Review: Sterling Fierce and the Lost Dragons, by Lori Tchen

5 August 2025 by Melissa

About the Book, Sterling Fierce and the Lost Dragons

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wise Wolf Books
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 24, 2024
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 214 pages

Embark on an exhilarating and unforeseen odyssey alongside witch hunter Sterling Fierce as he undertakes a perilous quest to protect the balance of power in the lands of Everen.

Sterling Fierce is the ultimate guardian in the enchanted realm of Everen. As the sole survivor of the ancient witch hunters, he holds the key to preserving the delicate balance of power. In a shocking revelation, he discovers that a wicked curse has befallen all the majestic dragons, with one exception—the extraordinary dragon child, a rarity beyond imagination.

Time is of the essence as Sterling and his newfound companions race against the clock to evade the clutches of malevolent creatures lurking in the shadows. Failure to act swiftly will result in the demise of Sterling, his courageous allies, and the last remaining dragons.

Unlock a mesmerizing tale filled with courage, magic, and the boundless wonders of Everen. Join Sterling Fierce in this epic battle against dark forces and embark on a thrilling journey like no other. Grab your copy now and immerse yourself in a spellbinding adventure that will leave you breathless!

Can Sterling summon the inner strength to combat the relentless forces of darkness? Get your copy and discover the answer today!

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About the Author, Lori Tchen

Lori Tchen was born and raised in the Texas hill country where shaking out one’s shoes for scorpions was part of the daily norm. She writes fiction in the evenings, her highly prized downtime outside of work while raising her two sons.

Lori’s career began in criminology, working deep nights in a detention facility, then investigating crimes as a Texas State Enforcement Agent. After observing the underbelly of society, her fantasy stories allow her and her readers to escape into imagined worlds and inspire bravery in children (and adults alike) to face some of life’s evil characters.

Connect with Lori

Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Thoughts

It’s rare to stumble upon a middle-grade fantasy that hits all the sweet spots—clean prose, crisp pacing, and a heartfelt emotional core—but Sterling Fierce and the Lost Dragons absolutely delivers. Lori Tchen’s novel doesn’t just check boxes; it creates its own niche, where high fantasy meets emotional maturity in a story that’s as much about inner growth as it is about outward adventure.

Sterling, our young witch hunter, is no moody teen stereotype. He’s perceptive, principled, and refreshingly sincere. There’s a quiet emotional intelligence pulsing through this book, and it’s most evident in how Sterling learns to let others in. Found family is a well-worn trope, but here it feels honest and unforced—organic, even. Tchen doesn’t rush her character dynamics. The bonds between Sterling and his companions bloom with subtle tension and believable warmth. You feel the stakes, not just in the looming magical threat, but in the fragile trust these characters extend to one another.

This is also one of those rare books where the world-building serves the story instead of overshadowing it. Everen is lush without being overwhelming, magical without becoming saccharine. Tchen strikes a fine balance between wonder and danger; every enchanted glade feels like it could turn deadly at a moment’s notice. And the dragons—ah, the dragons—are treated with reverence and gravitas, never reduced to mere plot devices. The result is a setting that feels as alive as the characters who populate it.

For all its action (and yes, there are sword-swinging, spell-slinging battles galore), the novel’s strength lies in its heart. Courage here isn’t brute force—it’s vulnerability, connection, the willingness to admit you can’t do it alone.

If you’re looking for a richly imagined fantasy that respects its audience—young or not—and you’re a sucker for stories where magic is matched by emotional depth, Sterling Fierce and the Lost Dragons deserves a spot on your shelf. I, for one, can’t wait to see where Sterling’s story takes him next.

Goes well with: chicken pot pie and apple cider.

Review: Houston Skyline, by Carol A. Taylor

14 May 2025 by Melissa

About the book, Houston Skyline: Selected Poems

Houston Skyline by Carol A. Taylor is a collection of poetry inspired by a life filled with change and growth. From her humble beginnings in rural Texas, where her family lived simply, to her career in the high-rises of the business world, and later to her years as a language teacher, Carol’s journey is one of perseverance and self-discovery.

Her poems reflect her experiences, blending memories of her childhood with reflections from her later years. Through themes of family, identity, and place, Carol shares her story in a way that is both personal and relatable.

