Review: Unlocking the Poet's Realm by Matt Wiebusch

I have to thank the author Matt Wiebush and Reader Spoils for letting me review this book.



About the book

Life in the seventh grade isn't easy for Minnie, and then one day, she discovers a magic box that transports her to another land in the future. The animals that have dominion over this land have brought her here for one very specific reason: to save their world from an evil presence.

For more information about Unlocking the Poet's Realm please visit Matt Wiebush's website.

You can purchase a copy of Unlocking the Poet's Realm on my Amazon store.

My Review

The message in this book was awesome. I think that most kids (and adults) today could benefit from reading Minnie's inspiring journey through Buval. The book deals with self-esteem, self-worth, pride, and even bullying. It's very relevant to what most kids are dealing with on a regular basis.

I LOVED Minnie. She started out unsure of herself and afraid to stand up for herself. She is living in a home without love. Her parents seem to be in a loveless relationship, which has lead to Minnie feeling unloved. Minnie's only positive outlet seems to be her neighbor Issac. Although there are some "shady" dealings with the disappearance of Issac's wife and her parents discourage her from spending time with him. Minnie is bullied at school - which ultimately leads to her journey to Buval. Through her journey she finds herself and realizes that her perception of herself is wrong and that she is a worthy person and has gifts that she can share with others if she just believes in herself.

Buval is an enchanting place. The animals in Buval are very similar to animals that we are familiar with, but there are slight differences. The descriptions of these animals was great. I really liked that they were animals that we would be familiar with but yet were still different enough to make the story exciting. Not that the story needed the added excitement, but it did add to it. The story itself was very exciting. As Minnie is sent on a quest through Buval she finds herself in many predicaments. Each one a unique situation that requires Minnie to believe in herself and her abilities to get through. The journey centers on a poem that acts as a riddle to help Minnie continue on her journey. I liked the poem idea, it was different and it was fun to try and work the riddles out as the story progressed. My only criticism is that the book took me a while to read. I'm hard headed and won't put a book down until I finish it, but for someone with a little less patience it might be a bit overwhelming. But the end of the journey and the end of the story are well worth the wait.

While I enjoyed the book as an adult I think that for a pre-teen/teen dealing with self-esteem issues it would be very beneficial for them to read. The theme of self-worth is strewn throughout the book and I think is presented in a way that can help a child see themselves and their own self-worth through Minnie's story.

Review: A Cheater's Promise by Maurice Derrick Geter

Thanks to Reader Spoils and the author Maurice Derrick Geter for letting me review this one.



About the Book

Take a look into the life of a cheater, as he makes promises that are tough to keep. The game of cheating has been around for a long time, and sometimes it’s hard to figure out whom you love, and who you are in love with. Damien White thinks he has life all under control. He spent years running the streets, breaking ladies hearts with lies, and promises of love. Damien knew as a playa, all he needed was a side chick, booty call, or a jump off around him, and his heart could not be broken. But, in cheating there are consequences for getting caught by stupid mistakes, and sexual desires.

For more information about A Cheater's Promise..

You can purchase a copy of A Cheater's Promise from my Amazon Store.

My Review

Before I start my review for this one let me warn you that the language and situations in this book were very “adult” and could be offensive to some. I enjoyed the book, but that kind of stuff doesn’t bother me, so please use your judgment before reading this one. While my review is “family friendly” please make sure you understand that the book is not.

My favorite thing about this book was how real the dialog was. I’ve found with urban fiction that there seems to be a disconnect with how people really talk and how it comes through in the book. I’m not sure if the publishers request the changes or what, but somehow dialog seems to get lost in urban fiction. This one was spot on and really added to the book. Even Damien’s thoughts were real and not “cleaned up.” It helped the story flow much better.

This book was exciting to me. It wasn’t a “romance” novel but it was still as titillating to me. There is quite a bit of sex, and even though it doesn’t get as detailed as a romance novel would it was still pretty exciting. But what was most intriguing to me was seeing what kind of problems Damien gets himself into and whether or not he was going to be able to talk himself out of it. I’ve known quite a few people like Damien and I am always interested in how they think they’re going to be able to get themselves out of their situations. For every situation Damien got himself into I could think of at least one person I know who’s been in the same situation. And most of the times things worked out the same way in real life as they did in the book.

The only thing that I didn’t care for in the book is that it jumped time quite a bit. And even though it was a bit distracting at first I got used to it and it didn’t really detract from the story at all. I would imagine that the time that was skipped over wouldn’t have “fit” into the book anyway. And when there is a jump there is a brief explanation like – We’d been together for 6 months by then... So I didn’t feel like I missed anything that would have added to the story. But life isn’t exciting all the time and accounting for all the “boring” times would have made this book excruciating to read.

