Facing the Son: A Novel of Africa by M L Rudolph

   The unthinkable has happened. Matt Reiser's ex wife has stage four lung cancer. Her one wish is to have their son, Karl, come home and be with her before she dies. The only problem is neither has spoken to or seen Karl in years.  Melanie, Matt's ex wife, asks that he go to Africa and bring their son home for her.  Despite his uncertainty of leaving Melanie alone, Matt agrees. They plan the trip right down to the minute. Funny though plans have a way of being changed unexpectedly.  The trip to Africa becomes more of an adventure than Matt bargained for.  From the moment he steps off the plane in Africa things go wrong. He's mugged. He's unable to understand the language. He finds himself in a very poor village, alone, and all his money and affects gone.  With a little help, Matt soon finds his hotel and his adventure takes another turn. He gets mixed up with local petty criminals in an effort to regain his personal belongings.  Now, he's found Karl, but will his son come home and will they make it in time.


    This moving story hits right in the heart!  I promise you'll need tissues for this one. I thought this story was wonderfully written and reminds us we have no idea when our time will be up, so make the most of life. I found Matt Reiser to be a character you want to help at times and others you want to smack him for his unsophisticated ways.  The characters are well developed, at least Matt and Melanie are.  Karl seems to be just a sketch really.  The locals are every bit as colorful as you'd expect in a country where the extremes are the norm.  I loved the details about the surroundings because you felt as if you were right there seeing them yourself.  This book is one you'll share with everyone!


   The only issue I saw was, as I said, Karl seemed to be a sketch and not a fully developed character.  He's talked about throughout the book, but you don't learn to much about him as a person.


    I gave this one 5 out of 5 books because I truly empathized with the characters.

The Hand of God by Tim Miller

 From the age of twelve, Charlie Sims knew he was different.  He knew he had a higher calling.  At seventeen, Charlie had his first human kill. It was pretty much a given at that point, Charlie was not of this world.  Pastor Charlie Sims had been doing the Lord's work for years. In his heart he believes he is The Hand of God.  His chapel? An old barn on the family property.  God spoke to Charlie about his missions. He leads Charlie where he needed to be.   Along comes Bishop Hoover. Bishop Hoover seemed to be able to perform miracles and smite people at will.  Charlie had to know more about Bishop Hoover. There was something just not right here.  Together the two battle back and forth for the folks of San Antonio, Texas. Who are they exactly? What is their real mission? Read and find out.


WOW! This book will have you looking over your shoulder and watching people at church more closely!  Would you know Christ if he were in a group of people? Don't be too sure.  The writing in this book is phenomenal! While weaving the tale of a small church Pastor, Tim Miller is also weaving a thriller.  This is a hang-on-tight-you-never-know-what's-coming book!  I really enjoyed this book. I did find it a bit ironic that the Baptist were the abstaining group ( I was raised in the Baptist church).  Tim Miller went above and beyond with this book and I recommend you read it with an open mind.


    I didn't find any issues.


    I gave this one 5 out of 5 books cause it really slammed home a message.

Surrogates by K D Grace

*EROTICA*


   Dan loves his wife. He also loves Francie, the kitchen gardener.  He can't bring himself to actually physically cheat on his wife, so he finds loopholes in his marriage vows. One such loophole, if he doesn't actually touch Francie and  she doesn't actually touch him, he isn't cheating. At least in his mind.  Dan and Francie have mutual masturbation sessions.  After a time though, it's not enough for Dan, so he approaches a friend. Dan's plan is to have Simon sleep with Francie while he watches. Simple right? Not so much. Simon really likes Francie.  While all this is going on, Dan's wife Bel is having an affair with Ellen, her massage therapist.  Soon though, Dan finds out about Bel and Ellen. He decides to join them as well. Now he has the best of both worlds.  It could come crashing down around him, but he'd worry about that another day.


    This book was a soap opera inside a porn movie inside a soap opera.  Other than the fantastically written sex scenes, this book doesn't have anything of value to offer.  If you are looking for something to spark your night, or day, this will do it. It offers a wide variety of sexual situations.  If you're looking for a good story, keep moving.


   The issues I found were that it seemed to just wrap around and around and yet say nothing.  It should at least have a solid story line before you add the sex scenes. 


    I gave this one 2 out of 5 books because it went nowhere fast.

While The Boys Are Away by Lucy Felthouse

*EROTICA*


    Three short stories about women who find another way to play.


      'While The Boys Are Away'  Amelia and Gemma go on a camping trip with their boyfriends. While the boyfriends are busy with the grill, the girls opt for some shower playtime.


