Time To Feed My Reads

Book - On The Rock Author - Andy McNab Rating -  Review: They have no names, they are there to do a job and this time the job is taking them to Gibraltar to ensure a plot can be stopped but can they do it with as little fuss as possible? This quick read story sees Andy McNab bringing us a story of agents travelling to Gibraltar to stop a terrorist attack and is a well worked story but the fact it is put in the shorter story format means it may not have the depth of his other works (I haven't read any but I would believe this is the case based on what I've heard of his work previously) and for me whilst the story worked well, the ending felt like it came about as a bit of a stop straight away rather than a gradual slow down.

Book - Cut Off Author - Mark Billingham Rating -  Review: When Louise leaves a cafe and realises she has someone else's phone it is like the end of her world, she has videos, music and more on her phone and so calling to her number to try to get the phone back as soon as possible is the only thing she can do but is getting your mobile phone back the most important thing in life? This quick read book sees what is such a simple subject matter, losing your mobile phone and then turns it into something which is twisted, dark and a true page turner.  A great read and an author who knows how to take something simple and build it to the point other authors simply couldn't reach.

Book - Sacrilege Author - Barbara Avon Rating -  Review: When a fallen priest, Cris Corelli, decides to check in to a boarding house he finds himself tortured by the want to drink, to destroy himself, but when he finds himself developing a relationship with the lady running the boarding house, Jules, he must decide on what he wants and chase away those demons that have long followed him. Let me start off by saying I am a big fan of Barbara Avon and the way she is able to create such dark, grimy and dirty feeling stories but for me this book wasn't my favourite of her works.  I found that the flow sometimes didn't quite work as well as other offerings I have read from her and this meant it was a little more difficult to be drawn into the story like I have been with her other works.  The story itself is a good one and the book is one I still enjoyed but it isn't the strongest work from the hugely talented Barbara Avon in my honest opinion.

Book - A Range War Author - S.M. Revolinski Rating -  Review: As the open range cattle life that had been so successful in the early days are now coming to an end, it has become a lawless battle for the land and it is seeing escalations in the violence being inflicted with excuses and cover ups being part and parcel of what is becoming the norm but when it gets to the point where the army are called in can the range war be de-escalated? Another excellent piece of writing that has a great story plot to base everything around and is one of the strongest of the books in the series.  The small markdown for a few editing issues but these are easy to overlook.

Book - A Celebration Author - S.M. Revolinski Rating -  Review: As Wyoming becomes a state it is a time for celebration for all and in this short story we get to feel the excitement and experience the pageantry of this austere occasion.  Another well thought out and delivered story from the series Tales From Wyoming and a small markdown simply for editing.

Book - A Lynching Author - S.M. Revolinski Rating -  Review: When the open range became much less open and people were to keep their cattle penned in with fences, it became a chance for many to be accused of being cattle rustlers but can those in charge be trusted with making sure all the cattle markings are above board or will they simply decide things based on their own interests? This short story from S.M. Revolinski continues with the tales from Wyoming and focuses on a lynching based around the changes happening on the open range, it is well written and is a good story with the small markdown for editing.

Book - Blackout Author - Emily Barr Rating -  Review: When you wake up in a different room and different clothes, your partner and baby are missing and you have no idea how you got there it can't get any worse can it?  You then realise you're in a different country, have no money and no passport. Written in a way that keeps the reader guessing throughout, this twisted story sees Sophie in Paris and desperate to get home but is it her mental health causing her the problems or is there something bigger at play?  A well thought out and delivered story that I really did enjoy.

Book - Comet Riders Author - S.M. Revolinski Rating -  Review: When mankind has managed to populate other regions of the universe they could not imagine it would mean having to continually fighting for their right to exist as the universe throws comets and anything else it can at their new planet but when they are able to see what is coming with plenty of time to come up with a solution will they be able to overcome the odds? A brilliant piece of short story writing by S.M. Revolinski which sees a multitude of characters, history and the present both looked at, the human drive to survive and so much more.  This is one which is a great place to start if you've not checked out this author before.

