February 8, 2023 by D. Wallace Peach

“The Last Drive” by John Howell Book Tour

Today’s my day to host John Howell and rave about his new paranormal thriller, The Last Drive. John is one of my colleagues at Story Empire where he shares his knowledge about the craft of writing. If you’ve visited his active blog, you already know he writes flash fiction, shares the goings-on in his neighborhood, as well as good news from around the world. He’s also the dad of two adorable pups: Lucy and Twiggy.

I’ve read and reviewed ALL of John’s fiction including this one, which I snagged as soon as it came out. My review is below, but before we go there: Here’s John:

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I am so pleased to be with you today, Diana. Thank you for helping spread the word about The Last Drive. You are such an accomplished author, and I have to tell you The Necromancer’s Daughter was one of the best books I have read. I’m not usually a fantasy reader but the blurb for your book had me hooked. You also read and review an impressive number of books which causes me to wonder when you have time to write. By the way, your review of The Last drive put a smile on my face and a spring in my step, and I appreciate your lovely words. Needless to say, I’m a big fan of yours, but I guess I should be talking about the book now.!

Here is the blurb and then we can get to a short excerpt from the book.

The Blurb

In the sequel to Eternal Road – The final stop, Sam and James are reunited to look for two souls, Ryan and Eddie. Ryan was killed in Afghanistan, trying to avoid a schoolyard with his crippled plane. Eddie Rickenbacker, Ryan’s hero, is to guide Ryan to his Eternal Home, and now both are missing.

The higher-ups believe that there has been some interference in Ryan and Eddie’s journey by Lucifer, so Sam and James have the task of finding Ryan and Eddie to get them back on the road despite the evil interference. Unfortunately, the machinations designed to prevent Ryan and Eddy from completing their journey take the pair to horrifying testing grounds. The places visited represent the best work of the Devil. They are the trenches of World War I in France, gladiators at the Roman Coliseum, the sinking Titanic in 1912, Hiroshima 45 minutes before the bomb, and the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943.

This book is for you if you like plenty of action, strong characters, time travel, and a touch of spiritual and historical fiction. So, join Sam and James as they try to find the missing souls while staying one step ahead of the Prince of Darkness, who is determined to destroy all that is good.

An Excerpt

“Ah, shit. Now you’ve gone and ruined my fun.”

Sam takes a couple of steps toward Buddy. “Who are you?”

“A servant of the devil.”

Sam glowers. “What are you doing here?”

Buddy raises his hand in an affable manner. “Well, I heard you two were out hunting for a couple of lost souls, and I thought it would be a lot of fun to see if I could cause some mayhem.”

“We certainly don’t need that, and I don’t believe you for one minute. Show yourself.”

Buddy frowns. “Don’t say that.”

Sam shrugs. “Why not?”

“Because when you say that, I have to show myself, and I don’t want to.”

“Show yourself.”

The form of Buddy Holly fades, and a curtain of vapor rises to obscure the illusion. The fog dissipates and reveals a hunched troll. James waves the rest of the steam away and bends his knees to look the apparition in the eyes.

The creature demands, “What are you looking at?”

James laughs. “I see a little silhouette of a man.”

“Sing me a song, why don’t you.”

James spreads his arms and turns his palms up. “Okay,

I give. Who are you?”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope. No kidding.”

Sam touches James’s shoulder. “I believe this is a messenger of the devil.”

The figure brightens. “Hey, sweetheart, you got a brain in that beautiful head of yours.”

James turns to Sam. “Is this a joke?”

Sam nods. “In a way. This is a human-like form. You know-who likes to pull little tricks. Remember when I said there was a spirit about? It’s this little squirt.”

The figure stamps his foot. “Who you calling a squirt, bitch?”

“My, my, he has the tongue of the devil.”

James grabs the troll by the shirt. The creature touches James, and a strong shock knocks him to the floor.

James scrambles to his feet. “Try that again, squirt.”

