Escape From Paradise (Walk With the Wind Book 1) by D. Richard Ferguson

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Escape from Paradise : A Christian Adventure Novel (Walk with the Wind Series Book 1) by [D. Richard Ferguson]

Escape From Paradise is the first book of a two-book set by D. Richard Ferguson. It is an allegorical tale that is reminiscent of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, but D. Richard Ferguson digs deeper and includes more abstract concepts. As a Book Reviewer, I received a free ebook copy, but was not under any obligation to write a positive review or any review of the book. This review is my honest opinion of Escape From Paradise by D. Richard Ferguson.

In Escape From Paradise, Adam is torn from his home and family and dropped into an unfamiliar world where gold heals and fruit is the main food source. He begins a new life for himself in this world and is content enough until a little girl claims she can take him to someone who can help him return to his family.

He then begins a journey where he encounters giants, wild animals, and marauding mountain people. He must decide who to trust, and must also face his own struggles and the reality of who he is, and he must make a decision that will change his life for better or worse forever.

D. Richard Ferguson’s novel is well written and the story is fast-paced and has well-developed characters that the reader can relate to. The story’s message is compelling and the tale draws the reader in. The novel offers plenty of adventure, danger, and suspense. The reader follows Adam’s life, struggles, and decisions, is forced to examine his or her own life struggles and decisions.

This is Book 1 of the two book, Walk With the Wind set, and this book offers enough of a satisfying resolution so as not to leave the reader hanging from a cliff, but promises more as it makes clear that Adam has an important job to do in the next book.

Escape From Paradise was a pleasure to read as it was well-written, well-edited, and engaged the reader in Adam’s life, compelling him or her to continue turning the pages.

I give Escape From Paradise by D. Richard Ferguson 5 stars, and I look forward to reading Book #2 of the Walk With the Wind series. I recommend this book for Young Adult and Adult readers. Younger readers may need some help in understanding some of the concepts presented in this book.

The Rhise of Light: Darkness Overcome (Book 1) by Max B. Sternberg

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The Rhise Of Light: Darkness Overcome Book One (Darkness Overcome Series 1) by [Max B Sternberg]

The Rhise of Light: Darkness Overcome (Book 1) by Max B. Sternberg is a debut Christian fantasy novel. As a book reviewer, I received an Advance Reader Copy, and this is my honest review. I was not required to write a review of any kind.

I prefer a book that takes me deep into the mind of the main character, but this book was written mostly from a narrative point of view, therefore I wasn’t as deeply engaged in the main character’s life as I would have liked.

The main character, Leon returns home after his Naval airship is destroyed in battle. However, things at home are not what he had hoped and though he wants to help, he has no power to do so. Therefore he sets out on a new adventure, unsure of where he is going or what he will do.

Along his journey, he meets a dwarf, a pyromancer and her dog companion. These characters join him on his adventure after helping him battle a group of undead (a.k.a. zombies) that have been reeking havoc on their town. As this group of misfits continues on their journey, they meet more fantastical creatures and face more battles, and each of them must face pains of their past.

The main characters are my favorite part of the book. They are well-developed and unique, and seem an unlikely group of friends, but a bond of friendship builds between them.

There are some action scenes, as well as scenes of suspense that kept me turning pages.

Finally, there is a Christian message that threads throughout the story. I found it a bit unclear in some of its lessons, but it certainly exhibits hope and love.

I recommend this story to young adults and adults who enjoy Christian fantasy or who are looking for a story of friendship and hope amid life’s difficult struggles.

Max B. Sternberg promises two more books to come in this “Darkness Overcome” series.

I give The Rhise of Light 4 stars.

A Few Changes to this Blog

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This is a photo I used before here on the blog, from Unsplash.

I have tried to have a set schedule of posts here on my blog, but that’s kind of gotten left by the wayside. Every now and then, I have to take time to re-evaluate what I’m doing here based on life circumstances or just a desire to freshen up the blog.

Right now, in my life, my time is divided between family responsibilities, finishing the school year with my youngest son, my writing, and reading and writing book reviews. Although my Wordless Wednesday photo posts were very popular, since Covid started, I don’t go many places and therefore don’t take very many photos anymore. So, for now, Wordless Wednesday will not appear. I hope to be able to post them, at least occasionally, in the future.

I am planning to start a monthly e-newsletter where I will give updates on my upcoming novel, self-editing tips for writers, and other goodies. I should have that all figured out and set up for you to sign up for it here on the blog by the end of the month.

So, for now, I will continue to post lots of book reviews, and anything else that I feel pressed to share, but it will all be either writing related or stuff that’s going on in my life. I also hope to get back to writing Flash Fiction pieces for Fridays.

I hope you all are well, and that if you’re a writer, that you are continuing to write.

Have You Heard About MeWe?

