RoxsanneL

  I am a lady who is chronically ill, but despite this is still living life to the full, having adventures and creating new experiences!  

[roxsannel]

Mate Hunt: Rudolph: A Horny Reindeer Story by Mia Fury.

Rudy is a man who has lived his life surrounded by men on his own planet until one day when he wakes up covered in freezing white stuff, he believes that he has been banished, but cannot understand why and it makes him really angry. The first thing he needs to do though is find help, he is cold, wet and shivering and he knows that he won't make it if he doesn't find help soon, suddenly just as he is about to give up, he hears a friendly voice calling through the fog in his mind.

His friend who disappeared a year ago is here, and he is trying to help, but Rudy is angry and cannot help but blame him for not answering his questions but this triggers immense pain and a feeling like he is being remade and it turns out that it is exactly that, he changes form into an animal on four legs and with heavy things on his head but all he can do is attack and succumb to the rage building inside him.

Eventually, he is pacified and taken back to his living quarters and gets some of his many questions answered but not enough to fully understand everything, but one answer he does get tells him that in order to become more balanced here, he needs a mate, a woman!

At dinner the next day, they go into the neighbouring town and this is where Rudy meets his mate, Eve, but instead of wooing her, he terrifies her and begins to hunt her down to make her his, but will he be able to harness his emotions and once he has caught her and explain what will happen next, or will he become a giant ball of destructive rage? This is a shifter romance with a lot of spice and an intriguing world view which will keep you on edge and following along throughout

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Forlorn Harbor by Jim Doran.

Martina Ramirez is a young woman who just wants to be accepted at her new school and one of the friends she has made has been invited to join her group in the early hours of the morning to break into an old, abandoned movie theatre so that they can steal the copper held within and Martina is meant to be the lookout.

Unfortunately, for the group, things don't go as smoothly as they imagined, as Martina is brought inside to help out, suddenly the projector starts playing, an introduction with storm tossed seas, a lonely lighthouse, a creepy graveyard and finally a tavern filled with monsters which announces that the show is Forlorn Harbour.

This terrified the group, as there is nobody meant to be here, which they discover is correct when they look into the projector booth with no equipment in it! Suddenly the screen starts playing again, they also find that all the doors have been bricked up, but this time, one of the friends is inside it, playing a role in the episode and the only way to survive is to complete it, with or without help.

As Martina tries to help the others as they are sucked into their own episodes, she dreads when her own will appear, but will anyone help her like she has done for them, or will she remain alone? This is a young adult horror which keeps you hooked throughout as you follow along the episodes and discoveries throughout!

[roxsannel]

Time-Stopper: Interludes in Time by James Young.

David has a unique talent, the ability to stop and restart time whenever he wants to, he has done this all his life and has used it to mould this into something perfect, or as perfect as he can make it. He started off with a career on Capitol Hill in politics, but one mistake cost him dearly and now he works as a lobbying for a well thought of company and has used his talent to build a reputation of doing the impossible.

The only thing he cannot control is people, they throw chaos into his perfect creation and when they do it breaks him and he has to rebuild what has broken. He does this through stopping time to work through feeling, work out the difficult answers, research and prepare thoroughly and ensure that his perfection is not disturbed.

One day, he is travelling on his usual commute home when he meets someone he is struck down with and it creates a distraction for him which comes at the most inopportune time, but one he used his gift for, but when he discovered that he might not be the only one with this gift, his world is thrown into disarray and he has to figure out how destiny will work out and what it means for his perfect existence.

This is an interesting take on paranormal abilities and asks the questions of what is perfection and can it be attained, all while exploring the morality of it in the first place, leaving a very intriguing storyline winding through it.

[roxsannel]

Bubbles in Summer (Seasons with Bubble Girl) by Wanda Carter.

Bubble Girl is full of joy, especially in summer when there is no school, no homework and lots of fun in the sunshine!

There are also bubbles everywhere you look, on beaches, flying over fields and woodland, floating through parks and back gardens and popping in the sea and rivers.

The best thing about summer though, is making friends and Bubble Girl has made a new one, even though, they communicate differently, everyone loves bubbles!

This is a charming book highlighting how kindness and joy can lead to long lasting friendships no matter who you are.

[roxsannel]

Etched in Ink: An Age-Gap He Falls First Romance by Nadia Han.

Kain Kessler is a man who has survived a terrible and haunting past, forced to do unimaginable things and all while keeping his humanity intact, one saving grace for him was learning how to tattoo, this became his lifeline to escape and then his future career, building up a dynasty of tattoo parlours and fitness centres, all while praying his past is right where it should be.

Eva is a florist and has dreams of opening her own shop one day, but for now, she is saving her money and spending time with her Grandpa when he visits and it is him that encourages her to take a chance and a risk on someone new, a chance encounter at work with an older, tattooed man buying passion flowers.