“Be happy to. Just come a little closer.”

Sam puts herself between the two. “Okay, let’s knock it off. What is it you want here?”

“I only have one thing to do, and then I’m free. Would you like to go out later?”

Sam shakes her head. “What do you have to do?”

“Deliver a message from His Lordship.”

“Deliver away.”

“His Lordship would like you to join him for dinner tonight.”

James pulls at Sam’s arm. “Here we go again.”

Sam shrugs James’s hand away. “What James is trying to say is we’ve been through this song and dance before. Go tell your boss we’re not interested in anything he has to say.”

Trailer

Universal Buy Links

The Last Drive is available in paper and Kindle editions on Amazon.

The Kindle edition is on sale for 99¢ through mid-February.

Kindle https://mybook.to/FYmkKr

Paperback https://mybook.to/BCsWV

Diana’s Review

This book follows the adventures of Sam and James of The Eternal Road, but it stands alone perfectly well with the same level of imagination and detail. Spirits James and Sam return to the Eternal Road to search for Ryan, a recently deceased pilot, and his guide Eddie. The two men have gone off track while looking for Ryan’s eternal home. Lucifer has his fingerprints all over this book as he’s determined to have Ryan “join his team.”

Similar to the first book, the search takes Sam and James, and eventually Ryan and Eddie, to quite a few major events in time including the first Super Bowl, the California gold rush, 9/11, the sinking of the Titanic, and the horrors of Auschwitz. Some places they travel to on their own, but in most cases, Lucifer sends them there, wanting them to trade Ryan’s soul for a reprieve.

In some ways, Sam and James are on a quest, tasked with challenges they need to puzzle out as they operate in the past without changing the future. The directive not to fiddle with the future generates some heartbreaking scenes and tough moral decisions. Howell’s research into the tragedies of the past is notable, and there are some brutal scenes including sexual abuse.

Any heaviness in the book is initially countered by Lucifer. He’s sarcastic, snarky, and completely without verbal restraint, at the very least. His banter, particularly with Sam, was entertaining, though it became easier and easier to completely dislike him toward the end. The plot doesn’t follow a straight line, nor is it always logical, but it’s highly imaginative and recommended for fans of fantastical stories about the afterlife.

Author Bio

John is an award-winning author who after an extensive business career began writing full time in 2012. His specialty is thriller fiction novels, but John also writes poetry and short stories. He has written Six other books that are on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.

John lives in Lakeway, Texas with his wife and their spoiled rescue pets.

Author Links

Blog Fiction Favorites, http://johnwhowell.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/john.howell.98229241

Twitter –https://www.twitter.com/HowellWave

Goodreads –https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7751796.John_W_Howell

Amazon Author’s page –https://www.amazon.com/author/johnwhowell

BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/profile/john-w-howell

Eternal Road Buy links

Kindle Universal link mybook.to/EternalRoad

Paper universal link mybook.to/Eternalroadpaper

January 17, 2023 by D. Wallace Peach

New Release: “Asunder, Baby” by Steven Baird

Over 7 years ago, during the summer of 2015, I read a novel titled Ordinary Handsome by Steven Baird, and from the first paragraph, I knew I’d stumbled upon something special. I haven’t forgotten the sense of awe evoked by this talented author, the magic of finding a piece of writing beautifully crafted and deeply human. I proceeded to read every one of his books, and through the years, the work Steven has shared on his blog has continued to mesmerize me.

Today, I’m delighted to share his new book:

A couple of months ago, I had the privilege of reading this book in order to write a foreword, which I’m honored to share today. And as an extra tease, below are two samples of what you’ll find within the collection: a poem and a piece of prose. Asunder, Baby is available on KU. If you pick up the book, you’re in for a treat. Enjoy.