Book - The Escape Author - Lynda La Plante Rating -  Review: Colin is in prison but prior to being sent there he had actually turned his life around, he had a job, a wife who is pregnant with their child and he felt life was good but previous crimes have caught up with him.  He is now focused only on being at the birth of his child but after being rejected permission for this he will do anything and so his new cellmate, Barry, is desperate to help him in any way he can.  Can he make it to see the birth of his child and if he can then will it be worth the potential repercussions? A first time reading work from this author but I can see why she has been so successful over the years as this is a great piece of writing that I really did enjoy.

Book - Dead Simple Author - Various Authors Rating -  Review: This set of eight short stories from eight great authors is a truly great way for people to get into reading, for those already reading it's a great chance to try a different genre or even to just find a new author or two.  All of the stories are based around crime and each one stands up on merit as being a great short story. For me the quick reads books are a great idea and when you have them being delivered brilliantly well by brilliant authors it makes it obvious this is something they have to keep going.

Book - The Girl In The Mob Author - S.M. Revolinski Rating -  Review: When an off-Broadway actress finds herself in a car with FBI agents and is asked to undertake the role of a lifetime to help their agent integrate into the mob, she could never imagine just how much she will be dragged into the role. This is fast paced ride that draws you in and keeps you guessing.  I've read a fair bit of work by S.M. Revolinski by now and this is something very different but also something that works brilliantly and suits his writing style down to the ground.  The markdown on this is editing but it has not put me off wanting to keep reading more.

Book - The Other Side Of You Author - Amanda Craig Rating -  Review: Will lives in the wrong estate and unfortunately for him he's got to get away from the area as quickly as he can now that the gang has singled him out but where can he go?  Escaping the estate is the easy part but when he winds up finding himself hiding in an abandoned glass structure full of plants he could never imagine just how much his life will change. This is a quick read as well as a first time reading work by Amanda Craig for me and I must say this won't be my last time reading her work.  The story is well thought out and delivered and in the main character Will I found someone who had a true development throughout the story but one that didn't feel overly rushed or forced which I was impressed with as the story is short.

Book -  Inspector Chopra And The Million Dollar Motor Car Author -  Vaseem Khan Rating -  Review: When Inspector Chopra discovers that a million dollar motor car has disappeared from a dealership and he is asked for his help in tracking it down he could never imagine the journey it will take him on with his new Baby Ganesh Agency but with just 2 days to find the car, is it going to be too much for him to take on? This book is my first time reading work by Vaseem and I must say that at the start I was a little unsure as I found a baby elephant introduced to the story but I put this aside and continued along with the story and found myself really impressed with how well worked the story is and just how enjoyable it was to read.  This is an author I plan to check out more work from.

Book - Clean Break Author - Tammy Cohen Rating -  Review: Kate has been married for long enough to know that her husband has a temper and that isn't going to change and so the time has come for her to break up with him but with him still wanting them to go to counselling and her hiding her relationship with another man can it ever really be a clean break? This is a dark book that sees possessiveness, obsession and revenge but is all done in a story that works perfectly.  The writing is excellent and you are desperate to turn the page at the end of each one you have read which means that you are drawn in to this one and frustrated at it being a quick read as you want more but that simply means you've found an author with a true talent.

Book -  Evil Thing: The Graphic Novel Author -  Serena Valentino with illustrations by Arielle Jovellanos Rating -  Review: My first time reading a graphic novel and I must say that I am impressed.  This story sees Cruella developing from a young child into the lady that she eventually became well known for being.  The story is broken down into what could be described as miniature stories of events that have happened throughout and the excellent illustrations by Arielle really do add so much to the excellent story work from Serena. If you've not tried a graphic novel before then this might be one for you to try.

Book - Red For Revenge Author - Fanny Blake Rating -  Review: When Maggie meets a lovely woman as she is getting her nails done she could never imagine just how much it will change her world.  Having been married to Phil for over 25 years and having 2 children who are grown to the point they are not at home any longer it is the point where Maggie should be starting to enjoy her time at home with Phil but that hasn't seemed to be the case and when she discovers that the woman she has met, Carla, knows Phil too, it starts to stir up the thoughts about her life and just where she is in that life and what she wants from it. This story is a really well thought out and delivered one that works perfectly.  The characters are well developed and for a quick read you find that the story is one that has layers to it that you would expect from a much longer read which shows a true talent from the author. A great book that is a good introduction to this author if you've not read ...