   ' Beside The Seaside'  Two women start up a friendship after meeting outside a tattoo parlor. Candy has a new tongue piercing and Ella finds it very intriguing.


    'The Inner Circle' Adele, Donna and Josie have always been a tight knit group until recently.  Josie and Donna stopped inviting Adele over. Curious, Adele investigates and finds her friends found a loophole in the no cheating rule. 


    These three short stories are wonderful for starting out that special evening of fun with your partner. Erotic enough to get the engines moving, but not pornographic to the point you feel left out.  Try reading them to each other and then devise your own fun!  I enjoyed all three and do recommend them highly.


   I found no issues here.


   I gave this one 5 out of 5 books because they will make things spark.

Dark Moon by Maggie Tideswell

   The hand-fasting was complete. Now the man and woman had only to find each other to complete their destiny.  Storm and her friend Donna have been friends since junior high. They share everything.  With all the murders happening in the area, they are both on guard.  It seems though they should have been more careful of their friends.  Elle, Sybil and Trevor are all related, but Elle and Trevor don't know that right away.  It's not until Elle is raped and her birth mother, Sybil, comes looking for her that she learns the truth.  Unfortunately, Trevor is dating Storm.  Storm believes everything is ok until she starts to look closer at Trevor. Then, she has an encounter on the beach with a man she can't forget. Jarred can't forget Storm either. He's been searching for her since their meeting on the beach. He knows she's the one for him.  To add to the fun, Elle and Sybil are witches. Trevor believes himself to be the Lord of the Underworld.  Does it get sorted out? Read to find out! 


  Mystical, loving and a bit strange, this book weaves through story lines like a snake.  I did find the story thrilling and a true attention getter, however, it does start out a bit confusing.   The story is one of good vs evil. Love vs hate. The writing style is definitely unique.  You'll enjoy this one if you are a fan of fantasy.  I thought it was difficult to dig into at first. There seems to be a rush to get all of the characters in the story and let you know their place.  The basic story is a true love story. 


  I did find issues, those listed above and the fact it didn't make much sense at first. It didn't explain that there were murders happening. It didn't explain why Trevor was so difficult. It was hard to keep all that straight. 


   I gave this one 3 out of 5 books because it took so long for the real story to be told.

Helpless by Daniel Palmer

   Life in the small town of Shilo was pretty typical until that day. Kelly Hawkins was murdered not far from her home. The suspect? Her estranged ex husband. Their relationship was volatile and had been for some time.  Tom Hawkins, coach, guidance counselor and estranged father was shocked when he was told he was the prime suspect.   Things just get stranger from there. Someone is intent on destroying Tom's life and he's not even sure why.  Just when he thinks things might be settling down, a new wave of problems hit.  The police think he's having an affair with one of the girls on his soccer team. Then they find child pornography on his work laptop. Meanwhile, Tom's daughter Jill is trying to live a normal life after losing her mother and now having to live with her father.  It's not easy when each day brings a new hurdle for her to jump. The father and daughter need to rebuild what her mother tore down over the years.  It was going to take time.  With each day bringing a new issue for Tom to deal with, including the murder of his attorney, how can he hope to build a relationship, a strong relationship with his only child?


    This book takes you on a ride full of twists and turns you won't even expect. Just when you think you've got it all figured out, another bombshell is dropped.  Secrets, mystery and intrigue make this adventure even better.  I really truly enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure at first, but the more I read, the more I liked.   Powerful, intense and spine tingling! Helpless is a terrific book! 


   I didn't find any issues with this one.


   I gave this one 5 out of 5 books because it had me sitting on the edge of my seat.

A Dream In The Night by Michael Phoenix

  A deeply personal reflection of love, hate, life and death.  Poetry to make you think about times in your own life and how you came through them on the other side.  Not a black and white version of what should be, just a guideline to give you direction. Michael Phoenix allows us to explore with him as he tries to figure out just where he fits in all of this stuff called life. 


  I really enjoyed this collection of poetry and thoughts. I felt many of these same things when I lost three different people in my life at different times.  I thank Michael Phoenix for sharing some of his deepest emotions and thoughts with us as he works through it all. This is one you'll refer to again and again. It's timeless when it comes to life and death.  Easy to read and yet more complicated than anything you'll ever deal with, this book has it all. I recommend this to anyone but especially to those struggling. 


   I found no issues with this one.


   I gave this one 5 out of 5 books because of its unique way of saying what we all feel at one time or another.