Forword

Brewers Mills 1971

There we were

burying a goddamn horse

all the clouds smashing

against a depthless sky

we waited in strained attentiveness

for the sound of a moon

to howl back at us

we knew this was

the distance we were

from kings

A gopherwood box

Boyd Henry over there, he watches me. I have never seen a child so committed to watching. He is four years old. I love him, Lord, but his intensity wears on me. He plays with his toys under the porch, and the dried-up mud and boot-grit falls on the back of his neck. He lifts up the dust, and it powders most of him, but his neck gets it worse. He shows me his dusty palms when he sees me seeing him.

Lorianne is on the porch with him now, and her hands are curled around his small shoulders. I’m grateful that she loves him, because Boyd Henry is different from most. He is my gift, he is my surprise.

Today is wash day, the day I float away. Watching Boyd Henry makes me lonely to think there was a time before him. It makes me lonely whenever the wash water from the bed sheets drips onto my arms, because it bears the same coldness and travels down the same hollows of my skin as it did last week, and last month.

The sheets and towels are to be washed first. They need to hang before the rain catches them. The wind has swelled up, and it tugs at my kerchief like a kite. Boyd Henry stops wiggling in Lorianne’s arms, and he watches me as I adjust it. My son is already dirty, and he will turn into mud when it starts to rain. Daughter will wipe him down with a washcloth when she can. I smile for my children.

“The crows,” says Lorianne, and she points to the sloping yard.

There are a half-dozen crows on the other side of the field gate, and they glide low to the ground. Abruptly, they ascend, like barn swallows, and there is a strenuous fold and unfolding of wings. Their constructs are not made for elegant flight, and they rise in an awkward lurch, and nearly collide with one another.

Lorianne’s face is serious, but she giggles at the strangeness of it. “Why were they flying like that, Mama?”

“I don’t know,” I say, and it frightens me that I cannot answer her. Would her father know? This was his land before it was mine.

I left my mother’s house when I was young, and then I left my grandmother’s when I was done being foolish. I came here when I married Javier, and I have stayed here since he passed, six years ago. This land belonged to his family, and then to him, and now to me. But it is my children’s home now, his daughter and my son. I keep my pictures and trinkets and combs in a box carved from gopherwood, under my bed. It is all that I have left from my life before him.

II.

The rain is hard, as promised. We sit inside our little living room and listen to the tin noise. It is a loud and anxious sound. Lorianne has her collection of crayons on the rug, and she hunts for the right shade of rain. Boyd Henry watches her, and he peels off the crayon papers, one color at a time, like he is unwinding string.

I stare at the wood stove and the slow tangle of flame. How long will it keep us warm, how long will it give us light?

And the rain, it still falls, seven days in.

Boyd Henry, over there, he watches me watching him. And Lorianne, she loves me in my distraction, loves me in my worry.

My children are silver abstractions in the light. Every drop of rain casts its own shadow on the window, and each shadow weaves into the next, until they form a coarse cortina. The world we know is smaller because we are separated from the land by the sky.

“Mama, when will the rain stop?” asks Lorianne.

Bless the child, the faith of that girl, that she believes the rain will ever stop.

“I don’t know, Lorianne,” I say. “What do you see when you look outside?”

Boyd Henry studies my face, and Lorianne studies what lay bare beyond the window.

“Rain?”

“Of course, honey. What else? Look harder.”

“Rain and puddles. And Mama, Boyd Henry is out there!”

I can smell the rain, I can smell the hay, freshly mown. “He’s right behind you, Lorianne.”

“But he’s–” She turns, and Boyd Henry shows her his dusty palms. “But I….”

“You saw his reflection, that’s all.” I breathe in the sweet clean smell of hay.

“No, he was standing in the rain. And I didn’t see my reflection, or yours. Just him. Mama?”

“A trick of the light,” I say, and sound foolish to myself. “The rain can do strange things if you stare at it too long.” I can smell Javier’s aftershave as I tend to the small cuts on his hands. I still cannot see his face.

“I think the rain has stopped,” she says, and she presses her hands against the glass.

I can smell the hay, freshly mown. The rain smells like his aftershave.