This collection offers a thoughtful look at how life shapes us, showing how Carol found her voice through poetry and her love for storytelling.

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My Thoughts

Carol Taylor’s volume of poems, Houston Skyline gives us glimpses into the author’s life in the form of a collection of her poems and short bits of transitional prose. Some of the pieces have been published before, others are new, but every one was a treat to be savored.

At times gentle, wry, poignant, and wistful, this collection is well-crafted without feeling crafty. It’s sometimes very candid (“Hard Times” is a recollection about a damaged toilet seat!) and often tied to the weather, which makes sense, because the weather in Texas changes on a dime and is never without drama.

“You seldom see downpours like that ay more, like the deluge the day they buried old Berry, rain blowing sideways and dark coming down,” she writes in “Funeral in the Rain,” and immediately you can feel it, smell it, taste it.

Taylor’s word-choices are delicious, and her descriptions are cinematic. Because it’s poetry, it’s an easy book to pick up, put down, read through, and then revisit, which is what I did.

If you love poetry, in general, and Texas in particular, you will love this book. If you merely love either one of those things, I feel Houston Skyline will make you love them.

Goes well with: sweet tea, fresh strawberries, and a summer rainstorm.

Review: Under the Gulf Coast Sun by Skip Rhudy

20 April 2025 by Melissa

About the Book: Under the Gulf Coast Sun

Genre: Romance / Coming of Age / Surfing
Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing
Pages: 266
Publication Date: April 22, 2025

This coming-of-age tale set against the sun-soaked beaches of 1970s Port Aransas, Texas, is a love letter to the people and culture of the Texas coast and the enduring allure of the Gulf of Mexico.

Eighteen-year-old Connor O’Reilly isn’t ready to leave his beloved hometown until the tourist girl he met the previous summer, Kassie Hernandez, returns to Port Aransas for one final vacation before college. Their tumultuous summer fling is wrecked by a freak accident in which Connor is lost at sea. His long years of surfing and fishing in the Gulf, as well as Kassie’s desperation to reunite with him, are pitted against the enormity and utter indifference of the sea.

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About the Author, Skip Rhudy

Skip Rhudy grew up surfing in Port Aransas, Texas. He has translated poetry and prose from German to English, and translated Wolfgang Hilbig’s novella Die Weiber for his master’s thesis in 1990 at the University of Texas. His short stories were published in numerous small press magazines in the mid-1990s, and his novella One Punk Summer was published in 1993 and reprinted in 2021.

Connect with Skip:

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My Thoughts

I have to admit, I was attracted to Skip Rhudy’s new novel, Under the Gulf Coast Sun, because it involved surfing on the gulf coast of Texas, something I didn’t think was possible. As I read it, I discovered that it’s the perfect summer read for people who like their romance a little bit gritty. Taking place over the course of one Texas summer this book has it all: sun, sand, surf, and survival at sea.

Okay, maybe the surf is a little flat. Connor and Kassie don’t really see any big waves in the gulf, but their budding romance makes waves in their social circle and in their community as a whole.

I really liked that Kassie was smart and mostly self-assured, but had moments of doubt, as any eighteen-year-old would. I also loved that her relationship with Connor pushed him to be a better person overall. Their romance, faltering at first, felt very real.

I also liked that the supporting characters, especially Stamford and Maxim, were as dimensional as the couple at the center of the story. I did feel that some of Stamford’s behavior was a bit predictable, but his actions were plausible, so I followed his story anyway.

Author Skip Rhudy shows off his adeptness at writing believable dialogue for young adults, without it sounding stagey or stupid. I appreciated the different parties, bars, parking lots and beachfronts represented in the story as well. All seemed familiar to me – as if they were places I might have frequented at that age, even though I didn’t live in Port Aransas. Rhudy clearly has a knack for creating compelling, almost cinematic scenes.

Overall, I felt this book was a solid entry into the summer romance genre, with a little bit more substance than most.

Goes well with: a burger and Lone Star beer.

