James R. Hannibal: Chasing the White Lion

By Kelly Bridgewater

Young CIA officer Talia Inger has reconciled with the man who assassinated her father, but that doesn't mean she wants him hovering over her every move and unearthing the painful past she's trying to put behind her. Still, she'll need him--and the help of his star grifter, Valkyrie--if she hopes to infiltrate the Jungle, the first ever crowdsourced crime syndicate, to rescue a group of kidnapped refugee children.

But as Talia and her elite team of thieves con their way into the heart of the Jungle, inching ever closer to syndicate boss the White Lion, she'll run right up against the ragged edge of her family's dark past. In this game of cat and mouse, it's win . . . or die. And in times like that, it's always good to have someone watching your back.

Former tactical deception officer and stealth pilot James Hannibal takes you deep undercover into the criminal underworld where everyone has an angle and no one escapes unscathed.

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Suspense is a great way to spend a couple of hours. With James R. Hannibal's second novel in the Talia Inger's series, Chasing the White Lion, Hannibal definitely delivers. With fast chasing across the globe to hunt for missing children, Talia and her troop of misfits sweep up the mischief and mayhem. With th first novel, The Gryphon Heist, I really loved how he crafted together the least likely bunch of criminals to create a family who seeks for justice. Hannibal throws in a little bit of spiritual lesson too for the fans of redemptive stories, but nothing to preachy. Only one litte scene. But boy, does it make an impact. The final climactic moment in the last twenty percent of the novel has a Hunger Games feel to it. A chase through mazes against some of the worst criminals in the market. Overall, Chasing the White Lion is a memorizing addition to the series, and I honestly can't wait to see what tasks Hannibal allows Talia to venture into next.

I received a complimentary copy of Chasing the White Lion by James R. Hannibal from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Shannon McNear: The Blue Cloak

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Fiction Based on Strange, But True, History

True, riveting stories of American criminal activity are explored through a unique stories of historical romantic suspense. Collect them all and be inspired by the hope that always finds its way even in the darkest of times.

Based on real events beginning in 1797 — Rachel Taylor lives a rather mundane existence at the way station her family runs along the Wilderness Road in Tennessee. She attends her friend’s wedding only to watch it dissolve in horror has the groom, Wiley Harpe, and his cousin become murderers on the run, who drag their families along. Declaring a “war on all humanity,” the Harpes won’t be stopped, and Ben Langford is on their trail to see if his own cousin was one of their latest victims. How many will die before peace can return to the frontier?

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I have really enjoyed most of the books in this series by Barbour. I have never read anything by Shannon McNear, but I have enjoyed this series, so I picked it up. The novel is different, yet wonderful. It fits right into the vein of stories that Barbour is publishing. I enjoyed the writing. McNear is a fabulous writing. She showed the horrors surrounding this story, but in a safe way. No real horror on the pages, but I did shake my head a number of times at the pain Sally had to be feeling. Their is romance between Ben and Rachel, but it isn't overwhelming to the story. It felt just right for this time period and the length of the story. Overall, The Blue Cloak is a delightful story showing the historical crimes and bringing the to life for the readers. I'm glad I read this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of The Blue Cloak by Shannon McNear from Barbour Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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About the Author:

Shannon has been writing one thing or another since third grade and finished her first novel at age fifteen—but waited more than thirty years for her first book contract. In the meantime, she graduated from high school, attended college, met and married her husband, birthed nine children, lost one, taught five to drive, revised that first story innumerable times, and completed six others.

Her first published novella, Defending Truth, in A Pioneer Christmas Collection (Barbour, 2013 & 2015), was a 2014 RITA® nominee. She writes regularly for Colonial Quills, is a member of ACFW and RWA, and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Transplanted to North Dakota after more than two decades in Charleston, South Carolina, she loves losing herself in local history. When this homeschooling mom isn't sewing, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, basking in the beauty of the northern prairies. (Taken from Goodreads.)

Connilyn Cossette: Like Flames in the Night

By Kelly Bridgewater

Strong-willed Tirzah wants to join her people in driving the enemy from the land of Israel and undergoes training for a secret mission inside the stronghold of Shechem. But soon after she has infiltrated the ruthless Aramean commander's kitchen, she makes a reckless decision that puts her and her allies in grave danger.