“I think we can go outside now,” I say, and my two children reach for their boots.

Many Congrats to Steven on his latest release.

You can visit Steven’s blog Ordinary Handsome Here.

November 3, 2022 by D. Wallace Peach

The Necromancer’s Daughter Book Tour: Day 26 (2 stops to go)

Welcome to Day 26 of The Necromancer’s Daughter’s Book Tour!

I hope you enjoy:

~ My favorite book from my host’s list, along with my review.

~ Something from or about The Necromancer’s Daughter (follow the link below).

~ Leave a comment on my hosts’ sites, and your name will be entered in a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift certificate. The more tour sites, the more entries!

Day 26, here we go!

Gwen Plano’s Blog: Reflections

Gwen’s blog is primarily a poetry blog as she participates in Colleen Chesebro’s Tanka Tuesday syllabic poetry challenges. Her poetry is beautiful and serene and reflective of her beautiful and serene personality. If you want to take a deep breath and relaxing sigh, it’s a place to visit. Gwen also shares new book releases for fellow bloggers, and she’s a contributor to The Story Empire writer’s blog where she shares her writing experience and tips.

Gwen has written a lovely memoir “Letting Go Into Perfect Love” as well as a military paranormal thriller series that began as a collaboration with author John Howell. I’m two books into the series and can’t wait to dive into the third.

Here’s a review of the first in the series:

The Choice: the unexpected heroes by Gwen Plano

My Review: This is Book Two in the series and it follows two weeks on the heels of Book One, The Contract. The Contract ended with a foiled assassination attempt on the President of the USA from within the government. Global repercussions were avoided, but important lives were lost. The international plot has yet to be investigated and those accountable brought to justice. That’s the focus of this read.

Admiral Joseph Parker is joined by civilian Donna Tucker and Airforce Public Relations employee Jim Andersen at Begert Airforce Base to begin the investigation. A trustworthy team forms and most of the book focuses on tracking down clues and following leads. The investigation is complex but logical and easy to follow.

And it’s not all routine work as the guilty parties are still at large. As the investigation gets closer to discovering the depth and breadth of the conspiracy, anyone with information that might break open the case starts dying. A sense of urgency intensifies as the bodies stack up and the death threats zero in on the team. The third-person present tense POV adds to the sense of immediacy.

I liked all of the characters, particularly the team of protagonists. They’re smart, and they care deeply about what happened and about getting to the truth. Aside from the thrills, there are romantic subplots as well as a paranormal/spiritual element to the story. The book ends with a cliff-hanger, so readers should be prepared to read onward. Highly recommended to fans of military thrillers.

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If you have a chance, head on over to join The Necromancer’s Daughter tour at Gwen’s blog: Reflections.

November 2, 2022 by D. Wallace Peach

The Necromancer’s Daughter Book Tour: Day 25 (3 stops to go)

Welcome to Day 25 of The Necromancer’s Daughter’s Book Tour!

I hope you enjoy:

~ My favorite book from my host’s list, along with my review.

~ Something from or about The Necromancer’s Daughter (follow the link below).

~ Leave a comment on my hosts’ sites, and your name will be entered in a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift certificate. The more tour sites, the more entries!

Day 25, here we go!

Audrey Driscoll’s Author Blog

Audrey’s blog alternates between gardening tips (and glimpses of her beautiful flowers), and all sorts of information and tips about writing. She’s a member of Writers Supporting Writers and provides links to the group’s video discussions on different aspects of the craft, covering “topics related to writing, publishing, and everything in between.” She also shares some of her own writing-related projects, short stories, and books.

Audrey’s publishing list includes her popular Herbert West series and a duology set in Egypt that I thoroughly enjoyed. If you’re an armchair traveler, it’s worth the read for the adventure alone. Here’s my review:

She Who Comes Forth by Audrey Driscoll

My Review: France Leighton and her beloved cello, Eudora, arrive in Luxor, Egypt to take part in an archeological dig. It’s not quite the adventure she expected, but she hangs in there. After a cello performance, she meets the mysterious Adam Dexter, who turns out to be far more than she expected, and not in a good way. Egyptian mythology comes alive as France must find a way to save the world from destruction.