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Review: The Border Between Us, by Rudy Ruiz

18 February 2025 by Melissa

About the book, The Border Between Us

Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Pages: 256
Publication Date: August 27, 2024

The Border Between Us is a poignant coming-of-age novel from one of the most exciting voices in fiction. Ramón López was born along the US–Mexico border but is determined to get out and embrace the American dream—and he’s not sure whether his complicated family is a help or a hindrance. As the son of immigrants, as Ramón grows, his admiration for his entrepreneurial father sours as he watches his

dad’s dreams of success wither on the vine. Ramón’s mother is constantly preoccupied with his younger brother, who struggles with intellectual disabilities. And the outside world is rife with danger and temptations threatening to distract Ramón from his dreams of making it to New York and succeeding as an artist.

As dreams clash with reality and values conflict with desires, Ramón finds the American dream within his reach—but will it demand too big a sacrifice?

Award-winning author Rudy Ruiz brilliantly captures the beauty and danger of border life as Ramón struggles to understand his home and his place in the world. The Border Between Us is a stunning, compassionate story about a son’s fraught relationship with his father, the challenges of pursuing a creative life when one comes from humble beginnings, and the power of embracing one’s whole self.

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About the Author, Rudy Ruiz

Rudy Ruiz is the author of The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez and Valley of Shadows. He is a winner of the Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Book of Fiction, the Gulf Coast Prize in Fiction, and multiple International Latino Book Awards. A bilingual native of the

US–Mexico border, he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Harvard University. Rudy lives and writes in Texas and New England with his wife and children. Visit his website at RudyRuiz.com.

CONNECT WITH RUDY

WEBSITE ◆ TWITTER / X

My Thoughts

I’ve often said that the Young Adult / New Adult market includes some of the most provocative storytelling in contemporary literature, and Rudy Ruiz’s latest novel, The Border Between Us is proof of this.

Told simply, using Spanish dialogue (without translation) when appropriate, the story of Ramón López, a boy from the southmost part of Brownsville, TX, who makes routine trips across the border-spanning Gateway Bridge with his father, is kind of coming-of-age tale that has you rooting for the protagonist to succeed, even when you’re shaking his head at some of his poor choices.

Author Ruiz brilliantly captures the unique culture of the Texas-Mexico border, and the people who dwell on both sides. It’s a rich tapestry that he gives us: struggling Mexican-American families who live in intergenerational homes and tight-knit communities, more affluent families who are sent to the border to manage companies there, private schools run by nuns, public schools where bullies might carry switchblades or guns or both – and the ever-present angst of knowing that drugs and smuggling are becoming ever more pervasive.

And in this cultural pozole, we have a boy entrepreneur who sells sweet chili packets (foodie readers may recognize this as Tajín) to earn the money for a coveted Evel Knievel bike, until the nuns shut him down and steal his market (in a truly tragi-comic turn of events). The boy mogul finds his second success, years later, in art, and manages to “get out,” as his friend Dante says.

But no one really leaves the border forever, and even when life takes him halfway across the country, Ramón remains connected to his family, his hometown, his culture, even when he doesn’t entirely wish to be.

I loved the characters Rudy Ruiz created. Ramón was the center, of course but his extended family, his friends, even is blonde art-school girlfriend Clara are all painted in vivid colors. Similarly, the landscape is described incredibly realistically. I could feel the hot pavement, taste the dust in the ear, feel the oppressive heat, but I could also smell Grandma Fina’s cooking, taste the cherry (or lemon) donuts provided by Perla, and hear the strumming of David’s guitar.

I also appreciated that none of the characters were perfect, but that their flaws weren’t over the top. Ramón’s father Joe is perhaps the best example of this, as his struggle is a counterpoint to his son’s.

At 296 pages, The Border Between Us is a satisfying read that flows quickly, but may be better appreciated if savored slowly.

Goes well with: tacos with a squeeze of lime juice, mangos with tajín, and Mexican beer like Indio or Bohemia.

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Review: The Barber, the Astronaut, and the Golf Ball

20 September 2024 by Melissa

About the book, The Barber, the Astronaut, and the Golf Ball

Genre: Biography / Golf / Space Travel
Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing
Pages: 202
Publication Date: September 17, 2024
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In 1971, famed astronaut Alan Shepard returned from the moon and went to get a haircut. Before settling into the barber’s chair in Webster, Texas, near NASA’s Mission Control, Shepard gave his longtime barber and friend, Carlos Villagomez, an autographed golf ball.

