Recently I read the book “I Saw What He Did” penned by the author Kemi Estephane. The main character of the story is Ren Shephard. She signed up for “Insight Academy’s Writing Course: The Creative Journey – Accessing Your Imagination”.
One day while attending the online session, Ren observed a murder. A man in the baseball cap appeared behind her online classmate Rusco. He yanked a plastic bag over Rusco’s head and pierced his throat with a knife. Another online class fellow Leonard also mentioned that he saw the murder. When Ren asked the educator Tarquin to find out about Rusco, he said he had informed the organisation. Read this story to find out what happened with Rusco. Why did Tarquin call Ren to the cafe? Did he spike Ren’s drink or was that just Ren’s hallucination? Find out by reading this story.
The title of the book couldn’t have been more appropriate. The cover photo is nice. It is an interesting story that kept me on the edge of my seat. Even though the story took some time to pick up the pace, it’s worth reading. I am glad to get my hands on this book.
“Me and Mr Monks” penned by the author Dawn M Blair is an interesting story.
Once the author along with her husband went to attend an adoption event at the Chesterfield CountyAnimal Shelter in Chesterfield County, Virginia. There, the author’s eyes fell on a cute toy dog. She talked about taking the dog in.
Dawn gave the name Mr Monks to her toy dog. She believes Mr Monks to be her foster dog through Ring Dog Rescue. Mr Monks attached himself to his new owner from day one. Even the author got attached to him. Since he had separation anxiety, he followed her everywhere.
It was interesting to know about Mr Monks’ professional photoshoots. Losing a pet is heartbreaking and the pain that comes with it is too much. The writing style of the author is nice. The cover photo of the book is lovely. Through this book, I learned a lot about the affection pets and their owners can have with each other. It’s a book worth reading. I like to strongly recommend it to pet lovers.
Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
Hello! I am not an author by any means; I’m just a guy with a long story to tell. I’m hoping the writing will be more professional by the end of the series. Until then, I rely heavily on my editor! In “real life,” I am a CPA (Certified Public Accountant), which is someone who prepares income tax returns (for those who don’t know). I own a CPA practice in a small town in Virginia (USA) and am a single parent to two adult boys.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘A Witch Is Born’ book?
Working too much!! In tax season, I work 60-90 hours per week. That leaves little time to write. Of course, being a single dad makes finding time to write especially difficult.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Stephen King is my all-time favorite author, but RA Salvatore is a close second. Salvatore writes in the same genre I do and is the most inspirational to my writing.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
I don’t travel much, but I like to visit a few local cabins (and write some while there). I also enjoy traveling to Ocean Isle Beach (in North Carolina) once a year if possible. The mother of my children loved that beach, and therefore my kids have also fallen in love with it.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
No, my book series is all in my head, so I simply need to sit down and write! But, again, finding the time to do so is hard.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘A Witch Is Born’ book?
The first two books were written together (about 300,000 words), and when I approached my publisher, they advised me to split them. That epic writing took about ten years to complete, but that was technically for two books. So again, I write on the side as I have time, and at first, I allocated precious little time to writing. However, the process snowballed as I got closer to finishing. Now a book takes me about a year to write.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘A Witch Is Born’ book to buy?
My book is on the following platforms (and possibly more that I’m not aware of): My website: cassandra-rho.com My publisher’s website: iUniverse.com Amazon Barnes and Noble
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘A Witch Is Born’?
I know a local tattoo artist whom I have talked into developing all my covers. The cover of ‘A Witch Is Born’ is the opening scene in the book, and I knew from the start that is what I wanted the cover to be. Unfortunately, the way it turned out, some have misperceived it to be a kid’s book. Please note: the book is NOT for kids.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
Well, I have a story in my head that will span at least eight books, and I think it has a lot of original elements. I’m hoping there will be enough twists and unexpected turns along the way that it will keep readers interested. My only skill as a writer is my imagination, and I’m hoping it shines through enough to make the series worth reading.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
I don’t want to give away any surprises, but I don’t want readers to get too comfortable with the main characters (including Cassandra) and not fear that they may die. I am currently writing book four, and I can honestly say that so far, either a prominent character or someone close to Cassandra has died in each book, including ‘A Witch Is Born’.
Book: Find Your Voice, Save Your Life 4: Transcendent Men, Real Stories
Author: Dianna Leeder
Available On: Amazon
Language: English
Rating: 5/5
“Find Your Voice, Save Your Life 4: Transcendent Men, Real Stories” by Dianna Leeder is a gripping read.