Book - One False Move Author - Dreda Say Mitchell Rating -  Review: Hayley maybe out of prison but when you live somewhere with no real chances to better yourself are you truly free?  Hayley has her daughter to look after and a job which sees her collecting repayments of loans by going door to door but when she is robbed of £1000 can she keep her life on track or is this going to see the spiral back toward prison or worse? This is a well written and clever story that worked beautifully well.  The characters were all believable and despite being a quick read this is one which has a good level of depth to it and is highly recommended.

Book - Tackling The Issue Author - Ken Mooney Rating -  Review: A book which focuses on gay men and the homophobia which has been seen over the years in Ireland (I appreciate that it has been seen in many places but this book focuses on Ireland) and how this has led to men to hide who they really are, even hiding it from themselves and not accepting that they are gay.   This book is written by a gay man who has accepted who he is but is able to write about the internal struggle many go through whilst also including sexual scenes in his work.  He is a talented writer who understands his genre and the small markdown is purely to do with editing.

Book -  Little Dramas: A Collection Of Short Stories Author - Glenn McGoldrick Rating -  Review: A collection of short stories that are written well, deliver on stories that work and are of a high quality.  Not much more to say other than check this one out.

Book - Not Eligible For Rehire Author - Glenn McGoldrick Rating -  Review: When you are in charge of a casino on a cruise ship the thieves can't get far but when you discover drugs in a staff members room it turns into an investigation to find out just what has happened when the staff member denies any knowledge of them.  Has he been framed? This is the second short story I have read from Glenn McGoldrick and having not enjoyed the first one very much I was delighted to find this to be a truly excellent piece.  The story is continually moving forward and never has any filler but above all else the story itself is well thought out and delivered.

Book - After The Tackle Author - Ken Mooney Rating -  Review: Garrett O'Mahony had a very promising career as a rugby player but when he is injured to a level which means he will never again be able to play the game he loves so much but when a national news interview is released which sees him also outed as being a gay man Garrett must make some decisions on just how to handle things and who he wants to be.  A simple breakfast visit to a cafe sees Garrett find out just how people are reacting to the interview but also finds himself questioning his feelings for the author of the interview and much more. This is a book which has sexual scenes between two men and has some parts which explore the treatment of the gay community in Ireland but beyond these things it sees a human struggle with being drawn to the wrong people in life and that constant battle to find ourselves and who we really are when we focus on how we feel.  This is a well written book that has a small ma...

AUTHOR INTERVIEW A little introduction: Eugene O’Toole is a writer whose first novel, ‘Molly Path’, was published by Hawkwood Books ( @HawkwoodBooks ) in August last year (cover image attached). He has won or been placed in a number of short story competitions. When did your love of books begin? I have always loved books, although my reading habits were long dominated by non-fiction. I have been reading much more fiction in recent years and now regret having left this for so long. But life is a series of lessons, and none of us ever gets anything right on the first attempt. If we did, we’d be perfect. When did you start to have the wish to become an author? Since my teenage years. I have never wanted to do anything else. It still burns uncontrollably within me. How have you found the process for becoming an author? For non-fiction it was relatively easy. I worked in journalism and taught as an academic about Latin American politics. If you know your stuff, it is not hard to publish boo...

AUTHOR INTERVIEW When did your love of books begin? My love for books didn’t begin until adulthood. It actually began with a love for movies.  When I started watching movies that originated from books, or at least when I realized they originated from books, I became intrigued with the additional details in books that were omitted from the movies.  My favorite genre is sci-fi/fantasy…books like Lord of the Rings, Dune, Chronicles of Narnia and the Percy Jackson series. Ironically, my first book does not fall I to the fantasy genre at all. 😊 When did you start to have the wish to become an author? I never really started this thinking, “I want to be an author.”  I’ve always enjoyed writing. About 4-5 years ago, I had an idea that I thought would be an interesting book and I started writing it down…or more accurately, typing it, and I saved it on a USB drive and set it aside. Some time later when I became motivated to start writing again, I tried to access my previous writin...