During his Apollo 14 moonwalk, Shepard had conducted a world-famous demonstration of gravity by hitting a golf ball in an out-of-this-world sand trap. It took him two tries.

Carlos, a Navy combat veteran and barber for numerous astronauts, says Shepard gave him the ball immediately after he returned to earth and was released from quarantine.
Had Shepard taken a third ball to the moon? And did he give it to his barber as a token of their long friendship?

The debate provides a backdrop for The Barber, The Astronaut, and The Golf Ball, a story of two extraordinary men and their lasting friendship. The book offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of America’s space program at its pinnacle and shows the ordinary people who supported one of the nation’s most monumental scientific endeavors.

Praise for The Barber, The Astronaut, and The Golf Ball:

It’s perfect!! Barbara and Ed capture Daddy and his long friendship with Carlos. —Laura Shepard, Daughter of Alan Shepard

Brings back the glory days of the U.S. Space Program and the importance of the “little people” who made it happen. We see stern Shepard in a new and admirable light – in Shepard’s high regard for the vast team of dedicated supporters who enabled astronauts to succeed. —Charlie Duke, Apollo Astronaut

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Stoney Creek Publishing | Amazon | B&N | Texas A&M Press | Goodreads

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About the authors, Barbara Radofsky & Ed Supkis, MD

Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis grew up in the 1960s in the shadow of NASA’s

Manned Spacecraft Center and married in 1982. They have three children and five

grandchildren. The couple —with many other community members — are co-owners of

Brazos Bookstore, an independent bookseller. As children of NASA scientists, Barbara, and Ed had front-row seats to the development of the space program and the community built around it on rural cow pastures near Webster, Texas.

Barbara Radnofsky is a writer, mediator, teacher and lawyer. She’s the author of A Citizen’s Guide to Impeachment, a nonpartisan explanation of U.S. constitutional impeachment history and practice.

Ed Supkis, MD is a board-certified anesthesiologist specializing in cardiac anesthesia. He served as Director of Quality Assurance for the Division of Anesthesiology and as Medical Director of Respiratory Care for the Division of Surgery and Anesthesiology.

Connect with Barbara and Ed:

TWITTER ◆ AMAZON ◆ GOODREADS

Connect with Stoney Creek Publishing

FACEBOOK ◆ INSTAGRAM ◆ X/TWITTER ◆ YOUTUBE ◆ LINKEDIN

My Thoughts

I’m a space junky. More than that, I’m a great fan of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. I’ve read memoirs of the various astronauts, and devoured Andrew Chaikin’s book A Man on the Moon cover to cover… twice. So when I got the chance to review The Barber, the Astronaut, and the Golf Ball saying yes was a no-brainer.

I was not disappointed. Authors Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis have done a deep dive into history and the interwined stories of Al Shepard, astronaut, and Carlos Villagomez, barber, and the autographed golf ball that may or may not have traveled to the moon and back is the delightful result.

More than addressing the debate about the origins of Villagomez’s prized souvenir, this book gives us an insider’s view of two men, one lauded as a cultural hero, the other who was mostly behind-the-scenes, and the very real friendship they shared.

We don’t celebrate men’s friendship enough, but this book does that. It also humanizes Shepard, a complicated man at best, in a way that other biographies and memoirs haven’t been able to do. The Al Shepard in this book is more than a stereotype, but a dynamic, flawed but still exceptional, human being.

If you love stories about the space program and the Apollo missions, you will love this book. If you enjoy historical anecdotes, you will enjoy this book. And if you like to get to know our cultural heroes as dimensional beings, you will appreciate this book. I know I did.

Goes well with hot dogs and Tang orange drink.

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Review: The Duchess of Korkora, by Nikhil Prabala

13 September 2024 by Melissa

About the Book, The Duchess of Kokora

Genre: LGBTQ+ / YA / Humorous Fantasy / Romantasy
Publisher: Grand Press
Pages: 442
Publication Date: August 8, 2024
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The Duchess of Kokora, Phera Ylir Mdana, has entered the marriage games of the neighboring kingdom of Ryene. But she’s not there to woo the dashing Prince Dominic.