This was a really good book, I couldn’t put it down. It reads so fast. And like I said it was pretty exciting. I LOVED the twist at the end. I wasn’t expecting it at all. I figured things were going to keep on going the way they had been, then all the sudden BANG and I was stunned. Book two is supposed to be coming out soon and I really want to know how Damien’s life goes after that surprise!

Review: A Line Blurred by Bryan Healey

I won a copy of this book from Library Thing.

After getting a copy of Shattered Wings direct from Bryan imagine how excited I was when I won a copy of his first book on Library Thing!



About the Book

A couple caught in a boring life deviate from their routines to devastating and exciting result. Now unable to pull themselves from their newfound happiness, they rationalize their actions to satisfy their guilt, coming ever closer to an emotionally shattering end for both themselves and their children, who are unwillingly swept into their downward spiral.

For more information about Shattered Wings you can visit Bryan's blog. You can also follow him on Twitter.

My Review

After reading Shattered Wings I had high hopes for this book. And I have to say I was not at all disappointed! Again Healey writes a story that was so emotional, and yet didn't leave me feeling emotionally drained.

In this one we're following Kevin and Kylie, a couple who are part of a marriage that just isn't working anymore. Kevin is all about his routine: get up, go to work, come home, have dinner, go to bed. Not much in his life deviates from that routine. What I liked about Kevin is that he isn't a boring person by nature, he's just living the life that was given to him. He knows he wants more, and he tries to be spontaneous, but life gets in his way and he falls back into doing what he's always done. Kylie I didn't really like in the beginning of the book. She came off as a bit prissy and heartless. But the more the story followed her the more I began to feel sorry for her. She's worried about her life: her husband, her kids, herself. But Kylie is pulled by responsibility to keep her thoughts to herself. She wants the appearance that everything is ok. She really grows through the story to become such a strong character.

The story starts with twists almost right from the beginning. I didn't see any of the things that happened coming. It was so exciting to read to see what was going to happen next. Even when there wasn't something "exciting" going on the story was still exciting. I really didn't want this one to end. I wasn't disappointed by the ending, as I think it was exceptionally done, but I just wasn't ready to give these characters up. Healey has an ability to capture your emotions almost right from the word go. That connection really makes his books special to read.

A Line Blurred

Review: Shattered Wings by Bryan Healey

Thanks to the author Bryan Healey for letting me review Shattered Wings.



About the Book

John holds the American dream: A man he loves, a beautiful little girl, a suburban home and a well-paying job... And then a sudden layoff brings about unexpected financial and emotional strain. As he struggles to find new work, a growing sense of despair triggers a relapse into alcoholism and causes him to face his demons of addiction, discrimination, and regret as he tries desperately to recover before it's too late...

For more information about Shattered Wings you can visit Bryan's blog. You can also follow him on Twitter.

My Review

This one I thought would be a bit difficult for me to read. So many of us right now are struggling with losing our jobs, not having the money to make ends meet, and all the other stresses that come along for the ride. It's a difficult subject to talk about, let alone get emotionally attached to in a story (as I almost always get emotionally attached to the stories I read). My fear was that I would be emotionally drained after reading this. Healey masterfully pulled off a story that let me get attached, but didn't drain me, and actually let me wanting to keep reading.

The character development was so great in this book. John comes off as a bit of a jerk (sometimes a lot of a jerk) but he was still likeable. I really attached to him and even though I felt like he needed a swift kick in the you know what I still felt the pain and anguish that he was going through. I just wanted things to work out good for him. As the book progresses we are taken back through important moments in his life that give us a little more insight into how his life has progressed. We get to meet Charlie with him, we get to see him when his daughter is born, we get to see all the important events that have gone on in his life. Being privy to these moments really helped to form the bond that I built with John.

I think it takes a great author to be able to pull of flashbacks in a story without making the story feel choppy. The flashbacks sometimes confused me, as I would get lost in the story and I wouldn't realize that I was in a flashback. I think that is my only criticism of this book, while the flashbacks didn't deter from the story I didn't always pick up on the fact that I had jumped into the flashback. But I think this is more due to my reading habits rather than an error on the author's part.

But overall it was a great book. I really liked the characters, even when I didn't want to. There were some great twists that really made John's situation that much more desperate. The ending was great, I had part of it pegged, but the last twist really threw me for a loop. I was left with a few questions, but I didn't feel like I was left with an unfinished story. Enough was answered to keep me satiated, and enough was left unanswered to make the ending quite intriguing.

Shattered Wings

Review: Just a Nice Guy by Phil Torcivia

I have to thank Reader Spoils for alerting me to the fact that Phil needed reviews (and was offering swag). And I also have to thank Phil for letting me review this one.