This book is well written, the kind of writing that disappears into the background and therefore leaves the reader fully immersed in the story. I loved the setting, the details about Egypt and its mythology, the elements of the dig, and France’s interest and reverence for the magnificent tombs. In the afterword, Driscoll points out that she’s never been to Luxor, but as a reader, you’d never know it. Her research shines.

Told in first person, the story is wholly France’s. She’s a rich and thoroughly believable character, and her struggles were relatable to me. Secondary characters are beautifully three-dimensional as seen through her eyes. I loved the advice of her “talking” cello and totally fell for the relationship.

The story moves at a moderate pace, a slow burn, with hints at something supernatural at play dropped here and there along the way. At the 75% mark, there’s a giant leap into the paranormal/occult that I wasn’t quite ready for, though in hindsight I could see the preparation. A compelling story that I highly recommend to readers of literary fiction and to those who enjoy a strong female protagonist.

***

If you have a chance, head on over to join The Necromancer’s Daughter tour at Audrey’s blog: Audrey Driscoll.

October 28, 2022 by D. Wallace Peach

The Necromancer’s Daughter Book Tour: Day 24

Welcome to Day 24 of The Necromancer’s Daughter’s Book Tour!

I hope you enjoy:

~ My favorite book from my host’s list, along with my review.

~ Something from or about The Necromancer’s Daughter (follow the link below).

~ Leave a comment on my hosts’ sites, and your name will be entered in a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift certificate. The more tour sites, the more entries!

Day 24, here we go!

Martha Reynolds’ Blog: Martha Reynolds Writes

Martha’s blog focuses on book reviews. She reads a wide variety of genres and her reviews are wonderfully informative and well-written, so it’s easy to browse and find something that fits your mood and preference. She also shares her own writing news and partakes in blog challenges. She’s been participating in the A to Z challenge for 10 years and had covered a wide range of topics. This year was songs from 1981!

Martha’s books are award winners and best-sellers. Here’s my review of her Amazon #1 bestseller Bits of Broken Glass:

Bits of Broken Glass by Martha Reynolds

A twenty-fifth high school reunion is being planned for six months in the future, and for four characters it becomes an opportunity to think back on how those important years shaped them. For Kellie and Joe it stirs up old trauma. For Cherry, it’s an opportunity to make amends, and for Scott it’s an opportunity missed.

The actual reunion takes place in the last chapter, so the book is really about the lead-up to that event. Each character has a separate POV narrative, which begins to intersect with other characters as the day draws near. I enjoyed the way the author slowly revealed each character’s memories as well as how their lives had progressed. The healing that takes place was cathartic and touching. To me, it seemed that karma was in play, and that kindness bred kindness, as well as the other way around.

The characters were beautifully crafted, their actions and choices realistic and their emotions full of depth. Secondary characters had the same three-dimensional feel. The story unfolds in third-person with a little first-person mixed in. The pace was excellent, and I read the book in two days since it caught me and wouldn’t let go. Recommended to readers who enjoy women’s fiction, and stories about personal growth and rising above old hurts

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If you have a chance, head on over to join The Necromancer’s Daughter tour at Martha’s blog: Martha Reynolds Writes.

October 24, 2022 by D. Wallace Peach

The Necromancer’s Daughter Book Tour: Day 23

Welcome to Day 23 of The Necromancer’s Daughter’s Book Tour!

I hope you enjoy:

~ My favorite book from my host’s list, along with my review.

~ Something from or about The Necromancer’s Daughter (follow the link below).

~ Leave a comment on my hosts’ sites, and your name will be entered in a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift certificate. The more tour sites, the more entries!