Her true objective? To win back one of the other contestants, Lady Rocelle Virae—Phera’s true love and ex-fiancée.

Love proves to be a game like any other when Phera must not only mend matters with her childhood sweetheart, but conceal her true intentions in order to earn votes and stay in the competition.

And as long-brewing political tensions simmer beneath the surface, the playful veneer of the competition begins to crack. In the end, Phera, Dominic, and Rocelle find themselves united in a desperate bid to prevent a duel that threatens the integrity of the kingdom, the stability of the continent, and any hope for a happily ever after.

This novel is the first in a planned series.

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About the Author, Nikhil Prabala

From playing the DM in Dungeons and Dragons to writing fantasy novels, Nikhil Prabala loves storytelling, delighting in fantasy fiction from the epic to the cozy and everywhere in between. The Duchess of Kokora is his first published novel.

Born and raised in Austin, Texas, he graduated from Stanford in 2019 and is currently based in the Bay Area. In his free time he enjoys ballroom dancing, singing, playing the guitar, tabletop games, and spending time with friends and family.

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My Thoughts

Nikhil Prabala’s “romantasy,” The Duchess of Kokora is a witty and delightful novel with the kind of self-possessed lead characters I always love to read. I was intrigued from the moment I read the synopsis, and immediately fell in love with the story. I especially appreciated the use of wordplay, creative cursing, and the many unfavorable comparisons between male human and equine anatomy.

The title character, Phera (the eponymous Duchess) has entered marriage games with a neighboring principality, ostensibly to find a prince, but really to reclaim her lost love Rocelle. I was a little dubious about a lesbian relationship being written by a man, but Prabala showed himself to be astute and attentive to detail. The last time I read such believable women from a male author was probably Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha. But while that book was historical fiction, this one is set in a fantasy world with magic. (It’s worth mentioning that while marriage games are a common trope in fantasy romance, the idea felt fresh and original as treated in this book.)

While I enjoyed all of the characters, especially the leads, I also loved the world building in this book. I’m a little rusty on magic systems (I’m a recovered table-top role-player) but I didn’t have any issues following the use of magic, and rules thereof, in this novel.

The Duchess of Kokora is escapist fiction at its best. It doesn’t pander, but neither does it require notes and charts to follow the plot. Rather, I needed tissues handy because several scenes had me laughing out loud.

Overall, this is an excellent entry into the romantic fantasy genre, and a thoroughly engaging read.

Goes well with: cottage pie, brown bread, and hard pear cider.

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Review: This Time Around by Kimberly Packard – with Giveaway

19 June 2024 by Melissa

About the book, This Time Around

Genre: Time Travel Romance / Contemporary Women’s Fiction / Romantic Comedy
Publisher: Abalos Publishing
Date of Publication: June 11, 2024
Number of Pages: 286 pages
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Most of us would jump at a chance for a do-over of our teenage years…but what if our worst mistakes lead to our happily-ever-after?

Josie Gardner’s life revolves around her amazing children and her career. But, when her husband threatens to take her kids in their divorce, and the business she’s put most of her passion, time and money into building is at risk of failing, a panic attack shatters her grip on reality… and the present.

Josie wakes up in her teenage bedroom, thirty years in the past. She’s forced to relive her emotionally devastating senior year of high school — the year she cut her father out of her life, caused one of her best friends to sever ties, and turned away the boy she loved.

Determined to get back to her children in her own time, Josie tries to fix the mistakes she made, in the hope that righting wrongs will send her back to the present. But when tempted by her high school crush Josie faces the real possibility of losing her future for good.

Would you take a second chance for love…even if it meant losing everything?

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About the author, Kimberly Packard

Kimberly Packard is an award-winning author of women’s fiction.

When she isn’t writing, she can be found planning her next trip, asking her dog what’s in his mouth or curled up with a book. She resides in Texas with her husband Colby, a clever cat named Oliver and a precocious black lab named Tully.