The moment Kain sees Eva in the florist, he knows he is done for, her bright smile, friendly demeanour and curves for miles leave him speechless and when a chance meeting again while out for lunch means that he can get to know her better, he grasps at the chance. Unfortunately, life isn't all positive, the darkness he thought he had destroyed is back and hovering around the edges like a shadow until his light in the world is taken.

Eva is going through a normal day when she is suddenly ambushed and drawn into a dark world of death and destruction, but she has a lifeline she can hold into and hope that he will rescue her, but will Kain get to her in time and be able to confront his darkest fears, or will he lose it all and return to the darkness? This is a romantic suspense which builds up slowly and hooks you in along the way when darkness and light battle for supremacy in a world behind the shadows and in the criminal underbelly.

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The Compassionate Writer: Find Your Voice, Enhance Your Story, and Touch Lives by Anne Beall.

Anne is a woman and an author who has had quite the emotional and spiritual journey, she has had to learn about compassion to herself, and those she writes about and for and this book is a compilation of the lessons which she has learned along the way. Each chapter talks through an aspect of compassion and empathy and how to use these tools to improve writing skills with practical exercises and prompts, as well as a guided meditation are the end of each chapter.

This book covers everything from self doubt and the inner critic, all the way through to building characters and scenes, starting with the fact that anyone had a story and they are all important because of the lens they will be viewed through, yours. The second is about being vulnerable and learning to accept the voice of your inner critic and how to use it to your advantage, while also telling it to leave, and how to do this.

There are a couple of chapters on memoirs and memories, talking through how they are not always reliable and how to avoid pitfalls when writing about real people and places, followed by how to strike the balance between truth, reality, facts and embellishment and how each of these factors are intertwined in the non-fiction realm.

The next section is more geared towards fiction writing, creating fully rounded characters, scenes and the conflicts that can arise when these are written and how to use emotions to create heartfelt and healing stories while also avoiding negative narratives and harmful stereotyping. An important part of this journey is how to handle rejection and increase your resilience to handle the times when it is hard to share your story and not react badly to the ones who don't want to accept it.

Finally, this book concluded with how to build a community around your writing and a conclusion of all the points within this book. It's a very interesting read with a lot of valuable and emotional takeaways which any writer would find invaluable.

[roxsannel]

Rise by C. L. Schneider.

Witchcraft, something which has always been divisive is a hidden practice by women throughout the ages and in one family, it runs deeply within their blood, but there are also those who wish it to be destroyed and removed from the earth forever, but they have their eyes on one family in particular.

Esilda and Marion are two women in love, but one is married and they have been caught together, the only option is to run away, run and start again somewhere else, but this doesn't go to plan and Esilda is captured and accused of witchcraft, following this accusation, she is burned at the stake and when Marion finds her, all she can think about is bringing her back and so a life of study and sacrifice leads to one fateful moment and a terrible darkness is reborn.

Charlotte is a young witch with powerful talents, but at a very young age, she finds out how dangerous messing with some magic can be, but it doesn't stop her and her sister from embracing a life of removing magical items from one place and safely taking them to another, however, one night this goes terribly wrong and something is unleashed which should have remained trapped.

Rose is sick of a life of hiding and moving, all to escape those hunting her, but a key piece of information her mom has been on a mission to find comes up and an opportunity presents itself to finally reach a goal she has been chasing for decades, but a twist of fate leads to sorrow and another life spent in research and experimentation to bring down a revered figure of questionable motives.

Something all these women have in common is sorrow, grief and darkness, but could there also be light hidden somewhere within, light which can counter the darkness they created and send it back to whence it came? This is a paranormal fantasy where twists, turns and magic keep you reading along and discovering exactly what shades of grey lie between the darkness and light.

[roxsannel]

Last Stop: A Supernatural Suspense Novel (The Dead's Unfinished Business Book 1) by Gloria Oliver.

Daniela Martinez is a young woman with some problems, she has just escaped from an unsanctioned heist which has gone terribly wrong and she is running for her life, that is until she comes across a neon light in the night and takes shelter at the Last Stop, and she is hoping that her employer, or the person who set her up will pass her by and not leave her dead in a gutter.

As soon as she enters the Japanese restaurant, she knows something is a bit off, from the gift of nostalgic food, which isn't in any way Japanese, to the appearance of her partner in crime who suddenly disappears just as quickly after it turns out that he was a ghost and she was his unfinished business and Daniella is torn apart with grief.

Things become more strange when she is given the option of either working with the owner of the supposed restaurant, or meet her painful end, but what she will be doing is a bit of a mystery and a learn on the job kind of scenario, all she knows is wh has to help lost souls move on, but will she be able to do it, and what will she encounter along the way? This is a supernatural horror which will keep you interested as you gain clarity over the creatures and people who surround Daniella and the turns will keep you on your toes throughout.

