a cheerless attitude worthy of Ebenezer Scrooge. But I’ve got a TIME LIMIT to convince the gorgeous grump to allow his home to be featured as the pinnacle of the Christmas episode of the show that’s going to save my career.
That is, if I can keep my hands off him… but I’m having a bit of trouble sticking to the task.
SHAKING THE SLEIGH is a standalone holiday romantic comedy with a satisfying happily ever after, plenty of festive chuckles, some sexy times and a few chinchillas. Maybe a cat. (And there might be a wombat because wombats really do fit into almost any story.)
*Note to readers: This book has been re-edited since initial release.
After the Fall, all is left is blood and revenge.
The destruction of the perimeter, and the vanishing of Titan and Prometheus has left the Realm open to invaders. With a skeleton fleet guarding the outer rims of the solar system, all hopes of defeating the Orias queen have diminished. Now it's about survival. But in a corner of cold dark space, hope lingers.
Emmeline Augury was born to break the rules, and now a fugitive who has nothing to lose and driven by revenge, she conquers all odds and locates the second piece of the mythical device.
The game is on. The pawns are set. As the power of the mythical device unravels itself, who will win? A young girl with her heart set on destroying a being as powerful as the gods themselves? Or the queen who was born to rule the seven realms? The answers lie in the wake of the Poseidon.
In the twenty-fourth century, a sophisticated security system called the perimeter guards the outer rim of the solar system. Governed by Titan, a powerful space station, the perimeter is almost impenetrable.
Emmeline Augury, an astrophysics cadet on Titan, believes in a family folklore about a mythical device with unlimited power. Recognizing its scientific and military value, she uses unorthodox methods to follow a trail of cleverly concealed clues.
Her search uncovers an ancient plaque, which reveals a star map of a secret network of portals leading to the device, the key that opens the doors to the seven realms. Suddenly, the key to absolute power is in her grasp, and everyone wants a piece of it, especially the power-hungry Orias queen.
What began as a scientific adventure turns into a dangerous manhunt when an Orias fleet attacks Titan. The queen threatens to slaughter everyone unless she is given the device. When the fate of Titan and the seven realms hangs in the balance, Emmeline must make a choice. Will she save her home or the device?
Realm: The Fall of Titan is a Sci-fi Fantasy and the first novel in this book series.