Day 23, here we go!

acflory’s Blog: Meeka’s Mind

Andrea’s forte is science fiction, so her blog includes cool science and technology articles, but that’s not all by any means. She also shares progress on her writing, book reviews, music she loves (often to write by), and commentary on some of the wise and less-than-wise human endeavors that are happening around the world. She has one of those inquisitive minds and shares what she finds.

I’ve read all of Andrea’s books, including her novels and her collection of short stories. I’ve been bugging her for another book from her alien Vokhtah series, which she’s diligently working on. It’s a story written entirely from an alien POV, which intrigues me no end.

Her Innerscape series is complete, and it’s riveting. Here’s a review:

Miira (Innerscape Book One) by acflory

My Review: What a beautifully written book. Innerscape is a science fiction story about a middle-aged woman Miira whose disease-ravaged body is dying. She decides to enter Innercape where her body will be pared down to her essential components and preserved while she lives out her life in a virtual world as a younger, healthy version of herself.

The first book in the series covers two aspects of her immersion in Innerscape – first, the preparation of her new body and the tests to prepare for her transition, and second, the transition into the VR world and her orientation. As a series, the story continues beyond the initial book, and Flory hooks the reader with the introduction of several challenging characters, corporate compromises, questionable ethics, and love.

The science is detailed and utterly entrancing, as well as completely understandable to the layperson. The premise and technology also seem entirely plausible, if not now, then in the not-so-distant future. Flory’s writing is meticulous and detailed, and the world she’s created held my fascination throughout.

And all that wasn’t even the best part! Set against the scientific backdrop, is an engrossing human story. Miira is reserved, sensitive, inquisitive, and vulnerable, a beautifully rendered human being undergoing a process that requires complete trust and a step into the unknown. The story is told primarily from her point of view and the immersion in her experience is complete. The Innerscape staff that supports her are multidimensional and believably flawed characters.

The pace is steady and yet I flew through the book because I could NOT put it down. Exquisite writing, gorgeous descriptions, high-tech science, and human pathos that grab the reader. I’m a fan and gladly recommend this book to readers of science fiction and anyone who enjoys an unusual human story.

***

If you have a chance, head on over to join The Necromancer’s Daughter tour at Andrea’s blog: Meeka’s Mind.

October 17, 2022 by D. Wallace Peach

The Necromancer’s Daughter Book Tour: Day 20

Welcome to Day 20 of The Necromancer’s Daughter’s Book Tour!

I hope you enjoy:

~ My favorite book from my host’s list, along with my review.

~ Something from or about The Necromancer’s Daughter (follow the link below).

~ Leave a comment on my hosts’ sites, and your name will be entered in a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift certificate. The more tour sites, the more entries!

Day 20, here we go!

Shehanne Moore’s Blog: Smexy Historical Romance

Shey is a delightful blogger, brimming with enthusiasm, and always willing to chat and laugh. On top of that, she’s a wonderful writer of regency romances. Her blog is a great place to learn about her books. It’s also a place to find The Dudes, a collection of hamsters (and a mouse) who have opinions on just about everything and don’t mind sharing them. They conduct interviews, share book reviews, and handle promotions. They frequently steal the show.

For fun, I made an image of Lady Furry (a hamster version of the title character in the book below). Head to Shey’s site to meet the rest of the rodents.

I’ve read a bunch of Shey’s books, and I get such a kick out of them. Her main characters are witty and vibrant, and they get into wild situations that just beg for humor. Here’s one of my reviews:

The Unraveling of Lady Fury by Shehanne Moore

My Review: This book was a hoot. Imagine a romance where the characters are blackmailing each other and yet contractually agree to produce an heir.

Lady Fury needs an heir if she hopes to keep the estate of her dead husband, who, by the way, is in a box in the cellar and starting to stink. Captain Flint Blackmoore is an old flame from years past, a privateer who dumped Fury on the docks and later lost his ship. He knows about the body in the cellar, and she knows his real identity. They’re stuck with each other.