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Photo by Merakist on Unsplash

If you are part of any writing group, you’ve been told that as a writer you need to “build a platform”, “have a presence on social media”, “write a blog” — these will help you gain a reader following. This is important in today’s world. People are constantly on the worldwide web, especially the social media sites, and if they are readers, they want to connect to their favorite authors on the web or social media sites.

I used to have an Instagram account but found it too time consuming having to always take pictures to share with whatever I had to say. I used to have two Facebook accounts — a personal account and a writer account, but there was too much drama, and during Covid and the last presidential election — too much nastiness and too much focus on politics. Finally, I used to have a Twitter account and for a while, I thought I really liked it once I connected with the writing community, but eventually, I stopped spending time there too. For me, all these social media platforms seemed to be huge distractions and seemed to take up too much of my time.

So, have you heard about MeWe? I had some friends telling me they had opened a MeWe account. They said it’s the newest in social media and it’s similar to Facebook, but with some great differences. At first, I didn’t really pay attention because I didn’t want to get sucked into social media again. I was enjoying not being distracted by all that. Eventually, I decided to check it out. I read all of the information about it, and I mean ALL the information, including the entire Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and guess what I found, MeWe has no ads/no pop-ups — nothing to clutter your screen. MeWe doesn’t use algorithms, so when you make a contact (otherwise known as friend) you can see everything they post if they allow you to. What do I mean if they allow you to? MeWe’s privacy settings are controlled by you. You get to decide who you want to allow to be your contact and what you want to allow them to see.

So, if MeWe doesn’t have ads, how do they make money? They have extras you can purchase, like special emojis and stickers, etc. They also have a Premium level available for $4.99 a month, which gives you special features like video journals, voice/video calling, cloud storage custom themes, and custom emoji and sticker packs. But I’m on the free plan which I can remain on forever, unless I decide to change to the Premium level. There is also a Trial Period of the Premium level if you want to try it out.

I have been on MeWe for a couple months now and I love it. I have joined a couple writer groups, reader and writer groups, and reader groups. I have made some great connections and I am really enjoying interacting with my contacts.

So, if you’re looking for a fun, no hassle, you call the shots social media site, I suggest you try MeWe, and if you are a writer and you decide to join, you might enjoy being a part of the group I just started on MeWe. My group is called “Christian Writers Write Now” and it’s geared for writers to exercise and share their writing skills. If you are or have been on Twitter and know about their writing prompt activities, I have started one on this MeWe site and it’s off to a great start. In addition, group members are encouraged to share their Flash Fiction stories, blog posts, writing tips and experiences. They may also promote their latest book once a month only. I don’t want it to become over ridden with self-promotion, but I do want to know what writers are publishing and what they have available. There is also a group chat where members can chat about writing or other things they have in common.

I hope to see some of you on MeWe.

Update on My Writing Life

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Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash

I hope those of you who follow this blog have been reading and writing. I have been doing a lot of reading. My writing stalled for a while, but I’m starting to get back into the groove and feeling excited about my writing again.

About a month ago, I was approached by a small publisher who was interested in my work in progress (WIP). I sent my manuscript, though my edits weren’t complete. They said not to worry about it because if they decided they wanted to publish it, they would require a grueling edit anyway. Well, they really liked my manuscript and they offered me a contract. You would think I would be thrilled about that, right?

Well at first I was, but then I carefully read and studied the contract, and after prayer and careful consideration, I decided it wasn’t the right decision for me and my novel. However, that experience made it crystal clear to me that I will be an indie published writer, and I have lots of indie published writing friends who are encouraging me along that path and willing to offer tips and advice.

So, how soon will my first book be available, you might ask. It will be a while yet. I do need to finish edits, and under the advice of a friend, I have put the manuscript aside for a month or maybe six weeks and am focusing on writing something else. My friend said this would be a good thing to do because the I can return to my manuscript with fresh eyes.

What am I writing? A short story. I have a strong reason for writing it, but I don’t know what I’m going to do with it when it’s finished.

What’s new in your writing life?

Making the Love List by Barbara DeLeo

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Making the Love List: A sweet, small town, older brother's best friend romance (Tall Dark and Driven Book 1) by [Barbara DeLeo]

As a Book Reviewer, I received an ebook copy of Making the Love List by Barbara DeLeo, the first book in her Tall, Dark, and Driven series, and this is my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review or any review.

In Making the Love List, Yasmin Katsalos has been in Borneo, but now she’s come home, but she’s not the same studious, conservative girl she was when she left, and when her brother, Nick’s, best friend, Lane, is forced to work with Yasmin on renovations of her family’s restaurant/wedding venue, sparks begin to fly. What will happen to Lane’s relationship with Nick and his parents if Lane gets involved with Yasmin?