Guy Kilchrist’s story is about him getting married to a woman with a four-year-old son. Soon, he expanded his family. Guy believed that only death could separate him from his spouse. But he entered the first divorce and later remarried but his second wife left him. After such traumatic events, he surrendered himself to God so he could set his spirit free.
‘Cycling to a new you’ is a beautiful story in which Scott suffered from depression and resentment. His marriage failed and ended in divorce. Years later, in order to find himself, Scott got the idea to ride his bicycle across the US. Riding helped him to clear negative thoughts. His story inspired me to find an activity which could heal me.
This book is an eye opener. Some of the experiences that I read in the book were new to me whereas others felt relatable. This book consists of personal accounts of men’s transcendence offering hope and opportunity for awareness and healing.
I appreciate all those who have shared their deepest selves with the readers through this book. It’s a thought-provoking read. All the stories are worth reading. They inspired me to heal, be more self-aware and to work on self-improvement.
I love reading fantasy fiction. This time I got my hands on the debut book of the author Gillian Grant. ‘Where the Shadow Beckon’ is a captivating story that hooked my attention from the first page itself. The story is full of different magical creatures like dwarves, elves, goblins, etc.
Story features a half-elf Evren who got dragged into the quest to the dwarven city Dirn-Darahl. She had to catch an escaped prisoner conspiring to overthrow the Dwarven king. It was amazing to see Evren working with multiple fantasy races. Sorin Trinity and Arke are interesting characters. I enjoyed reading about them.
I appreciate the vivid imagination of the author in creating this fantasy world. The pace of the story is fast and I wasn’t bored anytime while reading this book. If you are looking for an escape from reality then get your hands on this book. The storytelling skills of the author are amazing. I am curious to read the next book in the series.
Book: Changed: You Will Never Look At Cheating The Same Way Again
Q1. Hello Sir, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
I’m Author Jay Welsby, and I wrote the series Changed. I’m an artist and barber who became a writer later on in life. I’m from Overtown, Miami, Fl. It’s a historically Black area in Miami. I left my family and friends in the sunshine state to move to Georgia to become a writer. I wanted to get away from poverty and violence. I felt like isolating myself would be the best way to start my writing career. Thus far, I have written 3 books since moving to Atlanta. My first book Changed-You’ll Never Look at Cheating the Same Way Again is leading the charge.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Changed: You will never look at cheating the same way again’ book?
The biggest challenge I had was staying on task and not being so great at grammar. I suffer from ADHD as well. It’s very hard for me to focus on one thing at a time. My mind tends to wander for whatever reason. I taught myself how to deal with it by only writing two pages a day. Understanding my limitations helped me write Changed. Furthermore, I was born with a learning disability which could have hindered my writing career, but I wouldn’t let it. I knew if I could get through a story, an editor would help me finish it.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
For Changed, I would say John Grisham and Zane. I have read many different authors, but those two helped me write Changed. I like John Grisham’s style of writing. He is a very clever and sarcastic writer. I was disappointed to find out he was or still is a racist. It doesn’t take away from him as a writer but it does take away from him as a person. Zane has a way to bring erotica to light. I’ve never read a whole book by her but from the parts I’ve read, I almost became aroused. That is good writing in my opinion.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
I love going to Sweetwater Creek state park. It’s a trail that is surrounded by water. I take a hike down a path that has a manmade river on the side of it. The scenery is so beautiful. The small wildlife that is a part of its ecosystem brings another aspect to Sweetwater Creek state park. I see ducks floating and turtles crawling on the top of logs.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
I don’t do much before writing other than open up my laptop. I don’t need anything to push me other than my ambitions as a writer. Writing for me is therapy. So, to keep me mentally sharp, I write.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Changed: You will never look at cheating the same way again’ book?
It took me 8 years to write the total series. The first book, Changed-You’ll Never Look at Cheating the Same Way Again took 4 years. It was so many ups and downs with this book. My momma was diagnosed with cancer. At the same time, I was dealing with her well-being, and I was in a bad relationship. To top it off, I lost my laptop for 2 months. Luckily, I found it later. I honestly thought I wouldn’t finish Changed. It felt like forever to complete it, but when I did, it was like having a baby. I was so proud of myself. My momma breast cancer around the time I published my book.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘Changed: You will never look at cheating the same way again’ book to buy?