The numerous clinical “rules” Fury imposes on Flint regarding the act of reproduction generate some one-upmanship, negotiation, and plenty of outrage. How exactly does one have sex without touching or removing one’s clothes? For the characters, the act of sex becomes an act of war. For the reader, it’s hysterical. And heaven forbid they fall in love.

Time is of the essence because of the decomposing body, and Fury demands repeat performances for as long as it takes. With all the wrangling and finagling, the initial installment of the contract takes the first 25% of the book, and it’s all entertaining as heck.

I loved the tight POV that allowed me to experience Fury’s running commentary up close and personal. Both she and Flint are sympathetic characters even when driving each other nearly insane with frustration. The pace whips along, the characters motivated, the flush of emotions rampant. Highly recommended to readers of romance, and readers who enjoy the fireworks when great characters are thrown together in a madcap plot.

***

If you have a chance, head on over to join The Necromancer’s Daughter tour at Shey’s blog: Smexy Historical Romance.

October 10, 2022 by D. Wallace Peach

The Necromancer’s Daughter Book Tour: Day 17

Welcome to Day 17 of The Necromancer’s Daughter’s Book Tour!

I hope you enjoy:

~ My favorite book from my host’s list, along with my review.

~ Something from or about The Necromancer’s Daughter (follow the link below).

~ Leave a comment on my hosts’ sites, and your name will be entered in a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift certificate. The more tour sites, the more entries!

Day 17, here we go!

Ritu Bhathal’s Blog: But I Smile Anyway

I’ve been following Ritu for a long time. Her blog is a place where she shares her writing journey, reflections on process and writing tips (these alone would be worth a visit), promotions, and glimpses into the non-writing parts of her life.

I’ve read both of Ritu’s books, starting with her poetry collection a number of years ago. Her more recent efforts have been in cultural heritage fiction with her very popular Rishtay series, a romantic jaunt set in India. Book 2 will be out next summer, and you can bet I’ll be reading it.

Here’s my review of Book One:

Marriage Unarranged by Ritu Bhathal

My Review: This is a light, romantic jaunt from England to India and back again. When Aashi finds a used condom in her fiancé’s bathroom, the wedding is suddenly off. Her family is angry and embarrassed, but they support her decision. A trip to India, originally to purchase a wedding gown, becomes a vacation for Aashi and a chance to unwind and heal. Her two brothers and her best friend Karin go along.

The romantic story is fairly straightforward, and it unfolds at a leisurely pace. What held my attention the most was the story’s immersion in India’s rich culture and setting, specifically the bustling city of Delhi. The main characters are England born and raised, so the influences of their dual cultures were interesting to see played out, and the details of life in India were fascinating. Bhathal clearly incorporated a wealth of personal experience into the narrative.

The characters are all likable, except for the cheating fiancé, though I felt a twinge of sympathy for him by the end. All in all, this story is about family, culture, self-esteem and independence, love and friendship. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy romance, women’s lit, and a fun jaunt to India.

***

If you have a chance, head on over to join The Necromancer’s Daughter tour at Ritu’s blog: But I Smile Anyway.

October 5, 2022 by D. Wallace Peach

The Necromancer’s Daughter Book Tour: Day 15

Welcome to Day 15 of The Necromancer’s Daughter’s Book Tour!

I hope you enjoy:

~ A lovely community of bloggers.

~ My favorite book from my host’s list, along with my review.

~ Something to make you smile.

~ Something from or about The Necromancer’s Daughter (follow the link below).

~ Leave a comment on my hosts’ sites, and your name will be entered in a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift certificate. The more tour sites, the more entries!

Day 15, here we go!

Marje Mallon’s Blog: Kyrosmagica

Marje says her blog is “all about the magic of writing, her love of books, crystals, laughter, and much, much, more!” That’s a good description of what you’ll find at her site. She shares weekly book reviews, and participates in poetry writing challenges. She describes herself as a keen photographer and she’s always willing to help a blogger with a new release.