[roxsannel]

Alli the Alligator: A Children's Book About Kindness, Bullying, Courage, and Celebrating Differences by Cindy Miller.

Alli is a young Alligator who loves spending time with her family and friends on the Rumbly River and one day, she sees children playing next door and so she asks her Dad about them.

After finding out, she asks to go to school with them so that she can make some more friends, but her first day doesn't go to plan and instead, she experiences whispers, laughter and bullying for being different.

This leads Alli to not want to go back, but her Dad insists that she does and shows kindness to the children so that she can give them another chance, but will Alli find a way to fit in and make friends, or will the children continue their bad behaviour?

This is a story of kindness, compassion and resilience all shown through a charming lens and a great tale for all ages.

[roxsannel]

The Gift of Belonging: An historical fiction tale of love, war, and finding your way by Cheryl Burman.

Rose is a young woman who is having a crisis of identity, as a baby, she was pulled from the river by a woman after a group of nymphs rescued her, this woman raised her as her own, however, Rose never felt like she fully fit in, especially when she never developed the same skills for healing and communicating with the woodland a sea sprits, so, as she grows she is always questioning her origins and when she finds them out, it shatters.

This is when Rose decides to find her own way in life and moves away, she works in a tailor and makes friends with a customer who is around her age, it is through her that she begins to attend classes to learn basic anatomy and nursing, and when war breaks out, she is called to put that learning into place and support the medical teams on the front lines.

It is during this time of chaos that love rears its head and throws everything off balance, but can she maintain her identity, and explore these new feelings, or will she return to a shattered existence? This is a historical fiction which explores the complicated themes of identity, war and capability through a lens of fantastical realism which will keep you hooked until the end.

[roxsannel]

From the Depths (Of Mountains and Seas) by Emily Renk Hawthorne.

It is some time after Davis staged his coup and peace has settled over the shifter community, or as much peace as you can get when there is a new regime in power who are using unconventional tools to stay in control, in this case it is oblivion tincture, a liquid which can erase old memories and create new ones in its place, and there is only one person who remembers everything which had happend, Nivi.

She alone, has been able to keep her memories thanks to one of the secondary powers and it is a lonely world to be in, she keeps herself distant from her peers in school and although he mum is also there, she cannot talk to her either, so she is isolated and scared all over again.

One day though, a series of strange things start to happen within the shifter community and it seems that some things are causing cracking around the edges, people disappearing and abandoned places being revealed, so much so that the static community is starting to notice, but what is causing these occurrences?

Will Nivi be able to keep her secrets, but also figure out what is happening and why, or will she remain a lonely, isolated pariah and the secrets make themselves clear another way? This is another exciting book and with plot twists and adventure throughout, it is one you won't want to miss out on!

[roxsannel]

A Lady Always Veiled in Red Velvet: A Crime Novel by E. P. Lane.

Jude and Bunny are back and the case has been closed for a year and life has found a kind of normal for them, or at least for Jude, people have gotten used to it not raining and life has moved on from the revelations, but with the addition of a TV show, a Museum, the Dimick Truth Museum where the whole story has been immortalised and catalogued like evidence and created saints and martyrs, as well as the drug, Lazarus 44, becoming a main stream addition to life, either as a street corner transaction for the working class to a spa day for the rich.

On the opening day of the museum Kerius Daedrick goes to look round and report back as a part of his job, but what he doesn't expect is finding Jude Finnegan there, looking at the handwritten diaries like he can see between the lines as both a part of it, and yet still on the outside, Kerius thinks no more of it until he meets him again outside a local coffee shop and then to his home after Jude extends the invitation.

What nobody expects is Bunny to turn up and lay a whole load of information on them showing that whatever they thought they had stopped, has instead evolved into something far worse, Lazarus Infinity and Bunny wants to stop things once and for all, so after reading through everything, Kerius and Jude decide to join her and try and right the wrongs of the events of a year ago.

While all of this is happening, Rebecca is also experiencing life as someone else and when she is brought back into the drama all over again, she hopes that this time it is also over. This is an exciting and twisted finish to this duology where nothing is what it seems and everything is to play for, as life and death become a commodity and existence is just another aspect to control.

[roxsannel]

The Death of a Starlet: A Thriller Novel (The Jude Finnegan Duology by E.P. Lane.

Jude Finnegan and Bunny are two detectives based on the small town of Dimick in the Pacific Northwest, there is nothing that really makes it different to any other town apart from the fact that it is always raining and everybody seems happy, that is until they are called to a crime scene where the victims eyes have been gouged out.

Jude immediately sees that this could be connected to another crime he was involved in and so he and Bunny begin the investigation, meanwhile, another similarly injured body turns up and this just brings more questions than answers, at least until another case comes in with again, a similar signature, but it also involves a missing person, the up and coming actress Rebecca St. Valentine and the mysterious message from a man called Mr Moonlight which adds a whole new spin.