Fresh off the battlefield, Liyam returns home to discover his beloved daughter is dead. After his vow to hunt down her killer leads to months of fruitless pursuit, his last hope is in a family connection that comes with strings attached. Strings that force him to pose as a mercenary and rescue an infuriating woman who refuses to leave her mission uncompleted.

When an opportunity to pave a path to a Hebrew victory arises, can Tirzah convince Liyam to fight alongside her in the refuge city of her birth? Or will Liyam's thirst for vengeance outweigh his duty to his people, his God, and the woman he's come to love?

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Connilyn Cossette is a master at her research. I can't imagine taking a few verses from the Bible and crafting four complete stories out of them.Cossette has done a fabulous job with her Cities of Refuge series. I adore the cover for her fourth and final novel, Like Flames in the Night. It is breathtaking. Tirzah finally gets to have her say in the story. She is a tomboy who puts her life on the line for her family. She is brave and finds love too. The story captured my attention in the beginning and the end, but the middle dragged A LOT. I had a hard time staying focused. My mind kept drifting to other things. Not what I like to happen when reading a book. While I enjoyed the other three, this addition didn't quite feel as exciting to me. Fans of Cossette, Angela Hunt, and Mesu Andrews might totally disagree with me and that is okay. Overall, I can't imagine the type of research Cossette does to create a believable story for her readers, but the plot dragged a lot of me in the middle.

I received a complimentary copy of Like Flames in the Night by Connilyn Cossette from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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DiAnn Mills: Fatal Strike

By  Kelly Bridgewater

There’s a killer on the loose in Galveston, targeting law enforcement officials and using a fatal injection of snake venom to take them down. Authorities have reasons to believe the Veneno gang is behind the hits, and FBI Agents Leah Riesel and Jon Colbert team up to track down those responsible. Their best lead is an eyewitness who identifies a young man dumping the third body on a church doorstep. But their suspect has gone into hiding, and those closest to him are reluctant to reveal anything that might help investigators find him.

As Leah and Jon check connections among the victims and dig deeper into motives, they discover appearances may be deceiving. Someone is desperate to keep their secrets hidden, and Leah and Jon must face their greatest fears in order to stop the next fatal strike.

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Fatal Strike by DiAnn Mills is a predictable, unoriginal tale of drug chasing. From the first chapter, I had a good idea of how the story would lay out, and I was proven correct. The characters were flat and had told their story before. I had a hard time staying focused on the story. I have seen the story before written by a number of romantic suspense authors. Not that Mills doesn't know how to write; she does, but I have read this drug chasing and terrorists plots a number of times, and they are really repetitive and boring. While this story might be just the right story with plenty of action for some fans of romantic suspense, Fatal Strike did not work for me. I wanted something a little more original with tons of hair raising moments and an unpredictable ending. Fans of Irene Hannon and Colleen Coble might be overjoyed with Fatal Strike, but not me.

I received a complimentary copy of Fatal Strike by DiAnn Mills from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

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About the Author:

From Amazon

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a storyteller and creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers' Choice, and Carol award contests.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is Director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Marketing Conference, and Mountainside Novelist Retreat with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

Connect with DiAnn here: diannmills.com (Taken from Amazon.)

Bad Reviews

By Kelly Bridgewater

I do ALOT of reviewing here on my personal blog. I love sharing about good books and wonderful authors. Being an avid bookworm, I think it is important to share my love of good books with others. 

Why else do we read? It is a blast to find someone who needs suggestions for a book. I always start with, "Well what genre do you enjoy? Then I can suggest authors."

BUT . . .

what about people who review books and write horrible reviews.

I always a telling my son that to win an argument you have to be able to defend with valid reasons why you are in the right.

For instance, when arguing with the IRS, I have used examples and math to prove them wrong. I'm always asking the kids to be able to defend their argument.

I look for bad reviews that actually can defend their argument more than the characters were boring and the plot didn't move me. How? Where the characters shallow? Give examples. Was the plot interesting? Why? Show how. Mention how it captured you. How is the writing? Does the author grasp the concepts of a good writer?

On Goodreads lately, as soon as a cover is linked to the author's upcoming book, some reviewers are giving them a 1 or a 2. Obviously, the book doesn't come out for about nine months, so no one but the author and maybe the publishing company has the book, so why are the readers putting bad reviews up on Goodreads?

What about you? Do you actually read bad reviews? What drives you nuts about bad reviews?