June Book Reviews and a wedding picture! @TonyaWrites @sgc58 @WordDreams @SueColetta1 @teagangeneviene @DAntion @AnnalisaCrawf #writingcommunity #readersoftwitter

A Secret Gift

By Tonya Penrose

Halley, who is a successful businesswoman, receives an anonymous offer to live her dream in a town she fell in love with. The only catch is she must find love within the year, a part-time job, and write a book. With her book started, and a job obtained, she finds two interesting men who might be a love interest, one more than the other according to her test, but not necessarily her heart. This is a pleasant seaside town where everyone is nice—with an exception or two. I could easily imagine myself living in this location and would love to get an offer like Halley received. The town is welcoming, and Halley is offered a dwelling to live in while the cottage was being finished that she bought through her mysterious benefactor. Along the way, she learns about herself and what is important to her. There is humor and growth along this journey for Halley. I love the relationships she develops, especially with Mick, the sea captain, Libby who offers good advice, Ginger, her new best friend and boss, and especially Sally and her daughter Tulip. But it’s the one with Ben that adds a special layer to this sweet story and offers a real chance to Halley to find love if they can get past themselves. An excellent clean, romantic read that I thoroughly enjoyed and can recommend.

Tales From The Garden 

By Sally Cronin

“Tales From The Garden” is a whimsical collection of stories that dives into the magical world just outside our window. Each tale captivated me, especially when the fairies were involved. I particularly loved when the pregnant deer found this garden, as well as a young boy who was protecting a goose. The collection ends with a beautiful tribute to the 94-year-old mother or Mollie (The Duchess) Coleman. I always knew those statues outside in the garden held a little magic and these charming stories captured that beautifully. A quick but very satisfying read for adults of any age who want to remember that spark we carried inside as children. It would be a splendid set of stories for children to share with their adults too. I can easily recommend these tales.

 Twenty-Four Days Rowe-Delamagente #2

By J. Murray

I read and loved “To Hunt a Sub” and have been eager to read this second installment in the Rowe-Delamagente Series. I not only enjoyed “Twenty-Four Days” but thought the story was even more exciting, which I didn’t think was possible. The same characters that I rooted for, and against, returned. Otto the AI’s growth, and new body, made him my favorite character, and it was nerve-racking seeing Sean trying to do the right thing. It was up to Kali, Zeke, and Otto to save the world from war. Like the first book, the attention to detail drew me deep into the story. The reader is taken into a submarine and onto the open sea on a Navy ship with cruel terrorists lurking. North Korea and the hijacking extreme terrorists seem determined to start a conflict, but Kali and Zeke need to find out who is running things. A well-written, action-packed story that was hard to put down. I can easily recommend “Twenty-Four Days” but suggest you start with the first story, so you don’t miss anything!

Cat and The Dreamer

By Annalisa Crawford

Julia survived a suicide pact she’d made with her only friend and the new kid in school, Rachel. Fifteen years later, she is still trying to survive. Julia lives with her parents and has a job but again no friends. She meets a kind young man, Adam, who changes all of that. Her life changes slowly in a more positive direction, but her inner world is just under the surface. At first, I found the story hard to wrap my mind around. Although I understood the dream world parts, it was her alternative that took me a minute to realize what was going on. Julia combined all the people who bullied her. I quickly settled into the story and her realities. Then I found it hard to put down, especially when she flashed back to her suicide attempt and how she met Rachel. “Cat and The Dreamer” deals with some powerful issues, that include suicide, bullying, and mental health. Everything comes together by the end, and I came up with a theory of what really happened, but I won’t share that here. A very unusual and powerful heart-wrenching read where I just couldn’t help but root for Julia. I can easily recommend this novella.

The Inyan Beacon 

By Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene and Dan Antion

“The Inyan Beacon” is a quick read that not only easily blends two authors but two genres, sci-fi, and westerns. Tank and his synth, Compass are passing through a small western town in the future. Tank is determined to get into a tower and feels he can undo some of the harm from the past. My favorite character quickly became Compass. Who wouldn’t want beautiful blue skin? There was a fun twist waiting for them, which I enjoyed. A short and satisfying read, and a world I’d like to explore more.