To the outside world Rebecca is dead, but to Jude and Bunny everything is still to play for because in the message, a new drug was revealed which could have the power of resurrection and an almost cult like belief system which winds deeper through the community than anyone believes, but will Jude and Bunny be able to stop Mr Moonlight before his twisted plan goes global and find Rebecca, or will they delve too deep and lose themselves in the process? This is a story full of twists and turns which will leave your head spinning and questioning everything, while also pulling you toward the conclusion.

[roxsannel]

Artemysia: A Fairy Tale Romantasy by Tessia Ives.

Captain Delphine Julian is the youngest, female captain in the King's army and she has earned that right by successfully leading her squad and defeating the many Syf, a race or magical creatures, who attack the borders of the kingdom. Riev is the King's assassin, the one who gets all the jobs where things have gotten messy and needs cleaning up, but his latest mission hadn't gone to plan and he lost the remaining members of his group and so he has returned to get his next set of orders.

Delphine is called to appear before the King and receive her next orders and they are to cross the deadly forest of Artemysia with a small group and find out what the Kingdom on the other side are doing and whether they have been attacked by the Syf as well. There is only one issue, nobody has successfully traversed this forest and come back alive, but for Delphine it is worth trying to see how to save the Kingdom and so Riev becomes an unwilling addition to the crew, but only on the condition that someone he knows comes along as well and Sona party of four is created and they set off about a week later.

As the four set off on this dangerous and possibly suicidal mission, they come across trouble at the very start with a band of Syf attacking an outpost and then them within the borders of Artemysia, but Riev has travelled through the forest before and created maps and safe passageways, so they get through with minor injuries to the first camping area and this is where a passion begins to ignite between Riev and Delphine, but she is reluctant to give in, but she is tempted to her breaking point, but she has to put the mission first.

Will the motley crew be able to make it through Artemysia and find the Northern Kingdom and any answers to their issues with the Syf, or will they be killed and all hope destroyed before they can even make it through the forest? This is a romantasy with plenty of action throughout as you follow on the quest and experience the highs and lows throughout.

[roxsannel]

The Little AI That Could (but Shouldn't) by Jacob C. Sadler.

In Panacea, the world's technology has moved so far that nobody needs anything to live, the only currency is the "happy juice" and the only priority is gene editing to make the perfect person, but not everyone is happy with perfection, well, maybe not everyone.

AL365 is an automation, a being who served the head scientist of Panacea who receives all the medical patients who can afford him, but one day, someone new comes to see him, a Puritan, Zara, someone who doesn't accept the new world system and even though her health isn't in the best shape and her pregnancy is flawed, she is determined to see it through with no unnatural help.

AL365 immediately notices that his reactions to Zara are not his normal ones, he begins to try and work out why, but while he is processing this, he malfunctions and this creates a whole new level of problems and enigmas to uncover, so when he feels the need to find Zara after she leaves the clinic, he starts a journey which will change him forever.

In Zara's world of prayer and emotions, AL365 develops more than just an interest, but will Zara accept him and his new changes, or will he be stuck and destined for the scrap heap? This is a glimpse into the future of humanity from an interesting viewpoint which will make you think and question the themes throughout the book until you reach it's conclusion.

[roxsannel]

Hop’s Tales: The Kind Bunny by Evelina Ruimy.

Hop is a bunny who loves school, he enjoys learning, playing with his friends and his teachers, he is always happy and full of life!

One day, Hop meets Ruff, a pup who doesn't like school who says that liking school is not cool and this upsets Hop and he stops wanting to go to school.

When his mum asks him what is wrong, he tells her what was said, but can Hop become cool and still enjoy the things he loves?

This is a wonderful tale of kindness and being true to yourself told through lovely artwork and an easy to read tale.

[roxsannel]

Soul-Happy: A Viking Woman's Long Road Home by Anette Nilsson.

Anette Nilsson is a Danish woman who has experienced a lot of life, from being born in Canada, growing up with her family in Denmark and then living in the USA, but it has not always been a positive experience, and this is her story of her fight to become soul-happy.

As a young girl, she was surrounded by family, she had a close bond with her grandparents, but her mother and father were not as close, neither were her relationships with her siblings, so as soon as she could, she escaped from the life they wanted to live and into the life she wanted in Canada.

It was when she was in university there that she met her husband Cal, an enigmatic American with a bit of a temper, volatile emotions and the looks which could have landed him in a magazine and he enthralled Anette until she lost her way and became extremely unwell.

As she recovered from her physical ailments, she found the path back to her soul with some help from outside influences and shored herself up to be able to work through her trauma to find the truth of her soul-happy and build the life they she and her daughter deserved in this emotional recounting of one woman's life and the challenges within it.