You can get my series on Amazon and my website http://www.JayWelsbyAuthor.com. My social media handles are Facebook Jay Welsby and Instagram Jay.Welsby
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Changed: You will never look at cheating the same way again’?
The book cover is an interesting story. I didn’t want to show color on my cover but when I saw the book cover from the publisher, I couldn’t resist it. I knew I could brand it. It represented everything I wanted to say for Changed. I knew the title before I wrote the book. I came up with the subtitle after reading the book over and over again. I thought You’ll Never Look at Cheating the Same Way Again would make the book more sellable.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
I keep things fresh by writing the next book. The interesting part about being a self-published author is I choose what I want to write about without a publishing company dictating to me. I tend to like to write about subjects that I can turn into a story. I like to write with an unorthodox style to keep my readers wanting more. I hear from readers all the time that they couldn’t stop turning the pages.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
I can’t tell you the secrets of my book because I will give too much away. Let’s put it this way, every male character in my book has a piece of me. And I wrote most of my books while in the barbershop. So, if you know how the barbershops operate, you will know there’re so many interesting conversations that can help an author create a story.
“PAW: a short tale” penned by the author M.G. Matthews is an interesting story.
The story features a baby paw who stumbled off away from the pride when he heard the hiss not far away. Read this amazing story to know what challenges the baby paw faced as he grows into a wise old lion. Through this book, kids will learn that each one of us has to face one or the other challenges in our life but instead of getting afraid of them, we should learn to face them with courage.
The story is unique. I enjoyed reading it from the first page itself. The cover photo of the book is attractive and the language of the book is lucid. The pace of the story is fast. This is the great story that I will recommend not only to little readers but to adults as well. Great addition to the children’s bookshelf.
“Hitting & Running” penned by Maddie Reign is the second installment in the ‘Hit & Run’ book series.
Alexi and Emily woke up naked next to each other. For the moment, Alexi thought it was Anya. He got all confused and upset. Even Emily noticed that. Alexi is still grieving for Anya. He is not ready to go in a relationship so soon and even Emily needs time. They both decided to stay friends for a while.
The press is keeping an eye on the two and asking questions about their relationship. Alexi and Emily decided to reveal that they are just close friends. Alexi wants Emily to start a new life away from America so the media can’t trouble her. Read this story to know will Alexi and Emily be together again.
The storyline is good and written in a good flow. The pace of the story is fast and I wasn’t bored anytime while reading it. The narration is smooth and it pulled me totally into the story as I was reading it. There are multiple POVs in the story. Go for it without any second thoughts. You would have a great time reading it.
Book: The Urban Boys: Discovery Of The Five Senses
Author: K. N. Smith
Available On: Amazon
Language: English
Rating: 4/5
“The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses” penned by the author K. N. Smith is an interesting read. The story takes the readers to a small town called Danville Heights where people are glad to see each other.
Kinsu, Chase, Alex, Jordan, and Rhee are five of the main characters in the story. One day, the boys went to the forest and weird things have been happening with them since then.
An evil Druth overtakes the peaceful town of Danville Heights. Will the five friends with their heightened senses be able to save mankind and themselves from an evil Druth?
Those who enjoy reading stories with characters having superpowers should go ahead with this book. This story kept me on the edge of my seat. The storyline is gripping and I enjoyed every bit of this story. Great work by the author in this novel.
Book: Stuck Is Not Your Story: I Overcame And Am Victorious
Author: Joy Green
Available On: Amazon
Language: English
Rating: 5/5
“Stuck is NOT Your Story: I OVERCAME AND AM VICTORIOUS” is a must read. This book is a collection of inspirational stories about the women who took the step to rise above their traumas.
Joy Green’s ‘I Choose Joy’ is about finding your happiness and living a full-fledged life. Joy was a victim of substance abuse but one day she overcame it and that made her victorious. Read her story to get the tips about choosing joy.
Read Joy’s story and get to know the different kinds of meditation practices so you can add more joy to your life and the lives of the people that surround you.
Joy’s story is really inspiring. Happiness is the most important thing in life. Get to know how you can choose joy everyday in your life. If you have gone through a situation that has broken you and thereby you are stuck, pick a copy of this book. You will find a way to unstuck yourself. I appreciate all the stories that are part of this book. Thanks to all the contributing authors for sharing their story with us. Readers will be inspired after reading these well written stories. These stories are short and to the point. I am glad to get my hands on this book.
Sassy Reviews 