Restless Mayhem (The Mayhem Series Book 6) 

By Sue Coletta

I have the rest of The Mayhem Series on my Kindle and have been eager to block out some time to read it. Usually, I’ll go back and start a series from the first book, but “Restless Mayhem” tugged at me. So, I jumped right in and found that I could easily figure out what was going on as I learned who everyone was. I loved Shawnee and her relationship with her grandfather and now mentor, Mr. Mayhem, but my favorite characters were the crows, especially Poe. Shawnee, her grandfather, and Mr. Mayhem are eco-warriors who want to save gray wolves from horrible conditions while Shawnee embarks on a spiritual journey. The details and information created a world that I was swept into. There is a pull between handling situations more spiritually than physically. Plus, something evil has awakened that they have to contend with during their sometimes-bloody missions. I will definitely go back to learn more about these characters’ journeys. I can highly recommend this story to those who love animals, Native American spirituality, action, and justice at all costs.

I only post my 4 & 5-star reviews here! If I don’t like the book, I won’t finish it. It wouldn’t be fair to leave a review for an unfinished story, and life is too short not to enjoy my reading journey!

NOTE:

Wedding, 1983
Honeymoon, 1983
  • There will be no post next week as I will be celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary. We plan to go to South Lake Tahoe and enjoy a boat ride and stay at a local hotel 🙂 Maybe later in the week we’ll venture to a hot springs too.
  • I will be back June 19th with another From Finn’s Forest.

Embrace your inner child by reading a great book! D. L. Finn

May Book Reviews, updates, and blog tour winners! @Virgilante Sandra_Cox @Dwallacepeach @CherylOreglia @bakeandwrite @GodsAngel1 @SmithaVishwana4 @JMastrangeloArt @YvetteMCalleiro @Dwallacepeach @bubbalee04

I know this is a day late but I decided to wait until the blog tour was over. Thank you too all the hosts who kindly opened up their blogs and made this such a big success. Huge hugs to all!

Blog Tour winners follow the reviews.

Now on to the reviews:

Once Upon a Time in the Swamp

By C.S. Boyack

“Once Upon a Time in the Swamp” starts with a peaceful moment as Mari is hunting for a meal for her family. What she comes home to is heartbreaking and a loss so bad that her life is never the same. At first, it seems the story is being told in the past, but as details are added, it becomes clear that something has happened—a civil war that ended modern society. When Mari attempts to get help from local authorities, she is brushed aside. So, she sets out to hunt down the men who did this to her family. Some of my favorite characters were the ox, Dirt and the puppy, Worthless, and Mari’s interactions with them. Although set in the grim aftermath of a war, there were people still willing to help her. These were the places I hoped she’d find some peace and give up her vengeance. But Mari’s strength and determination became inspiring when she refused to give up on getting her family some justice. The settings were highly detailed, down to making soap and learning to shoot and fight, which immersed me in this world and made me wonder if I could do what she was doing. This was a hard story to put down, and I honestly wasn’t sure how this would all turn out, but I was happy with the conclusion. A well-written post-apocalyptic world that gives us a glimpse of what could be if we stay on our current path. Despite that, there is some hope weaved into it as there’s still good left too. I can easily recommend this story.

Love, Lattes and Angel  (Mutants #3)

By Sandra Cox

“Love, Lattes and Angel” continues where the second book left off. Piper is with her grandfather, boyfriend, Tyler, Amy, Joel, and Angel—who is Piper and Joel’s biological daughter. The group believes they are safe but soon finds out they have been located again by a man who is determined to recapture the product of his lab experiment, Angel. She is a dolphin hybrid like Piper and Joel and is prized. The group splits up to escape, and Piper, Joel, and Angel take a strange trip through the Bermuda Triangle. They end up on an island where the religion of Vodou is practiced. I enjoyed the love triangle between Piper, Tyler, and Joel, and I’m glad this story clarifies who ends up with whom. I envy them as they swim so carefree in the ocean, especially Angel. My favorite part is the pet Angel ends up with, and the island they have found refuge on. An excellent conclusion to the Mutant Series that kept me up late toward the end as I wanted to see how it all played out. I can easily recommend it to YA readers and those who are young at heart.