Her debut novel, Phoenix, was awarded as Best General Fiction of 2013 by the Texas Association of Authors. She is also the author of a Christmas novella, The Crazy Yates, and the sequels to Phoenix, Pardon Falls and Prospera Pass, and her stand-alone titles Vortex, Dire’s Club and This Time Around. She was honored as one of the Top 10 Haute Young Authors by Southern Methodist University in 2019. Vortex was the 2019 winner of the Pencraft award in Women’s Fiction, and Dire’s Club, was awarded the 2021 General Fiction of the Year by the North Texas Book Festival.

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My Thoughts

Have you ever wished you could live your life over again and make different choices? Or make the same choices but with more information? That’s the question Kimberly Packard explores in her new novel, This Time Around.

Josie Gardner is given that chance when a panic attack in response to a custody battle she hadn’t anticipated sends her body into a coma and her brain back to her high school self. What ensues is part self-examination, and part fix-it fiction, where she attempts to seed better future results into the lives of her past friends.

Does it really happen? It doesn’t really matter. Author Packard has given us a likeable, well-meaning heroine who knows she isn’t perfect, and isn’t trying to be. She just wants to be better. It’s that distinction that makes her so relatable, and makes this book suck you in. Sure, the scenes of present-Josie interacting as past-Josie are often amusing, but the emotional truth that runs through everything is what really resonates.

With snappy dialogue, a believable cast of characters who alternately doubt and support Josie, and a present-day family that knows they don’t quite deserve her, this book is a rich tapestry of people and situations.

I particularly liked that past-Josie’s closest friends were willing to believe in her even when they didn’t quite believe her. I also liked that in the present day her almost-ex husband wasn’t painted as a one-dimensional villain, but as a complex character whose intentions were good, even if the execution of them was not.

Packard has a knack for making impossible situations feel both plausible and organic, and she’s true to form with This Time Around. Overall, it’s a satisfying story, and much meatier than the blurb reveals.

Goes well with: pepperoni pizza and cherry coke.

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Click to visit the Lone Star Literary Life tour page for direct links to each tour participant, update daily, or visit each blog directly:

06/11/24	Ames for the Stars	Review
06/12/24	LSBBT Blog	Review
06/13/24	Book Fidelity	Review
06/14/24	StoreyBook Reviews	Review
06/15/24	Jennie Reads	Review
06/16/24	Boys’ Mom Reads	Review
06/17/24	The Plain-Spoken Pen	Review
06/17/24	The Real World According to Sam	Review
06/18/24	Carpe Diem Chronicles	Review
06/18/24	It’s Not All Gravy	Review
06/19/24	Reading by Moonlight	Review
06/19/24	The Page Unbound	Review
06/19/24	Bibliotica	Review
06/20/24	Rox Burkey Blog	Review
TBD	Hall Ways Blog	Review

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Review: Bound in Silence, by Christena Stephens

5 June 2024 by Melissa

About the book, Bound in Silence

Genre: True Crime / Texas History / Nonfiction
Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing
Page Count: 286 pages
Publication Date: February 26, 2024
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On a nearly moonless night in October 1943, a single gunshot rang out in Littlefield, Texas. A prominent Texas doctor and his wife were found bound, shot, beaten, and murdered. The only witness: their five-year-old daughter, who was bound to silence and refused to speak about what happened for 70 years.

The heinous crime remains unsolved. For years, the courts tried to convict one suspect, but forensic evidence contradicted the prosecution’s case. Investigators, including the famed Texas Rangers, failed to bring anyone to justice.

Eight decades later, the questions linger over the plains of the Texas Panhandle: who killed the Hunts and why?

Author and historian Christena Stephens spent more than a decade researching the Hunt murders, re-examining every twist and turn in the legal process, uncovering new evidence, and drawing new conclusions about who might have been responsible. She also convinced Jo Ann Hunt to break 70 years of silence and tell her story for the first time. Armed with Jo Ann’s account, Stephens takes the reader back to that deadly night and through the years of trauma that followed.

Why did the criminal justice system repeatedly fail to bring anyone to justice? What could have scared a 5-year-old girl into a lifetime of silence? What did investigators miss? And most importantly, who killed Roy and Mae Hunt?