Making the Love List is a steamy contemporary romance story that will make you laugh, grip your heart, and maybe even cause you to shed a tear or two. Barbara DeLeo has done a great job creating engaging characters as well as a unique plot, and I love the way the characters learn some difficult things about themselves amidst the conflict of the story.

For my readers who like their romance clean, I will mention that there is a scene in Making the Love List that includes quite a bit of sexual innuendo. There is also one sexual scene that is not explicit that takes place between two characters who aren’t married.

For those of you who like your romances realistic and know that things in the real world aren’t always as they should be, I think you’ll find Making the Love List by Barbara DeLeo fresh with an unusual twist.

This book is also well written and has obviously been well edited.

I give Making the Love List by Barbara DeLeo 5 stars, and I look forward to reading the rest of the Tall, Dark, and Driven series.

Off the Map by JL Crosswhite

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Off the Map: In the Shadow Book 1, a Christian Romantic Suspense (In the Shadow, Christian Romantic Suspense) by [JL Crosswhite]

Off the Map by JL Crosswhite is a Christian Romantic Suspense novel. It is the first book of the “In the Shadow” series, and as a Book Reviewer, I received a free copy. This is my honest review, which I was under no obligation to write or post anywhere.

Allie, Melissa, and their siblings had been planning to take a road trip together for years, and now was the time. At the last minute some of their siblings backed out, disappointing both women. The two of them and one of their brothers decided to take the trip anyway, and invited three other people: Melissa’s boyfriend, Allie’s long-time crush from their growing up years, and one of their friend’s sisters.

JL Crosswhite created characters the reader could care about, and she did a great job creating tension in their relationships. The trip started off well. However, as the story continued and Ms. Crosswhite shared all the places the characters traveled and stopped to see, the pace seemed to drag a bit. My interest started to wain as each place was mentioned but the details to paint the places in my mind weren’t fully developed became more like a list.

However, danger reared its ugly head during the trip and the suspense began to build. Then an unexpected twist made me gasp and kept turning pages. The romances in the story were sweet, and the ending was satisfying.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a sweet romance story with a dose of suspense.

I give Off the Map by JL Crosswhite 4 stars.

VIDAS: Deep in Mexico and Spain by Edward Stanton

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VIDAS: Deep in Mexico and Spain by Edward Stanton is a travel memoir. It is nonfiction, which I do not read a lot. As a Book Reviewer, I was asked to read and review this book. I agreed to read and review it because I have never been to either Spain or Mexico but have always wanted to go because I studied the Spanish language in high school and love the language and all that I learned about Spain from my teacher.

VIDAS: Deep in Mexico and Spain begins with Edward in Mexico in his teen years and as the book continues, he ages and travels to Spain as well. Edward shares about some of the many people he met in his travels — people who impacted his life. His descriptions of these people and the experiences he had in these places are very colorful. The details of his experiences paint pictures in the reader’s mind and bring the people and places to life.

I especially liked the second half of the book and found his stories of the running of the bulls and the bullfights exciting.

There was just one thing that made the book a challenge to read, and that is that the author jumps from first person, to second person, to third person narration a lot, sometimes in the same sentence.

If you enjoy stories about people in other places, you will want to read this book, as long as you can overlook the changing narration. For me, the stories, especially in the second half of the book were worth reading. I have always enjoyed learning about the lives and cultures of people in other countries.

I give this book 4 stars.

A New Novella

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Check out this new novella by Abigail Kay Harris!

It is a Memorial Day story and will release on May 31, 2021!

Here is a blurb about the story:

In the cause of freedom, some will give their all.

When Matt Renicker joins the Army, he’s determined to give his best for his country and his Lord, even if it means risking everything he loves most. But when tragedy strikes on a routine patrol, more than one heart is left shattered and lamenting.

In the wake of a terrible loss, will those left behind find the strength to go on? Or will the faith, family, and freedom Matt fought to preserve be broken beyond repair?

Available for pre-order on Amazon for just 99 cents! Don’t miss it!

Just the Boost I Needed

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Ever since Covid started, I have had many days where I struggled to be able to write here on the blog, on my novel, a short story, a flash fiction story. It didn’t matter, I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t find my creativity. My idea bank seemed to be depleted. I was easily distracted.

Today I saw someone had liked my last Book Review and I became curious about this person, so I clicked on his icon, which led me to his blog, and WOW! This guy has liked some of my past posts, but I never bothered to take the time to see what he was doing. Today I am so glad that I found his blog.

His name is Christian Mihai. He’s a young man whose blog is loaded with wisdom and talent. I read a couple of his posts today, but one, in particular, seemed to be exactly what I needed to read.

If you are a writer or an artist, or anyone who has a dream, I highly recommend you visit Christian Mihai’s blog and read this post.

I don’t often read too many other blogs. I just don’t have the time, but I will definitely be reading more of Mr. Mihai’s blog posts. He has inspired me and I greatly appreciate what he does on https://christianmihai.net