Poetry Treasures 3: Passions

By Kaye Lynne BoothRobbie Cheadle, Patty Fletcher, D. Wallace Peach, Yvette Prior, Penny Wilson, Colleen M. Chesebro, Abbie Taylor, Yvette Calliero, Smitha Vishwanath, Chris Hall, Willow Willers, and Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer.

“Poetry Treasures 3: Passions” is a beautiful collection of poetry and poets. I started highlighting my favorites to include here but decided against it. Each poet brought their flavor to this poetry mixture, and they were all good in different ways. I was familiar with about half of the authors and was happily introduced to the others. The poets were given their own month, except December, and a brief history of their works. There were two guest poets included at the end. I liked how they all interpreted passion in expected and unusual ways. An excellent opportunity to enjoy good poetry penned by authors I already enjoy, plus find new ones to follow. This is a collection to be read more than once and one I can easily recommend.

Grow Damn It!: The Feeding and Nurturing of Life

By Cheryl Lynn Oreglia

“Grow Damn It!” is an insightful and often humorous collection of essays that blend into an amazing memoir. It was like I was sitting with an old friend having a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, and Ms. Oreglia was sharing life stories with some lessons weaved into them. Subjects varied, some light and some not, like the drive to the hospital after her son was in a car accident. There was an adventure on a tandem bike, which intrigued me as I have always wanted to try it. I laughed at the silly comment they got over and over when they rode. Clear Lake, where they bought a second home, was beautifully captured. I spent a lot of time there as a child, and the essays made me re-live my memories. I appreciated the love of family plus an enduring marriage. The raw honesty was welcomed because things aren’t perfect all the time, but love is always there. We all need to learn life lessons and live life to the fullest. This book captures living and reminds us that each day is a gift to enjoy and, on those certain days… survive. A book I felt on many levels. I highly recommend this collection. I know I will read it again and add it to my bookshelf.

Sunwielder

By D. Wallace Peach

“Sunwielder” is a fantasy that not only offers a second chance but twenty-seven of them. Gryff is a farmer who loves his family. Everything changes for Gryff when his farm is attacked, and he loses his family and is dying. Here he is offered a medallion to change his path. This part of the story reminds me of “Groundhog Day,” where Gryff relives certain moments trying to get it right. Although he gets his family back, his life goes in a direction he couldn’t have foreseen. Because of a lord’s unreasonable hatred, Gryff gets pulled into a war. I love this part of the book where Gryff grows and learns as his path shifts and changes. His loyalty to those he loves as he tries to correct wrongs had me rooting for him to find happiness. The details weaved into the story brought Gryff’s world to life, whether on the farm or battlefield. It is a wonderful fantasy that not only explores new possibilities when things are bleak but friendship, family, and love—a fantasy I can easily recommend.

I only post my 4 & 5-star reviews here! If I don’t like the book, I won’t finish it. It wouldn’t be fair to leave a review for an unfinished story, and life is too short not to enjoy my reading journey!

UPDATES:

  • Huge congrats to the Blog Tour Winners! I threw all the hosts name in a hat and picked three. From there I had my daughter, Danielle, pick a number from the amount of people who commented on that post. That’s how the winners were chosen 🙂
  • D. Wallace Peach won the $20 Amazon Gift Card on Craig’s post! Valerie Jael won the $10 Amazon Gift Card on Sandra’s post, and Vera Day won on Beem’s post. Thank you for all the support and comments, it was a lot of fun.
  • Newsletter went out today! If you are subscribed check your email 🙂
  • I will be gone next week on vacation. Book reviews will be back on June 5th and Finn’s Forest will debut June 19th.

Embrace your inner child by reading a good book. Aloha! D. L. Finn

“The Darkness of Placata Montis” by DLM Johnson, Cover Reveal and PreOrder! @DLMJ18 #writingcommunity #newrelease #fantasy #debutauthor

I’m thrilled to have a new author here to talk about her upcoming debut release, and I might take a small moment here to be a proud Mom!

Here’s my youngest daughter, Danielle, to talk about “The Darkness of Placata Montis.”

First of all, let me introduce myself. You will get to know me in this space as DLM Johnson, daughter of D.L. Finn.

Like my mother, I have spent many years expressing myself through words. Mostly, I wrote poetry, trying to understand my own emotions and feelings as I was becoming an adult.