Bound in Silence is a true crime tour-de-force, a meticulously researched, impeccably told tale of unsolved murder on the High Plains.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Purchase Link | Goodreads

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About the author, Christena Stephens

Christena Stephens is a native Texan growing up amongst cotton fields and spending time exploring the nature of the Llano Estacado. After earning two Master of Science degrees, she started a project to preserve ahistorical Texas ranch, thus began her interest in history, research, and writing. She did not intend to be a historian but was mentored by the best Texas historians. Several of her writings have been published in anthologies, along with her photographs. In science and history, truths need to be accurately told. That is her mission-truth and authenticity. She still resides on the Llano Estacado enjoying sunsets and chance porcupine encounters. She is an ardent advocate of wildlife conservation and her heart belongs to her dogs.

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My Thoughts

Christena Stephens’s new book, Bound in Silence is where true crime, history, and creative non-fiction all meet to form a whole that is both a gripping story and a grisly one.

In this case, this book really tells two stories, the first is a murder mystery taken from the pages of Texas history: the death by shooting of a doctor (Roy Hunt) and his wife (Mae). And author Stephens takes down a well-researched and equally well-written path of whodunnit, and why, and how.

The second story is that of the Hunt’s older daughter, JoAnn, who was in the room (albeit stuffed in a closet) while her parents were being murdered. For decades, she kept silent, scared into event-specific muteness, until the author got her story.

Stephens’s narrative style is straight to the point without being dull or dry. Her photographer’s eye comes in handy – her descriptions of people and places, while taken from photos and press clippings – feel cinematic. Her choice of topic is a compelling one, because it gives a glimpse into the psychology of childhood trauma and fear, as well as into the gory events themselves.

Overall, this is a well-crafted account, and deserving of a lot of notice.

Goes well with: a whiskey flight and Texas barbecue.

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5/28/24	LSBBT Blog	Review
5/29/24	The Plain-Spoken Pen	Review
5/30/24	The Clueless Gent	Review
5/31/24	Hall Ways Blog	Review
6/1/24	StoreyBook Reviews	Review
6/2/24	The Real World According to Sam	Review
6/3/24	Rox Burkey Blog	Review
6/4/24	Book Fidelity	Review
6/5/24	Bibliotica	Review
6/6/24	Boys’ Mom Reads	Review

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Review: Come Fly With Me, by Helen Rolfe

26 May 2024 by Melissa

About the book, Come Fly with Me

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boldwood Books (May 22, 2024)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 22, 2024
Language ‏ : ‎ English

Take to the skies in this gorgeous and gripping new series, perfect for fans of Jo Bartlett and Cathy Bramley.

A Second Chance…

For Maya, serving as a pilot in the Whistlestop River air ambulance team is a dream come true. And now, with her divorce from her overbearing husband finally complete, flying over the fields of Dorset, and saving lives with the Skylarks, is the centre of her world. If only her ex would accept their separation as readily as she had, life would be perfect…

A fresh start…

Having recently transferred from London to Dorset, paramedic Noah is ready for a new start. But he’s brought with him a lot of baggage, not least his infant niece who he’s been looking after since his sister died unexpectedly earlier that year. Noah adores Eva, but is he really cut out to look after a baby?

A risk worth taking?

When Noah and Maya find themselves on the same rescue team, they’re immediately drawn to each other. Yet, with so many complications in their personal lives, do they have time to open their hearts to someone new?

As their friendship grows, Noah and Maya are both about to discover that life is worth nothing unless you share it with the people you love.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Purchase Link | Goodreads

About the author, Helen Rolfe

Helen Rolfe writes contemporary women’s fiction and romantic fiction. She enjoys weaving stories about family, friendship, secrets, and relationships. Characters often face challenges and must fight to overcome them, but above all, Helen’s stories always have a happy ending.

Helen loves creating village settings or places with a small-town feel and a big sense of community. Location has always been a big part of the adventure in Helen’s books and she enjoys setting stories in different cities and countries around the world. So far, locations have included Melbourne, Sydney, New York, Connecticut, Bath, Paris and the Cotswolds.

Helen has added Dorset to her list of locations with the launch of Come Fly With Me, set in the fictitious town of Whistlestop River. Come Fly With Me is the first book in Helen’s brand new series centred around an air ambulance team, the Skylarks, who take to the skies to save lives.