Marje writes YA fantasy novels and poetry books, and she’s participated in numerous anthologies from dark prose to syllabic poetry. She hosted and published an anthology related to the Covid-19 lockdown, which includes the reflections, prose, and poetry of authors from around the world. I’ve read almost all of her work. Time for a review of a favorite:

Mr. Saggitarius by M J Mallon

My Review: I didn’t know what to expect when I opened this book, and must have been in just the right mood, because it was charming and poignant and very sweet. The book offers a glimpse into the lives of three elderly siblings -William, Harold, and Annette – one already passed on at the book’s opening. The intermittent visits with these characters, a paragraph or two here and there, form the thread that holds the book’s narrative together. The memories and grief are touching, and it isn’t long before Annette is on her own.

Between the story’s visits with the siblings are loosely related sections of prose and syllabic poetry. Some pieces touch on the seasons. Others are fantastical tales about bubble monsters and snow snakes. Most of them are about nature and flowers which are tied to the garden bench where the siblings enjoyed their days. I especially enjoyed a chain cinquain titled That Twinkle in her Eye is Magic. This book is less than an hour’s read, and I recommend it to readers who enjoy a fanciful and touching foray into poetry and short prose selections.

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If you have a chance, head on over to join The Necromancer’s Daughter tour at Marje’s blog: Kyrosmagica.

October 3, 2022 by D. Wallace Peach

The Necromancer’s Daughter Book Tour: Day 14

Welcome to Day 14 of The Necromancer’s Daughter’s Book Tour!

I hope you enjoy:

~ A lovely community of bloggers.

~ My favorite book from my host’s list, along with my review.

~ Something to make you smile.

~ Something from or about The Necromancer’s Daughter (follow the link below).

~ Leave a comment on my hosts’ sites, and your name will be entered in a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift certificate. The more tour sites, the more entries!

Day 14, here we go!

Robbie Cheadle’s Blog: Roberta Writes

Robbie has two blogs and I follow them both. Robbie’s Inspiration is her poetry, fondant art, baking, and children’s books blog, which includes reviews of children’s poetry books. Roberta Writes is her adult writing blog where she shares her poetry and prose aimed at an older audience. She posts on a variety of topics, including her writing projects, responses to challenges, research, travel, and book reviews of adult books. She’s a huge supporter of the writing community.

Robbie’s one of those busy bloggers who somehow does it all. She’s written a series of children’s books, YA horror, a historical fiction/paranormal novel that takes place in her home of South Africa, and a memoir with her mother about her mom’s childhood during WWII in England. She’s also a prolific poet. Robbie’s poems and short stories appear in multiple anthologies and she has about 70 projects in the works (maybe a tiny exaggeration, but it seems that way to me). I could go on and on, but it’s time for a review:

While the Bombs Fell by Robbie Cheadle and Elsie Eaton.

My Review: This story reads like a memoir, and I loved it. It follows the daily life of Elsie, a 4-5-year-old growing up on a farm in England during World War II. The story starts with the family listening to an air-raid siren and climbing into their shelter beneath the garden. And though the war is the backdrop to the story and impacts daily life in significant ways, this isn’t really a story about war. At heart, this is a story about the resilient spirit of children growing up within a strong family.

The details of daily life are incredibly well-researched, and this book could almost serve as a guide to rural life in England in 1942 when rationing required adults to make some careful and creative choices. At the same time, the story is filled with delightful anecdotes of family life and the perspectives of a child, including a fear of Jack Frost, the trials of a stinky outhouse, and a trip to the movie theater to see the Three Stooges outwit the Germans.

The story unfolds in an omniscient point of view, and there’s not really a plot (thus the feeling of a memoir), but from beginning to end, the book is thoroughly engaging. I read it in one sitting. As an added bonus, the author included a few wartime recipes. Highly recommended to readers of memoirs, historical fiction, WWII fiction, and warm family stories.

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