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Release Date: October 4, 2016 Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Format: Kindle Pages: 336 pages Genre: LGBT, Mystery Buy: Kindle |  Hardcover Synopsis: Flynn's girlfriend, January, is missing. The cops are asking question he can't answer, and her friends are telling stories that don't add up. All eyes are on Flynn―as January's boyfriend, he must know something. But Flynn has a secret of his own. And as he struggles to uncover the truth about January's disappearance, he must also face the truth about himself. Review:  Flynn's girlfriend is missing and Flynn is determined to figure out what happened.  By interviewing her new friends and co-workers Flynn discovers that he might not have known as much about his girlfriend as he had thought.  In addition Flynn comes to terms with a secret that has been plaguing him for a while. This is not only a coming of age book but also a good mystery with an interesting take on how perception is not always wh...

Release Date: October 4, 2016 Publisher: Berkely Publishing Group Format: Kindle Pages: 400 pages Genre: Mystery/thriller Buy: Kindle | Paperback | Hardcover Synopsis:   In the darkest corners of the city, there is a thriving nightlife where people can let loose and cross the lines of work and play, of pleasure and pain. But now that sanctuary has been breached. A killer has struck and a man is dead. In a world where disguises and discretion are the norm, one admission could unravel a life. No one wants to come forward to say what they saw or what they know—including the woman heading the investigation: Detective Helen Grace. Helen knew the victim. And the victim knew her—better than anyone else. And when the murderer strikes again, Helen must decide how many more lines she’s willing to cross to bring in a devious and elusive serial killer... Review: This series is definitely growing on me.  I am intrigued by Helen, her past and her extracurricular activ...

Release Date: March 11, 2016 Publisher: Beverly Gandara Format: Kindle Pages: 304 pages Genre: Fiction Buy: Kindle | Paperback Synopsis:  A naïve teen sent out of Cuba to retrieve smuggled family jewels on the eve of the Bay of Pigs invasion comes of age in New York City at the height of the sexual revolution and earns his political and economic freedom. By a twist of fate, he begins to lose his liberty when his oppressive parents arrive and refuse to assimilate into American Society. Take the journey and discover why success isn’t always measured by what one becomes, but often by what one overcomes. Review:  The cover of this book threw me off and I wasn't sure if I was going to like it but from page 1 I was hooked.  I felt like I was reading a biography not fiction.  I was completely sucked into Julian's life.  How life was in Cuba before Castro and what happened to it and the people afterwards.  The history in this book and the exami...

Release Date: September 16, 2016 Publisher: Create Space Format: Kindle Pages: 222 pages Genre: YA, LGBT Buy: Paperback Synopsis: Lena Newman is 17, her best friend’s a cheerleader, her boyfriend’s a football player, and as far as everyone is concerned, her life is sorted. But that’s before she befriends the new girl. Juliet is confident, slightly damaged, drop-dead gorgeous and a lesbian. Lena realizes that her interest goes beyond just friendship. She sets off on a path of self-discovery where the loyalty of those closest to her will be tested. Review:  Lena struggles when she realizes she is attracted to the new girl in school.  She dives into a journey of self discovery which leads her to realize sexuality isn't so black and white.  While most coming out books only focus on being either straight or gay, this book looks at what its like to be bisexual.  What does that mean? Is it just a stopping point before you realize you really are gay? As a bi...

Release Date: December 20, 2015 Publisher: Createspace Format: Kindle Pages: 52 Pages Genre: Romance Buy: Kindle  | Paperback   Synopsis: A cursed Viking trapped in a watery prison. A modern-day witch digging into her past. What they discover could bring them together…or tear them apart.  Over a thousand years ago, Bram and his brothers were cursed. The Viking has spent centuries trapped in a Scottish loch as an invisible water wraith, despairing of ever breaking free. But when a gorgeous woman splashes into his world, Bram finally has a chance to make things right. Audrey is a tenacious witch exploring the grounds of her grandmother’s secret Scottish cabin. When she feels drawn to the beautiful waters of a nearby loch, she discovers she is not alone. Will her magic be enough to free her aqueous lover? Review: This is a short hot steamy romance with a paranormal twist. Audrey is a young witch who inherits her grandmothers Scottish cabin.  Bram w...

I am often asked why Resurrection: An American Journey uses an extraterrestrial civilization to explore the political and social disarray of our current society, to which I answer by pointing to the preface: "Today only in fantasy may one speak truth." Since H.G. Wells, science fiction has been the genre of choice for warning an uninformed society against the forces of tyranny. Herman Hesse's Steppenwolf (1929) and Orwell's 1984 (1949) warned all societies of the result of totalitarian forces taking control by manipulating the message, rewriting the history and snuffing out any alternative perspective. Robert Heinlein exposed the hypocrisy and immorality of the politically correct consumer-corporate society of the 1950s through the eyes of a Martian come to earth in Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) and William Gibson's Neuromancer (1984) gave us a view of the result when the individuals within society don't take heed. As I've said before, the Res...