Born and raised in the UK, Helen graduated from University with a business degree and began working in I.T. This job took her over to Australia where she eventually turned her attentions back to the career she’d dreamt of since she was fourteen. She studied writing and journalism and wrote articles for women’s health and fitness magazines. Helen began writing fiction in 2011 and hasn’t missed the I.T. world one little bit… in fact she may just have found her dream job!

Connect with Helen:

Newsletter Signup | BookBub Profile | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter)

My Thoughts

I recently binged all of the available episodes of the American/Canadian show SkyMed and the Australian show RFDS, both of which feature flying medical services, so picking up Helen Rolfe’s novel, Come Fly with Me was the perfect follow up. I read it in one weekend, and then spent a few nights listening to the audiobook as I fell asleep, and enjoyed both immensely.

What I liked most was that this isn’t a story about innocent ingenues. Both Maya and Noah have life experience, and been adversely affected by it. Reading a friends-to-romance story about actual adults with jobs and children was wonderful, and both characters really sang.

I also liked the choice to set it in a flying EMT service. I love hospital dramas as much as anyone, but adding the element of flight took things to another level (no pun intended) and really let Rolfe show off her research skills as well.

The pacing of the story seemed pretty much perfect to me, and I enjoyed the side characters as well, because they rounded out the story and added dimension to the leads. I also appreciated Rolfe’s vivid descriptions of the fields around Dorset and the skies above them. I felt like I was along for the helicopter ride, racing to someone’s rescue.

Overall, this is a fantastic read, much deeper than a typical romance, with a really satisfying story. The fact that it’s book one of a new series is an added bonus.

Goes well with coffee and a breakfast sandwich from a local café.

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Review: The Ghost of Whispering Willow, by Amanda M. Thrasher

24 May 2024 by Melissa

About the book, The Ghost of Whispering Willow (Second Edition)

Genre: Children’s Horror / Fantasy / Magic / Chapter Book
Publisher: Progressive Rising Phoenix Press
Publication Date: January 9, 2024
Page Count: 246
Scroll down for Giveaway.

Full of surprises, feuds, kidnappings and a family reunited!

Stewart sees a ghostly figure out of the corner of his eye. He and his friend, Andy, begin a ghost investigation that leads to an adventure of a lifetime. Coming face-to-face with a ghost, the boys make a decision to join forces with a group of girls, who have encountered a ghost of their own. The kids soon find that the ghosts that they’ve encountered are in imminent danger and need their help. Can the kids devise a plan to help the ghost in time? Will they be able to reunite a ghost with his lost family? Complete with a ghost village and a feud, this story takes on a life of its own.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Click to Purchase | Discuss on Goodreads

Watch the Trailer for The Ghost of Whispering Willow

About the author, Amanda M. Thrasher

Award-winning author Amanda M. Thrasher was born in England and moved to Texas, where she lives with her family. She writes YA, general fiction, middle grade, early reader chapter, and picture books. She is the founder and CEO of Progressive Rising Phoenix Press.

Connect with Amanda:

Progressive Rising Phoenix Press

Facebook | Instagram

My Thoughts

Amanda M. Thrasher’s novel, The Ghost of Whispering Willow, may be targeted toward kids in middle grades, but this adult found the story both engaging and entertaining. It manages to hit you both in the amygdala (because most humans like to be scared when we know it’s fictional), and in the heart, once the truth is discovered.

What I loved most was the perfect depiction of childhood adventures – sneaking out at night, taking notes on whatever is observed, and the timeless debate of whether or not boys and girls are friends or enemies, or a little of both.

I enjoyed the interaction between Andy and Stewart, especially, and the way they were so different – one precise about every detail he observed, one much more casual about it. It was so refreshing to see boys written as good, kids – too often in literature middle-grade boys are depicted as troublemakers, and it gets old.

I also appreciated the way their interactions changed once Krista and her friends become involved. The whispers among the girls and the boys about who likes whom made me smile and nod in fond appreciation of the details the author included – they weren’t necessarily crucial to the plot of the story, but they made the characters seem more real.

Overall, this is a well-paced, well-plotted book and I would recommend it to readers of all ages and genders.

Goes well with: bologna and cheese sandwiches with the crusts cut off, and Dr. Pepper.