AUTHOR INTERVIEW A little introduction: Hi, I'm TJ Dallas. I'm a Scottish sapphic author, and I write mostly supernatural erotica, though I've recently been getting into contemporary romance novellas under the pen name Taryn J Dallas. When did your love of books begin? I've always been an avid reader, but I only started writing properly in 2019 when I was 31. I discovered the huge lesfic genre late in life (age 30!) and wanted to get in on that epic fun, lol. When did you start to have the wish to become an author? Since I was a teenager, but as above, I didn't actually sit down to write something properly until much later! I wished I'd started writing earlier; hindsight is a wonderful thing. How have you found the process for becoming an author? A steep learning curve. Writing the first draft is only the first step... I'm self-published, so there's the editing, the cover design, the formatting, the marketing, the audiobooks, the social media, the websit...

AUTHOR INTERVIEW When did your love of books begin? I started having love for book ever since I was a kid my mum always goes to the library so I always went with her so that's how I actually started love to read books. When did you start to have the wish to become an author? I started having wish to become an author when I started reading the most amazing book I always loved reading a book written by Mark Twain That book was so amazing so I decided if someone could write such an amazing book why don't I try becoming a writer maybe I could share my experience to the world of writers. How have you found the process for becoming an author? It has been an amazing journey but I literally just started last year it hasn't been that easy I wanted to give up at first but I couldn't because I made a promise to myself that I will try my possible best to become a writer because I can't stop reading books and I would like to share my thoughts with other writers. What would you s...

AUTHOR INTERVIEW When did your love of books begin? I  believe there is something undeniably special about reading. And we don't just love to read books. We love to talk about them. My love for books began e ver since I could read letters and comprehend words. When did you start to have the wish to become an author? It was my dream to reach far and wide, to enlighten people with what was deeply embedded in me and tell them stories through my book. How have you found the process for becoming an author? It has been a roller coaster to say the least, but once I saw the physical book I was both exhilarated and liberated at the same time. What would you say to those wanting to become an author? As a writer, you find words that persuade, compel, and engage readers.  Writing helps you  create and maintain relationships with people around the world. It is worth every ounce of effort you put in. Go through the motions and you'll quickly look back...

AUTHOR INTERVIEW A little introduction: Hey! I'm Nick Oliveri, an independent author and founder of a non-profit dedicated to financially supporting independent authors on their journey through publishing and promotion. I was a startup co-founder before I started writing novels seriously, and eventually published the Kirkus-recommended work,  The Conjurer,  in early December of 2021. I feel like I write because I have to, and I love supporting those of my own, in kin or in the craft.  When did your love of books begin? I have always wanted to be an author because I have always been fascinated with books. Ever since a kid, I've always marveled at the amazing feat it takes to assemble a novel. Once I transitioned out of my startup, I decided writing would be my bastion for empathy, my escape from reality, and my vehicle for all things good and skillful.  How have you found the process for becoming an author? Becoming an author (I'm self-published) is a long road if you...

AUTHOR INTERVIEW A little introduction: My name is Roel Reis. As an indie author I tend to write lots of short stories with various themes. One thing that characterizes me and I really like a type of the plot is a surprise that I present at the end of my short story. Elements of surprises and unexpected things that happen in everyday life make my works more lively and colorful and lead readers to constantly think about deep impressions of the unique and extraordinary life, or even questioning about life anomalies. When did your love of books begin? From early childhood I was very fond of books. I already felt that books have become a window to a wider world. Books have taken me on time travel to various places in other parts of the world. The classic adventure stories written by Mark Twain were so memorable. The oldies stories of the giant Gulliver, Ben Hur, Robinson Crussoe etc. enriched my imagination even more. And fortunately, I didn't have to read many thick books, since there...