About the Book

Is it true that nice guys finish last? It sure seems that way as a divorced man fights his way through a comedic dating scene. Will he ever find his soul mate?

Phil has been called the male version of Carrie Bradshaw. Enjoy his humorous essays about relationships and the struggles we all have finding and keeping lovers. Women appreciate his open view into the minds of men.

Artist Mike Swaim adds to the hilarity with his brilliant sketches, giving another dimension to Phil's quest for love.

You can like Phil on Facebook or follow him on Twitter or take a look at his website.

My Review

As I was loading this into my e-reader and getting ready to read I was thinking to myself "What does go on in the minds of men?" My immediate answer to myself was "sex". After reading this book, what is my new answer "mostly sex". It's an age old problem, women want to know what men think, and men want to get into their pants...

I really enjoyed this book. It was witty, comical, and entertaining. There were quite a few times when I would laugh, then have to read the passage to my boyfriend so he didn't think I was starting to go crazy (why is she sitting there laughing to herself?) Some of my favorites include the commitment tests, Creepy, the conversation with the cats about the obsession with women, and the Twelve Nights of Christmas. (There were more, but if I just list the table of contents you would probably quit reading this review.)

Before reading Phil warned me in an e-mail "PLEASE make sure you have a liberal sense of humor and are not offended by coarse language or sexual content." I would say that was a fair warning. So take head... If you're easily offended you probably will not like this one. I found it to be highly offensive and hilarious. Not that I was offended by it, but I could see how it would offend others. I've found in my life that if I can find the humor in something I should laugh, because without laughter life is so boring. I think this book proves my point.

It was a very fast read, and had I not been so busy I probably could have finished it in two sittings. I think I'll have to pick up some of Phil's other books.

Just a Nice Guy

Review: ebook The Last Key by Rob Steiner

I won an ebook copy of this title from Library Thing.



About the Book

Raven Byrne is a novice dahkshari warrior-priest about to complete his training when his mentor, Jelan Drummond, is killed by a mad war hero named Thallan Brael. With the death of his mentor, it falls to Raven to to stop Brael from using an ancient, destructive magic called the Reaping Key to avenge the deaths of his family and commit genocide against an innocent nation.

My Review

This was a pretty good book. Although I did get confused a few times keeping all the characters and their roles straight I did enjoy this one. It was pretty full of action and it was beautifully written. The scenes were so vivid in my mind while I was reading this.

I really liked the story. It was obviously a fantasy but it was believable. It wasn't way out there like some fantasy stories I've read. I didn't have trouble picturing the beasts and such that were in the story. It was written very well.

I loved the characters. Raven was a great hero, even though he didn't always believe in himself and he took a risk or two, he always had everyone's best interests at heart and really believed in his mission. Raven was great but I loved Seala. She was a bit hard-headed, but she was strong and reasonable (as the story progressed). I liked the bit of a love story that was developing also. It added to the story and I think it would have been lacking without that little detail.

Overall this was a pretty good story. I liked the writing and would love to read something by Steiner in the future.

Review: The Mask of the River King by Jules Wellesley

I won a review copy of this title from a giveaway on LibraryThing.



About the Book

Frey has spent his life as a slave mining ancient ruins left behind by a lost race, the Anunai. But when an explorer comes searching for a powerful relic, Frey joins him on an adventure that spans worlds. From floating cities to cloud ships, every step of Frey's journey takes him closer to battle with the evil Dravikos, whose quest to control the Mask of the River King threatens all life.

My Review

I've been reading this book for a long time. It's got a good premise, and the world that Jules creates in this one is beautiful. I just can't seem to keep things straight in this one. I don't know why, but it's been very difficult for me to read. Every time I pick it up I have to go back and re-read a bit of it to re-orient myself as to what is going on.

I really want to like it. I like Frey, the main character. He really seems to be coming into his own. The other characters are so neat. The way some of them are mixed breeds is a cool concept. They're not mixed like characters we're familiar with, from mythology or something, they're really unique mixes.

The idea of the Nexus is a really cool idea. It gives the book endless possibilities.

I just, for whatever reason, can not get situated with this one. I really want to like it, and I've been trying to. I just can't get there...

It's got some great qualities. The world(s) that Wellesley creates are amazing. I would love to give this a much better review, as I think it has the potential to be a great book.

E-Books

A Cheater's Promise by Maurice Derrick Geter
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
Follow the Money by Ross Cavins
Hull's Landing by James Melzer
Just a Nice Guy by Phil Torcivia
Kiss the Darkness by Robert Wacaster
The Last Key by Rob Steiner
A Line Blurred by Bryan Healey
The Mask of the River King by Jules Wellesley
Shattered Wings by Bryan Healey
Unlocking the Poet's Realm by Matt Wiebusch
The Writing Circle by Corinne Demas