Writing without expectation. What a joy, right?! So who in the heck thought it would be a good idea to put my fancy words into an entire book?! Well. Me. And my friends. And my family. Darn supportive bunch of people.

That being said, this journey of mine started six years ago. It’s been through many journeys as I fought my way through accepting my own mental illness and job changes and loss and COVID and… AND.

You get it. You’ve been there. Not only that, but that first book is your BABY. It can do no wrong! And anything people say about it cuts deep… even when it’s a compliment like “I can’t wait to read it when it’s finished!” when you’ve just let them read your full 100k word book.

*large deflate*

Anyway. After letting my edits sit for nearly a year, I finally came back to it. I let go of this idea that it had to stay how it was from the beginning because that’s the only way the words would be true. But honestly, even reading back on that vs what I can say nowadays… Well, it actually makes me excited for what more I can come out with in the future. Book 2? A crime thriller? Why not! Give me it all!

That being said, thank you to everyone in this community who has helped me at some point along the way, even if it was just a favor to D.L. Finn. I will do what I can to return the support (though time isn’t really something I have much to spare).

Either way, I hope you find some joy reading my words. Well, if you so choose to read my words, I hope you enjoy at least parts of them. I hope it releases you temporarily from this world and plunges you into another. And, if you find yourself wanting more, know that I have indeed planned out a second book, and hopefully it won’t take another six years to reach its end. But, who knows!

BLURB

“You were never meant to fight this on your own.”

The words might have provided some level of comfort if everyone Eliana loved and trusted hadn’t let her down. Twenty-two years ago when the prince had abandoned the people of Panis Montem, that fight fell onto the shoulders of a young girl. She used the pain she felt from his departure and transformed it into a driving rage. When her parents lost their fight against evil one evening, Eliana was transported to a different world. While the chase continued, she did everything she could to vanquish the enemy. But as The Darkness continued to consume the land, those with magic would have to fight back or else themselves become consumed.

Will Eliana be forced to finish this fight alone, or will she find another way?

“You were never meant to fight this on your own.”

The words might have provided some level of comfort if everyone Eliana loved and trusted hadn’t let her down. Will she be forced to finish the fight against The Darkness alone, or will she find another way?

EXCERPT

The night was heavy as a storm consumed the sky, casting a chill into the unusually humid air. A lightning bolt shot across the clouds, momentarily revealing a breathless figure lurking in the shadows among the trees. Her green eyes widened with frantic searching as she supported herself against the unforgiving bark. When the world went silent again, a gust of wind blew the rain sideways, stinging the bared skin of her arms as she shielded her face.

In the distance, a raven cawed continuously, as if in warning, and a rumble of thunder answered, shaking the ground. The electricity-filled sky joined in on the conversation, brightening the surroundings enough to reveal a large, crooked house in the distance. The raven’s persistent beckoning called through the chaos of the sky.

When the shadowed night returned, the woman crept from the shelter of the trees, chancing the dangers of being revealed. A quiet step onto the rocks of the beaten path caused the excess water to squeeze from the sides of her leather shoes. She paused a moment, listening in the silence between the unrelenting rain as it cascaded down her clothing.

Amazon PRE-ORDER LINK US

Amazon PRE-ORDER LINK UK

While DLM Johnson is new to the world of publishing her written work, she is not new to the world of writing, or even sharing her art. She holds two bachelor’s degrees, one in Computer Engineering and one in Dance. Just like her degrees might allude to, DLM never wants to be boxed in by one label. What better way to break down walls and apply a plethora of skills than writing?

When DLM is not filling her free time with creativity in its written form, she spends her days working as a Software Engineer for an augmented reality company, and her nights she splits between teaching dance and GYROKINESIS®, attending rehearsals for both aerial and modern dance works, playing RPG, and catching up on TV. When she finds a moment to spare, she also enjoys taking motorcycle rides with her husband, being out in nature, and going on hikes.

If you want to keep up with more of the happenings inside of her mind, subscribe to her blog https://tinyurl.com/dlmjohnson, follow her on Twitter @dlmj18, and follow her explorations on HitRecord https://hitrecord.org/users/damnielle01/records.

Where else to find Danielle:

Amazon Author Page

Twitter

Blog