Release Date: June 26, 2016 Publisher: Createspace Format: Kindle Pages: 466 pages Genre: Historical Science Fiction Thriller Buy: Kindle | Paperback Synopsis: "Is there something in the air here in Washington, DC that drives everyone insane?" Leila Freyan thought. The twenty-seven year old math genius knew Kirk Danner was a keeper of secrets. Only now did she realize how dangerous those secrets were. The plan is viable, she thought, but he might be crazy. Could he be trusted with such power? Could anyone? The Order's plan to plunge her world into a new Dark Age was accelerating. But Leila Freyan's generation was unhampered by the ghosts of the past. She realized instantly she'd need the talent of her generation to stop them. Freyan's on her own mission now. An American Journey is the newest in the Resurrection saga. Nothing is as it seems in this political thriller, and now we are taken into the heart of the issues facing all Americans and of...

Release Date:  April 2015 Format:  Podcast Host:  Rabia Chaudry Length:  11 Episodes Genre:  True Crime Synopsis:  We started the podcast in April 2015 with a detailed examination of the State of Maryland's case against Adnan Syed. We intended to revisit the case from the beginning, looking at all available evidence. Not only what was presented in Serial, but new evidence that we uncovered in our investigation. As attorneys, we pride ourselves on looking dispassionately at facts, analyzing those facts, and applying the appropriate law in our analysis. Our goal is to get to the truth of what happened on January 13, 1999. Review:  This case has stuck with me after I listened to the first season of Serial. When I stumbled upon Rabia's podcast with more interviews and more information I had to listen - I wasn't disappointed.  In July 2016 Adnan was granted a new trial and based on the evidence brought forth through this podcast and Serial...

Release Date: May 8, 2016 Publisher: Create Space Format: Kindle Pages: 202 pages Genre: Spirituality Buy: Paperback | Kindle Synopsis: The true story of a young boy, who, in the midst of a vision, dedicates his life to spiritual awakening. As he matures into a man, this promise leads him across the globe, gathering ancient knowledge and mastering martial, healing, and meditation arts. Along the way, subsequent visions reveal the rapidly approaching collapse that will shake our societies, our economic system, and the earth's ecology to the very core. Tormented by visions of coming worldwide calamity, he presses ever onward in his search and eventually realizes the elusive truth hinted at in his childhood vision. Review: I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, at first I thought this might just be another book by someone who wants to jump on the band wagon of enlightenment but by the 3rd chapter (they are very short chapters) of this book I was s...

Release Date: March 1, 2015 Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Format: Paperback Pages: 38 pages Genre: Adoption Search Buy: Paperback   Synopsis: After discovering that her son's friend, Ryan, is on the search for his birthparents, Lynn Assimacopoulos decides to use her skills as a genealogical hobbyist to find them. Delving through phone books, sending letters, and searching everything from the local library to the National Archives, Lynn is defeated by the lack of information she has to go on. However, a random search for Ryan's birthmother's name in an internet search engine yields a photograph of a family. Could this be the correct person? If so, will she even want to revisit her past and get to know Ryan? About the Author Lynn Assimacopoulos is a retired healthcare worker. Although she wrote for professional nursing journals in her adult life, she has been writing poetry and short stories since she was eight years old. When she is not writing or reading, she ...

Release Date: January 25, 2016 Publisher: Canelo Format: Kindle Pages: 289 pages Genre: Mystery, Thriller Buy: Kindle Synopsis: A psychotic terrorist has his son. He will do anything to save him.When a rogue cult turns deadly, the FBI call on former conman Agent Saul Marshall. Marshall is soon drawn into a cat and mouse chase with the leader of the cult, Ivan Drexler. As the scale of Drexler’s terrorist ambition becomes ever clearer, news arrives that he has taken Marshall’s son hostage. Removed from the line of duty, he must work alone, off-grid. As the attacks intensify, Saul will stop at nothing to defeat Drexler. But the FBI are questioning Saul’s own part in the carnage. He must work fast to save both his country and his life. Can Saul stop the carnage before it’s too late? And can he save his son? As wave after wave of attacks break, the clock is ticking for Saul. Review: This book started out a little slow and confusing but about a 1/4 way in started to...

Release Date: March 2016 Producer: SKS and CBC radio Format: Podcast Host: David Ridgen Length: 11 Episodes Genre: True Crime Synopsis: Investigates the disappearance of five-year-old Adrien McNaughton, who vanished during a fishing trip in 1972. Review: Interviews with the family and witnesses show that what people remember can and does shift. When you interview someone more than once more and more information is revealed that wasn't brought forth in the beginning because the details didn't seem "important".  Very interesting and brings forth a lot of new leads. The lilting accents are almost mesmerizing but its the story that keeps you listening.  What happened to Adrien? Could he still be alive? I think that is highly unlikely especially given the new evidence but for lovers of true crime this podcast is like an interactive audio book. I'm a sucker for this type of podcast.  I love listening to the investigative process and the uncovering of...